Santiago de Caldelas soon falls behind you. The houses give way to woodland, the paths get rougher and the route climbs and drops with little room to breathe. This is a day for a steady pace.
In total you climb more than 800 metres, and you will feel it. The descents don’t come free either: your knees work just as hard. Fortunately, the landscape makes up for a lot, because you are walking into the Gerês National Park. Campo do Gerês lies right in the middle of it, and you arrive tired and content. With more than 8 hours of walking, you are better off starting early rather than late. That way you arrive in daylight and have time to eat in peace.