Portugal - The Portuguese Camino ➤ The central route from Porto to Santiago
- The old Camino from Porto to Santiago de Compostela -
For centuries, the Portuguese Camino de Santiago has been one of the main pilgrim routes to Santiago de Compostela. Set off on a journey of discovery, not only of the land but also of yourself, following in the footsteps of countless pilgrims and walkers. The long days of walking are physically and mentally challenging and rewarding, but there's no need to punish yourself by carrying all your gear or sleeping in overcrowded dormitories.
It is also possible to walk the Portuguese Camino along the coast.
Our way of doing the Portuguese Camino on foot includes luggage transport and comfortable beds at the best accommodations along this historic route. These carefully selected fine hotels, charming country houses and historic buildings bring you closer to the history, culture and gastronomy of this region of northern Portugal and Galicia.
Our route description contains all the tips and information you need to easily follow the Camino Portugués and understand and appreciate what you see along the way. We suggest when and where you can stop for lunch, as well as things that might be worth a little detour.
Great things about this tour
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You'll start your Camino walk towards Santiago de Compostela in beautiful and colourful Porto, with its UNESCO-listed old town, picturesque riverside and, not least, the home of port wine. Experience the best of Portuguese hospitality in the lively city before starting your walk along the Caminho Portugués.
Hotel (example): Hotel Porto Trindade
After breakfast, you will meet a member of our team who will drive you to Vilar do Pinheiro to start your Portuguese Camino de Santiago. This way you avoid the busy roads and the first stage is reduced to 17 km instead of almost 35 km.
Notice the gradual transition from urban to rural areas as you walk this first stage. You pass through Vilarinho and cross the medieval bridge over the Ave before reaching the village of Arcos, where the first stage ends.
Walking time: approx. 4-5 hours
Distance: approx. 17km
+157 / -157
Hotel (example): Quinta de São Miguel
Start walking from Arcos towards the old village of Rates and its impressive Romanesque church. You pass the villages of Courel and Pedra Furada and then follow the country roads until you reach the pretty town of Barcelos, which is the end of this stage.
There are plenty of restaurants to choose from in Barcelos.
Walking time: approx. 5-6 hours
Distance: approx. 20km
+194 / -202
Hotel (example): Hotel Bagoeira
You'll set off from Barcelos along minor roads that take you to a more rural area, where you'll see small farms and perhaps meet some villagers. Walk through the small villages of Tamel and Aboim towards the river Neiva. End the day in the village of Quintiães.
Walking time: approx. 3-4 hours
Distance: approx. 15km
+122 / -112
Hotel (example): Quinta da Cancela
The day starts with crossing the Neiva River on a medieval bridge just before the village of Balugães. It's a day of country roads and magnificent scenery until you reach the spectacular entrance to the picturesque town of Ponte de Lima. Plan your walk so you have plenty of time to enjoy the historic centre and gardens or just sit by the river for a while.
Enjoy your comfortable bed tonight in a 3-star hotel with breakfast included. Choose from a variety of restaurants in Ponte de Lima, where you can try traditional dishes such as polvo à lagareiro (baked octopus) or bacalhau assado com broa (baked cod with cornbread) and a good Loureiro white wine.
Walking time: approx. 4-5 hours
Distance: approx. 18km
+150 / -142
Hotel (example): Hotel Império do Norte
You leave the medieval town of Ponte de Lima and return to nature. In the middle of this stage, you reach the Labruja mountain. The 2 km uphill are the most demanding on the entire Portuguese Way of St James, but the views are worth the effort. Once over the mountain, this stage is an easy walk.
Walking time: approx. 5-6 hours
Distance: approx. 22km
+150 / -142
Hotel (example): Casa da Capela
This day starts by leaving the Coura river valley and climbing gently to São Bento da Porta Aberta. Continue to Fontoura through fields and scrub until you reach the fortified town of Valença.
Have dinner at one of Tui's many restaurants.
Walking time: approx. 3-4 hours
Distance: approx. 13km
+496 / -540
Hotel (example): Hotel Lara
Before leaving Valença, spend some time visiting the famous Gothic cathedral. From Valença, follow the Louro Valley, walking along a forest path and over a stone bridge to a wetland where you can see plenty of birdlife. Walk through the town of O Porriño with its magnificent Gothic town hall building.
