AI-generated editorial illustration for Iacoboom; It does not represent an exact place or a real event.
Doing the Camino de Santiago from Sarria does not mean that you have to finish it in five days. That cast may suit some people; Others prefer six or seven days so as not to cover so many kilometers. The best option is the one you can sustain for several days in a row, not the one that looks faster on the map.
Here you have three proposals on foot, with the distances from the sheets on the official Camino portal in Galicia. The sums are around 115 kilometers. They are not travel packages or a promise of difficulty: the exact departure point, variants and detours change the distance you will end up walking.
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Includes a day of about 29.1 km
6 days
Separate those two sections
Maintained by Portomarín–Palas de Rei, 25.1 km
7 days
Add a division of the last section in A Lavacolla
It makes the arrival to Santiago shorter, but not all the stages
They are editorial proposals, not a mandatory calendar. Seven days does not guarantee smooth stages: the second day in this example is still long. If that is your limit, you will have to redistribute that part as well and check the services at each chosen point.
Sarria to Santiago in five days
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Day
Route
Reference distance
1
Sarria → Portomarín
22km
2
Portomarín → Palas de Rei
25.1 km
3
Palas de Rei → Arzúa, passing through Melide
29.1 km
4
Arzúa → Arca / O Pedrouzo
18.4 km
5
Arca / O Pedrouzo → Santiago
20.2 km
This distribution requires attention on the third day: walking 29 kilometers once is not the same as doing it after two days with a backpack. It is also not advisable to treat the first few days as a race to compensate later.
You may be interested if you have already tried similar distances on consecutive days and want to dedicate five days to walking. If you have to force your preparation to fit that figure, review the distribution before closing the trip.
Sarria to Santiago in six days
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Day
Route
Reference distance
1
Sarria → Portomarín
22km
2
Portomarín → Palas de Rei
25.1 km
3
Palas de Rei → Melide
14.6 km
4
Melide → Arzúa
14.5km
5
Arzúa → Arca / O Pedrouzo
18.4 km
6
Arca / O Pedrouzo → Santiago
20.2 km
The main difference is in separating the journey from Palas de Rei to Arzúa. This leaves two shorter days in the middle of the route and allows for more time outside the march, without inventing kilometers to fill the calendar.
One possibility is to keep the first five days of the six-day proposal and divide the last day:
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Day
Route
Reference distance
1
Sarria → Portomarín
22km
2
Portomarín → Palas de Rei
25.1 km
3
Palas de Rei → Melide
14.6 km
4
Melide → Arzúa
14.5km
5
Arzúa → Arca / O Pedrouzo
18.4 km
6
Arca / O Pedrouzo → A Lavacolla
Approximately 10km
7
To Lavacolla → Santiago
Approximately 10.2 km
The official file for Arca–Santiago places the section to A Lavacolla at 10 kilometers. The remaining 10.2 are a subtraction from your total 20.2 kilometers, not an independent measurement. Always check the exact points where you start and end.
This distribution can be useful if you want to arrive with a shorter morning ahead of you. Another option is to spend the extra day resting, instead of turning it into a seventh stage. The important thing is to choose it with intention: adding a night at the end does not automatically lighten the first days.
How to choose your distribution without relying only on kilometers
Before you decide, answer these questions:
Have you walked with the backpack you are going to carry, not just a bottle of water?
How do you feel when you go out again the next day?
Do you want to stop to visit places or is your priority to move forward?
Does your trip allow you to change a stage or do you have all the schedules closed?
Are you going at your own pace or trying to adapt to someone else's?
A table does not express all the climbs, descents, road conditions or the weather. Check the stage profiles in the official sheets and avoid converting an average kilometers per hour into a guaranteed arrival time.
Luggage is also worth trying. In our backpack list for the Camino we propose separating the essentials from what you would only add for a specific need.
How many days of travel do you need in addition to walking?
“I have five days of vacation” does not always equal “I can walk five stages.” First draw three blocks: get to Sarria, make the journey and return from Santiago. Don't commit to a return transportation that depends on completing the last leg without any margin.
If you can, save time to arrive, get oriented and review what you need before starting. And think about what you want to do when you finish: rest, visit the city or apply for the Compostela are different plans, which also take time.
We do not include transportation schedules or prices because they depend on your origin and the date. Check them with the corresponding operator before purchasing.
Is this route used to apply for the Compostela?
The walking distance from Sarria exceeds 100 kilometers, but distance is not the only requirement. The Pilgrim's Office establishes conditions on the continuity of the route, accreditation by means of a credential and the meaning of the pilgrimage. Check their current Compostela requirements page before you leave.
Do not transfer this table directly to the bicycle: the Office indicates a different minimum distance for that modality. And do not confuse the credential, which accompanies your tour, with the document that you can request at the end.
What if I do the Camino alone or during the Xacobeo?
The distribution of stages can be the same if you travel alone. You don't need to join a group to use this guide. What you should prepare is your way of organizing yourself, maintaining contact with someone you trust and making decisions with margin. Here you have a guide to doing the Camino alone.
If your goal is 2027, see what is confirmed about the Xacobeo. Cultural news does not replace reviewing the stages, services and conditions of your trip.
Sources and review: Galician Tourism stage sheets and requirements from the Pilgrim's Office, consulted on September 27, 2026. Indicative distances for the route described; The distributions of days are proposed by Iacoboom.
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