Camino Portugués
28.9 km, 375 m up and 282 m down, through 12 places, 6 of which have somewhere to sleep. Where you stop is up to you.
Every place on the path in order, with the distance from Balugães. Most are too small to sleep in — a fountain, a chapel, a bar that may or may not be open — but they are what the day is actually made of.
At the far end of town, where there is a small fountain set in a wall, the camino indicates a left turn. Go that way to visit the Romanesque church, or turn right and save yourself the not-strictly-necessary climb and detour. The camino follows along the paved road until the road turns right to return to the national road; at which point the camino keeps on straight and into the forest. The forest track emerges to a small cluster of homes where you turn right and cross the national road. Follow the narrow road to Lugar do Corgo and beyond.
Keep on along the narrow road climbing up to Vitorino.
The only accommodation in town, Casa da Fernanda, is highly recommended as a pilgrim friendly experience.
Turn left at the church, and then keep on straight through the next roundabout to follow the camino uphill.The way to Portela is more uphill.
From Portela, the camino rejoins the national road for a short stretch. Be on the lookout for a turn to your left that takes you into the valley and through a string of hamlets. The Quinta da Portela listed below is in the first of them. You will eventually pass the Quinta do Sobreiro on your left.
The village is a short distance off the camino — no need to retrace your steps if you choose to spend the night there. A few accommodation options make it practical if the distances work.
The camino joins the road not far past the Quinta do Sobreiro and only for a short while. It is along that stretch that you will find the bar & bakery.When it leaves the road, it does so by turning to the left at a sign which indicates the way to the Rio Lima and the Polidesportivo.Before long you are along a continuous stretch of homes, and the distinction of where one town ends and another begins is a bit vague. Just keep on straight mostly, the only turns are indicated by arrows adjacent to small shrines.
A hamlet on the continuous stretch of housing approaching Ponte de Lima. No services of note. Keep straight — arrows appear alongside small shrines.
Just beyond Pedrosa, the camino turns left to follow a small river. This small river leads to a big river, the Rio Lima. You will follow it straight into town, passing under a bridge, past several churches, and along the shaded Avenida 5 de Outubro.
Cross the bridge, passing the museum of toys and the albergue and turn right on the first street. The camino joins a small country lane, passes under the highway, and into Arcozelo.
Ponte de Lima has played host to a very large festival known as ‘As Feiras Novas’ every second weekend in September since 1826. It is a massive party, and if you have not made a reservation long in advance, you may find yourself without a home for the night.
The camino makes a series of well-signed turns before arriving at the Ponte do Geira. Cross and keep to your left. You will pass under the highway once, over the river on a new bridge, and then back under the highway twice, all before arriving in Arco.
A bridge crossing. The camino continues uphill, passing under the highway multiple times, and over the river on a new bridge before reaching Arco-Revolta.
The camino parallels the road (minor) for a short stretch here, and only turns left when it gets to the colorful Capilla de Codeçal. Immediately opposite the Capilla is a handy and friendly bar. It is a steady uphill climb from here, past Labruja (2.3km) and Bandeira (600m more) and to the Alto da Portela.
A hamlet on the climb from Arco to the alto. No services. Keep climbing.
A hamlet 600 m beyond Labruja. No services. The alto is close.
Distance, climb and descent are measured along the GPS track for this camino — 314 recorded points across this span, the same track the app carries. The town-to-town figures in my data put it at 29 km.
Esta entidad ha sido beneficiaria de una ayuda del Programa de incentivos a la movilidad eficiente y sostenible (MOVES III), gestionado por la Xunta de Galicia a través del Instituto Enerxético de Galicia (INEGA) en el marco del Real Decreto 266/2021, y cofinanciada por la Unión Europea — NextGenerationEU, dentro del Plan de Recuperación, Transformación y Resiliencia.