Portuguese Camino Highlights Walk

Depending on the time of your arrival in Porto, your leader will arrange a short orientation tour in the historic centre. There is plenty to see and we recommend travelling a day earlier if you are interested in exploring the city more.

After breakfast, we have a short transfer (approximately 30 minutes) up the coast and begin our walk in the fishing town of Matosinhos. This section is part of the Litoral Camino, which follows the Atlantic coastline along a series of boardwalks and promenades. We stop for lunch along the coast with a chance to try the local fish. After, we carry on walking next to the sea until we reach the coastal town of Vila do Conde where we finish walking and have a transfer (approximately 45 minutes) to the picturesque medieval city of Viana de Castelo, our destination for the night. We can walk around the medieval city centre where we see the cathedral and church and enjoy a drink by the old port.

This morning, we walk directly from our hotel on winding country lanes and forest trails, enjoying sea and mountain views. We walk through sleepy Portuguese villages on the hills parallel to the coast enjoying ocean views from time to time. We have a forested stretch to a high point, then we descend to Vila Praia de Ancora where we stop for lunch. Vila Praia de Ancora is a former fishing village and has become a popular seaside resort with a 17th century fort, stunning sandy beaches and dunes. After, we walk parallel to the sea on flat terrain to reach the fortified border town of Caminha, which sits on the mouth of the Minho river. We have free time to explore the centre of this walled town before we transfer (approximately 30 minutes) to Valenca, another walled city which is now a shopping town known for producing linen, towels and handcrafted souvenirs.

After breakfast, we walk directly from the hotel and say goodbye to Portugal by crossing the Ponte Rodo bridge into Spain. We first explore the Spanish border town of Tui, home to a magnificent Romanesque-Gothic cathedral, before heading towards the town of O Porriño. We pass the Pilgrim monument in Tui, depicting a large stone carving of a pilgrim, before we follow the scenic Louro river through pretty woodlands and along the river paths between Orbenlle and O Porriño. O Porriño is an industrial and mining town, known for its pink granite. On arrival, we have a transfer (approximately 30 minutes) to Pontevedra and enjoy time to walk around the old centre. This evening, we can enjoy dinner in one of the many restaurants with terraces.

Today we start our special detour on a partly coastal section of the Portuguese Camino, named the Spiritual Variant. This pilgrimage route is considered by many to be the original path of Saint James, and therefore the origin of all the Caminos de Santiago. After breakfast, we leave the hotel and head west towards the sea, where we walk through the pretty landscapes of O Salnés, crossing the village of Poio, home to a 17th-century Benedictine monastery, and the compact fishing village of Combarro. We finish the day walking through the forest to Armenteira where there is a 12th-century monastery still fully running today. From here, we have a transfer to our hotel for the evening.

After breakfast, we take a transfer (approximately 30 minutes) to Armenteira. From here, we start one of the most beautiful stages of the Camino, taking a trail parallel to the River Armenteira called the Stone and Water Route (named for the 51 ancient mills and waterfalls it passes). The lush green of the forest, the gushing cascades, flowing river, and ancient mills combine to make a particularly scenic stretch. In the afternoon, we take a path alongside the Rivier Umia passing Albariño grapevines and fields and finishing by the sea.

We start with a short walk to the harbour in Vilanueva de Arousa, where we board our boat to enjoy one of the only water-based pilgrimage trails in the world, the Translatio, which is also our last stretch of the Spiritual Variant. This waterway route consists of 17 stone crosses that mark the Apostle's final journey – the captain will point these out, while also highlighting mussel farms and the ninth-century Oeste Fortress, built to defend against Viking invaders.

Once we reach the town of Pontecesures, we walk the final stretch of the day, passing the statues of Padron's most famous residents, Nobel Prize-winning novelist Camilo Jose Cela and poet Rosalia de Castro. We arrive just in time for lunch – we recommend trying Padron peppers, a local speciality.

On our last day of walking, we pass through typical Galician villages and woodland before arriving in Santiago de Compostela. Our route passes the Igrexa de Santa Maria de Iria, a church destroyed in the 10th century by the Andalusi military leader Almanzor, before being rebuilt two centuries later. It is also where Camilo Jose Cela is buried.

Upon arrival in Santiago, as part of the centuries-old tradition, we make our way through the city streets and crowds to Plaza del Obradoiro, which is dominated by the cathedral, where we can observe a mass service that may include the impressive Botafumeiro incense swinging, although it cannot be guaranteed.

In the afternoon, we enjoy a walking tour of the town, which includes a visit to the cathedral where Saint James is said to have been buried. In the evening, we have our farewell group dinner in a nice restaurant in Santiago centre, an excellent chance to relive our adventures together.

Accommodation: Hotel Gelmirez (or similar)

Upgrade to a room with a terrace today – speak to your sales representative for more details

The trip ends after breakfast. Say goodbye to the group and start your return journey home. If you’ve still got the appetite for more exploration, speak to your sales representative to book further nights in our Santiago de Compostela or Porto hotels.