Camino Portugués
78.9 km, 184 m up and 86 m down, through 16 places, 11 of which have somewhere to sleep. Where you stop is up to you.
Every place on the path in order, with the distance from Vilanova de Arousa. 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 BOAT. Everything you need to know about the boat to Pontecesures is impossible to print here. The schedule varies with the tide, the number of passengers, and the whims of the captain and the hospitalero at the albergue (he who makes the arrangements). The matter is complicated by the fact that the same captain helms two boats of different sizes and capabilities and there is a daily calculation to maximize profit. Unfortunately, this means that there is little that you can do to plan it days in advance, and more or less need to turn up at the albergue and arrange things with the hospitalero.THE ROAD. The alternative to the boat is a predominantly roadside walk along a path that roughly mirrors the coastline but doesn’t provide for much contact with it. The arrows are lacking in certain areas and the accommodation along this stretch should only be relied upon during peak Summer months and with a reservation.
The arrows go under the road and over the bridge and across the Río Sar to Aduana. Here it runs all the way into Padrón.
Take a look at the elevation profile for an idea of what these last 24km will be like, many pilgrims underestimate the elevation changes which increase as you near Santiago.
Pass through Pazos, Rueiro, Tarrio and Vilar (albergue); none with services.
A hamlet between Iria Flavia and the approach to Santiago. No services.
A hamlet. No services.
A hamlet. No services.
A hamlet with an albergue but no other services.
In town, turn right off the N550 at the church, passing around its park. A country road takes you steeply uphill. You will pass through the hamlet of Cruces, Angueira de Suso, and into Areal before returning to the main road at Picaraña.
A hamlet on the approach to Santiago. No services.
A hamlet between Angueira de Suso and Picarana. No services.
NOTE: BEFORE the gas station a set of faded arrows directs you left and away from the road. Going that way takes you through a new route marked out by the local friends of the camino and is a much-preferred option to the road. After turning left keep an eye open for arrows which will turn right onto a grass (sometimes tall) path. This arrow might be a bit faded but the way is obvious, and it turns into a well-worn trail with plenty of arrows. It will bring you right up to the road at the entrance to Faramello.
Two bars — one at the entrance just after leaving the N550, another at the private albergue.
From Rúa, the camino passes through several small hamlets (Osebe and A Grela) as it makes its way into the large Santiago suburb of Milladoiro.
The camino passes between Osebe (to your left, train station) and Casalonga (to your right, on the main road, with shops and an ATM). Pedreira, not far ahead, has an albergue and food truck. The three settlements blend t…
A hamlet on the edge of Santiago's suburban sprawl. No services on the camino.
The growing network of highways around Santiago mean that you will make a few crossings and zig zags before you get to the city limits. There are even a few occasions where new camino stones stand adjacent to old camino stones, each pointing in their own direction. One offers a choice between ‘Santa Marta’ and ‘Conxo’ and here the best and most direct choice is ‘Santa Marta’, or left.
Santiago. You made it. Start in the Plaza del Obradoiro — kilometre zero, marked by a scallop shell and plaque in the centre of the square. The Obradoiro facade of the Cathedral, completed in the 18th century, is the Ba…
One word of caution regarding accommodation is in order. If you are arriving in the high season, you are advised to make a reservation in advance. There have been several additions to the albergue roster in recent year but the numbers of pilgrims still exceed capacity in the high season.
The path splits here and rejoins before Santiago de Compostela. Both ways are below, because the question is which to take, and that is not a question two separate pages can answer.
To get there simply follow the red arrows marked Herbón. This detour if for anyone wishing to spend the night in the Albergue at the Monastery of Herbón (recommended). From Pontecesures it is 2.7km, with an additional 3km the following morning to bring you to Padrón. In all this detour adds 3.1km to the official route.
Distance, climb and descent are measured along the GPS track for this camino — 204 recorded points across this span, the same track the app carries. The town-to-town figures in my data put it at 27.2 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.