The Portuguese Camino de Santiago – a 2023 guide & stages

The Camino Portuguese is one of the spiritual routes to Santiago de Compostela. The Camino Portugues is the second most popular Camino de Santiago after the Camino Frances, more than 25% of all pilgrims who arrive in Santiago de Compostela every year walk this Camino route. The total distance of the Camino from Porto to Santiago depends on the route you choose; the Coastal Route is 280 km/173 mi, and the Central Route is 260 km/161 mi. Another option is to start walking from Lisbon then the total distance to Santiago is about 630 km/391 mi.

You can find the complete list of all our posts dedicated to the Portuguese Camino on our Camino de Santiago resource page.

The Portuguese Camino (Central Route) downloadable PDFs

To make your Portuguese Camino planning easier we created free downloadable PDF files. The first file contains walking stages of the Central Route of the Portuguese Camino. The second file includes places to stay along the route: public and private albergues, guesthouses, and hotels.

• Portuguese Camino Central Route – places to stay PDF
• Portuguese Camino Central Route – walking stages PDF

The Portuguese Camino route overview

• Distance – starting in Porto: 260 km/161 mi (Central Route), 280 km/173 mi (Coastal Route); starting in Lisbon: 630 km/391 mi
• Number of days – 12-14 days (from Porto), 25-30 days from Lisbon
• Starting point – Sé Cathedral in Porto, Sé Cathedral in Lisbon
• Finishing point – Obradoiro Square, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
• Walking ground – asphalt, cobblestone, wooden boardwalks
• Average cost – 25-30 Euro pp. per day
• Accommodation – albergues, hotels, guesthouses
• Route marking – yellow shells and arrows

Travel insurance for the Portuguese Way of St.James

Walking like any other outdoor activity involves a risk of getting an injury or losing some of the gear. Camino travel insurance can offer you coverage. The Portuguese Camino de Santiago is not a high-altitude wild hike through remote areas but it’s still a physically challenging experience that involves a long walking distance with a heavy backpack. It’s not rare for pilgrims to get injuries from small blister problems to knee or shin splint issues. It makes the walk less stressful when you know you’re covered in case of any unpredictable emergencies.

World Nomads offers simple and flexible travel insurance. Buy at home or while traveling and claim online from anywhere in the world.

How hard is the Camino Portugues?

The Portuguese Way is a challenging multi-day walk. It requires preparation and training especially if you’re not an experienced walker/hiker and have never done a long-distance walk before. You walk 20-25 km a day on average with a backpack for 12-14 days. You can imagine that by the end of the Camino, you’ll be quite tired.

To make your walk easier you can use a backpack transfer service and take rest days every once in a while.

How long does it take to walk the Portuguese Camino?

The total distance of the Camino Portugues depends on the chosen route and the starting point. If you start in Porto and walk the Central Route which is 260 km/161 mi it takes an average of 12 days to complete. If you walk the Coastal Route from Porto which is 280 km/173 mi it takes 12-14 days to complete. If you start the Portuguese Camino in Lisbon your total distance will be 630-650 km/391-403 mi and it takes 25-30 days to complete the route.

Many pilgrims start walking the Portuguese route from Tui and walk only the last 100 km to Santiago de Compostela which is the required minimum for getting the Compostela certificate. If you’re limited on time starting in Tui is always an option.

If you’re worried about planning your Camino walk from Tui to Santiago you can book it through a company. They plan your itinerary, book accommodation, and arrange luggage transfer for you. All you have to do is walk.

• PORTUGUESE WAY. Private Walking Tour from Tui

Where does the Portuguese Way start?

You have two options to start walking the Camino Portugues; Lisbon and Porto. We started in Lisbon there were some things that we really liked and some not that much on the route.

If you start the Camino Portugues in Lisbon then the total distance to Santiago de Compostela is 630 km/391 mi vs 260-280 km/161-173 mi from Porto It’s possible to do a detour and walk through Fatima, which adds about 25 km to the route. The main difficulty we faced there is a lack of infrastructure for pilgrims, sometimes it was difficult to find accommodation and towns are quite far apart.

