Coastal & Traditional Way to Santiago

Welcome to Portugal! Our Guide will pick you up at the airport. Make your-self comfortable in the car while driving to the Hotel. If you have sometime one the first day, roam free in the city. We might suggest a riverside walk, fresh fish dinner or a visit to Port wine cellars in Vila Nova de Gaia. The opportunities are endless and Porto is gorgeous.

The Sé Cathedral is your true stating point of this pilgrimage toward Santiago de Compostela. Overlooking the Douro and the Ribeira quarter this XIIIc. Church is a symbol of your hike start. Your first steps are into the UNESCO world heritage old Porto, down to the river and across the old medieval town. As you go along the Douro towards its river mouth, to the Atlantic, the city gets younger but always linked to the river and sea toward. Matosinhos is well known for the fishing port but also for the Scallop that represents the Pilgrim, it is here that the legend of the Scallop started. By the beach of Matosinhos 2 millenniums ago…..

The crossing of the level bridge leads you to the gentle stroll of the day. Along the sea and following the well define path over the dunes, small beach and villages. Leça is just across the bridge and is just the day start. Other like Angeira beach town and his little fishing port or the iron settlement of São Paio near labruge are places of history, from before the romans to the second world war plane crashes… You’ll also cross protected areas of dunes, that are a bird sanctuary, along the well kept footpath. And to finish the day, Vila do Conde the former shipyard of the XVc. Caravels….

This day will leave the waves and goes a little more inland to get back to the sea at the end of your day. Cobbled surface is the standard of your day as you passing villages along the way. It follow the ancient way and one river cross will be the best image of that, over the Neiva River, and not far ahead the Benedictine Monastery of São Romão do Neiva. As the day approach to end the Lima river estuary offer us wonderful sights of Viana and the surroundings. Eye catching is the Zimborio on top of the hill overlooking Viana do Castelo. The train passes over the same bridge we enter the city, one of the Eiffel works in Portugal. Viana, is one amazing melt of mountain, river and sea, along with one of the best preserved old town centers of the Minho.

Across the old town center of Viana to reach the sea front by the old XVIIc. Fortress time to enjoy this typical architecture of Portugal’s Minho Region. The granite stone, the narrow buildings with huge their white windows so characteristic of these towns…. The wave sound will be present all day as the path is meters away from them, make sure the day is not stormy!! Sea is always nearby, the Montedor lighthouse is a remind of the long fate histories of these sea as you reach your destination.

This is the day that takes you to the pass into Spain, the one that connect you to the Portuguese Path in Valença. Easy day while following the path along river Minho. The path today is less urban and arrive to an amazing town. Valença do Minho and its fortress overlooking Tuy and Galicia. Take time and enjoy the town center. Tomorrow while following other pilgrims you’ll cross the bridge and enter the Portuguese Camino toward Santiago

Hiking along small fortresses, passing under old doors, travel in medieval streets and crossing over ancient bridges, today you might feel like a middle age pilgrimage. The times has changed but the atmosphere, the landscape or the people lifestyle do not. On the way you might enjoy the town of Tuy and spend some time in the center, the Cathedral is a must see. Very soon you arrive in Galiza, Spain and after a beautiful walk along the river, you find your accomodation in Porriño.