No-one would say that the first 10km of the Camino da Geira e dos Arrieiros are a thing of beauty.
It’s cityscapes, concrete and roads, some of which have heavy traffic (breathing in petrol, that’s not entertainment); with a few quieter interludes in between.
The redeeming feature of this initial stretch is that it is very well-signed with yellow arrows and some ‘camino’ markers.
If you haven’t seen an arrow for a short while, you know you’ve strayed off-track and need to retrace your steps.
The opening stage is a short one; just 16 or 17km, depending on who you believe; with around 270 metres of height gain to reach the spa town of Caldelas.
The ‘camino’ starts from Braga cathedral, which is in the most interesting part of the city and merits a look round (best done before you don your rucksack).
The walker is then looking out for Rua da Boavista and walking along it. The signs take the hiker under an underpass. Keep following the arrows out of the city.
After passing some high-rise flats, the path bears left to run next to a high stone wall.
Our route reaches the San Martiño church in the suburb of Dume. We bear right to go through the arch which is just before the church.
Then head under the N-101 national road and pass Ikea on the left.
On the Rua do Assento you will see lots of arrows on a post (see photo below), keep straight on and don’t turn left as some of the arrows indicate.
A spell along the main road follows, eventually reaching the bridge over the River Cávado. The waterway was very swollen when I crossed; there is a narrow area for pedestrians to use on the bridge.
Immediately afterwards turn right onto another busy road. Fortunately it’s only 500m further until our route crosses over, bearing left onto the much quieter M-1247 road.
It’s just over 1km on the M-1247 to reach the Lago church, with its ‘cruceiro’ cross in front and candles too.
We keep on the same quiet road, following the signs to the Rendufe monastery.
The monastery offers visits, but not very frequently. I passed the entrance and turned right, off the road, for the first appetising ascent of the day; up a wonderful old stone track.
The route reaches a peculiar junction where a small statue of a bishop stands next to large stone compass/cross; keep straight on.
Next up is the village of Fiscal. Arrive at the attractive sign pictured below which points for the Camino de Santiago, along a path which reaches a road.
Bear left onto the N-205-3. With the rain getting heavier I followed it as far as the junction, where a right turn leads up into the spa town of Caldelas.
There are several options for accomodation in Caldelas; not least the newish hostel for walkers, the Albergue de Santiago de Caldelas, which has its own Facebook page and can be reached on +351 914 893 243.
As the forecast had been very bad I opted to stay in accommodation where I could also have a meal, choosing Alojamiento Correia which I reserved through booking.com
The rooms were simple/basic but there was loads of hot water and I was able to dry my gear on a radiator after arriving wet through.
Best of all was the food – wholesome, rustic fare; with olives and bread brought before the meal. And they offered half bottles of wine, which is a great option for a walker who doesn’t want to sink a whole bottle and risk feeling worse for wear the following day.
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