COMBINING TWO BEAUTIFUL COUNTRIES. A SMALL GROUP WALKING TOUR FROM PONTE DE LIMA TO SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA
TRIP DETAILS
WHAT’S INCLUDED
- 9 nights’ accommodation in great hotels – Paradors, a 4 star converted monastery and “Pazos” – typical manor house accommodation
- All breakfasts, 6 lunches and 7 dinners, including wine
- Pick up in Porto center and transfer to Ponte de Lima
- Water and snacks along the way
- All baggage transport and van support if your legs need a break…
- English and Spanish speaking guide/s
- Private guided tour of Santiago de Compostela Cathedral
- The Pilgrim Credencial or Pilgrim´s Passport and scallop shell
- Camino Guide Book with daily maps
TRIP DESCRIPTION
The Camino Portugués combines beautiful quiet walking trails with fantastic accommodation in country houses and Paradors. Whilst growing in popularity, this route is much quieter than the Camino Francés. The trail passes through small hamlets, quiet country lanes, forests, coasts and beautiful old towns and cities such as Ponte de Lima, Tui, and Pontevedra.
We meet in Porto, one of Portugal’s most famous cities, which makes for a spectacular start to our journey. From there, we head up to Ponte de Lima where we start our walk in Portugal. A few days later, we enter Spain by crossing the international bridge of the Rio Minho. This region of Portugal and Spain is famous for its great seafood, cheese, and wine. All of which we will taste on this trip!
HIGHLIGHTS:
- The pretty riverside town of Ponte de Lima.
- The beautiful fortress town of Valença set in a spectacular position looking over the Rio Minho to Spain.
- The lively regional capital of Pontevedra with its delightful historic center of narrow streets and plazas.
- Reviving your tired feet in the hot thermal spring in Caldas de Reis.
- Optional visit to the beautiful waterfalls inside the Natural Park of the Rio Barosa.
- Visiting Padrón, the town where St James started his ministry in the Iberian peninsula. His remains are claimed to have arrived in a boat from Jerusalem.
- Arriving at the Plaza de Obradoiroto to see the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, along with the familiar faces of all the other pilgrims who have, like you, walked to get there!
WHY 100KM?
Walking at least the last 100 kilometers of the Camino Portugués means that you can request your Compostela, or certificate of completion of the pilgrimage.
The Camino Portugués is very well marked. The trail follows country lanes, forest trails, paths between villages and some secondary roads. While it is certainly not a mountainous region, Galicia is never flat! The distances we plan for you are the typical etapas or stages of the Camino Portugués.
THE COMPOSTELA
At the end of the Camino Portugués all walkers are presented with a Compostela issued by the Archdiocese of Santiago de Compostela and the Pilgrim’s Office. This is true about all walks that complete the last 100km of any Camino de Santiago.
ITINERARY
The Camino Portugués, Ponte de Lima is walked during a 10 day period. We have divided the journey into days of similar length. We deliberately try to leave the last day a bit shorter than the others so that we arrive in Santiago de Compostela with enough energy to walk about town.
Below is the city to city itinerary. Please note that specific hotels vary between dates and are therefore not published here. They are provided at the time of booking, along with a more detailed schedule that you can share with your friends and family.
Day 1: Meet in Porto. Drive to Ponte de Lima for a welcome meeting and dinner. Accommodation in Ponte de Lima
Day 2: Ponte de Lima to Rubiaes – 18km: 11m – Accommodation in Ponte de Lima
Day 3: Rubiaes to Valenca- 17km: 10.5m – Accommodation in Tui
Day 4: Valença to Centeans – 16.5km: 10m – Shuttle back to accommodation in Valenca
Day 5: Centeans to Redondela – 21.4km : 13m – Accommodation in Pontevedra
Day 6: Redondela to Pontevedra – 20km : 12.4m – Accommodation in Pontevedra
Day 7: Pontevedra to Caldas de Reis – 22km: 13.7m – Accommodation in Caldas de Reis
Day 8: Caldas de Reis to Esclavitude – 25.5km: 15.9m – Shuttle back to accommodation in Caldas de Reis
Day 9: Esclavitude to Santiago de Compostela – 19km: 11.8m – Accommodation in Santiago de Compostela
Day 10: Private Guided Tour of the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. Tour Ends.
