Here, the Camino de Santiago (Way of St. James) leaves the mountains behind, if this is ever possible in Galicia. This section runs, in the main, through Vega del Sarria and the Miño valley and the pilgrim again passes through a disorientating succession of villages. The oak and chestnut trees give way to farmland and the first conifer plantations.

The new Portomarín lies halfway along this route. The old one has been submerged beneath the waters of the Belesar reservoir since 1962. Prior to the flooding, the Way crossed the River Miño by an old stone bridge which is still visible during droughts. The twelfth-century Iglesia de San Nicolás, moved stone by stone from its previous site, is the highlight of the new village.

Another significant landmark on the Way is the Monasterio de Vilar de Donas, a Romanesque building and National Monument, just off the traditional route. The Knights of Santiago were buried here and several tombs of some of these knight-protectors of the Way can still be seen today.