40th Stage
Castro Dozón – Silleda (29,3 km)
You leave Castro passing in front of the Parish Church of Nuestra Señora de la O, the road goes up parallel to the national road. Continue along the Industrial Estate until you reach the hollow where you have to go back out onto the asphalt and drive along it until you reach Alto de Santo Domingo. In this section be careful, as you walk for a while on the road.
It passes through the Alto de Santo Domingo of 740 meters. Follow the road, now descending: to our right is the Chapel of Santo Domingo (nearby there is a bar). After about 500 metres, to the left of the road, there is a path that goes uphill towards the West to flatten and descend towards Puxallos. Further on, at the height of a wooded area, after crossing the bridge over the dual carriageway, turn right using a section of the service road. After 20 metres, the path, shaded by oaks, turns to the left, descending to Ponte Noufe: a very small village of very old houses. The road crosses the river Asneiro by the old stone bridge, on the left you can see the tunnel under the railway track. Turn right and after 1 kilometre the road turns left slightly uphill. After 1.5 kilometres, you will come to an asphalted road and turn right twice to reach A Xesta, which has a church dedicated to San Pedro and the hermitage of the Virgen del Carmen and San Benito. Follow this narrow track between chestnut and oak trees. At the junction with the PO-902 road there is a bar. Alternating track and path, you arrive at Medelo. From here, the path goes down towards the railway station of Lalín. Once here, cross the PO-200 and enter the path towards Botos, cross a small bridge in Reguengo. About 1 kilometre away, you will find A Cantina dos Cabaleiros. From here the road climbs up to Botos: on the right there is a simple cross in front of the church of San Juan. Cross the asphalted road from Gresende to Lalín: the road is still surrounded by green shadows of the oak groves. Almost 2 kilometres later you reach Donsión, a parish that was the lordship of Don Silón, son of the supposed king of Galicia don Silo in the 8th century; it has a Cruceiro worthy of seeing, as well as a church of solid construction, due to the dedication of an archbishop of Santiago. The road goes down towards O Campo, continues going down and then goes up until reaching the N-525 and the new dual carriageway, the road goes down towards the left to enter in
A Laxe- parroquia de Bendoiro (Lalín)
You cross the road and in front of you, about 10 metres away, you will find the signs again: the road goes up behind the houses, passing in front of the new one.
- Hostel of the Xunta de Galicia and concello de Lalín, 28 places www.lalin.org
A little further on, you go out again to the national road and cross it, to go down the path almost in a straight line to Bendoiro. After about 19 kilometres you reach Santiso, turn left onto a shady path: the path may be flooded. Cross an asphalted track and you will reach Prado. Follow the road for about 700 metres and, in front of the café-bar Dopazo, the road enters and leaves the road, which is crossed again after 300 metres, to leave further on to a nucleus of houses that belong to Prado and are called Borralla. Follow the asphalted road, which then becomes a dirt road towards Ponte Taboada.
The so-called Terra de Trasdeza awaits the pilgrim. The path goes straight down through the forest, passing under the twentieth century railway viaduct. Descend along a cobbled Roman road that follows the left bank of the river until it flows into the old Taboada bridge, also known as “A Ponte Vella” over the Deza river, the river’s obligatory passage for centuries. There are 23 kilometres to this point. The bridge has a single arch resting on the rocks and was built in the tenth century. The path goes up to the village: you will find a good fountain to replenish it. After walking along an asphalted track, you leave for Taboada: the 12th century Romanesque church of Santiago, with a beautiful window in the apse and a cross, is on the other side of the road and the crossing is dangerous. They have made a rest area. The path enters on the left and when it reaches the industrial area, you also have to turn left. When you reach a building material warehouse, turn right: the path is still a beautiful walk through oak woods. On this path you will find the beautiful pazo de Trasfontao and a chapel on your right. The perfectly paved medieval path leads you to Silleda, which you enter via José Antonio Street to exit next to the church and the Plaza Mayor.
SILLEDA
It belongs to the region of Deza and has thirty-three parishes. It was from old traditional zone of passage, of it testifies the gravestone found dedicated to Laribus Viálibus, the deity protector of the walkers. You must see the Church and the Town Hall and, if you have time to be approached by someone to Ansemil: the church is beautiful. In Silleda the “melindres”(special cakes) are well known.
- City Hall: Rùa do Trasdeza, 55. Tel: 986 580 000
- Rooms in Restaurante González: C/ San Isidro, 20. Tel.: 986 580 156
- Rooms A Toxa: C/ General Franco, 88. Tel.: 986 580 111
- Hostal “Ramos”: San Isidro, 24. Tel: 986 581 212
- Hostel Santa Olaia: private Tels: 986 580 013 / 606 434 386. 65 places
- Tourist hostel for pilgrims: C/ Venezuela 38. Tel: 986 580 192 / 689 505 690