I must say the walk from Lisbon is beautiful but if you prefer to have a comfortable and easy walk I’d suggest starting in Porto. If you feel like walking more you can do one of the other Camino de Santiago routes e.g. Camino Primitivo, Camino Ingles, or walk to Finisterre. If you like a challenge and prefer to go off the beaten track then start the Camino in Lisbon. 

Camino Portugues Coastal vs Centra Route

There are three routes on the Portuguese Camino from Porto: Central, Coastal, and Litoral. The last two are very similar except for the first day out of Porto. The Litoral Way goes along the coast, it’s the best and the most popular option to walk out of the city.

The Central Route – 260 km/161 mi from Porto to Santiago de Compostela. It goes inland all the way.

The Coastal Route – 280 km/173 mi from Porto to Santiago. It follows the coast (except the first day from Porto) till Redondela where it merges with the Central Route.

The Senda Litoral (the Litoral Way) – 280 km/173 mi. From Porto, it follows the coast after Vila do Conde it goes the same way as the Coastal Route. The main difference the Litoral Way often goes on the beach. It merges with the Central Route in Redondela.

You can find detailed information and a comparison of the 3 routes from Porot in our dedicated post. I walked all 3 routes for 3 consecutive days to compare them.

Which route is the best?

The Central Route 

Advantages of the Central Route

• It has a better infrastructure; more albergues, more towns, more restaurants, and shops.
• If you’re more into history and architecture you’ll enjoy the Central Route there are more old towns and cities on the way.
• It’s a bit shorter, and you’ll need less time to complete it
• It’s a better option to walk in bad weather conditions e.g. strong wind, heavy rain.
• For those who are going to use a backpack shuttle service, it is a bit cheaper to transfer backpacks on the Central Route

Disadvantages of the Central Route

• This is the busiest route, 70% of pilgrims on the Camino Portuguese walk the Central Route. 

The Coastal Route

Advantages

• Walking along the coast is always an advantage (at least for us).
• Only 30% of all pilgrims take this route.
• Higher chances to see a more authentic non-touristy part of Portugal.

Disadvantages

• If it’s very windy and rainy it’ll be an unpleasant route to walk.
• Less infrastructure, I mainly refer to albergues though for us it wasn’t a problem.

If you decide to walk this route check out our detailed post on the Portuguese Camino Coastal Route walking stages.

The Litoral Way (Senda Litoral)

First of all, most pilgrims leave Porto following this Litoral Way. It’s the best way to walk out of the city and skip walking along the busy highway leading to the airport. You can read in some guidebooks that it’s better to skip the first stage from Porto because you walk through industrial areas, they refer to walking out of the city following the Central Route or Coastal Route. After walking out of Porto on the Litoral Way you can walk from Vila do Conde to Rates to switch to the Central Route of the Portuguese Camino.

All the advantages and disadvantages are the same as for the Coastal Route.  

Download the Camino Portuguese Walking Routes map

How to combine the Coastal and the Central Route?

A great option is to combine the Coastal Route with rural areas and even add to this mountain scenery. Start in Porto following the Coastal Route and continue on it till Caminha, the end of the Portuguese part of the Camino de Santiago. From Caminha you can walk to Valença to get to the Central Route. Then take the Spiritual Variant (Variante Espiritual), an optional route from Pontevedra that goes over the mountains and joins the Central route in Padrón. This way you combine all routes of the Camino Portugues from Porto and walk through areas with different scenery; coast, fields, forest, and mountains.

The best time of the year to walk the Portuguese Camino

If you want to skip crowds and have good weather May is the best month to walk the Camino.

If you rather want to walk alone go off-season, April and October are good months, you can be lucky with the weather and there will be very few people.

Winter months are not the best it gets cold and rainy, some albergues are closed.

June is the beginning of the high season for this Camino Portugues; it’s still not too busy and already nice and warm.

July and August are the hottest months, it’s important to start walking early to skip the heat of the day.