A MAP OF YOUR JOURNEY
ITINERARY
The Camino Portugués, Ponte de Lima is walked during a 10 day period. We have divided the journey into days of similar length. We deliberately try to leave the last day a bit shorter than the others so that we arrive in Santiago de Compostela with enough energy to walk about town.
Below is the city to city itinerary. Please note that specific hotels vary between dates and are therefore not published here. They are provided at the time of booking, along with a more detailed schedule that you can share with your friends and family.
Day 1: Meet in Porto. Drive to Ponte de Lima for a welcome meeting and dinner. Accommodation in Ponte de Lima
Day 2: Ponte de Lima to Rubiaes – 18km: 11m – Accommodation in Ponte de Lima
Day 3: Rubiaes to Valenca- 17km: 10.5m – Accommodation in Valenca
Day 4: Valença to Centeans – 16.5km: 10m – Shuttle back to accommodation in Valenca
Day 5: Centeans to Redondela – 21.4km : 13m – Accommodation in Redondela
Day 6: Redondela to Pontevedra – 20km : 12.4m – Accommodation in Pontevedra
Day 7: Pontevedra to Caldas de Reis – 22km: 13.7m – Accommodation in Caldas de Reis
Day 8: Caldas de Reis to Esclavitude – 25.5km: 15.9m – Shuttle back to accommodation in Caldas de Reis
Day 9: Esclavitude to Santiago de Compostela – 19km: 11.8m – Accommodation in Santiago de Compostela
Day 10: Private Guided Tour of the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. Tour Ends.
A MAP OF YOUR JOURNEY
ACCOMMODATION
All accommodation is carefully chosen for its proximity to the Camino, for its charm and for the quality of service provided. We try to use small rural farmhouses or manor houses wherever possible. These are similar to bed and breakfasts and are usually traditional houses typical of the region, full of character and run by local people.
On some nights we use hotels so you will experience a mix, always of good quality!
INCLUDED IN THE CAMINO PORTUGUÉS, PONTE DE LIMA.
9 nights of accommodation: This includes the last night in Santiago de Compostela, and of course every night in between.
EXTRA DAYS BEFORE OR AFTER
If you are traveling at a busy time of year it is best to reserve. For hotels in Porto or Santiago de Compostela it is certainly better to reserve in advance. We can help if you need advice or assistance booking a room – just let us know.
FOOD
The Camino Portugués is walked mostly in Galicia, Spain’s green oasis in the North. It is famous for the wines produced there (both red and white), its seafood (pretty much everything the Atlantic has to offer), and its cheese (curiously shaped ). With a start in Portugal, we will also have the time to savor local famous dishes such as the sweet pasteis de natas and their famous fish dish, bachalhau a bras.
You can count on enjoying all of these things. We take care of nearly every meal and for the rest we provide recommendations for our favorite local restaurants.
INCLUDED IN THE CAMINO PORTUGUÉS
- All Breakfasts
- 4 Lunches with wine
- 6 Dinners with wine & water
- snacks & water throughout the day
LUGGAGE
From our pick up in Porto to the ending point in Santiago de Compostela, we take care of all luggage handling and transportation.
For the luggage, this means leaving your bags with your guide in the morning. We handle the details of getting them into the next hotel room.
We have our support vehicle which means being able to take a rest by shuttling ahead to the lunch spot, or if the need arises to get you straight to your room. We also find it handy to keep a small bag in the van with stuff you might need throughout the day whether this be a change of jacket or picking up your walking sticks.
ACCOMMODATION
All accommodation is carefully chosen for its proximity to the Camino, for its charm and for the quality of service provided. We try to use small rural farmhouses or manor houses wherever possible. These are similar to bed and breakfasts and are usually traditional houses typical of the region, full of character and run by local people.
On some nights we use hotels so you will experience a mix, always of good quality!
INCLUDED IN THE CAMINO PORTUGUÉS, PONTE DE LIMA.
9 nights of accommodation: This includes the first night in Porto, the last night in Santiago de Compostela, and of course every night in between.
EXTRA DAYS BEFORE OR AFTER
If you are traveling at a busy time of year it is best to reserve. For hotels in Porto or Santiago de Compostela it is certainly better to reserve in advance. We can help if you need advice or assistance booking a room – just let us know.
