Vilei is one of the first hamlets outside Sarria, and the change in atmosphere is immediate. The Galician countryside closes in: narrow lanes between stone walls, hórreos (raised granaries) in every farmyard, eucalyptus and chestnut forest, and the constant sound of running water. This is what the last 100 km looks like.
A bar provides refreshment. The camino is well-marked with the distinctive Galician stone waymarkers.
Vilei and many of the small hamlets throughout Galicia have always been the agricultural heart of Galicia, working primarily in the dairy industry. Pilgrims come and go, and nothing for them changes much. These clusters of inhabited places are called caserios, and in many cases they number only a few houses and a small chapel.