September especially the first two weeks is one of the most popular walking months on the Camino in general. It’s better to book accommodation and tickets in advance.

What is the accommodation like on the Camino?

Albergue is a special hostel for pilgrims with dormitories and shared facilities don’t expect any luxury.

There are two types of albergues; municipal (public) and private albergues. Municipal albergues are cheaper (7-8 euros pp.), but they can’t be booked in advance. One requires a Credential in order to stay there. Private albergues are more expensive (12-15 euros pp.), but they usually have better facilities and can be booked in advance over the phone or online.

Each albergue has dormitories with bunk beds, shared bathrooms/toilets, and a kitchen, some have washing machines and offer wi-fi.  

Municipal albergues accept only cash.

For more details on accommodation on the Camino, the pros and cons of staying at albergues, tips, etc. check our detailed post Albergues on the Camino de Santiago.

The best guidebook for the Portuguese Way of St.James

For us, Camino de Santiago guidebooks by John Brierley are the best. We used his A Pilgrim’s Guide to the Camino Portugués Lisbon – Porto – Santiago: including Camino Central, Variente Espiritual, Camino da Costa, & Senda Litoral on the Portuguese Camino and it was spot on. Very helpful and pretty up-to-date.

Luggage delivery service on the Camino Portuguese

If you want to make your walk easier or have some back issues and can’t carry a heavy bag every day you can use a backpack delivery service. There are several companies that can deliver your backpack or suitcase for every stage between your accommodation. Pilbeo (Central and Coastal Route), Tui Trans (Coastal, Central, and Spiritual Routes) and Correos (Central Route from Tui) do luggage transfer on the Portuguese Camino. You can use it for the entire route or for some stages. One stage costs 7 Euros per backpack.

It’s important to remember that public albergues on the Camino usually don’t allow luggage delivery. These albergues can’t be booked in advance and they won’t keep a bed for you even if your backpack is delivered there. Private albergues and hotels along the route have no problem with luggage delivery.

Useful apps for the Camino Portugues

• Portuguese Way Premium. Cost US$4, available for Android and Apple.
• Camino Assist Pilgrim Santiago. Free download, available for Android and Apple.
• Buen Camino de Santiago. Free download, available for Android and Apple.
• Wisely + Camino Portugues; a Wise Pilgrim guide. The cost is US$6, available for Android and Apple. We haven’t used it but I saw many unhappy users complaining about the app, I’d recommend reading the reviews before buying it.

How much does it cost to walk the Portuguese Camino?

The cost of accommodation and food in Portugal and Spain is similar. Eating out and hotels are a bit cheaper in Portugal than in Spain.

If you stay in albergues and buy food in supermarkets your average Camino cost will be around 25 Euros per person per day. If you stay in albergues and eat in a restaurant at least once a day, go out for a beer, or stop a couple of times for coffee be ready to spend daily 30-35 Euros per person. If you stay in private and go out for meals twice a day be ready to spend 45+ euros per person per day.

Prices in Portugal

• Accommodation – municipal albergues – 5 or 10 Euro per person, private albergues – 12-14 Euro pp. Hotels from 20 Euros pp. if sharing a double room, 35 euros for a single room.
• Eating out – Menu do Dia, a set lunch that includes a starter, main dish with sides, drink and coffee or dessert – from 10 Euro pp.
• Food shopping – 6-8 Euro pp per day
• A cup of coffee (Americano) – 1 Euro
• A beer in a bar – 1,5-2 Euro.
• Laundry – washing 3 Euro per load.
• Backpack delivery service (optional) – 7 euros per backpack per stage.

Prices in Spain

• Accommodation – municipal albergues – 8 Euros per person, private albergues – 12-15 Euro pp. Hotels from 20 Euro pp. if sharing a double room, from 35 euros for a single room.
• Eating out – Menu del Dia; starter, main dish, drink (usually house wine), coffee or dessert – from 10 Euro.
• Food shopping – 6-8 Euro pp per day
• A cup of coffee (Americano) – 1,2-1,5 Euro
• A beer in a bar – 1,5-2 Euro
• Laundry – washing – 3 Euro per load
• Backpack delivery service (optional) – 7 Euros per stage

Food on the Camino is a part of the experience even if you’re on a tight budget I’d suggest going out sometimes to try traditional Spanish and Portuguese dishes.

