The Portuguese Coastal Way is important as it brings pilgrims from the most westerly part of Portugal, starting from Porto, it follows the coastline north. The Costal Camino goes along the sea, but also it meanders between the coast, villages and forest.
There are less people that on the Traditional internal route but in summer the Coastal Way is a great option because you have constant sea breeze, even though in rainy days it’s very windy this route.
This itinerary covers 280 km from Porto to Santiago, more than the minimum required to apply for your “Compostela” certificate.
ITINERARY:
1st day: OPORTO
2nd day: OPORTO -VILA DO CONDE (28 km -7h- difficulty 1/3)
3rd day: VILA DO CONDE– ESPOSENDE (23,5 km - 6h- difficulty 2/3)
4th day: ESPOSENDE - VIANA DO CASTELO (25 km- 5h- difficulty 1/3)
5th day: VIANA – A GUARDA (29 km – 8 – difficulty 1/3)
6th day: A GUARDA - OIA (16 km- 4h – difficulty 1/3)
7th day: OIA- BAIONA (18 km – 4h – difficulty 2/3)
8th day: BAIONA - VIGO (24 km – 5h30 – difficulty 2/3)
9th day: VIGO - REDONDELA (16 km- 4h – difficulty 2/3)
10th day: REDONDELA - PONTEVEDRA (16 km- 4h – difficulty 2/3)
11th day: PONTEVEDRA - CALDAS DE REIS (21 km - 5h15 – difficulty 1/3)
12th day: CALDAS DE REIS - PADRÓN (18 km - 4h30 - difficulty 1/3 )
13th day: PADRON-SANTIAGO (24 km - 6h - difficulty 2/3)
14th day: SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA
The Price Includes:
- 13 nights in handpicked hotels and inns, all with en-suite accommodation, on a bed and breakfast basis.
- Luggage transfer from hotel to hotel (1 x max. 20kg bag per person)
- Travel insurance
- Credencial (Pilgrim's passport)
- Tips and maps
- 24/7 telephone assistance (English-speaking)
The Price does not include:
- Lunches
- Caminha ferry
- Single room supplement: € 400
- Dinners supplement:€ 300
- Superior category supplement:€ 280
- Superior cat Single room supplement: € 450
- Superior cat Dinners supplement:€ 370
PRICE PER PERSON BASED ON DOUBLE ROOM
DAILY DEPARTURES
DAY- BY - DAY
1st day: ARRIVAL IN OPORTO.
Fill in your pilgrim’s passport and visit the fantastic monuments in this UNESCO-listed old town and stroll along the picturesque riverfront in the home of port wine. Discover the best of Portuguese hospitality before you begin walking
2nd day: PORTO -VILA DO CONDE (28 km -7h- difficulty 1/3)
Start your Camino de Santiago journey in gorgeous and colourful Porto, with its UNESCO-listed old town, picturesque river front and home to Port wine.
Today you should take the Metro to Matosinhos to avoid the outskirts of Porto and reach the coast to start your Camino walk. Get off at the ‘Mercado’ stop. You will walk following the coastline, passing fishing villages, forts and chapels, the prehistoric castro of San Paio and of course, beautiful sandy beaches.
3rd day: VILA DO CONDE– ESPOSENDE (23,5 km - 6h- difficulty 2/3)
Enjoy a stroll along the pretty Póvoa de Varzim harbour and explore its medieval district before you continue your Camino. Walk up to the Convento de Santa Clara to discover the best views of the town and the surrounding coast. On your way to Esposende you will pass the popular seaside town of Póvoa de Varzim with its sandy beachfront and cross the Coastal Natural Park, Parque Natural do Litoral Norte.
4th day: ESPOSENDE - VIANA DO CASTELO (25 km- 5h- difficulty 1/3)
Today you will continue your Camino coastal walk from Esposende, across the Coastal Natural Park, on your way to Viana do Castelo. Take the opportunity to taste the local cuisine, explore the historic center of town and take the funicular to the Basílica de Santa Luzía for great views. Legend has it that the Romans were so impressed by Viana’s beauty when they reached the town in the first century BC that they thought they had reached the paradise.
