You leave Verín behind in the morning. The last houses slip past and the road leads you into the Galician countryside. There’s no steep wall today, and no rush. The climb is gentle and so is the descent. After a good four hours of walking, you’re there.
This is the final stage of the Vía de la Plata, and you can feel it. You walk less to get somewhere and more to let it all sink in. Perhaps you’ll talk to other pilgrims about what comes after Laza. That’s where the Camino Sanabrés begins, a separate route that takes you on to Santiago. Or you simply finish this journey here. Laza welcomes you quietly, like a village that has seen pilgrims come and go.
Along the way, the paths run past meadows and stretches of woodland, and in the distance the hills lie in a bluish haze.