OUR WAY

 23rd May 2025

Day 25 - Sarria to Portomarín

130 bed dorm, anyone snore?

An alarm went off at 5am. It rang for about a minute before being slapped into snooze submission. This happened another three times before 5:30am, presumably in case the first few rings hadn't been annoying enough. No sign of life from anyone else in our dorm - either they were exceptionally sound sleepers or just really good at pretending.

We got up for breakfast at 5:30am and were away by 6am. It took about a kilometre to rejoin the official Camino route, and we started spotting fellow pilgrims right away - more than usual, but that’s no surprise. This section from Sarria to Santiago is the most popular stretch, as it’s the minimum distance you need to walk to earn the official Compostela certificate. Basically, it’s where the Camino turns into the M25 of hiking.

The trail was beautiful today - winding through fields, woodlands, farms and little hamlets. Our first coffee stop was the first café on the trail from Sarria. We arrived after about two hours to find a peaceful scene with just a few people. By the time we left, there was a queue snaking out the door.

We carried on through more lovely trails until we reached the 100 km marker. It felt symbolic, exciting, and frankly a bit too soon - like being handed the dessert menu just as you start enjoying the main course.

100 km to Santiago

From there, we began the descent towards Portomarín, crossed the main bridge over the Encoro de Belesar reservoir, and climbed the grand staircase and gateway into town. The albergue was just a short walk away. We arrived early (of course), peeled off our shoes, and waited the 45 minutes for it to open.

Welcome to Portomarín

We were the first to check in and were shown to a set of bunk beds slap bang in the middle of a dorm with 130 beds. Sleep tonight? Statistically unlikely, unless we’ve both developed the ability to ignore a full symphony of snoring & rustling.

Portomarín main street

After cleaning up, we headed out to the supermarket in search of steak and potatoes.

Sleepy afternoon and a walk around town. Early to bed, so early to rise.

Where we stayed
Portomarín
€15 bunk bed in 130 bed room
Hand washing, line drying. Washing machine & dryer. Good kitchen & dining area.
Our rating 8/10