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The Portuguese Way along the Coast : Stages + Map

We tell you everything you need to know about the Portuguese Way along the coast and all its stages.

Camino Portugués por la costa

Camino Portugués por la costa

The Portuguese Way of Saint James along the coast: A coastal paradise

Although the Portuguese route is one of the most popular, not everyone knows a variable of the Portuguese Way, the Portuguese Way along the coast. This variable allows us to know the coast of Galicia from the north of Portugal to Pontevedra, a city where the route becomes completely inland.

Even though this variable of the Camino de Santiago along the coast is longer than the general route, there are more and more people who prefer to walk it. In any case we can fully enjoy a unique experience, however by the coastal route you will be able to witness one of the most unmistakable features of the Galician landscape.

This route is a variable of the Portuguese Way, and goes from the city of Oporto to the Galician town of Redondela. It is an increasingly popular route as it is only 150 kilometres long, so it does not take long to complete and offers enough distance to obtain the Compostela. Once it reaches Redondela it merges again with the normal Portuguese route, making the last stages of this route much more crowded.

This Jacobean route is a curious alternative that allows pilgrims to discover the Rías Baixas without leaving aside the essence of the Camino de Santiago. It was recognized in 2009 as an official pilgrimage route by the Xunta de Galicia and is also known as Camino Monacal due to the large number of monasteries that were on the route.

Positive elements of the Portuguese Way along the coast

In addition to being a route of 150 kilometres, the Portuguese Way along the coast runs through places with little elevation, which in addition to making it a simple route, offers us the possibility of doing it by bike. This way, we will need even less time to do it and we will enjoy it in a different way.

On the other hand, and as we mentioned before, cycling along the Atlantic coast and the Rías Baixas means doing this adventure surrounded by incredible landscapes. In addition to the coastal villages, there will be cliffs and very special places such as the mouth of the Miño river, which make this trip completely unique.

As it could not be otherwise, our route will also be influenced by the gastronomy. During a stretch the Portuguese one, where we will be able to enjoy meals such as the numerous cod dishes of Viana do Castelo, and then the Galician one, characterised by the incredible seafood of its coast, like the vieiras.

Another advantage of this route is related to the places where you can spend the night. Although at certain times of the year some hostels may be closed, the reality is that you will never be short of a place to sleep. We just have to be a little cautious and, if we are travelling at a less crowded time, call to make sure where we can stay.

Moreover, the route is well signposted and the paths are in good condition. For this reason, and although it is always important to be prepared for your trip and to be accompanied by a map or GPS, the probability of getting lost or disoriented is quite low.

Peregrino en bicicleta - Envato

Peregrino en bicicleta - Envato

When is the best time to do the Portuguese Way along the coast?

The Portuguese Way along the coast can be a good alternative for pilgrims who walk the Portuguese Way from Lisbon or Coimbra in high season and want to leave aside for a good stretch the crowds of walkers on the main road. For 150 minutes they can enjoy coastal landscapes and terrain practically without elevations, without so many crowds of pilgrims, although the variant is becoming increasingly popular.
Although more and more pilgrims are choosing it, these vary according to the season of the year. As in the case of other Jacobean routes, the Portuguese route is best done during the spring as it is when there is better weather and less rainfall. It should also be taken into account that this is the time when nature is at its best, so we can enjoy the Galician fauna as never before.

Variables to the Portuguese Way to get to know the Galician coastline

Although officially the Portuguese Way of the coast is the only one that touches the coast of Galicia up to the Cathedral of Santiago, there are many more complementary routes that exist and that allow us to enjoy Galicia much more thoroughly. On the one hand there is the Way of the Lighthouses, which goes from Malpica to Finisterre, as well as the Way of St. James to Finisterre and Muxía, while on the other hand there is the Camiño do Mar, the only one that allows you to enjoy the north coast of Galicia.
Another possibility to enjoy much more of the Atlantic coast is to do the Way of St. James from Lisbon. From this city you can start enjoying the Portuguese coast and then finish the journey discovering the south coast of the Galician community. And if we do not have so much time but we want to enjoy a slightly longer route than the one from Porto, an option increasingly chosen by pilgrims is the Portuguese Way from Coimbra. Although its first stages are inland, then allows us to travel along the coast but having already known some very interesting cities of Portugal.

Portuguese Way along the Coast: Stages from Porto

The route of the Portuguese Way along the coast runs from the city of Porto (Portugal) to the town of Redondela (Pontevedra) for 150 km. From that point onwards, the pilgrim must join the last stretch of the Portuguese Way (84 km) to reach Santiago de Compostela. In total, the journey between Porto and the holy city is 13 days and 280 km.

Portuguese Way from Oporto along the coast

  • Stage 1: Porto - Labruge (24 km)
  • Stage 2: Labruge - Póvoa de Varzim (16 km)
  • Stage 3: Póvoa de Varzim - Marinhas (25 km)
  • Stage 4: Marinhas - Viana do Castelo (24 km)
  • Stage 5: Viana do Castelo - Caminha (29 km)
  • Stage 6: Caminha - Mougás (25 km)
  • Stage 7: Mougás - Ramallosa (16 km)
  • Stage 8: Ramallosa - Vigo (20 km)
  • Stage 9: Vigo - Redondela (17 km)
  • Stage 10: Redondela - Pontevedra (19 km)
From this stage onwards, the Portuguese coastal route merges with the inland route, thus coinciding in the last 3 stages.
  • Stage 11: Pontevedra - Caldas de Reis (22 km)
  • Stage 12: Caldas de Reis - Padrón (18 km)
  • Stage 13: Padrón - Santiago de Compostela (25 km)
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