Starting the day early with an overcast grey sky and occasional light showers. My fears of heavy deluges were thankfully unfounded. Historic wildfires have left some of this area devastated a barren.
Verin is an alternative Camino route option, avoiding higher mountain passes. It adds 30km to the overall journey but is a gentler option on my wheels. Saying that it is also less picturesque and not generally a favoured option by most pilgrims.
The path runs generally downhill losing altitude. This is easy on my batteries and I finish the 36km stage with 6 of 8 bars showing on the charge indicator. The Portuguese border is about 10km away and one of the Portuguese Caminos joins at this point.
Verin is a bit shabby. There are many nice features, old buildings, art and even sculpture but no continuity, a patchwork of periods and styles. Many of the shops look like charity shops but aren’t.
What I do like is the hardware shops. These are generally gone in many places. If you need a new spade handle, you would easily find one in Verin.
The municipal albergue is once again lovely. The coat of arms above the door is monumental.
I think because all the Caminos conclude in Santiago de Compostela, Galicia takes the whole Camino thing very seriously. There is obvious investment, certainly in the accommodation, but also in the routing and signage. 2025 saw over half a million people receive their compostela’s. These are not day-tripping tourists but people slowly making their way to the area spending as they go. Admittedly they are generally on a budget but collectively it must be a tremendous income for Galicia and has recognised as a resource and invested in it.
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