THE CAMINO COASTAL PORTUGUÉS – PORTO TO SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA
ABOUT THE CAMINO COASTAL PORTUGUÉS
This two-country pilgrimage takes you, for 271 kilometers (169 miles), from the beautiful city of Porto along the windswept coast of northern Portugal and into the magical province of Celtic Galicia in Spain, before arriving at your coveted destination: the legendary cathedral in Santiago de Compostela. Walking the Coastal Camino Portugués is a spectacular journey highlighting beautiful towns like Viana do Castelo, Vigo, Pontevedra and Padrón. At times it feels like walking through a history book. It is a varied walk with boardwalks, beaches, and plenty of hills once you get into Galicia, offering glorious, sweeping views of the Atlantic Ocean, great rivers, tranquil forests, and pretty Portuguese and Galician villages.
Historically, the Camino Portugués became fashionable after Queen Isabel of Portugal’s pilgrimage in the 14th century. Nowadays, the Camino via the coast is increasing in popularity and continues to thrive as more pilgrims discover its delights. You will be following in the footsteps of hundreds of thousands of pilgrims who have made the journey on foot so, don’t hesitate to don those shoes and become a part of the history of the Camino de Santiago. The Camino is, for many, a life-changing experience and an unforgettable adventure!
All our accommodation is carefully chosen for its proximity to the Camino, charm and quality of service provided. We try to use small casas rurales (rural farmhouses) or pazos (manor houses) wherever possible. These are like bed and breakfasts and are usually traditional houses typical of the region, full of character and run by locals. As such, we sometimes shuttle to and from the Camino to take advantage of these interesting accommodations. On other nights, especially along the coastal stretch, we use hotels so you will experience a variety of wonderful places to stay and always good quality!
From start to finish, we take care of all luggage handling and transportation. For the luggage, this means leaving your bags at the hotel reception and forgetting about them until arrival at our next hotel; we handle the details for you. We also have our support vehicles so suggest keeping a small bag (we will provide you with one) in the van with items you might need throughout the day. You can also give your legs a rest by shuttling ahead to the lunch spot, further along the trail, or if the need arises to get you straight to your room.
PRICE
- Price per person sharing a double/twin room: 6200 EUR
- Price per person for a private room: 7700 EUR
TRIP FACTS
- Total Walking Distance: 271 km/169 mi
- Departure City: Porto
- Arrival City: Santiago de Compostela
- Tour Availability: Guided group tour with fixed trip dates
- Accommodation: Excellent hotels, casas rurales, pazos and manor houses
- Transportation: Van or bus (depending on group size)
- Language: English
- Guides: English, Portuguese, and Spanish-speaking Camino experts
- Walking Hours: 5-7 hours per day
HIGHLIGHTS
Guided city tours of Porto and Pontevedra
Being a part of the Camino! You will be walking with people from all over the world all heading to the same place – one of the things that make the Coastal Camino Portugués so special.
Walking in two countries and crossing the border by boat! The landscape, architecture, language, cuisine, and climate change as you move northwards and into Spain.
The many monuments, chapels, churches, and cathedrals marking the way, from the magnificent 12th-century cathedral of Porto to the Misericórdia in Viana de Castelo and the Santuario de la Virgen Peregrina in Pontevedra.
The wild Atlantic Ocean as your travel companion for much of the way with enormous white sand beaches and rocky inlets.
Arriving at the Plaza de Obradoiro to see the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, along with the familiar faces of all the other pilgrims who have, like you, walked hundreds of miles to get there!
Guided tour of the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela
WHAT’S INCLUDED:
READY TO START WALKING?
- 15 nights’ accommodation
- Guided private tours of the cities of Porto, Pontevedra and the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela
- All breakfasts, 7 lunches and 9 dinners (lunches and dinners will include wine and other drinks)
- Water and snacks along the way
- Luggage transport (limited to one 23 kg/50 lb piece of luggage per person)
- English and Spanish speaking guide(s)
- The Pilgrim’s Credencial, or Pilgrim’s Passport, and scallop shell
- Camino de Portugués Guide Book
WHAT’S NOT INCLUDED
- Travel to the start of your tour or from its end
- Meals and drinks not included in your tour
- Extraneous items purchased on your behalf by your Andaspain guide
- Guide gratuity (250 EUR/person/guide is suggested)
- Additional activities not outlined in the What’s Included section
LEVEL OF DIFFICULTY
The Camino Portugués is well-marked and has plenty of places to rest along the way. While it is certainly not a mountainous region, Northern Portugal and Galicia are only flat right alongside the ocean, and sometimes not even then. The varied terrain includes boardwalks, sand, rocky footpaths, surfaced roads, cobblestones, and gravel roads. It is a long-distance walk so you will want to train and build up your stamina to become comfortably accustomed to covering a lot of ground each day! The distances we plan for you are the typical etapas or stages of the Camino. However, the distances are approximate and will partly depend on the location of our accommodation.