FOOD
The Camino Portugués is walked mostly in Galicia, Spain’s green oasis in the North. It is famous for the wines produced there (both red and white), its seafood (pretty much everything the Atlantic has to offer), and its cheese (curiously shaped ). With a start in Portugal, we will also have the time to savor local famous dishes such as the sweet pasteis de natas and their famous fish dish, bachalhau a bras.
You can count on enjoying all of these things. We take care of nearly every meal and for the rest we provide recommendations for our favorite local restaurants.
INCLUDED IN THE CAMINO PORTUGUÉS
- All Breakfasts
- 6 Lunches with wine
- 7 Dinners with wine & water
- water & snacks throughout the day
LUGGAGE
From our pick up in Porto to the ending point in Santiago de Compostela, we take care of all luggage handling and transportation.
For the luggage, this means leaving your bags with your guide in the morning. We handle the details of getting them into the next hotel room.
We have our support vehicle which means being able to take a rest by shuttling ahead to the lunch spot, or if the need arises to get you straight to your room. We also find it handy to keep a small bag in the van with stuff you might need throughout the day whether this be a change of jacket or picking up your walking sticks.
GUIDANCE
Preparing for a walk of this magnitude can be a daunting task. Part of our booking process involves ensuring that all of the details are considered. We’ll discuss transportation to and from the starting point too.
YOU DO THE WALKING, WE’LL TAKE CARE OF THE REST.
The Camino Portugués is a fully supported walking tour along the Camino de Santiago. That means that from beginning to end we will be there to make sure everything goes smoothly.
OUR GUIDES
Everyone at Andaspain was a pilgrim before they became a guide. In fact, most of us spent a few years returning to the Camino before setting out to help others do the same. For all of us, the Camino de Santiago was a life-changing experience. We consider the act of walking purposefully to be one of our most cherished activities. The Camino Portugués, and every other fully guided walking tour we offer, is always led by a bilingual guide/s.
OUR OTHER CAMINO PORTUGUÉS TOUR
If you would prefer to walk fewer days or do not have the time to start the Camino Portugués in Ponte de Lima, please check out our shorter Camino Portugués Tour. This tour is seven nights and we begin walking in the Portuguese town of Valenca.
GUIDANCE
Preparing for a walk of this magnitude can be a daunting task. Part of our booking process involves ensuring that all of the details are considered. We’ll discuss transportation to and from the starting point too.
YOU DO THE WALKING, WE’LL TAKE CARE OF THE REST.
The Camino Portugués is a fully supported walking tour along the Camino de Santiago. That means that from beginning to end we will be there to make sure everything goes smoothly.
OUR GUIDES
Everyone at Andaspain was a pilgrim before they became a guide. In fact, most of us spent a few years returning to the Camino before setting out to help others do the same. For all of us, the Camino de Santiago was a life-changing experience. We consider the act of walking purposefully to be one of our most cherished activities. The Camino Portugués, and every other fully guided walking tour we offer, is always led by a bilingual guide/s.
OUR OTHER CAMINO PORTUGUÉS TOUR
If you would prefer to walk fewer days or do not have the time to start the Camino Portugués in Ponte de Lima, please check out our shorter Camino Portugués Tour. This tour is seven nights and we begin walking in the Portuguese town of Valenca.
OUR BOOKING PROCESS
STEP 1
Complete the form to schedule a phone call. We’re kind of sticklers about this step and promise to make it the best phone call you ever had.
STEP 2
After we’ve gotten to know each other, we will email you a link to our top-secret and very secure booking page. That, of course, is why we are asking for your email address in step 1. By the end of this step, you will have confirmed your place on your chosen trip, and the places of anybody that will be joining you. This is done by means of a deposit of 300€ or 600€ per person (depending on trip length).
STEP 3
Once your booking is confirmed you will immediately be presented with step 3, which can be completed at any time but at least 1 month prior to the departure date. You will get this link in your booking confirmation in case you are a procrastinator. In step 3 we collect a bit more personal information to make sure that everything on the trip goes smoothly. This includes any medical allergies, old injuries that might give you grief, and lastly your passport number for the sake of expediting our hotel check-ins.
BEFORE THE WALK, WE TALK
This is STEP 1
The journey to Santiago de Compostela is one of many steps. We feel strongly that learning more about your expectations should be the first. To make sure that Andaspain is an ideal fit for the adventure ahead tell us when you can be reached by phone and we will call you up. If you prefer to call us, scroll all the way to the bottom of this page and find our number.