Stage 11: Combarro to Armenteira

Published Thursday, September 24, 2026

Data: 6.68 miles, 1640 feet elevation gain, 2:40 moving time, 3:34 total time.
Hotel: O Legado De Ramira

Two hikers with packs and poles standing close together, backlit by the rising sun above a valley of cloud.

A selfie of two smiling women in hats and sunglasses on a hillside, the sun and a cloud-filled valley behind them.

A hiker with a purple pack raising both arms in celebration in front of a carved stone doorway.

A white heron standing on a rock in a green pond, surrounded by leafy trees.

A group selfie of six smiling friends on a sunny terrace, several wearing party animal ears and horns.

A woman in bunny ears and sunglasses resting her chin in her hands at an outdoor table, a wine bottle in front of her.

A smiling woman in a floral top and a man wearing golden horns, seated together on a terrace.

A man and a woman in cat ears leaning together at a wooden table, smiling.

A small cream-colored kitten with dark ears and tail walking across a concrete floor.

The sun rising over the mountains in an orange sky, with rooftops in silhouette below.

A slow steady climb through winding cobblestone streets to watch the sun rise over the mountains and vineyards. It’s Gary’s 60th Birthday today. It seems rather dreamy to greet the sun as an escort into the 60s!

The sun just breaking over a dark mountain ridge in an orange sky, rooftops and a utility pole in silhouette.

The morning sun over a valley filled with low cloud, eucalyptus trees along a green hillside.

Lined with purple heather and bright yellow broom flora, the forest path was a soft and silky. Petroglyphs embedded in the granite rocks above the trail provided an extra curiosity. Thinking about how people thousands of years ago walked through the same forest and saw the same sunrise feels humbling and otherworldly.

Granite boulders beside the trail among ferns, with a red circle drawn around a faint petroglyph carved into the rock and an information sign below.

As we reached the end of our hike, a medieval monastery lay before us nestled between a cafe and albergue. Still in use, the nuns make their own wine, skin creams, rosary beads, and liquor. So kind—offering stamps for our credentials—the nuns wore traditional habits I remember from my childhood.

The stone facade of the monastery church, with a round rose window above an arched doorway and two pilgrims walking past.

Inside the monastery church, wooden pews leading to an ornate carved stone altar decorated with flowers.

Presently waiting for our transport to take us to our hotel, which is 10 miles away. We will stay there two night—a good opportunity to do laundry and enjoy a slightly easier morning without packing up our suitcases. Although, Claire and I can pack up and get out of a hotel room in 20 minutes flat. This is part of the Camino experience—keeping our needs/material items simple and organized while maintaining a good degree of comfort.

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