What to pack for the Camino?

Make sure not to pack too much and bring only the necessary stuff. We’ve met many people who had to reconsider their backpack content after the first day on the Camino. You really don’t need much and you always can buy anything you need way there are shops, supermarkets, and pharmacies along the way.

What you will really need for the Camino are a pair of good walking shoes and a comfortable backpack. These two items will make a big difference to your walk.

If you’re planning on using a luggage delivery service then it doesn’t matter you can pack as much as you want.

We have a detailed Camino de Santiago packing list post where you can find our recommendations on what to pack for the Camino for men and women for different seasons.

The Central Route of the Portuguese Camino – walking stages

Porto, the beginning of the Portuguese Way

Porto is an amazing city I’d definitely recommend staying here for a couple of days before or after the Camino. Walk around its narrow cobblestone streets climbing up and down the hills, try famous wine, take a boat ride along the Douro River and enjoy the local cuisine. Porto is one of our favorite European cities.  

Tours and activities in Porto

If you have a couple of extra days in Porto before starting the Camino walk there are many activities and tours you can do here to explore the city and its surroundings.

• Porto Historic City Center walking tour
• Fado Show with Port Wine
• Authentic Douro Wine Tour Including Lunch and River Cruise
• Half Day – Private TukTuk All Around Porto

Places to stay in Porto

There are several albergues/hostels in the city including one municipal albergue N.S. do Rosario de Vilar. We stayed at the private Albergue de Peregrinos do Porto, for donations, a nice, clean, and very social place close to the metro station. 

If you rather prefer to stay your first night in a more comfortable place there are many options in Porto for different budgets, but my advice is to stay within walking distance from the center. 

• Budget | Supernova | Travel & Live Porto Hostel | Porto Spot Hostel |
• Middle price | Oporto Bonjardim Residence | 12 Short Term | MyStay Porto Bolhão |
• High-end | Feels Like Home Santa Catarina Prime Suites | BessaHotel Baixa | Catalonia Porto |

Day 1. Se Cathedral, Porto – Labruge, 23 km/14,2 mi

Se Cathedral – Foz do Douro – Matosinhos – Lavra – Labruge

As I mentioned before most people who start walking from Porto regardless of which route they walk on the first day follow the Senda Litoral (Litoral Way) to get out of the city. It means on the first day instead of following the Central Route that goes through the industrial area and outskirts of Porto following busy roads you walk along the coast, past beaches and small seaside villages. This way is a bit longer than just following the Central Route from Porto but is much nicer and more beautiful. It will add about 7km to your total distance, no worries our itinerary doesn’t have very long walking days. We really enjoyed this part, it felt more like a beach than a walking holiday.

Some people prefer to take a tram to get from Se Cathedral to Foz do Douro, the beginning of the promenade. We walked from the cathedral we went down to the Douro river and followed it. On the first day most of the time, you walk on wooden boardwalks which are much better than asphalt or cobblestones. There are many restaurants and cafés on the way where you can enjoy breakfast or lunch with a sea view.

The map of the routes out of Porto on the Camino Portugues

Labruge

We’d suggest stopping here, and not making your first day too long like a guidebook suggests to walk 33km all the way to Vila do Conde. No need to punish yourself and destroy your feet especially if you walk in mid-summer when it’s hot. The town itself is 1km inland from the coast. There is a sign on the trail pointing to the albergue.