Walking time: approx. 4-5 hours
Distance: approx. 20km
Hotel (example): Hostal Expo
Leave Porriño and walk through the forest of Chan das Pipas. You pass Redondela, where the Central Portuguese Camino and the Coastal Camino meet.
You finish this stage in Arcade, a small town famous for its oysters.
Walking time: approx. 6 hours
Distance: approx. 22km
+320 / -318
Hotel (example): Hotel Duarte
You start this stage by walking from the small town of Arcade. This stage is one of the shortest and most beautiful on the route. When you arrive in Pontevedra, don't miss the historic town centre with its many tapas bars.
Walking time: approx. 4 hours
Distance: approx. 13km
+353 / -347
Hotel (example): Hotel Virgen del Camino
As you walk out of Pontevedra, the Camino leads you through chestnut groves and pine and eucalyptus forests. In the village of Ponte Cabras, you pass the fine rectory of Santa María de Alba. At Lombo da Maceira, a statue of Saint James with his cane will show you the way and before you reach Caldas de Reis, you will pass the small village of Tivo with a fine fountain.
Walking time: approx. 5-6 hours
Distance: approx. 22km
+244 / -241
Hotel (example): Hotel Balneario Acuña
From Caldas de Reis, you cross the Umia River and pass the hot springs that gave the city its name in Roman times. The route takes you again through forests and gradually ascends to the village of Santa Marina. You continue along the Camino through pine forest to the destination of the day: the town of Padrón.
Walking time: approx. 5 hours
Distance: approx. 19km
+268 / -285
Hotel (example): Pazo de Lestrove
Your last day of walking takes you through a series of small villages on your way to the historic sanctuary of A Esclavitude. Nearby on a hilltop are the ruins of a fort called Castro Lupario. Shortly afterwards you will see some of the oldest crossroads in Galicia. As you walk towards Agro dos Monteiros the famous spires of Compostela Cathedral will appear on the horizon - the goal is near. You pass the ruins of the castle of A Rocha Vella as you approach Santiago de Compostela, where the last night of the tour takes place.
Walking time: approx. 6-7 hours
Distance: approx. 25km
+448 / -202
Hotel (example): Hotel Lux Santiago
After breakfast, it's time to check out and head home, but we recommend taking some time to walk around and discover this gem of a city. Small, vibrant and historic, with its UNESCO-listed Old Town that can seem quite enchanting. Santiago de Compostela isn't just a place for pilgrims, but locals and students also flock to the cityscape.
Price includes
- 13 nights in carefully selected hotels (2-3 stars - always incl. private shower/toilet)
- Breakfast every day
- Carefully elaborated route descriptions maps and other materials
- Pilgrim passport
- Transportation of luggage from hotel to hotel
- Transfer from the hotel in Porto to Vilar do Pinheiro (where the hike starts)
- 24-hour emergency hotline for the duration of the tour
- Access to the route in our GPS-app which works offline while you walk
- This is a packaged holiday and is therefore covered by The Travel Guarantee Fund - See which benefits this means for you - click here
- Transport to and from Portugal
- Tourist tax (if due)
- Handling fee (€20)
Practical info
The price is based upon two people sharing. It is also possible travel alone in a single room. If you travel alone a single room is necessary.
On this tour you will be on your own supplied with maps, route descriptions and luggage transfers. That means that your time is your own and you have plenty of time to enjoy the stages in your own pace.
Check the price quickly
You can quickly check the price of your desired trip without having to fill in anything. Here's how:
- Choose your desired start date
- Click on the green button "See price and reserve your holiday" and go to the booking form
- Select number of people, add any optional extras and see the price at the bottom of the page (you don't have to fill in anything on the form).
Get a quote
For example, if you want a flight included or changes to the trip, you can order a quote for this using the "Get a quote" button. Remember to describe in detail what, if anything, you want changed.
The process of your booking
When you book, we will start booking hotels and arranging all the practical details of the trip. This process typically takes 2-5 working days, but some bookings may take longer. If you are arranging your own transport, we recommend that you wait until we have confirmed your booking before arranging this.
