Sarria has a reputation as the starting point of the Camino — the place where thousands of people lace up their boots and begin counting kilometres to Santiago de Compostela. But Sarria is far more than a starting line. It is a medieval town with an authentic old quarter, Romanesque monuments, Galician cuisine and a Jacobean energy unlike anywhere else on the Camino. If you arrive the day before — or decide to stay an extra day after — this guide will tell you what not to miss.
Sarria in the context of the Camino de Santiago
To understand Sarria you first have to understand its position on the Camino. The town sits at kilometre 111 of the Camino Francés counting from Santiago, making it the last point on the Camino that meets the minimum 100 km required to earn the Compostela. This gives Sarria a unique atmosphere: a blend of pilgrims who have already walked hundreds of kilometres with those who are only just beginning, fresh packs and unscuffed boots.
The Rúa Maior: the heart of Sarria
The Rúa Maior is the backbone of Sarria. A cobbled street that climbs from the lower part of the town up to the castle, flanked by stone houses, Camino gear shops, bars serving Galician tortilla and the inevitable "Buen Camino" signs in every window.
The stone stairway that ascends along the Rúa Maior towards the upper town is one of the most photographed images of the Camino Francés in its Galician stretch. Take it slowly if you can — the uneven steps demand attention — and look back before you reach the top.
The Church of Santiago de Barbadelo
Just over a kilometre from the centre of Sarria, right at the start of the first stage towards Portomarín, stands the Church of Santiago de Barbadelo. A Romanesque church from the 12th century, with a sculpted portico that is one of the finest examples of rural Romanesque architecture preserved in the province of Lugo.
If you leave early to start the stage, you will pass right by it. Many pilgrims stop here for the first stamp of the day.
Sarria Castle (Torre del Homenaje)
Of the medieval castle that dominated Sarria through the Middle Ages, the Keep (Torre del Homenaje) remains standing, restored and accessible from outside. The fortress was destroyed in the Irmandiño Wars of the 15th century and was never fully rebuilt.
The castle grounds, with their partially reconstructed walls and views over the valley of the Sarria river, offer one of the finest viewpoints in the old town. Worth the climb even just to appreciate the distance still ahead.
The Monastery of La Magdalena
Founded in the 13th century by Italian Augustinian friars who cared for Jacobean pilgrims, the Monastery of La Magdalena is one of Sarria's most distinctive buildings. Its cloister, in late Gothic style with Renaissance elements, is one of the most photogenic in the town.
Today the monastery functions as a pilgrim albergue and visitor attraction. The church has a doorway carved with scallop shells and Camino motifs that visually encapsulates everything Sarria represents.
Food: what to eat in Sarria
Sarria is inland Galicia, and the cooking reflects it. Some specific recommendations:
- Galician tortilla at any bar on the Rúa Maior — moister and more substantial than the Castilian version, perfect for breakfast or as a mid-morning bocadillo.
- Caldo gallego — with turnip greens, potato and chorizo — available at almost every restaurant in town.
- Empanada de atún or de carne — the bakeries on the Rúa Maior make them fresh every morning. One of the best provisions for the pack.
- Local wine — mencía red and godello white from the Ribeira Sacra on the wine lists of almost every restaurant in the area.
Excursions from Sarria
Lugo — 35 km
The city of Lugo has the only Roman wall in the world that completely encircles an urban area, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2000. Half an hour by car from Sarria.
O Cebreiro — ~35 km
The highest point of the Camino Francés in Galicia, at 1,293 metres altitude. The village of O Cebreiro, with its stone-and-thatch pallozas and pre-Romanesque church, seems frozen in the 11th century.
The Ribeira Sacra — ~60 km
The canyons of the Sil and Miño rivers, with their almost vertical terraced vineyards and medieval monasteries clinging to the cliffs above the water, are among the most spectacular landscapes in Galicia.
When to arrive in Sarria to make the most of the town
Most pilgrims arrive in Sarria the day before starting the Camino. If you can arrive mid-morning or at lunchtime, you have real time to explore the town before nightfall.
Sarria is especially lively in July and August, when the flow of pilgrims is at its peak. In spring and autumn the town has a more authentic calm, and the Galician landscape — intense green, soft light — is at its very best.