The Caminho da Geira e dos Arrieiros is an up-and-coming 239km camino linking the Portuguese city of Braga to Santiago de Compostela. ‘The Geira’ is an isolated camino that takes adventurous pilgrims on Roman roads past beautiful natural scenery, three border crossings and some of Galicia’s oldest vineyards.
Here are the highlights of the the Caminho da Geira e dos Arrieiros.
The Early Medieval Chapel of São Frutuoso
As the third largest city in Portugal and the starting point of the Caminho da Geira e dos Arrieiros, Braga has plenty of attractions, including the cathedral, the late medieval Archbishop’s Court and the famous staircase of the Bom Jesus Sanctuary.
The city’s most extraordinary site for pilgrims, however, is São Frutuoso, a funerary chapel built by the eponymous bishop of Braga in AD 660 that predates the discovery of the remains of Santiago by over one-and-a-half centuries. The small chapel is built on a Greek cross floor-plan with eight of its 22 columns extant, including six that are still topped by their medieval capitals.
The chapel was modified several centuries later, and experts debate whether the dominant architectural features date from the original Visigothic building or the Mozarabic renovation. In any case, the remaining original aspects make it the most important pre-Romanesque Christian building in Portugal and the most striking historic site on the Caminho da Geira e dos Arrieiros.
São Frutuoso is directly on the camino, about 25 minutes’ walk following the arrows from Braga cathedral. The chapel is only open in the afternoons (2pm-4:30pm Tuesday to Sunday), however, so it’s best visited the day before setting out. You may even have it all to yourself, which only adds to the incredible atmosphere of feeling the Middle Ages swirling around you.
The Geira
Geira is the common name given to the Via Nova, an ancient Roman road that linked the cities of Braga (Bracara Augusta) and Astorga (Asturica Augusta). The surviving sections of this road form part of the camino itself beginning in Santa Cruz, 23km from Braga.
The real attraction of the Geira is not the Roman road itself, however – given that it’s not uncommon to walk on stretches of Roman roads on other caminos – but the milestones alongside it. Including the first one in Santa Cruz, milestones are present for most of the next 25 Roman miles, sometimes covered in moss deep in the forest. At some points, there are several milestones marking the same spot, as emperors would ascend to the throne and often order new milestones built containing inscriptions honouring them.
Towards the end of the Geira section of the camino, shortly before the thermal springs village of Os Baños on the Spanish side of the border, there’s a Roman bath complex alongside the trail that pilgrims can visit. It’s thought that the baths were intended to be used by travellers passing through; modern pilgrims can bathe in the hot spring rock pools in the river that runs through Os Baños instead.
The Peneda-Gerês National Park
In a general sense, the Camino de Santiago is more than simply a hike; while the landscapes can be attractive, it’s a village-to-village walk, and it’s the historical, cultural and religious or spiritual nature of the camino, rather than pure scenery, that make the pilgrimage such a special experience. But every now and then, the camino produces a day of breathtaking natural beauty, and the third stage of the Geira is one of those days.
From Campo do Gerês, the camino first takes pilgrims alongside the forested and mountain-ringed dam of the Homem River, with stunning views right from the trail. This would be the biggest natural highlight of most days on camino, but the rest of the stage is even more spectacular. Transitioning from open landscape around the dam to a more intimate trail, pilgrims walk alongside gorgeous rivers with little cascades, moss-covered rocks, natural pools and the most crystal clear water imaginable – all set against a forest and mountain backdrop. If it’s sunny, taking a dip in one of the pools is brilliant fun and a well-earned reward for the miles you’ve logged so far.
To top it off, this stage also contains the always-emotional crossing into Galicia – but it won’t be the only one, as one of the quirks of the Geira is that it crosses back and forth between Portugal and Spain on three consecutive days.
Ribadavia
The Geira is generally more focused on natural beauty and the countryside rather than historical towns or sights, which makes an overnight stop in the Galician town of Ribadavia especially worthwhile. From its beginnings as a castro in pre-Roman times, Ribadavia has been an important regional town ever since, with its camino credentials exemplified by the fact that it housed several pilgrim complexes in the 13th century.
Today, the historic core of Ribadavia is well worth exploring even on tired legs. The 14th-15th century castle at the southwestern edge of the old town is a great place to start; beyond it, narrow alleyways house the old Jewish quarter, where the scent of kosher sweets still wafts out of shop windows. Among the town’s churches, several stand out: the Church of Santiago with scallop shells carved on its green door, the church of San Xoán with its typical Romanesque portal, and the Gothic church of Santo Domingo, some of whose column capitals contain images of vineyards.
Finally, relaxing over dinner and wine at one of the outdoor tables in the Plaza Mayor while gazing at the Galician grey stone buildings and white galerías is a perfect way to end the day.
