PR13Candedo Route

The three villages of Candedo

This route is a portrait of rural Transmontane life told through three villages. It is not a trail that passes through a settlement — it is a full circuit of the parish of Candedo, with Aboá and Espinhoso along the way, and the Caminho de Santiago serving as the common thread. The walk passes through the land that sustains these communities: chestnut groves, olive orchards, vineyards, vegetable plots and pastures, with churches, chapels and a communal bread oven marking the stopping points.

Candedo lives by farming and livestock rearing, and this is evident at every kilometre of the route. The Romaria de Nossa Senhora das Dores, held in September, is one of the three largest religious pilgrimages in the municipality.

Candedo

The route is circular and begins and ends in Candedo, beside the Igreja de Candedo and the fountain. The old quarter of the village, on the southern side, is the most interesting part: a leisure area with a fountain and a spring, the restored and decorated communal bread oven, and the Santuário de Nossa Senhora das Dores. It is worth exploring on one's own, before or after the walk.

Aboá, along the Caminho de Santiago

Between Candedo and Aboá the route follows the Caminho de Santiago. Aboá is a small settlement, passed through quickly, and from there the route enters the chestnut groves, olive orchards and vineyards that connect the villages of the parish.

Espinhoso

Espinhoso is the largest and most modern of the three settlements, and the natural place to rest and recover: the Igreja de Espinhoso lies on the route and there is a café on the Largo do Senhor dos Aflitos. It sits roughly at the midpoint of the circuit.

A Ribeira de Vilar

Between Espinhoso and Candedo, the agricultural fields descend to the Ribeira de Vilar, the lowest point of the route at around 570 metres above sea level. This is the section with the greatest change in elevation on the circuit: approximately 150 metres between the stream and the village — no technical difficulty, but demanding on the legs. Those wishing to continue along the Caminho de Santiago will find the PR12 · Termas de Sandim immediately afterwards, in the neighbouring parish of Edral.