Carreço to Caminha

What you pass through

Every place on the path in order, with the distance from Carreço. 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.

1. start
   Carreço40 m4 to stayBar · food

   If you choose to keep on the camino through Carreço, turn away from the bridge and keep to the east of the tracks. It won't be long before the camino turns back to the tracks and crosses at a level crossing. It will arrive at the church and pass behind it. Arrows are scarce to non-existent here, just keep to this same road a short distance until it merges with a larger road and turn right towards the train station. Where this road ends turn right and back over the railway in the direction of "Paço - Carreço". A short distance on the camino turns left at the second street, there is an arrow and a marker for the PR8 hiking trail. Arrows will guide you through town, past the albergue, and at the last junction at the last house in town, keep left and into the forest. The way is anything but straight but is well indicated. You will emerge from the forest at the edge of the town of Afife, and subsequently skirts around the town thereby avoiding all of the services available there. The way is marked and winding along cobbled roads. It will make its way over a small river and continue to climb up through the forest to a road and the stone cross cruzeiro.

   All services in Carreço are located along the main road. To get there you will need to turn left to cross the railway, and follow the road downhill to the roundabout. Turn left at the roundabout, heading south (with the water on your right).

2. 5.4 km
   Cruzeiro140 m

   The Cruzeiro marks a high point, and it is downhill from here to Vila Praia de Âncora.

3. 9.5 km
   Vila Praia de Âncora15 m10 to stayBar · food

   To find your way from Âncora, make your way to the waterfront. The camino follows the road adjacent to it, and where the yellow bike lanes begin you have the option of crossing to the right-hand side of the road, but keep an eye open for where the bike path turns left as you want to follow it to where it ends. From there continue along the dirt track, with the railway to your right for a short distance.

   You will pass the Capela de Santa Isodoro on your left. The path will turn to a road as it enters the first suburbs of Caminha, and where the road ends at another turn right. You are at the beach now and a short distance later turn right and pass under the railway. Once back to the main road turn left and continue towards Caminha.

   Where the camino arrives at a large roundabout with the N13, take the third exit along the Rua de Pombal (NOT over the railway). The road will eventually twist to pass over the tracks and from there it proceeds directly to Caminha, arriving at the main square, the Praça Conselheiro Silva Torres.

4. 14.3 km
   Moledo15 m2 to stayBar · food

   Moledo is a small beach village with views across the Rio Minho estuary to Spain. On clear days you can see Monte de Santa Trega -- the peak you'll be walking near after crossing into Galicia. The beach here is exposed a…

5. 17.8 km
   Caminha10 m10 to stayBar · food

   Caminha is the last town in Portugal. From here it's a short water taxi ride across the estuary to Spain -- or more precisely, to the point where the Atlantic meets the Rio Minho, a natural boundary that has separated th…

   At the far end of town the road meets a roundabout and crosses a smaller river by way of a bridge. DO NOT CROSS THE BRIDGE unless Valença or Tui is your destination. Arrows here still exist, and if they do they are pointing the way to Tui along the Central Way. Instead, turn back towards the harbor; signed "Ferry Boat".