The Arrieiros
Beyond the Geira itself, the Romans also had a role in the second thematic aspect of this camino: the route that wine-carriers, known as arrieiros, and other medieval merchants took from rural Galicia to Santiago in the Middle Ages. It was under Roman rule that wine-making was introduced into the area, and today the Ribeiro vineyards are among the most celebrated in Spain.
The stages between Cortegada and Feás, in the fertile valleys of the Avia and Miño rivers, offer the most vineyard walking. The camino regularly takes pilgrims through the vine terraces and to picturesque places such as the Igrexa de Santa María in the village of Beade, completely surrounded by vineyards as this Google Earth satellite image shows.
Of course, pilgrims can also enjoy the fruits of the wine-makers’ labour at the end of the day’s walk – or during it, if you prefer. Ribeiro was the first wine region in Galicia to attain the DO (Demoninación de Origen) quality seal, and through its dominant Treixadura grape, the area produces mostly white, fruity wines. ¡Salud!
The Spirit of the Camino
The development of the Geira e dos Arrieiros in the last several years has been a bottom-up initiative led by a handful of passionate individuals. What the Geira might be lacking in government funding for better signage and more facilities, it more than makes up for in the welcome and assistance pilgrims receive from invested locals along the way.
The hub of this camino spirit on the Geira e dos Arrieiros is Codeseda, two stages from Santiago. As the 300th and 301st pilgrims to pass through Codeseda on the Geira this year, the red carpet was rolled out for us as part of the most fulfilling local experience we’ve had on our five caminos so far. The celebration included camino t-shirts as gifts, a visit from Geira guidebook co-author Carlos da Barreira, and an article in the Voz de Galicia newspaper. This welcome party aside, the genuine hospitality of Casa Rural owner Francisco Manuel Liste and bar manager Mari Carmen Gaspar Ayude, who runs the Bar Caminho da Geira, was first-class.
While Codeseda is the focal point of the pilgrim welcome on the Geira, this spirit runs through the entire camino. In Braga, Geira guidebook co-author Henrique Malheiro took time out of his weekend to meet us and then provided daily tips throughout the camino as well as creating and updating a Google Maps ‘super track’ that goes beyond the official GPS tracks to include services and other points of interest. José Manuel Almeida gave us fruit and a warm welcome at the albergue in Caldelas, Abdón Fernández was waiting for us at a bar in Berán with a stamp and way-finding advice, and Jorge Mella at Taberna Mella in Rarís capped off the friendly hospitality of the Geira on our final night before entering Santiago.
And it’s this incredible camino spirit – more than the Roman road or the vineyards or the beautiful rivers, forests and mountains – that is etched into our memory as the most meaningful of all the highlights of the Caminho da Geira e dos Arrieiros.
Thank you for promoting the way of Geira e Arrieiros
Thank you for all your help!
Hi Nick! I so enjoyed reading your account of both this and your Caminho Nascente experience, thanks to your engagingly mouthwatering narrative, and as always, breathtaking photography. Bravo!
Cheers to you and Wendy
Rosie
Thank you Rosie!
Nick and Wendy, although this camino seems so far away at this point (from the actual opposite side of the world), your descriptions and photos have me ‘welling up’ with emotion in anticipation of the Geira. I know I will have the most ‘excellent adventure’ armed with your notes and advice. Many thanks Grace
Thank you Grace! The Geira (and the whole camino that you’re planning) is definitely an adventure! We found it so exciting to feel like we were on paths less travelled and I’m sure you will too.
Hi, Nick,
I have listened to your chat with Ivar again, and just found this write-up. Thanks for all the help. Hoping to make it this year!
Getting closer now! I’m sure you’ll love this route.
Loved the article. My wife and I are commencing walking this Camino at the end of October. I am concerned about accommodation especially in Beariz, Soutelos des Montes, Codeseda and Pontevea. Any ideas? Is there a list of hostels, etc on the Geira Arrieiros?
Thanks Peter and buen camino on the Geira! We stayed overnight in only two of the four places you mentioned, at Pension San Roque in Soutelo de Montes (doubles €30 in 2021) and at Casa o Avó / Casa o Palomar in Codaseda (€40 in 2021), which are casas rurales run by Francisco (‘Frank’), one of the wonderful people involved in the creation/promotion of the Geira. Abdón, another of those people, lives in Beariz and can give advice there. If you contact some of these people in advance (including Henrique in Braga and Carlos da Barreira), they will help you out. If you use Facebook, there’s a page for the Geira which would be a starting point for getting in touch.
Prachtig mooi artikel. Ik ben van plan om deze uitdagende route in april 2026 te wandelen.
