THE ROAD TO SANTIAGO
The section of the road that passes through Caldas de Reis is the end of the 4th stage (Pontevedra – Caldas de Reis) and the beginning of the 5th stage (Caldas de Reis – Padrón).
Caldas has always been an obligatory transit point for Portuguese pilgrims and for foreigners who entered Galicia through Tui, through the ports of Baiona, Vigo and Pontevedra, following Santiago along the route marked by the two Roman roads, the XIX and the XX, which crossed the province of Pontevedra.
Today it is one of the municipalities with the longest route on the Camino Xacobeo Portugués, which begins in the Parish of Arcos de la Condesa, and runs through the center of Caldas to the parishes of Bemil, Carracedo and San Clemente.
As they pass through the urban center of Caldas, pilgrims cross the Umia River over the Ferrería Bridge, descending in front of the Burgas to Calle Real and the Bermaña Bridge, where numerous emblazoned houses are still preserved in its historic center and the medieval air of the Roman-made bridge.
One of the Churches of Caldas de Reis is dedicated to Saint Thomas Becket due to his time as a pilgrim to Compostela.
There are numerous quotes that writers and well-known people leave in their writings about the Portuguese Way, such as Father Sarmiento, who highlights the places with good food in Caldas, as well as the mention of hot water, the rivers and the San Roque hospital. who welcomed and cured pilgrims hundreds of years ago.
4th Stage of the Portuguese Camino de Santiago from Pontevedra to Caldas de Reis). | Route Pontevedra, Galicia (Spain)- GPS track