The Portuguese Caminho de Santiago is not a high-altitude wild hike through remote areas but it’s still a physically challenging experience that involves a long walking distance with a heavy backpack.

The Portuguese Camino is a challenging multi-day walk. It requires preparation and training especially if you’re not an experienced walker/hiker and have never done a long-distance walk before. We will be walking a total of 152 km over 6 days. You can imagine that by the end of the Camino, you’ll be quite tired.

Overview

Itinerary

Cost

FAQs

Overview

The Portuguese Camino de Santiago takes you through plenty of countryside and green areas as well as along rivers and through quaint towns. Trying local food and staying at the albergues will make your camino experience authentic and complete.

Highlights

Historical cities, ancient pilgrim trails, Roman roads, rivers, valleys, bridges, churches, chapels, roadside shrines, forest, farmland, villages, rural lifestyles, regional dishes, comfortable accommodation close to the Camino trail.

Day 1 :

Porto - Ponte de Lima

Transportation will be provided to take the group from Porto to Ponte de Lima.
Overnight stay in Ponte de Lima.

Day 2 :

Ponte de Lima - Valença (38 km)

Breakfast provided, followed by our first day of walking. We will stop for lunch along the way and have dinner in Valença. This is the longest stretch of walking on our trip.

Day 3 :

Valença - Redondela (20 km)

Breakfast provided, followed by walking across the border into Spain and on to Redondela, stopping for lunch along the way.

Day 4 :

Redondela - Pontevedra (35 km)

Breakfast provided, followed by our first full day walking in Spain, with Pontevedra as our destination, stopping for lunch along the way.

Day 5 :

Pontevedra - Caldas de Reis (20 km)

Breakfast provided, followed by a walk to Caldas de Reis, stopping for lunch along the way. Our walk today will be mostly through the countryside.

Day 6 :

Caldas de Reis - Padron (17 km)

Breakfast provided, followed by our shortest walking distance of the trip to our destination of Padron, stopping for lunch along the way. Today's route is a mix of woodlands and smaller rural towns and you will see many churches and stone crosses along the way.

Day 7 :

Padron - Santiago (22 km)

Breakfast provided, followed by our last day of walking, to our final destination of Santiago. This final stage of the Camino is largely through the countryside with a pretty area of woodland. Only the final few kilometers are in busy urban areas.

Day 8 :

Santiago - Porto

Breakfast provided and Transport back to our starting point of Porto.

Frequently Asked Questions

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How long do we walk every day when doing the St James Way - North of Portugal Walking Trip?

On average, you walk about 4 to 6 hours per day. Our shortest walking day will be just over 3 hrs and one or two days can be as long as 7hrs.

What is the Pilgrim's passport?

The Credential or a Pilgrim’s Passport is a small paperback book with your name and some other details. You collect stamps into your Credential. You can get stamps at all albergues we stay at and many restaurants on the Camino. The Credential confirms that you’re a pilgrim, gives discounts at lunches and dinners and is required to be able to stay at the albergues we will be staying at. It serves as certification if you choose to apply for the “Compostela” at the Cathedral of Santiago, which certifies you have made the pilgrimage and will be a lovely memento of your trip.

What is an Albergue?

An Albergue is a hostel for pilgrims with dormitories and shared facilities (wash rooms. There are public (municipal) and private albergues. Public albergues are usually run by local authorities, volunteers, or churches and are exclusively for pilgrims who walk or cycle the Camino. Our group members will stay in shared rooms with two or three people to a room. You will only share a room with people who are part of our walking group and you will not be sharing with anyone from other groups or travelling on their own.

Is the Camino de Santiago a religious walk?

For many pilgrims the Camino has a spiritual component. People do walk for religious reasons, but there are many who walk for other reasons; they love walking, they need time to reflect on their lives, they like the idea of slow traveling, want to try something new, want to challenge themselves, they are interested in the rich history of the pilgrimage. There is no requirement tied to faith to walk the Camino.