Dates
If you can select the date in the tour calendar at the top of this page, this is a possible start date. We continually update the tours with sold-out dates, after which those dates will turn red and cannot be selected.
The flights to Porto and home from Santiago de Compostela are not included in the price. You can easily find a suitable flight via a flight booking engine such as Momondo or Skyscanner.
Notice: we recommend that you book with us and wait for the confirmation before you book your flights.
It works like this:
- You book your chosen holiday with us
- We confirm your holiday (usually within 2-5 working days)
- You arrange your transportation
Getting there
Here is a link for the perfect tool which will help you get an overview of how to get to the starting point of the tour: Rome2Rio
The standard package includes daily breakfast. The breakfast offered will depend on the hotel. Continental breakfast is the norm. A usual setup will be a breakfast buffet that includes fruit, bread, pastries, cheese, cold cuts, coffee, tea and juice. If there is a special breakfast product that you are used to having, then we recommend that you bring it or buy it at the local supermarket.
The dinners availble in the hotels will usually be a "pilgrim menu", where you can choose between three starters, three main courses and a dessert. The starters usually include soup, salad or fish. The main courses are usually fish or meat with fries, potatoes and bread. As a rule, there is the possibility of a vegetarian dish. For dessert, for example cheesecake, creme caramel or ice cream.
The food will vary depending on the area, as each area has its own seasonal and local dishes and specialties. For example, fish will be more common in Galicia, the northern coast and the Portuguese coastal regions rather than in the inland areas.
Regarding lunch, we recommend that you either buy it at the local store in your accommodation city or stop in the cities along the route to buy basics like water, snacks, fruit, etc. You can also eat at small cafés along the way.
Your route description will include guides to water posts and eateries.
For your overnight stays, we have hand-picked family-run hotels and guesthouses based on their character and warm hospitality. The standard is 2-3 star tourist class. The hotels are centrally located in the towns and close to the Pilgrims' Route. In rare cases it may be necessary to book accommodation further from the route, but in those cases transfers will be included so as not to affect the walking programme.
Extra nights
It is possible to book extra nights in Porto or Santiago. This can be selected on the booking form.
Luggage transfer is included on this tour. Upon arrival at the first hotel you will be given luggage tags along with the rest of the welcome package. You fill out the luggage tags and put them on your bags where they will remain for the duration of the tour.
Your luggage is picked up from the hotel lobby around 9am every morning and will arrive at your next hotel at 6pm at the latest (often long before that). If there are any special exceptions to the luggage transfer you will be notified upon arrival.
Luggage transfer includes one bag per guest and the bags can weigh 20kg each.
You will recieve the following documentation
Upon booking
You recieve practical information about the tour in a digital format
One month before arrival
You recieve your hotel list and your voucher (hotel list is often supplied upon booking)
Upon arrival
You recieve the welcome package which contains the printed version of the road book, luggage tags, local specific vouchers and if you have rented bikes then they will also be delivered and fitted at the first hotel.
This tour has difficulty grade 2.
Grade 2
Easier walking at reasonable good paths. The walking time will be 4-6 hours usually in hilly terrain. Every one in good health and a normal physical fitness can participate. Luggage is mostly transported and you only go with a lighter backpack. Requires good footwear such as trekking shoes or hiking boots.
Read more about our Grading System
Here you can get an overview of the entire route and the elevation profile for each day. The data shows the data from the GPX-files related to the tour. Notice that the routes are sometimes updated, which means that there might be small variations.
Colors
Blue routes: The route as normal
Red routes: Variations/options (such as shortened or extended routes)
We highly recommend that you are covered by a good travel insurance covering at least Medical Expenses, Illness, Personal Accident, Baggage and Repatriation. The customer is responsible to take the necessary travel insurance that covers these costs. Mountain Adventures, or our local partners, do not have any responsibility for our customers not being covered by a necessary travel insurance. You have to arrange your insurance in your home country.
It can be difficult to plan your trip according to the weather, but here is the average statistics of the climate in the area, as shown on www.yr.no:
We are members of the Travel Guarantee Fund (nr. 2529) and have all available insurances. This covers you regardless of your nationality. Read more about that here.
Call our experts on weekdays between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
Phone: +44 20 3936 1208
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Phone: +44 20 3936 1208
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