Triacastela, Camino Santiago

Having crossed the challenging mountain pass near O Cebreiro, I started the steady walk down towards Triacastela. Not far along at Alto de San Roque, I came across a bronze statue of a man hunched over, pushing into the wind, gripping his walking staff and holding tight to his hat. I could empathise with his plight as he was clearly pushing against the wind, much like I had to, and he looked just how I felt. At slightly over 6ft (1.8m), the El Peregrino, the Pilgrim, is the work of Spanish sculptor José María Acuña. It was installed here in the 1990s at an elevation of 4,167ft (1,270m), one of the highest points on this route.

The path finally started to level out as I approached the village of Triacastela. The name means ‘Three Castles’, taken from the fortresses that once stood here, guarding the valley. Legend has it the Vikings made it this far during their 10th-century raids, tearing through Santiago and destroying the castles along the way. These days, all that’s left is a small village with fewer than a thousand residents, though during Camino season, the pilgrims easily outnumber the locals. 

Triacastela may be small when compared to the large cities on this route, but somehow it earned a special mention in the ‘Codex Calixtinus’, also known as ‘Liber Sancti Jacobi’ (Book of Saint James). This 12th-century manuscript describes the village as the final stage of the Camino before reaching Santiago. In a way, it’s like the first ever tourist book, describing to pilgrims how to get to Santiago de Compostela. Could you imagine clutching this Codex back then in the same fashion we hold onto our guidebooks today? This section of the Codex is so important that the original is preserved in the archives of Santiago Cathedral, and this very section of the Codex has been entered into UNESCO’s Memory of the World register. 

From here, I’ll have to choose my route, either head towards Samos and its ancient Benedictine monastery, or take the more direct path through San Xil. I already know which way I’m going. The thought of wandering into that valley and seeing the monastery, standing there after all these centuries, is too hard to resist. It’ll mean a longer day on foot, but this place will be worth the detour. For now, I’m going to grab a bite to eat and retire to my room for a good rest.