• Municipal albergue – yes, 10 Euro
• Private albergue  – no
• Hotel, guest house – yes
• ATM – yes
• Restaurant, café – yes
• Shop – yes
• Pharmacy – yes

Places to stay in Labruge

• | Parque de Campismo Orbitur Angeiras (about 1 km before Labruge)| Casa da Praia Guest House |

Day 2. Labruge – Rates, 23 km/14,2 mi

Labruge – Vila Chã – Vila do Conde – Arcos – Rates

The first part of the day is a beautiful walk along the coast till Vila do Conde from where you turn off the Coastal Route and follow a trail that goes inland and joins with the Central Route at Arcos. Walking by the sea on the first day gives you an idea about the Coastal route and if you like it you can stick to it instead of going to the Central Way. Vila do Conde is a very nice and beautiful town with charming narrow cobblestone streets, the Cathedral, and the impressive aqueduct de Santa Clara it’s on the way to Arcos.

Rates

A beautiful medieval town that grew around the monastery with an interesting historical part; Monastery of Rates, the main square, a couple of churches and chapels, and a clock tower.

• Municipal albergue – yes, donation
• Private albergue  – no
• Hotel, guest house – yes
• ATM – no
• Restaurant, café – yes
• Supermarket – yes
• Pharmacy – yes

Day 3. Rates – Barcelos, 16 km/10 mi or Rates – Tamel, 25 km/15,5 mi

Rates – Pedra Furada – Pereira – Bacelinhos – Barcelos or Tamel (San Pedro de Fins)

After joining the Central Route you’ll start seeing more pilgrims on the Camino. You can make this day short, stay in Barcelos and do some sightseeing around or walk 9km further to Tamel to make your next walking day to Ponte de Lima shorter. It might sound better to stay in Barcelos but be ready to walk the next day 34km all the way to Ponte de Lima as there are not many accommodation options before.

Barcelos

Barcelos – a beautiful city, originally a Roman settlement that expanded a lot in the 15th century. There are some very interesting sights to see here; Ponte de Barcelos – a 14th-century bridge, the Tower of Barcelos, the church of Senhor da Cruz, church Matriz de Barcelos. The city is well-known for its pottery it’s the home of the famous Galo de Barcelos (Rooster of Barcelos) or Portuguese Rooster – one of the most popular symbols of Portugal.

• Municipal albergue – yes, 500 m before in Barcelinhos
• Private albergue  – yes
• Hotel, guest house – yes
• ATM – yes
• Restaurant, café – yes
• Supermarket – yes
• Pharmacy – yes

Places to stay in Barcelos

• Budget | Residencial Solar da Estação |
• Middle price | Residencial Kuarenta&Um | Barcelos Way Guest House | In Barcelos Hostel & Guest House | 
• High-end | Art’otel Barcelos |

Tamel (San Pedro de Fins)

Note! there is nothing here except an albergue you have to bring food with you. Albergue Casa da Recoleta, municipal, price 5 Euro pp. Facilities; kitchen, hot shower, wi-fi, 4 dormitories, 41 beds.

Day 4. Barcelos – Ponte de Lima, 34 km/21 mi or Tamel – Ponte de Lima 25 km/15,5 mi

Barcelos/Tamel – Balugães/Cossourado – Vitorino dos Piães – Facha – Ponte de Lima

If you start in Barcelos and go all the way to Ponte de Lima it’ll be a long walking day but you can split it into two and walk to Vitorino dos Piães, 16km, there is a private albergue and a couple of hotels (check below for booking) or Facha, 23km, there are a couple of hotels there.

Ponte de Lima

A nice and relatively small place compare to Barcelos though it has a long history, the oldest town in Portugal by the way, and some interesting sights to see; Ponte Romano (The Roman bridge over the Lima river) that gave the name of the town, Old Chain Tower, Matriz church, Botanical garden Paço do Marques, the church of Santo Antonio da Torre Velha. There are many accommodation options in the town.

• Municipal albergue – yes
• Private albergue  – yes
• Hotel, guest house – yes
• ATM – yes
• Restaurant, café – yes
• Supermarket – yes
• Pharmacy – yes

Places to stay in Ponte de Lima

• Budget | Old Village Hostel |
• Middle price | Graciosa Guest House | Casa Cardeal Saraiva | My House |
• High-end | Arc My Otel | Alma da Vila |

Day 5. Ponte de Lima – Rubiães, 20 km/12,4 mi

A nice and short day of walking mostly through the forest with a long uphill stretch that starts at 10km, from 100m to 400m over 4km, make sure to have enough water with you. There is a café at Revolta before the climb where you can have lunch and fill your water bottle.

