Stage Miraz – Sobrado dos Monxes: Camino del Norte guide

The highest and loneliest stage of the Camino del Norte: you cross the granite plateau, reach 710 m and pass from Lugo to A Coruña before dropping to Sobrado dos Monxes and its great Cistercian monastery.

Mosteiro de Sobrado dos Monxes, Camino del Norte in Galicia
Photo: P.Lameiro, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Distance

About 25 km

Difficulty

Medium-high

Estimated time

About 6.5 – 7 h

Altitude

Highest point: 710 m, one of the highest on the Camino del Norte

Key tip for the stage: This is an isolated stretch with few shops: leave Miraz with water and food, especially because there is no bar or shop in A Cabana.
Water and services: Bar in A Roxica, hostel in A Cabana (no bar or shop in the village) and a bar-restaurant in O Mesón. Carry water and food.

Route map

See the walking route step by step on Google Maps.

Open the route in Google Maps

Interactive map, elevation and weather for this stage

The stage on the map, its elevation profile and useful tools for the day. The track is approximate: always follow the yellow arrows.

The map loads only when you press the button, using OpenStreetMap data, so nothing is sent to third parties unless you ask.
24.4 kmTrack distance
475 mLowest point
707 mHighest point

Elevation profile

450 m500 m550 m600 m650 m700 m750 m0 km5 km10 km15 km20 km

Swipe to see the full profile →

Tools for the day

  • Weather in Sobrado
  • Estimate your arrival time
  • Sunrise and sunset today

    Emergencies: 112 (SOS Galicia). Save the number before you set off.

Track based on open data from OpenStreetMap (© contributors, ODbL) and elevations from an open digital terrain model; values may differ by a few metres. Weather and warnings: MeteoGalicia (Xunta de Galicia). Always follow the yellow arrows and check the official forecast before setting off.

Watercolour illustration of a pilgrim filling a water bottle at a mossy stone fountain
Illustration

Services on this stage

Shops, pharmacies, ATMs and health centres along the route, listed by kilometre. They also appear as coloured dots on the interactive map above. Slide your finger along the elevation profile to see that point on the map.

The stage section by section

1
0 – 9,7 km

From Miraz to A Roxica

Rural, lonely country on dirt and asphalt tracks, with a broken profile. A Roxica has a bar and a private hostel.

2
9,7 – 10,5 km

A Roxica – A Cabana

A short stretch. A Cabana has a modern public hostel, but no bar or shop.

3
10,5 – 19,6 km

Climbing the granite plateau

An almost imperceptible ascent between Celtic walls. Past the Corteporcos area you reach 710 m and cross from the province of Lugo into A Coruña.

4
19,6 – 25 km

O Mesón and the descent to Sobrado

O Mesón has a bar-restaurant. After that you descend towards Sobrado, with its lake and the monastery.

What to see

The Cistercian monastery of Santa María de Sobrado and the lake the monks built in the early 16th century are the highlight at the end of the stage.

Food and drink

Try Arzúa-Ulloa PDO cheese, the artisan cheese of Abeleiras de Sobrado, Galician beef and the monks’ dulce de leche.

Apse of the church of Santa María de Sobrado dos Monxes monastery
Photo: José Antonio Gil Martínez, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Lagoon of Sobrado dos Monxes
Photo: Luis Miguel Bugallo Sánchez (Lmbuga), CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Practical tips

  • Carry water and food: shops are limited on the isolated stretches.
  • There is no bar or shop in A Cabana.
  • In low season there may be less accommodation open.
  • If you come via As Cruces, confirm the Sobrado direction at the junction.

Frequently asked questions

How many km is Miraz – Sobrado?

About 25 km.

What is the highest point?

710 m, one of the highest on the whole Camino del Norte.

Are there services in A Cabana?

There is no bar or shop; only the public hostel.

Where do you sleep in Sobrado?

In the monastery hostel, in another private hostel or in guesthouses and apartments.

What to see in Sobrado?

The Cistercian monastery and the lake.

After the stage: rest in Arzúa

When you reach Arzúa, we would love to welcome you at Casa Buen Camino: an entire house for up to 8 people, 400 m from the centre. You get in with a code, we confirm your booking within 60 minutes and, if you book directly with us, it is 10 % cheaper.