Bare mountain ridges, wide skies and long stretches without a village. After A Gudiña you head up into the highlands, and the Camino stays above a thousand metres for quite a while. It is quiet and rugged here, and you walk most of the day at your own pace.
First, you have a choice to make. After A Gudiña you can either take this route via Laza, over the mountains, or go via Verín, which is flatter but about 16 kilometres longer. Here you choose the mountains. It will be a long day, almost 11 hours. You descend far more than you climb, and you will feel that in your knees by the end. If it’s too much for you, stay overnight in Campobecerros and walk the rest the next morning.