Camino Portugués
23.8 km, 438 m up and 267 m down, through 11 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 Sobreiro. 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.
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.
The alto is at 400m elevation, a healthy climb from Ponte de Lima (5m).It is steadily downhill from here along parts of the old Roman road. You will pass through the small town of Agualonga (no services) shortly before São Roque.
A small village on the descent from the Alto da Portelo. No services. The old Roman road surface survives in sections here.
The camino leaves the road for the forest and passes the Romanesque church of Rubiães and the albergue.
From the municipal albergue, descend to the road and follow it downhill and on the left-hand side. You will pass Ninho – The Pilgrim Nest and then dogleg left.Another Roman bridge is not far ahead. Beyond the bridge the camino returns to the road and crossed directly over it, keeping the bar on your right. It will rejoin and depart the road twice more before arriving in Pecene.
Distance, climb and descent are measured along the GPS track for this camino — 208 recorded points across this span, the same track the app carries. The town-to-town figures in my data put it at 23.6 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.