Mondoñedo

Camino del Norte

To end of camino
150.5
Altitude
140

Arroxo

6.10

Mondoñedo

3.20

Maariz

Services
ATM
Yes
Bar
Yes
Bus
Yes
Bus Terminal
Yes
Grocery
Yes
Medical Center
Yes
Pharmacy
Yes

All roads seem to converge in the square in front of the Mondoñedo Cathedral; which is convenient because the Cathedral is on the list of must-see churches along the camino. It is also the reference point for getting out of town the following morning.

Coming into town you will pass the Igrexa Nova (the new church) and leaving town you might pass the Igrexa dos Remedios with its beautiful baroque interior.

Fiesta

Os Remedios, a medieval market, is held on the first Sunday after the 8th of September.
The fiesta de San Lucas is held on the 18th of October.

History

One of the more fantastic stories to emerge from the annals of Mondoñedo’s books is the legend of the Puente de Pasatiempo (the bridge of passing time). It centers around the fate of Pedro Pardo de Cela, who was ultimately beheaded in the Cathedral square. At the moment of his death, his wife was at the bridge with letters of pardon from the King. Her passage was blocked by detractors of her husband. Pedro was ultimately buried in the Cathedral.

The Road

The camino beyond Mondoñedo is a confusing enterprise. The albergue in Lourenzá does their best to inform pilgrims but their opinions are biased and you are encouraged to consider all options, and to not give up if you can’t find the right starting point for your desired route to Gontán and then Abadin.

Part of the confusion arises from the newly installed stone markers in Galicia. When they were installed the routes were re-examined by planners and several changes and additions were made. In this case, the old camino route was re-named the complementaria route, and a second route was added as the official route. This business of creating complementaria routes has led to much confusion because in some localities (Arzúa is the nearest example) the name was applied to a route (for historical reasons) which for decades has been the only option; causing many pilgrims to waste time looking for an official route which does not exist.

In the case of Mondoñedo to Gontán, there are two options and both begin at the Cathedral.

Option 1: ‌The Old Camino now known as the COMPLEMENTARIA ROUTE - 15.7

This route remains the preferred one by several of the hospitaleros in these parts. It is also the longer of the two options, and follows a paved road up and over the mountain. There are minimal services along the way so pack accordingly.

With your back to the front of the Cathedral, turn left and exit the square. Just outside the square you will see the Fonte Vella (old fountain), turn right and at the next junction take the left most option up the Calle de la Rigueira. At the top of the hill the camino turns sharply left and follows the road through several hamlets, the first of which is Maariz.

Option 2: ‌The Official Route / La ruta principal - 11.9

Though shorter, this route is both more challenging and more scenic. It can also be difficult to locate.

With your back to the front of the Cathedral, look for the pharmacy that is at the top of the stairs opposite you towards the right. The camino leave town on that road so climb up the stairs and turn left up the Rúa Lence Santar. Turn right on the first side street, and follow it as it curves to the left. When it reaches a small plaza with a fountain, keep to the right. At the next intersection, turn left onto the LU-130 (the first wide road since the Cathedral). Follow the road uphill to the park, turning right at the end of the park to pass the Iglesia dos Remedios. Turn left, again uphill, after the church. This is the N-634 and you don’t follow it for long. Turn right downhill onto the LU-P-3106 in the direction of Zoñan. This road will take you through the hamlets of Rego de Cas and Cesuras. At the end of Cesuras it turns left uphill towards Infesta. A short distance ahead, after crossing the N-634, the road turns to trail and you begin the steepest part of the climb.

City Map

Comments

All Caminos App User (not verified)

We had two rooms with a shared bath for 3 people.
It’s an old boutique hotel near the cathedral.
Not gross, but not as clean as most places we’ve stayed.
Noisy on the street and people upstairs could be heard walking around (like elephants).
The shower left a lot to be desired! Very small but the problem was the shower head is high and spays down on you. It’s not adjustable at all. There is no escaping water. You have to lather up and turn the water on or it will just be sprayed off you before you can spread the soap around your body. Feels like you have to hold your breath and keep your eyes closed (or constantly wipe the water out of your eyes) as water is coming from every where.its like being sprayed constantly with a hose.
Best coffee shop on the Camino is right around the corner, Faragallas. They have 3 sizes of coffee! Amazing pastries and sandwiches.

All Caminos App User (not verified)

The climb is a bit of a grunt but far from desperate. It is steep from the N634 crossing to Marco da Infesta, and eases off after that. It took us about 2.5hours from the Cathedral to the top. Don't push too hard, and do carry water.

All Caminos App User (not verified)

Faragullas is your best place for (2nd) breakfast. Good coffee and nice pastries. The pastries are amazing!

All Caminos App User (not verified)

Either Buen Camino or Wisepilgrim was accurate on this one. Just follow the marks installed by Galicia and you're good. The view is not too spectacular to choose this route. I just chose it finally to work out on unused muscles after a long walk on tarmac.

Camino de Sant… (not verified)

It is not as challenging as described here in the comments. I wanted to write something to encourage others to take the route. Yes, there are no sevices, but I am sure that everybody is capable to take enough food and water for 12 km. You are climbing the montain for ~7km and then you have a nice ~5km walk down to Gontan (with the other option you also have to climb, but a little bit less). No challenging narrow parts and nothing dangerous about this choice. Just beautiful views and not that much asphalt (the other option is only asphalt). Everybody who took this option said it was managable and very beautiful.

Camino de Sant… (not verified)

Lovely hotel in a quiet neighborhood just a short walk from the main plaza and shops in the centrum. Big, luxurious rooms. A good value for an upscale hotel (~80 euros). Very helpful service and a big breakfast. My favorite lodging along the Norte since Oviedo.

Camino de Sant… (not verified)

It is very challenging but there are not services or water points until you arrive in Gontan. It is well marked but the red route ( for this option) in the app is not accurate and should be redrawn to assist pilgrims to stay on track. Follow the cement markers!!

Camino de Sant… (not verified)

We stayed one night. The room is not clean and the bedspread needed to be washed. This place is not geared towards pilgrims - no stamp, nor offer of coffee or breakfast.

Camino de Sant…

Challenging is an understatement for the official route! It is a very tough climb up the mountain! And this part till Gontán has NO services, not even waterpoints. Keep that in mind when choosing this version. It is however a beautiful stretch!!

Camino de Sant…

Camino de Estrellas is another small hotel downtown near the cathedral that offers a great room for a reasonable price. Highly recommendable.