Rubiães

A very small cozy town with quite a lot of infrastructure for pilgrims.

• Municipal albergue – yes
• Private albergue  – yes
• Hotel, guest house – yes
• ATM – no
• Restaurant, café – yes
• Shop – yes
• Pharmacy – no

Places to stay in Rubiães

• Budget | Albergue Constantino AL |
• Middle price | Pensão Repouso do Peregrino | 

Day 6. Rubiães – Valença/Tui, 20 km/12,4 mi

Rubiães  – Cossourado – Pedreira – Valença – Tui

Today it’s mostly down-hill walking in the first half of the day till the Roman bridge (Ponte Romano) and then quite flat all the way to Valença/Tui there you can decide to stay the night in Portugal (Valença) or to cross the bridge over the Minho river and stay in Spain (Tui). Crossing the river don’t forget to change the time, Spain is 1 hour ahead of Portugal. There is no official border crossing, both countries are members of the EU.

In Valença/Tui you might see more pilgrims than before on the Camino. Many people start walking the Portuguese Camino from here because both towns are just over 100 km from Santiago. The last 100 km is the required walking minimum on the Camino for getting the Compostela.

Valença

Both cities have good infrastructure for pilgrims, many accommodation options, restaurants, etc. There are some interesting sights to see. Valença has a beautiful medieval fortress Fortaleza de Valença, the old town is located behind the walls. Both have cathedrals, churches, chapels, and museums. 

• Municipal albergue – yes, 8 euros
• Private albergue  – yes, hostels
• Hotel, guest house – yes
• ATM – yes
• Restaurant, café – yes
• Supermarket – yes
• Pharmacy – yes

Places to stay in Valença

• Budget | Hostel Bulwark | 
• Middle price | Alojamento da Vila | S. Gião House | Residencial Portas do Sol |
• High-end | Hotel Lara | Casa do Poço |

Tui

• Municipal albergue – yes, 8 euros
• Private albergue  – yes, many
• Hotel, guest house – yes
• ATM – yes
• Restaurant, café – yes
• Supermarket – yes
• Pharmacy – yes

Places to stay in Tui

• Budget | Albergue Pallanes | JACOB’S HOSTEL TUI | Ideas Peregrinas |
• Middle price | Hostal Albergue Villa San Clemente | EntrePontes | Aparthotel O novo Cabalo Furado |
• High-end | LA SIGRINA HOSTAL | Parador de Tui |

Day 7. Valença/Tui – Porriño, 17 km/10,5 mi

A short and easy walk with not many places to stop for coffee or lunch, the first place will be after 10km at Orbenlle, it’ll be a short detour as the new alternative trail turns right just before it. We’d recommend following it, it goes left about 300m after a stone Camino sign that marks 106km to Santiago. The old route goes through Poligono Industrial (Industrial area), and the new trail completely skips it and goes through the forest. At about 3km before the town there is one more split, go left following the river the right trail goes along the road.

Porriño

A small industrial town with a nice historical center.

• Municipal albergue – yes
• Private albergue  – yes
• Hotel, pension – yes
• ATM – yes
• Restaurant, café – yes
• Supermarket – yes
• Pharmacy – yes

Places to stay in Porriño

• Budget | Albergue Rincón del Peregrino | Senda Sur | Alojamiento Camino Portugues |
• Middle price | Apartamento Bacelo | Casa Lolita |
• High-end | Apartamento Centro Porriño |

Day 8. Porriño – Redondela, 16 km/10 mi

Porriño – Torroso – Redondela

A short day of walking with a hill to climb, Conte Cornedo, about 200m but over more than 5km. After that down to Redondela. There are a couple of bars/restaurants on the way where you can have lunch. At Redondela both Central and Coastal Routes join you might see slightly more pilgrims.

