Portuguese Central: Porto - Santiago

Porto, Portugal’s second-largest city, is the perfect place to begin your Camino journey. Overlooking the Douro River, its historic center is a UNESCO World Heritage Site filled with narrow cobbled streets, colorful tiled façades, and lively squares. The city is best known for its Port wine cellars across the river in Vila Nova de Gaia, as well as the grand Dom Luís I Bridge and the ornate São Bento train station with its famous azulejo tiles. An arrival day here gives you time to soak up the vibrant atmosphere, enjoy fresh seafood or a francesinha sandwich, and take in the charm of one of Europe’s most distinctive cities.

In order to skip the unattractive urban landscapes outside Porto, we will transfer you to Vilar do Pinheiro to start your walk and shorten what would otherwise be a long stage. Leaving the bustling streets of Porto behind, this stage quickly shifts from an urban setting into quieter suburban roads and rural paths. Along the way you’ll encounter the Romanesque church of Rates, a well-known landmark on the Camino, before continuing through small farming villages and fields. The terrain is mostly gentle, with some paved sections balanced by stretches of countryside, giving you a first taste of the more tranquil rhythm that lies ahead. 

This stage leads you deeper into the Portuguese countryside, with a mix of shaded woodland paths, small hamlets, and stretches of farmland. The walk is mostly gentle with a few rolling sections, offering a steady rhythm through rural scenery. Your day ends in Barcelos, a historic town best known for its colorful market and the rooster legend, symbol of Portugal, which you’ll see reflected in local crafts and traditions.

This stage is shorter and more relaxed, taking you out of Barcelos and into a patchwork of fields, vineyards, and quiet hamlets. The route is mostly flat with some gentle slopes, making it an easier walk compared to previous days. Balugães, a small rural village surrounded by farmland, provides a peaceful stop at the end of the day.

From Balugães, the path continues through fertile farmland and small stone villages, gradually leading toward the picturesque town of Ponte de Lima. The terrain is mostly gentle but includes a few rolling sections before you reach the medieval bridge that gives the town its name. Ponte de Lima, considered Portugal’s oldest town, charms with its riverside promenade, Romanesque architecture, and lively squares.

This stage is one of the more demanding on the Portuguese Central Camino, beginning with a pleasant walk along the Lima River before heading into forest paths and rural lanes. The highlight is the climb over the Labruja mountains, the steepest ascent of the route, followed by a rewarding descent into the quiet village of Rubiães. The mix of natural scenery and challenge makes this a memorable day.

From Rubiães the trail continues along rural tracks and quiet hamlets before reaching Valença, a fortified town overlooking the Minho River with well preserved walls from the 12th century and a famous market. Crossing the iconic bridge into Spain, you arrive in Tui, with its atmospheric old quarter and impressive cathedral of Santa Maria de Tui marking the gateway to Galicia. The stage is relatively gentle, with only minor undulations along the way.

From Tui, the path leads you through the old quarter by the cathedral before heading into the green Galician countryside. The walk is mostly easygoing, with forest tracks and shaded stretches that make for a pleasant day. Nearing O Porriño, many pilgrims opt for the scenic alternative route that avoids the industrial outskirts and instead winds through woodland paths into town. At the end of the day you will be transferred back to Tui to your hotel as there is no suitable lodging in O Porriño.

In the morning, you will be transferred to O Porriño to continue your Camino walk. On this stage you will go by the baroque church of St Eulalia in Mos and eventually get to Redondela, where you can observe a Roman mile marker on its original location on the road. Climb towards Arcade, the end of your stage, a town famous for its oysters.

Today you will cross the Roman bridge over the Verdugo river and start climbing towards A Canicouva on an impressive large stone-paved road that follows the original Roman route. When you reach Pontevedra, take the time to enjoy the old historical center of town, with the Church of the Pilgrim's Virgin whose layout is built in the original scallop shape characteristic of the Camino. Tradition has it that the Virgin of the Pilgrims led the pilgrims safely from Baiona to Santiago.

You will leave Pontevedra through the historic old town through Ponte do Burgo. Today you will go through a series of neighboring towns along the green country side in Galicia, admiring Cruceiros like the one in Amonisa and crossing small rivers every so often. The stage is relatively gentle with only mild slopes before arriving in Caldas de Reis, a spa town famed for its thermal waters and natural hot springs.

Today you will make your way through dense forest and valleys over a primarily agricultural landscape with small towns bordering the camino left and right. After you cros s the Ulla river, that forms the ria de Arousa famous for its seafood, you will reach Padrón. This city is famous for being the birthplace of Literature Nobel Prize winner Camilo José Cela, but even more so for its delicious peppers that you should definitely try. Padrón is where tradition says that the disciples arrived carrying Santiago's body around 42 A.D.

The final stage begins with rural paths and rolling countryside before gradually moving into busier suburbs as you approach Santiago. The walk is moderately easy, though anticipation builds with every step toward the city. You will be able to see the Cathedral's towers from the Agro dos Monteiros (860 ft) in anticipation of the end of your journey. You will enter the historic old town of Santiago through the Porta Faxeira and end your journey at the magnificent Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela located in the plaza del Obradoiro.

Your Camino adventure ends after breakfast today. Enjoy your morning in Santiago and visit the many landmarks around the city, or take the opportunity to attend the pilgrim's mass if you didn't have time the day before. Don't forget to stop by the pilgrim's office to request your Compostela.

If you would like to extend your tour with other activities, like a guided tour of Santiago, a bus day trip to Finisterre or a transfer to the airport, let us know when you make your reservation and we'll arrange them for you. Congratulations, you did it!