Stage 4 of 6
Pontevedra → Caldas de Reis
21.1 kilometres with barely any climbing, the fork to the Spiritual Variant at kilometre 3, and free thermal water by the river at the end of the day.
| Distance | Approx. time | Elevation | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21.1 km | 5h15 | +218 m / −222 m | 1 of 5 |
Gronze.com gives 21.1 km for this stage, a little less than the Xunta's 22.9 km, but either way it is the most manageable of the whole stretch from Tui: barely any climbing and much of the route following the N-550 axis. It is also the stage where the fork to the Spiritual Variant opens up.
The route, village by village
You leave Pontevedra and, around kilometre 3, beside Santa María de Alba, the turn-off for the Spiritual Variant opens — two alternative days through Poio, Combarro and the monastery of Armenteira, with the option of finishing by boat up the Arousa estuary. Anyone staying on the central route continues through San Caetano (4.5 km, bar), San Amaro (8.1 km, bars), Barro (10 km) and Valbón (11.3 km, bar and fountain). Then A Seca / Briallos (15-16.3 km, bar) and Tivo (19.2 km, bar, 250 metres off the route), before dropping into Caldas de Reis.
Caldas de Reis: thermal water at the end of the stage
Caldas de Reis was the Roman Aquis Celenis, a way station on the Via XIX built precisely for its thermal waters. Those same springs, at up to around 40 °C, still run free beside the river in the middle of town: a stage finish with a free thermal soak for sore feet. The town also has two historic spa houses, Casa Dávila (around 1780) and Casa Acuña (1906).
Where to sleep in Caldas de Reis
With no public hostel, everything on offer is private: Timonel from 13 € (18 € for a single), A Queimada from 14 €, Urraca (15-20 €), Albor (22 €) and As Pozas Termais, about 25 €, with direct access to the thermal water.
Urraca shows best how the price moves with the calendar: they sent us their 2026 rate and it goes by season — 15 € in February, March and October; 18 € in April and May; 20 € from June to September. It works as a rule of thumb for the whole stage: if you can choose the month, the same mattress costs a third less outside summer.
Stamp in Pontevedra on the way out and again on arrival in Caldas de Reis: that covers the minimum of two daily stamps the Compostela requires.
Sigue leyendo
Stage 3
Redondela → Pontevedra
19.8 km through Arcade and its oysters, with the medieval bridge of Pontesampaio.
Stage 5
Caldas de Reis → Padrón
18.6 km to the town that gives the peppers their name, with the Herbón detour.
The fork at km 3
The Spiritual Variant, step by step
Combarro, Armenteira and the boat to Pontecesures, with the bookings that sell out first.