You leave Portomarín by crossing the Miño. Then it’s straight uphill into the woods. You’ll know almost immediately what to expect.
After that, it keeps changing: country lanes, meadows, small villages with a café just when you need one. No single climb defines your day, but the hills add up. You’ll be on the road for well over seven hours, so pace yourself. Palas de Rei arrives without any fuss, an ordinary Galician town where you’ll mostly be glad of a chair. There is a public albergue. Walk at your own pace and you’ll get there in the end.