Camino Portuguese – Day Twelve – Caldas de Reis to Padrón, 19.7 km • Secret land

This was the penultimate day of my Camino de Santiago, an easy and even slightly boring day. I needed to walk 19 km to the town of Padrón. The route followed a nice and comfortable path. That day, I met almost all the pilgrims I had started out with from Porto.

Since the town of Caldas de Reis has been known since Roman times and was located at the crossroads of two Roman roads, it has preserved a Roman bridge and the Fonte do Campo da Torre fountain.

There are 44 kilometers left to Santiago de Compostela.

Stone marker with a yellow scallop shell on a blue background and an arrow indicating the direction of the Camino de Santiago, showing ‘Km 44.270’ and the word ‘Galicia’. — Stone marker with a yellow scallop shell

I came across an interesting bridge.

It would be great to walk across the bridge on top

A tall modern bridge with curved spans and high concrete pillars stretches across a green valley at sunset. Dense trees cover the hillsides in the background, while lush grapevines fill the foreground

The path went through the forest for a while

The Camino de Santiago through the forest

In almost every yard in the villages of Galicia, you can see such a structure. This is a hórreo — a granary. They were built on stilts to prevent mice from getting in and to keep the grain dry

Igrexa de Santa Mariña de Carracedo – Church of Santa Mariña de Carracedo

In front of the church, there is a wooden pilgrim’s boot.

There are 38 kilometers left

A pilgrim figurine on a post. A figurine of a pilgrim wearing a hat and carrying a backpack and walking stick stands atop a stone post. A scallop shell, symbol of the Camino de Santiago, is attached to the post below the figurine. Trees and distant hills are visible under a cloudy sky in the background.

A figurine of a pilgrim wearing a hat and carrying a backpack and walking stick stands atop a stone post. A scallop shell, symbol of the Camino de Santiago, is attached to the post below the figurine. Trees and distant hills are visible under a cloudy sky in the background.

A message from someone from Ukraine who passed here before me.

That day, I tried to get stamps at two pilgrim bars, but they were so crowded that there was a long queue just for the stamps.

After two hours of walking, I came across a bar Bar Pardal. There were hardly any people there. I had a coffee and a tortilla snack, which cost 4 euros. At the same time, I got my stamp. While I was having breakfast, a light rain passed.

Bar Pardal is located 50 meters off the Camino de Santiago, so there were fewer pilgrims there

A pilgrim wearing a rain jacket and backpack walks along a forest trail covered in pine needles. The path is bordered by wooden railings on one side and dense green ferns and trees on the other. A quiet paved road runs parallel to the trail, and the atmosphere feels calm and natural.

A peaceful forest path winds through dense greenery, lined with moss-covered trees and ferns in shades of green and brown. Sunlight filters softly through the canopy above, creating a serene, natural atmosphere along the trail.

A sculpture of a pilgrim near the church Igrexa de San Miguel de Valga

Igrexa de San Miguel de Valga

And this is a cemetery near the church. The photo shows a Spanish cemetery where graves are built into walls, forming long rows of vertical niches. These stone walls are intricately decorated, often topped with crosses, and each niche is sealed with a plaque that bears the deceased’s name, dates, and sometimes a photograph. Many niches are adorned with fresh flowers or artificial arrangements, adding color and life to the stone structures.

This style of burial is common in Spain and is known as a columbarium or wall crypts. It’s a tradition driven by both cultural and practical reasons. In many regions, especially where the ground is rocky or cemetery space is limited, vertical burial structures save space and allow cemeteries to accommodate more graves in a relatively small area. Families usually rent or own these niches for a set number of years, and the remains might later be moved to a communal ossuary if the lease isn’t renewed.

These cemeteries often have a peaceful, organized appearance, with pathways lined with greenery, as seen in the photo, creating a serene place for remembrance.

And this is a cemetery near the church. There are several such walls there.

Next to this church, there is a large bar for pilgrims Café Bar San Miguel, I got my stamp here.

And the road goes on. A narrow cobblestone path winds through a forested area, bordered by mossy rock walls and pine needles scattered along the ground. A pilgrim wearing a red backpack is walking in the distance, surrounded by tall trees and lush greenery. The path curves gently ahead, disappearing into the woods

A narrow cobblestone path winds through a forested area, bordered by mossy rock walls and pine needles scattered along the ground. A pilgrim wearing a red backpack is walking in the distance, surrounded by tall trees and lush greenery. The path curves gently ahead, disappearing into the woods

These are local chestnuts — the entire path was covered with large fluffy balls, and many people were taking photos of them.

Yes, yes, yes! I totally agree!

A humorous sign placed outdoors, reading ‘PLEASE! SAVE WATER.. DRINK BEER’ in bold black letters on a yellow background that resembles beer with bubbles. Metal chairs are visible in the background on a stone surface.

And the sign was placed near the entrance to this courtyard Mesa de Pedra

Across the river is Padrón and a local timber processing plant.

A view from the bridge over the Ulla River

Since I had booked a hotel two kilometers outside the town, I walked the Camino de Santiago through the entire town of Padrón.

Sights of the town of Padrón

Monument to Camilo José Cela — a Spanish writer and essayist, Nobel Prize laureate in Literature in 1989.

On the hill stands the women’s monastery Convento do Carme.

The Convento do Carme, an impressive stone building with baroque architectural features, stands on a hill above the red-tiled rooftops of nearby houses. The convent facade is adorned with arched entrances, bell towers, and decorative sculptures, surrounded by a stone balustrade. Lush greenery and a cloudy sky form the background

Igrexa de Santiago Apóstolo de Padrón. When I entered this church, a service was taking place, so I decided not to take photos inside so as not to disturb anyone. I listened for a while and then continued on my way.

I left the town of Padrón and continued on my way towards my hotel.

Igrexa Santa Maria Iria Flavia

Since my hotel, Scala, was located along the highway, I spent the whole day at the hotel and didn’t go anywhere else. I also had lunch and dinner at the hotel’s restaurant.

Today’s statistics, including the additional two kilometers to the hotel.