The Way of Saint James: The Portuguese Way by the Coastal Route

Day of arrival. Night in Porto.
Depending on your arrival time, you can enjoy a tour of the city: the Ribeira district, the quays, the Dom-Luis bridge, the countless churches and the Se Cathedral.

We will take the Porto metro or private transport to reach Matosinhos (depending on the option chosen) in order to avoid the most urban part of this stage. From Matosinhos we will follow, as most of the time on this path, the smell of the sea. This flat stage will allow us to admire beaches, dunes and local fauna and will immediately put us in the maritime atmosphere of this path.

This step does not present any difficulty and will allow us to continue to enjoy the coastal landscapes, beaches and nature. We will take a few wooden footbridges and pass through Povoa de Varzim, a popular vacation spot for the Portuguese. On the way we will take the time to admire the church of San Miguel d’Apulia. Then we will arrive in Esposende via the D.Luis Filippe bridge, an emblematic bridge which was designed by Abel Maria Da Moto, influenced by the style of Gustave Eiffel. For more than a century, it was the main crossing point in the coastal strip to reach Porto.

It is from this stage that the Coastal Path acquires the characteristics specific to the Camino de Santiago, we will find steep slopes, paved paths and pedestrian bridges. The stage begins in a residential area, arriving at the parish church of Belinho and the 17th century Cross. Then we will take an old Roman road, a forest path and bridges before arriving at the church of S.Tiago. We will eventually enter Viana Do Castelo via one last bridge, the double-decker Eiffel bridge built in 1878.

Today is our last stop in Portugal. We will need a little more energy than the previous days to reach the end of the 28 kilometers and the slightly more winding parts. We will leave from the beautiful Viana Do Castelo. We will have the opportunity to climb the Serra de Santa Luzia at an altitude of 150 meters then we will take forest trails and picturesque paths to reach the very charming little town of Caminha!

We leave Portugal behind by crossing the border in an original, pleasant and... relaxing way for our feet! Accompanied by a boatman, you cross the estuary to disembark at A Guarda on Spanish soil then we will follow the coast to enjoy always pleasant views and will walk on forest paths before reaching Oia and its monastery facing the sea.

Short stage, first flat and by the sea then via a forest path and a stone path to reach the beautiful Baiona. It is one of the most popular seaside resorts in Galicia. The city has managed to preserve its historic center, its beaches for simple purposes and numerous monuments. Among other things, you can visit a replica of a Christopher Columbus caravel and enjoy a walk on the splendid fortress of Monte Real!

Today's stage is quite long, including the climb of the Camino de Cabreira. But the altitude will offer us still spectacular views of the coast. Then we will arrive in Vigo, a port and industrial city in Galicia which offers all the amenities and attractions of a large city.

The path to reach Redondela is pleasant and offers increasingly distant views of Vigo and its estuary. We will soon see the imposing Rande Bridge, a cable-stayed bridge which links the two banks of the Rande Strait and is more than 1600 meters long. Then we will arrive in Redondela to begin the more official route of the Via Lusitana and a little more frequented by pilgrims from all over the world.

Short recovery stage. You will walk along rather quiet roads, you will take forest paths and Roman roads. A day spent in rich and varied nature. The path to Arcade is magnificent. From the 12th century, Pontevedra was known as one of the most important ports in Galicia, an importance it retained until the end of the 17th century.

We leave beautiful Pontevedra for Caldas de Reis. This stage takes a very pleasant route. There you will find paths, vineyards and Roman roads. Halfway through we will reach San Mauro then we will gently slide towards the Rio Agra to reach Caldas de Reis and its hot water springs. Caldas de Reis is indeed known for its thermal waters and hot springs. There are numerous Roman archaeological remains there.

We will always be accompanied by a generous nature. We will walk on paths where calm and tranquility reign. Arriving in Padron, we will go to the Santiago Church. Under the altar is preserved “el pedron”, the stone which, it is said, was used to secure the boat bringing back the body of the apostle James from Jerusalem.

This is the last stage of the hike before reaching Santiago de Compostela! This twenty kilometers will bring us to the end of our stay. After traveling about ten kilometers crossing the countryside and eucalyptus forests, we will reach the large suburbs of Santiago and finally the Sanctuary!

: End of stay after breakfast