5th day: VIANA – A GUARDA (29 km – 8 – difficulty 1/3)
Today you will leave Viana do Castelo and continue along the beautiful Atlantic coastline heading North. Today is quite an easy day, giving you plenty of time to enjoy a relaxed pace and have enough time to make the most of the seaside villages and towns along the way. From Vila Praia de Ancora you will continue on your coastal Camino towards Caminha, right by the Minho estuary, where the River meets the Atlantic. From Caminha, you will take the ferry-boat Santa Rita de Cássia across the river Minho to Galicia. There are about 10 crossings per day from Caminha to A Guarda (schedule varies depending on the season, no ferries on Monday). From the ferry you can continue straight to A Guarda .
6th day: A GUARDA - OIA (16 km- 4h – difficulty 1/3)
This part of the route includes the best coastal landscapes in Galicia which showcase the immensity of the Atlantic Ocean. The fishing village of A Guarda is home to Galicia’s most impressive Galician-Roman settlements: the Santa Tegra hill fort is an authentic archaeological gem with breathtaking views over the ocean.
7th day: OIA- BAIONA (18 km – 4h – difficulty 2/3)
An overnight stay in the village of Oia, which is famous for its impressive monastery, is the perfect way to enjoy the quiet of this hamlet and the immensity of the Atlantic Ocean. On your way out of Mougás/Oia stop for a while to visit Baiona to admire its fortified castle surrounded by a stormy ocean.
8th day: BAIONA - VIGO (24 km – 5h30 – difficulty 2/3)
Today you will follow the coast from Baiona to Nigrán before finally reaching the city of Vigo. Enjoy fantastic views over the Bay of Vigo, with the magnificent Cíes Islands on the horizon. On a hot day, stop off at the blue flag beach known as Praia América, in Nigrán for a quick swim.
9th day: VIGO - REDONDELA (16 km- 4h – difficulty 2/3)
From the city of Vigo, continue on your coastal Camino with the Bay of Vigo to your left. Vigo is one of the seven largest cities in Galicia, and is currently probably the most populated one. People from the entire region and even from other parts of Spain have always flocked to this city to work in its naval and fishing industries. After the serenity of the isolated Mougás, Vigo will give you the experience of life in a busy town. The stage ends in Redondela where you will rejoin the original Portuguese Route.
10th day: REDONDELA - PONTEVEDRA (16 km- 4h – difficulty 2/3)
The way out of Vigo might be a bit confusing, but once you manage to leave the city, the path begins to clear and the open ocean gives way to the “rías” or Galician fjords.
11th day: PONTEVEDRA - CALDAS DE REIS (21 km - 5h15 – difficulty 1/3)
This stage starts in the historic centre of Pontevedra, with a walk out of the old city to the millennial bridge, O Burgo, over the River Lerez, and continues along the beautiful valley of the River Gandra to San Mauro. From here, the path widens, making for a peaceful and serene hike. We finally reach Caldas de Reis via the church of Santa Maria, close to the bridge over the River Umia, where this stage ends.
12th day: CALDAS DE REIS - PADRÓN (18 km - 4h30 - difficulty 1/3 )
We leave Caldas de Reis via some enchanting stretches of the Way, across the Medieval bridge over the River Bermaña, following a path that leads us to the village of Cruceiro, on an picturesque trail through forests and meadows. After crossing the River Ulla, we arrive at Padron, the place where, according to legend, the stone ship with the body of the Apostle James (Santiago) was moored.
PADRON-SANTIAGO (24 km - 6h - difficulty 2/3)
13th day: This last stage starts by leaving Padron and continuing through Galician villages to the magnificent sanctuary of Nossa Señora da Escravitute. You finally start to see Santiago de Compostela in the distance and at Agro dos Monteiros, you will be able to see the towers of the Cathedral for the first time. After crossing the River Sar, you will make your way through the suburbs of the city to the Faxeira gate, the entrance for the Portuguese Route in this old city. Walk through a labyrinth of streets to Obradoiro square and its Cathedral, where the Apostle awaits you.
14th day: SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA
After breakfast, go to exchange your pilgrim’s passport, if you haven’t already done it. Alternatively, we suggest you visit the cathedral and the surrounding areas or attend a pilgrim mass.
