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Wise Pilgrim APPYou're in Galicia. The Portela de la Canda (about 1,262 m) marks the boundary between the provinces of Zamora and Ourense, between Castilla y Leon and Galicia. It's a mountain pass, not a town -- there are no services here, just the satisfaction of having made the climb.
The air feels different on this side. The vegetation changes almost immediately -- more green, more moisture, more of the Atlantic influence that will define the rest of the walk to Santiago.
From here the camino begins its march through Galicia, and there's no shortage of ups and downs ahead. They mellow in altitude as you travel west but increase in frequency.
The camino emerges onto a paved road at the alto and almost immediately leaves it, turning left to descend along a track. It passes through the hamlet of A Canda (1.4 km) and soon begins its descent into Vilavella, passing beneath a railway line along the way.
From here the walking is Galician -- constant small climbs and descents, green valleys, stone villages.