Tips voor overnachtingen zijn welkom. Ik plan ongeveer 14 etappes
I did it in 10, and I’m 64 with 2 artificial knees.: Braga-Caldelas-Campo do Gerês-Castro Laboreiro-Ribadavia-Beade-Beariz-Forcarei-A Estrada-Santiago. I would have stayed in Cortegada, but it was booked up, so I took the train on from Figueira to Ribadavia (and back again next morning, passing the really lovely pre-romanesque chapel of San Xes de Foncelos just before Ribadavia. I think if (when?) I walk it again, I will stay at the highly recommended casa rural in Berán rather than in Beade, but otherwise my stages worked well.
I loved the Geira very much and highly recommend it. I do not agree at all with Niel Jonker’s negative comments below: but everybody has different experiences, and mine were overwhelmingly positive. Some of the loveliest countryside anywhere in Europe.
Sorry, should add Lobios between Campo de Gerês and Castro Laboreiro. Very nice Hotel Lusitano, 30€ booked direct (much more on booking.com). Decent food too, as there was in most places on the Geira.
False, unfortunately. There are no hostels along this route, only hotels. Prepare for credit card failure, it should be called Camino de Visa en Mastercardo! Average €50 per night, and sometimes €80. And that if you can find anything available.
I just arrived in Santiago today and found accommodation available around the corner from the cathedral that is cheaper than in some of these small towns.
So sad, the scenery is beautiful and the local people friendly, but the tourism industry’s diseased spirit of exploitation has infected this route.
The Cafe that you mention in Codesada was unbelievably unhelpful. The bar tender announced no accommodation available in town and said I should continue 10km to A. Estrada. She showed no understanding for a Pilgrim with 20km behind them. All she wanted was my photo for their Facebook page, and showed impatience with me. Yet, their pub is covered with numerous signs advertises Camino ‘spirit’!
Through other locals I found a homestay, and when the pub was asked to process my card payment they were again impatient to the point of being obstructive.
After numerous calls I found no place available in Pontevea yesterday and so I slept in a field last night.
The municipality/council should be ashamed, and immediately start to build dormitories and charge the normal €15 that pilgrims on all other Camino routes enjoy.
If not, then at least stop this false advertising and admit that this route is a tourist trap.
Hi Niel, sorry to hear that you didn’t have a great experience on the Geira and in Codeseda in particular. My experience was obviously different, as was that of several other pilgrims I’ve spoken to who enjoyed the welcoming nature and spirit of this route.
Regarding accommodation, the Geira is still a newly developed route that doesn’t yet have many pilgrims (about 1 for every 300 on the Francés so far in 2025), and therefore there is not much accommodation geared to pilgrims. Accommodation on the route often takes the form of casa rural type places, which are more expensive but nicer than albergues, and these are usually booked up in advance for the August Spanish holiday period, as you have seen. It just isn’t a route like the Francés (or some other caminos, but not all of them) where you can expect to stop where you want on any given day and find an albergue with beds available, especially during holidays — it requires advance planning and booking.
The route itself is a bottom-up, grass roots initiative created above all by a handful of people (not the municipality), who do not have the means to build albergues everywhere you want them to be. Perhaps in the future you could stick to routes that offer the level of service that you have come to expect, or adjust those expectations accordingly.
Your other comments about this route being a ‘tourist trap’ and having a ‘diseased spirit of exploitation’ are, in my opinion, untrue.
Hi Nick. I have been following every available article written about this remote Camino. Your notes and Photos are amazing, Thank you. I’m intending to contact Jose before we arrive in Braga and hopefully he will meet us also in Caldelas and help us as he does all Pilgrims that pass this way. I’ve booked most of my Beds in advance as that is necessary on this Village to Village path, my only challenge now is to walk the distances as some days are necessarily longer (for me anyway). I hope to let other Pilgrims know how the Path is now in 2025 and what services have changed. Thanks so much. Pilgrim from Ireland, Una
Hi Una, thanks for your kind comment and it’s great to hear that you are going to walk the Geira. The planning you have done already will hold you in good stead, and Jose and the other Geira folk will help you along the way. ¡Buen camino!
Hey
May I know in how many days you did this route? I can reserve, because of work and other staff, 14 days. I wanted going from Porto, next Braga and through Caminho da Geira. Back I will go by bus to Porto from Santiago.
Hi Fabio, we did it in 11 days with these stages:
Day 1: Braga to Caldelas (~17km)
Day 2: Caldelas to Campo do Gerês (~27km)
Day 3: Campo do Gerês to Os Baños (Spain) (~19km)
Day 4: Os Baños to Castro Laboreiro (~29km)
Day 5: Castro Laboreiro to Cortegada (~28km)
Day 6: Cortegada to Ribadavia (~15km)
Day 7: Ribadavia to Feás (~27km)
Day 8: Feás to Soutelo de Montes (~21km)
Day 9: Soutelo de Montes to Codeseda (~20km)
Day 10: Codeseda to Rarís (~27km)
Day 11: Rarís to Santiago (~14km)
Bom caminho!
Prachtige informatie over deze route die ik in April 2026 graag wil bewandelen.