Camino Portugués
Porto → Santiago de Compostela
Two genuinely different walks under one name. Lisbon to Santiago inland is 612 km and quiet; Porto up the coast is 272 km with the Atlantic beside you the whole way.
New information comes in every day — from pilgrims on the road and people I know along the way — and it goes out the moment it does. The app carries all of it offline, and it's still being built: new features arrive routinely.
Pilgrims on the road and friends along the way send me changes every day, and they go out the same day. The Camino Portugués Coastal Route app carries all of it offline, and it's still being built — new features arrive routinely.
Get the appFrom the listings on this site, recalculated as they change. 2 albergues ask for a donation rather than a price: pay what the night was worth to you, not nothing.
This is the second Camino most people walk, and the first for a good many who want something shorter than the Francés without giving up the company and the infrastructure. It suits anyone with two weeks who wants a complete camino rather than the last stretch of a long one, and anyone who has done the Francés and wants a different country, a different coast and a different rhythm.
Who it isn't for: purists who want a single road. Historically the Portugués was never one road but a web of them, pilgrims from every part of the country making their own way north along whatever tracks and river crossings they had. Over time that web has been consolidated into the two routes people talk about today, the Central and the Coastal, which share a name, a start city and a finish, and the decision between them matters more than any other decision you will make about this walk. And it isn't for anyone who wants the crowds gone entirely. From Tui onward, the last hundred and twenty kilometres, it is busy in season.
The Central route runs 612 km from Lisbon, inland the whole way. The first week north out of the city is the least walked part of any camino on this site: farmland, market towns, long flat days, and the Tagus valley before the road turns north. Most people skip it, which is a shame, but I understand why. Santarém, Tomar with its Templar convent, and Coimbra are the reasons to walk it. From Porto the Central route heads inland through Barcelos and Ponte de Lima, one of the prettiest towns in Portugal, then crosses the Minho into Spain at Tui and finishes through the Galician interior.
The Coastal route is 272 km from Porto and stays with the Atlantic: boardwalks over the dunes north of the city, fishing towns, beaches, headlands, and the wind off the sea most of the day. It crosses into Spain by ferry at Caminha or by the bridge at Valença and joins the Central route near Redondela for the last stretch to Santiago.
You do not have to commit. Two of the ways listed on this page switch partway: Lisbon down the middle and then out to the coast, or Porto up the coast and then inland. Both are common and both are properly waymarked. A word on the Senda Litoral, the beach path that shadows the Coastal route: it is flatter and prettier and longer, and walking on sand all day is not the rest it sounds like.
The Portugués is the flattest camino I cover. There is nothing on it like the Pyrenees or O Cebreiro; the only climbs worth the name are the hill out of Ponte de Lima on the Central route and the short pull up to Redondela near the end. The difficulty is elsewhere. The Central route has more cobbles than any other camino, the old Portuguese calçada, and cobbles for hours are hard on feet and knees in a way that soft path is not. The Coastal route has sand, wind and sun with nowhere to hide from any of them.
Both routes have more road walking than the Francés, and the stretches through the outskirts of Porto and Vigo are the low points. Neither route is technical. Both will find any weakness in your footwear.
Beds are close together on both routes, and on the Coastal route they are closer than on almost anything else on this site outside the Francés. That makes this an easy camino to walk loosely, deciding tonight where to stop tomorrow. Portugal has fewer municipal albergues than Spain and more small private ones and guesthouses; Spain from Tui onward has the Xunta albergues that Galicia runs everywhere, cheap and reliable.
The one place to plan ahead is Porto itself, where the pilgrim beds fill and the city hotels price for tourists, and the last three days into Santiago in high season, when everyone on both routes is on the same road. Every town on this page lists every bed, and the table on each town's page shows every place with beds within a day's walk.
The prices at the top of this page come from the listings on this site, recalculated as they change, and the figures shown are the middle half. Portugal is cheaper than Spain for almost everything except a bed in Porto. A pilgrim in albergues and menus spends less here than on any Spanish route; a coffee and a pastel de nata at a bar is the cheapest breakfast on any camino. Some albergues in both countries are donativo, which does not mean free: it means there is no price, and you leave what the night was worth to you.
Spring and autumn, as everywhere, but the Coastal route makes July possible in a way the inland routes do not: the sea breeze keeps the afternoons walkable when the Central route and the Meseta are at 35 °C (95 °F). April to June and September to October are the best months for both. Winter on the coast is wet and windy but mild, and the route stays open; the inland route in January is quiet and short of open beds.
Lisbon and Porto both have international airports and both are on the Portuguese rail network; the walk starts at the cathedral in either city. From Porto the Coastal route can also be started at Matosinhos by metro, which skips the industrial edge of the city and which nobody will judge you for. Tui and Valença have railway stations for anyone starting the last hundred and twenty kilometres. Santiago has an airport and a station with fast trains to Madrid, and a direct train back to Porto and Lisbon for anyone flying home from where they started.