Redondela

• Municipal albergue – yes, 8 euros
• Private albergue  – yes
• Hotel, pension – yes
• ATM – yes
• Restaurant, café – yes
• Supermarket – yes
• Pharmacy – yes

Places to stay in Redondela

• Budget | Albergue Avoa Regina | Santiago de Vilavella |
• Middle price | A Casa da Herba | A Casa da Lucera |
• High-end | Alvear Suites |

Day 9. Redondela – Pontevedra, 20 km/12,4 mi

Redondela – Cesantes – Arcade – Pontevedra.

Some uphill but it is over a long distance so the incline is not a very steep climb. There are several bars on the way where you can refill your water and have lunch. This day offers quite a bit of road walking but the roads were not very busy. A couple of kilometers before Pontevedra on the right side of the road there will be a sign for River Trail, follow it, the distance is the same as walking along the road and it’s nicer for walking.

Pontevedra

A very nice town with a beautiful historical center, amazing cathedral, cobblestone streets, churches, many bars, and restaurants. A nice town for chilling and going out.

• Municipal albergue – yes, 8 euros
• Private albergue  – yes
• Hotel, pension – yes
• ATM – yes
• Restaurant, café – yes
• Supermarket – yes
• Pharmacy – yes

Places to stay in Pontevedra

• Budget | Slow City Hostel Pontevedra | Acolá Hostel |
• Middle price | Apartamentos Pontevedra | Hotel Alda Estación Pontevedra |
• High-end | Rias Bajas |

Day 10. Pontevedra – Caldas de Reis, 23 km/14,2 mi

After Redondela the Camino splits again you can follow the main route to Caldas de Reis or take the Variante Espiritual (Spiritual Way) and go over the mountains to Armenteira. Both routes join again in Pontecesures.

Caldas de Reis

A nice small town with hot springs, churches, and old Roman ruins. If you have a chance we’d suggest visiting one of the balnearios (spa centers) and relaxing in the springs, e.g. El Acuña or el Dávila.

• Municipal albergue – no
• Private albergue  – yes
• Hotel, pension – yes
• ATM – yes
• Restaurant, café – yes
• Supermarket – yes
• Pharmacy – yes

Places to stay in Caldas de Reis

• Budget | A Senda | Albergue Agarimo | Pensión Río Umia |
• Middle price | Estrella Do Camiño | Alojamiento Caldas de Reis |
• High-end | Casa Herreria |

Day 11. Caldas de Reis – Padrón, 20 km/12,4

A nice and easy walk past a couple of smallish towns with several bars on the way. Some people prefer to walk further on this day in order to make the last day to Santiago shorter. There are many albergues and hotels on the stretch between Padrón and Santiago it won’t be difficult to find accommodation.

Padrón

Padrón is a small nice town. It played an important role in the history of the Camino de Santiago and the legend of St.James. According to the belief, two of St.James’ disciples arrived in Pardon (then Iria Flavia) with the body of the apostle. From there the remains of the saint were transported overland to the area that later became the city of Santiago de Compostela.

The highlight of the town is the beautiful square in front of the cathedral with trees plated on both sides of it, their branches forming almost a tunnel above the square.

• Municipal albergue – yes, 8 Euro
• Private albergue  – yes
• Hotel, pension – yes
• ATM – yes
• Restaurant, café – yes
• Supermarket – yes
• Pharmacy – yes

Places to stay in Padrón

• Budget | Cruces de Iria | Albergue Rossol B&B |
• Middle price | Apartamento Landra | Hotel Rosalía |
• High-end | Santiaguiño |

Day 12. Padrón to Santiago de Compostela, 25 km/15,5 mi

Some people from our albergue started walking that day at 5 am to be able to attend the Pilgrim’s Mass in the cathedral at 12 am. The first part of the day it’s flat mostly through the forest, and the second part has a couple of hills to conquer, but all this is nothing compared to the excitement and happiness you experience approaching the Cathedral. If it’s your first Camino you’ll see how thrilled you’ll be when you put down your backpack at the Obradoiro Square in front of the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela.

