On the 4th day of the Artsy Way, we hike up to O Cebreiro Pass, looking out at gorgeous views of the Galician Masiff mountains, rolling hills and lush valleys.Â
Our destination is the tiny, yet vibrant village of O Cebreiro. It is buzzing with Old World charm and activity. Friendly locals and pilgrims gather as newfound friends at tables outside in the sunshine, sharing tales of their journeys with glasses of cheer, and perhaps some hearty Galician soup with crusty bread. Ancient stone buildings have been restored into small boutique hotels and hostels, which are usually fully booked.
It’s hard to believe that just three decades ago, this village was nearly abandoned. Roofs were caving in, few people lived here, and very few pilgrims walked by. There were no hotels, restaurants, bike rentals, or taxi services.
The significant revitalization of the entire Camino resulted from the work of one dedicated person — O Cebreiro’s local parish priest, ElÃas Valiña Sampedro, who was also a scholar. He published his doctoral dissertation on the history of the Camino de Santiago in 1985, noting that tens of thousands of pilgrims had walked from France to Santiago de Compostela 900 years ago. For a few centuries, the Way supported a vibrant service industry, and O Cebreiro and its church were important stops. But after the 14th century, due to political turmoil and changes in the Catholic Church, fewer and fewer pilgrims made the journey, and eventually, the routes were neglected and mostly forgotten.
Valiña’s personal mission was to revitalize the Camino to its former glory, which he believed would be an economic, cultural, and spiritual boost to the area. He researched former pilgrim routes and met with leaders in municipalities across Spain and gathered volunteers to rally support for his plan. Valiña set out in his small car with many cans of yellow paint and started painting yellow arrows to mark confusing intersections and reroute the Way that had been destroyed by modern buildings and roads. He also wrote the first pilgrim guidebook to be printed in several centuries.
Father ElÃas Valiña is buried at the Sanctuary of Saint Mary Real Church in O Cebreiro, where he administered to locals and pilgrims as well as advocated for tap water, electricity, and education in the region for about 30 years. His nephew still runs a wonderful gift shop next to the church, filled with Celtic symbols and Camino goods. Hospitality runs in the family, and the “younger” Valiña gladly shares stories of his uncle and the Way.
O Cebreiro has a number of unique dwellings called “pallozas,” thought to have Celtic connections. Made of thick stone with rye straw thatched roofs, they withstand the harsh winter conditions and heavy snows. By the 1980s, the remaining pallozas here had fallen into disrepair, but their renovation was also part of Valiña’s plan to revitalize the Camino.
They are super fun to sketch!
It feels important to acknowledge that we would not be able to experience the Camino today without the dedication, sacrifce, and vision of Father ElÃas Valiña. We will follow yellow arrows along the Way, fully experiencing O Cebreiro and this ancient pilgrimage thanks to him.
Find out more about The Artsy Way August 31-September 15, 2025
Note: All images in this ongoing series of posts about the Artsy Way are quick sketches done in my small travel journal with a water brush and Art Toolkit pocket palette.