Three or four days more takes you from Santiago to Finisterre or Muxía, with the pressure off and the crowds gone. The Caminho da Geira e dos Arrieiros, from Braga, is the Portugués's quieter cousin along a Roman road, and the Caminho Nascente comes up the spine of Portugal from the Algarve to feed into the north. All three are on this site.
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Porto is half the size of Lisbon and twice as rewarding. It sits perched on steep hillsides above the north bank of the Rio Douro, and its historic center could absorb two full days of exploring without repeating a single street. If you've planned a rest day, this is the place for it.
The essential sights are concentrated enough to fill a solid afternoon. The Igreja dos Clerigos and its adjoining tower cost 5 euros, but the 360-degree view from the top justifies every cent and every one of the 200 steps to reach it. Leave your pack behind -- the spiral staircase is a tight squeeze. The Igreja do Carmo is unassuming from the outside but spectacular within, and the 15,000-tile azulejo panel covering its lateral wall is one of the largest in Portugal. The Se do Porto, the city's cathedral, is one of Porto's oldest surviving structures and sits at the highest point of the old town, commanding wide views over the rooftops.
If you entered town along the upper bridge crossing you'll have missed the Cais da Ribeira, the riverside boardwalk that runs below the Se. The restaurants there are overpriced but the atmosphere -- particularly at sunset when the Port wine lodges across the river catch the light -- makes up for it.
The Estacao de Sao Bento, even if you're not catching a train, is worth a detour for its entrance hall. Some 20,000 azulejo tiles painted by Jorge Colaco depict scenes from Portuguese history, from the Battle of Valdevez to the arrival of King Joao I in Porto. The Livraria Lello, a short walk uphill, draws long queues for its neo-Gothic interior and helical staircase, though the entry fee is redeemable against a book purchase.
Porto's food scene deserves attention. A francesinha -- the city's signature sandwich of cured meats, fresh sausage, and melted cheese drenched in a beer-and-tomato sauce -- is a rite of passage. Wash it down with a glass of Port from one of the lodges in Vila Nova de Gaia, directly across the river.
Before you set off be certain to pick up a pilgrim’s credencial if you have not already done so. It can be found at the Sé Cathedral. This accordion-fold booklet is your passport to the camino and will become your most cherished souvenir of the trip. It is a required document in most pilgrim-specific accommodation, earns you pilgrim prices in many museums, and will serve as proof of your journey when presented to the Pilgrim Office in Santiago if you are planning on getting your Compostela Certificate.As large towns go, Porto is no different when it comes to finding the camino. In fact, it is complicated somewhat by the fact that there are three different caminos between here and Santiago, be aware that you may see signs indicating the ‘Coastal Route’ or the ‘Braga Route,’ or the ‘Central Route’; amongst others.
The Portuguese call Porto the Cidade Invicta -- the Unvanquished City. The name stuck after Porto withstood an 18-month siege by King Miguel I in 1832-33. Miguel had little interest in honoring the liberal constitution drafted after a local uprising, but the city held firm. He eventually abdicated, the constitution was restored, and Porto's defiance became a symbol of Portugal's Enlightenment values.
The city's roots go far deeper. A Celtic-Roman settlement called Portus Cale gave its name first to the county and eventually to the entire nation. Porto was already an important trading port by the 14th century, and its shipyards supplied many of the caravels that launched Portugal's Age of Discovery. The story goes that the citizens donated so much of their meat to provision Henry the Navigator's fleet that they were left with nothing but tripe -- earning Porto the nickname Cidade dos Tripeiros, the Tripe City.
The Port wine trade, established by treaty with England in the 17th century, transformed the city. The wine lodges that line the south bank in Vila Nova de Gaia remain the industry's beating heart.
Between Porto and the border with Spain, the camino splits into three distinct routes. They are known as the Central Way, the Coastal & Litoral Ways, and the Braga Way. Additionally, there are several paths that connect each of these options, creating a network of trails that can sometimes seem confusing. The best plan is to pick one of the options and simply follow it to its natural end.Leaving a large city is often a challenging combination of searching for arrows, heavy traffic, and durable city pavements. As an alternative, it is possible to take the Porto Metro to the city limits or beyond.THE CENTRAL WAYThe Central Way is currently the most popular and well-developed option. As the name implies, the route continues due north from Porto up the center of Portugal. It crosses into Spain at Valença/Túi and continues from there through Redondela to Santiago. THE COASTAL and LITORAL WAYSThe Coastal Way is gaining in popularity as the infrastructure and signage improve. It is sometimes referred to as the Senda Litoral, although this name is technically reserved for the sections of the route that strictly follow the coast. As the primary motivation for choosing the route is the proximity to seaside views, the route set out in this book is a combination of these two routes and the blue line indicated on the map should be interpreted as such. It leaves Porto along the Litoral Route, rather than sharing the first day of walking with the Central Way before turning westward. Where options exist they are indicated on the inset maps. The route passes through Vigo and rejoins the Central Way in Redondela.THE BRAGA WAYSome would consider this the original way, as it passes through the city of Braga where many of the Church's earliest decisions regarding Santiago were made, and where the first Bishop ordained by Santiago (Saint Peter of Braga/Rates) officiated. It was once the capital of Galicia and remains an influential city and massive tourist attraction. These days the infrastructure along the route has not kept pace with the needs of pilgrims and it is seldom traveled. Tours to Braga can be arranged in Barcelos (on the Central Way) if you wish to visit the city. This route is not included in this guide.THE VARIANTE ESPIRITUALThe Variante Espiritual is a popular alternative route north of Pontevedra. It is a two day walk which ends in a 29km boat ride to the town of Pontecesures.
