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Wise Pilgrim APPMelide is the pulpo capital of the Camino. Although octopus has been on menus since O Cebreiro, it reaches its apotheosis here. The town's Thursday market meant that fresh seafood was shipped inland regularly, and the tradition stuck. Pulpo á feira — octopus boiled, sliced, dusted with paprika and coarse salt, drizzled with olive oil, and served on a wooden plate — is the dish. The Pulpería Ezequiel is the most famous purveyor, but several other pulperías compete vigorously.
Beyond the octopus, Melide is where the Camino Primitivo (the original route from Oviedo) joins the Francés. The town has a medieval core stretched along the road, shaped by centuries of pilgrim traffic. The Iglesia de San Pedro has Romanesque elements. The Iglesia de San Roque houses a small museum.
Multiple albergues and hotels, bars and restaurants, supermarket and pharmacy. The traffic through town can be dangerous, particularly on market days — follow the arrows carefully.
Melide is an ancient settlement at a natural crossroads. Despite its strategic importance since Neolithic times, it was never walled — an unusual vulnerability for a town of this significance. In medieval times, nearly all industry was tied to the Camino.
The camino leaves Melide through the town center — watch for arrows, which can be hard to spot in the market-day crowds. Follow the main road to the first roundabout and continue straight. The terrain ahead is rolling, with forest and farmland alternating.
