Portuguese Camino de Santiago

You will be met at your hotel by one of our representatives on the ground to both welcome you and provide a full briefing and any extra documentation you might need. If you arrive early there will be time to explore world heritage Porto including the Ribeira area, the Bolsa Palace, the beach or simply walk and explore this marvellous merchant city at your own leisure.

Accommodation: Porto, 3-star hotel

To start the walk you’ll be transferred to Mosteiró, missing the less attractive urban segment of this section to begin your first stage of the Portuguese Camino de Santiago. By doing this you avoid the busy roads and the first stage is reduced to 17 km, instead of almost 35 km. Walk via Vilarinho and cross the medieval bridge over the Ave before reaching the village of Arcos where today’s walking finishes.

Walking: Moderate / 17 km or 10.5 miles / 5 to 6 hrs
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Arcos, a 3-star country hotel with breakfast included.

You walk out of your accommodation in Arcos on the Camino towards the ancient village of Rates and its imposing Romanesque church. Traverse through the villages of Courel and Pedra Furada via rural tracks with our final goal the culturally attractive town of Barcelos, the end of this stage. Barcelos has a strong cultural identity and is jam-packed with historic buildings, including churches, forts, bridges and the ruins of Dukes of Braganza Palace plus much more.

Walking: Moderate / 20 km or 12.5 miles / 5.5 to 6.5 hrs
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Barcelos, 3-star country hotel with breakfast included.

Walking out of Barcelos you first travel along the Camino through a rural area that still uses the small scale farming practices that have existed for eons. There’s a good chance you’ll meet some villagers along the way. The track makes its way through the small villages of Tamil and Aboim past old windmills and other relics of yesterday towards the River Neiva. Your final resting place for tonight is in the village of Quintiães.

Walking: Moderate / 16 km or 10 miles / 5 to 6 hrs
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Quintiães, 3-star country hotel with breakfast included.

We start the day by crossing the River Neiva on a medieval bridge that leads to the tiny village of Balugães. The Camino way follows more gorgeous rural paths today via magnificent countryside to the spectacular entrance into the stunning town of Ponte de Lima. We have made sure that you have time to explore the historical centre, the gardens or take a stroll or even sit by the river. Admiring the river and the Roman bridge over the river at night is a real highlight. In the evening you can choose from a range of restaurants in Ponte de Lima where you can try traditional dishes like the local polvo à lagareiro (a baked octopus style dish) or bacalhau assado com broa (baked cod with cornbread) and a fine Loureiro white wine.

Walking: Moderate / 17 km or 10.5 miles / 5 to 6 hours
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Ponte de Lima, a 3-star country hotel with breakfast included.

Walking out of your accommodation each day makes for a real inn to inn experience. As you leave the medieval town of Ponte de Lima we quickly return to nature. Today’s walk includes the climb to Labruja mountain. The 2 km walk uphill is the most demanding of the whole Portuguese Way of St James, however, the magnificent views are well worth the effort. There is a small detour worth taking today to Rubias and the 12th Century Romanesque church. Tonight you rest in Cossourado.

Walking: Moderate to Challenging / 22 km or 13.6 miles / 7 to 8 hours
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Cossourado, a 3-star country hotel with breakfast included.

The Camino de Portuguese starts today by leaving the valley of the River Coura and climbing gently to Sao Bento da Porta Aberta one of the most popular pilgrimage places in Portugal. The walk then finds its way through Fontoura, open fields and brushwood, until you reach the ancient fortress town of Valença. Tonight you can dine across the river in one of Tui’s many excellent restaurants.

Walking: Moderate / 14 km or 8.7 miles / 4 to 5 hours
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Valença, a 3-star country hotel with breakfast included.

Before you leave Valenca and Tui make sure you visit the famous Gothic cathedral. The path from Tui follows the Louro valley via a forest track, crosses a very old stone slab bridge to a wetland area where there’s an abundance of birdlife. Today’s walk ends in the city of Porrino in Spain, noteworthy for its magnificent Gothic town hall building at its centre.

Walking: Moderate / 19 km or 11.8 miles / 5.5 to 6.5 hours
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Porrino, a 3-star country hotel with breakfast included.

From Porrino the walk makes its way through the forest of Chan das Pipas. As you leave the forest you’ll pass Redondela, where the central route and the coastal route merge. You walk into the town of Arcade in Spain, a small village that is renowned for its oysters and interestingly as a site of a very important battle in the Napoleonic wars.

Walking: Moderate to Challenging / 22 km or 13.6 miles / 6 to 7 hours
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Arcade, 3-star country hotel with breakfast included.

From your accommodation, in Arcade we traverse what is one of the most beautiful sections of the Portuguese Camino de Santiago. Today’s section is one of the shortest. Pontevedra is a city in northwest Spain and is known for its well-preserved old town. Namely, the Gothic Santa María la Mayor Basilica, the Ruínas de San Domingos the remains of a 14th-century convent and the nearby Sexto Edificio museum showcases Galician art. In the evening be like the Spanish and wander from one tapas bar to another.

Walking: Easy to moderate/ 13 km or 8 miles / 3 to 4 hours
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Pontevedra, a 3-star country hotel with breakfast included.

Explore more of Pontevedra as you walk out of town into the pleasant countryside. This stage to Caldas de Reis is fairly long but fairly flat so it is not that hard. A real highlight is soaking your feet in Caldas de Reis’ thermal springs, a great way to finish the day’s walking.

Walking: Moderate to Challenging / 22 km or 13.6 miles / 6 to 7 hours
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Caldas de Reis, a 2-star country hotel with breakfast included.

With only one more day after today, you’re nearly there! This section exits Caldas de Reis and takes you on a soft climb to the charming woodlands of Valga. There are lots of historical buildings along the way including many churches and stone crosses. Our final resting place for today is Padrón in Galicia. The town merges with the ancient and famous town of Iria Flavia a centre for religion, trade and Roman and Vikings invasions of all things.

Walking: Moderate to Challenging / 18 km or 11.2 miles / 5 to 6 hours
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Padrón, a 2-star country hotel with breakfast included.

Your final stage. You will walk mostly through rural settings. This last stage is one of the toughest but your goal is in sight. Enter in the ancient city of Santiago de Compostela and enjoy the end of your journey at the cathedral. Celebrate your fantastic achievement. Savour all the culinary delights of Spain and your last meal on the Camino in the company of pilgrims that have travelled here from all parts of Spain and Europe.

Walking: Moderate to Challenging / 23 km or 14.3 miles / 6 to 7 hours
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Santiago de Compostela, a 3-star country hotel with breakfast included.

After breakfast, prepare for your onward journey. If you have time, explore the old city of Santiago de Compostela before you leave or why not add a day and relax and soak up the atmosphere of this magnificent town.