Foz do Douro sits where the Rio Douro empties into the Atlantic, and it marks the true beginning of coastal walking. The Jardim do Passeio Alegre, a shaded garden near the river mouth, makes a pleasant first stop. Beyond it, the Farol de Felgueiras lighthouse stands at the end of a long breakwater -- worth the walk out for views back toward the city, though it can be exposed in rough weather.
The Castelo do Queijo, a small 17th-century fort perched on a granite outcrop, guards the transition from river to ocean. The name -- Castle of Cheese -- comes from the rounded shape of the rock it sits on. From here north, the Atlantic is your constant companion.
The Metro Line A (Linha de Matosinhos) terminates here and offers a convenient way to skip the least scenic stretch when leaving Porto. You can also reach Matosinhos directly from Porto Airport with a single transfer, handy if you're skipping Porto altogether.
Matosinhos is Porto's fishing port, and the streets near the harbor are lined with grilled-fish restaurants where sardines and sea bass cook over charcoal on the pavement. The Senhor de Matosinhos church, designed by the Italian architect Nicolau Nasoni in the 18th century, anchors the town center. If you're passing through in June, the Festa do Senhor de Matosinhos fills the streets with processions and music.
The camino enters town along the beach-front, and turns inland when it reaches the harbor, making a zig zag path to the bridge over the Río Leça. At the end of the bridge you will turn left at the large roundabout, to follow the Rua Hintze Ribeiro back towards the waterfront.
What the ground between two towns is actually like: everything you pass through, the climbing, and where you could stop along the way. Not a plan — a description.
Route index
272 km from Porto to Santiago de Compostela. Most pilgrims walk it in 10 to 12 days. Every town below has its own page.
The Camino Portugués, with its Central and Coastal paths, offers a rich tapestry of cultural and scenic diversity, making it a fascinating alternative to the more frequented Camino Francés. This route, weaving through the charming landscapes of Portugal and Spain, is a blend of historical intrigue, natural beauty, and a warm, welcoming atmosphere.
Central Path:
The Central Path starts in Lisbon, Portugal's vibrant capital. This journey begins with the bustling streets of Lisbon, filled with historic charm and the melodies of Fado music. As you leave the city, the route takes you through quieter countryside, dotted with quaint villages, vineyards, and olive groves.
Moving north, you'll encounter a mix of coastal and inland scenery. Highlights include the medieval town of Santarém, famous for its Gothic architecture, and Coimbra, a historic university city where traditional Portuguese culture is palpable. This path is a delightful journey through Portugal's heartland, offering a glimpse into the country's rich history and traditions.
As you cross into Spain, the route leads you to Tui, and from there, you'll traverse the verdant landscapes of Galicia, experiencing its unique culture and cuisine, before finally reaching Santiago de Compostela.
Coastal Path:
The Coastal Path, on the other hand, offers a different but equally enchanting experience. Starting in Porto, a city renowned for its port wine and stunning riverfront, this path hugs the Atlantic coastline. You'll walk through seaside towns, over beautiful beaches, and along rugged cliffs, with the ocean breeze as your constant companion.
The Coastal Path is a feast for the senses. You'll hear the waves crashing against the shore, feel the sand under your feet, and smell the salt in the air. The route passes through charming fishing villages where you can indulge in fresh seafood and experience the local way of life.
As you proceed north, the path crosses into Spain, offering the option to merge with the Central Path or continue along the coast before heading inland towards Santiago de Compostela.
Shared Experiences:
Both paths of the Camino Portugués converge in the final stretch through Galicia, leading to the grand finale in Santiago de Compostela. The journey, whether along the Central or Coastal path, is peppered with friendly cafes, welcoming guesthouses, and historical sites, providing ample opportunities for rest, reflection, and exploration.
In summary, the Camino Portugués, with its Central and Coastal routes, offers a journey rich in diversity and beauty. Whether you're strolling through historic cities, meandering through the countryside, or walking along the coastline, this Camino path provides a unique and memorable pilgrimage experience. It's a perfect blend of natural beauty, cultural immersion, and spiritual journeying, making it a beloved choice for many pilgrims.
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.
