The EuroVelo 3 “Galician” route begins in Pedrafita do Cebreiro and then ascends to the village of O Cebreiro, located at 1,300 m above sea level, between the O Courel and Os Ancares mountain ranges. O Cebreiro is of pre-Roman origin and is famous for its typical pallozas dwellings with rye thatched roofs. This first stage allows you to visit other important places on the route, such as Triacastela village, the surprising monastery of Samos and the town of Sarria. The route also offers beautiful midmountain landscapes and numerous examples of popular Galician architecture.

The second stage crosses large areas of meadows and oak groves towards the banks of the river Miño, and then crosses the bridge that leads to Portomarín, a village rescued from the waters after the construction of a dam and relocated to this new area. Palas de Rei is a good place to stock up before continuing to Melide, where this section ends. In Melide, you will find what probably is the oldest stone cross in Galicia. You should also try the traditional pulpo (octopus) á feira in one of Galicia’s famous pulperías (traditional octopus restaurants).

The last stage visits the town of Arzúa, one of the cheese capitals of Galicia. Through the so-called “Dutch Route”, along the AC- 240 regional road, you will visit the municipalities of  Touro and Boqueixón before you reach the City of Culture, which welcomes us to Santiago de Compostela. The capital of Galicia is a city full of attractions of all kinds, with a historic centre so well preserved that it has been declared a World Heritage Site by Unesco.

This stage starts in the Plaza del Obradoiro in Santiago de Compostela, the goal of all Jacobean routes. It crosses the river Tambre over the most significant bridge on this route, Ponte Maceira, until it reaches the medieval town of Negreira. The cycle route shares several sections with the old Royal Road to Finisterre, where the Xallas region offers us the beauty of its landscapes and its genuine popular architecture. Passing the villageof Mollón, we reach the Olveira bridge that crosses the river Xallas, which divides the municipalities of Mazaricos and Dumbría. Bringing us to the centre of Olveiroa, the end of the stage.

  Distance 55,45 Km

This second stage begins in Olveiroa. By crossing the river Hospital, we reach the village of the same name, a place that once boasted a modest hospital for pilgrims, which unfortunately no longer exists. The cyclist route reaches the top of O Cruceiro da Armada followed by a marked descent, with views of the Corcubión estuary, that ends in the town of Cee, the junction point with the EuroVelo 1, “Route of the Atlantic Coast”. This route originates, in the Galician territory, at the International Bridge of the Miño River in Tui and runs along the entire Atlantic coast of the province of Pontevedra and the south of the province of A Coruña. From this point onwards, these two routes share a final stretch that crosses a region with one of the most beautiful coastlines of the Iberian Peninsula. We arrive at Finisterre through the district of San Roque and continue along the road up to the lighthouse to reach the mythical “km 0” of the Way of Saint James, at the cape at the end of the world.

  Distance 35 Km