How nice are sunny days. It’s not terribly warm, with the sea breeze cooling things down, but everything looks so much better. I divided my leg from A Guarda to Baiona in 2 sections, leading to an easy 12km day to Oia and then 19km the next day. So I left A Guarda later than usual. Things were also a lot more relaxed in this hostel, partly due to it being dark for longer in the morning now.
First I took a little detour up the hill to check out the castle ruins at A Guarda. It was still quiet as I walked around the walls, looking for the good views. The sun was just coming over the hills, bright and strong. The Atlantic looked majestic, a deep blue, surrounded by green hills. Afterwards the camino led me to the ocean again. I saw some people with backpacks in front of me. I took my sweet time on the sandy path. There were some things to see along the way, like a stone path that led to some sort of circle in the sea. I have no idea what it was and the informative sign was missing.
The trail went up to the main road, where they’d painted a big yellow biking and walking path. There wasn’t really a view until you came to a clearing. But then the views were fantastic. At times the camino went down again towards some houses on smaller trails. One such point was in Portecelo, where I found the only café on this stretch. There were lots of pilgrims and I joined a girl from the hostel. I sat there for quite a while, taking in the ocean views, enjoying the sunshine.
From here it seemed Oia wasn’t far away. It’s a cute, but very little town, with a core of historic buildings. I dropped my luggage at the b&b and headed to the seaside restaurant for a big lunch. Really, it was huge! An abnormally large plate was filled with chicken, egg, salad and fries. All of that on the side of the water, with the Oia monastery in sight. Afterwards I walked through town up the hill. I wanted to take in the view. In some reviews I’d read about ticks in the area. Then I found a suspicious insect on my t-shirt, wiped it off and decided I was high enough. Between stories of ticks and bedbugs I got itchy everywhere and just wanted a shower! In the evening I watched the sun go down. I took a cup of tea outside. What a sight I must have been as I walked past the local bar in my flip flops, pink pants and purple fleece.
Continueing to Baiona
The next day was warmer. I continued along the coast, partly on the yellow asphalt again. But there were also sections above or below the main road. A first section went uphill alongside the road. I was wondering why we didn’t just take the main road. Then I saw a big pile of rocks. Many of them had gorgeous drawings on them. I wouldn’t have want to miss that. I saw many other pilgrims today. We were all desperate for a café, but nothing was open. Then I saw a shop with all kinds of shells and woodwork. It was run by a man who immediately told me what lay ahead of me, a big road stretch, followed by a killer hill and… a café. He was super cheerful and had a big head of curly, grey hair.
After a snack break at the seaside, the big uphill section started. It was a forest trail with really steep rocky steps. It already provided some great views on the way up. Then it descended towards a street, where I found the promised bar. It was just someone’s house, who had created a nice bar and sitting area. 5 euro may have been a bit much for a fresh orange juice, but I was happy to pay it here. Mostly I was excited to finally see a toilet!
After this I finally got the first glimpses of Baiona. It was great! I arrived early and went straight to the fortress after dropping my bag. The fortress stands on a small pensinsula and within its walls is a fancy hotel. First I walked around it on a public walking path. The views of the Cies islands, the peninsula across the water and the beach on the other side were stunning. Because it was so stunning, I then walked the same loop another time on the fortress walls.
After ice cream and wandering through the old town, I faced the last hill of the day. The friendly guy at reception had told me the views were amazing. Could it really be even better? I walked up to the virgin of la Roca. If you’re lucky and it’s open, you can even go to the top of the statue and see the view from the boat she’s holding. Unfortunately it was closed, but it was still worth the sweat of getting there. I was blown away by the overview of the city, the water and the islands and boats in the distance. It’s been such a nice day. I’m glad I got to see this all with sunshine.