We’d suggest booking accommodation in advance especially in the months of July and August, the peak season for the Camino.  There are many albergues, hostels, hotels, and apartments in Santiago for any budget.

If you have time after spending a couple of o days in Santiago you can continue walking from to Finisterre. The Camino Finisterre is a beautiful 3-4 day walk that offers spectacular forest and sea scenery. If you don’t have time to walk to Finisterre you can do a day bus tour from Santiago to Finisterre and Muxía. There are many other amazing things to do in Santiago de Compostela.

Places to stay between Padrón and Santiago

• Iria Flavia | Pension Grilo | Camiño Portugues |
• A Esclavitude | A Casa da Meixida | Casa Grande da Capellania |
• Angueira de Suso | Pensión HK |
• Picaraña | Pensión Glorioso | Pensión Rural para Peregrinos “AREAL” |
• Milladoiro | Piso Milladoiro | Lorienne | Hotel PAYRO |

Santiago de Compostela, the end of the Portuguese Camino

Now it’s time to relax after a couple of tough walking weeks and spoil yourself by staying in a nice place, you deserved it after sleeping in dozens of albergues with shared facilities. There are many options in Santiago the most difficult is to choose the right one for you. In the peak season, I’d recommend booking your accommodation in Santiago in advance the best and the most central places might be fully booked.

There is one special place in the city for pilgrims – Hospedaria San Marín Pinário Seminario Mayor, it’s one of our favorite places to stay in Santiago de Compostela. The place has been hosting pilgrims since the 16th century. Nowadays it’s an expensive hotel but they have special budget rooms for pilgrims. These rooms are quite small and modest but they’re private and have an attached bathroom.

The location of the place is amazing, right next to the Cathedral. A single room costs 25 Euro, a double room 35 Euro. You have to book it at least a couple of weeks in advance. You can do it via e-mail. They reply quickly. As an option you can stay in one of the renovated rooms, it’s more expensive but more comfortable, these rooms can be booked online.

Places to stay in Santiago

• Budget | Blanco Albergue | Santiago KM-0 | Albergue Seminario Menor |
• Middle price | Pensión Mar Azul | Nest Style Santiago | Hotel Miradoiro de Belvís |
• High-end | Hotel Praza Quintana | San Francisco Hotel Monumento | Hotel Palacio del Carmen |

Tours and activities in Santiago de Compostela

If you have a couple of days before your return flight you can explore Santiago de Compostela and its surroundings, there are many tours and activities in the city.

• Cape Finisterre & Costa da Morte Day Tour from Santiago
• Full-day Rias Baixas Guided Tour from Santiago
• Santiago de Compostela Cathedral and Museum Guided Tour
• Santiago: Gastronomic Night Tour

Getting the Compostela in Santiago

Every pilgrim that walked at least the last 100km to Santiago can get a Compostela – an accreditation of pilgrimage to the tomb of St. Jacob. During the Pilgrim’s Mass, they mention in the prayer the pilgrims that arrived that day in Santiago and registered at the office for their Compostelas according to their country of origin e.g. 50 pilgrims from Spain, 30 pilgrims from the US, 10 from Australia, etc.

To get the Compostela;

• go with your Credential to the Pilgrim Office in Santiago.
• wait in the queue, it can take anything between 30min. and 3 hours depending on the number of pilgrims.

At the Pilgrims’ Office you can get the Certificate of Distance as well it’s similar to the Compostela paper but it includes more details; the name of the Camino you walked, when and where you started, and the total distance walked. The Certificate costs 3 Euro. You can buy a Tubo (cardboard tube) to put your Credential and Certificate in to make sure they won’t tear or get dirty.

Botafumeiro ceremony in the Cathedral de Santiago

Unfortunately, it takes place only on special religious occasions. Botafumeiro is an expensive ceremony and the cathedral can’t afford to do it every day or even once a week.

It’s possible to arrange it for 400 Euro. It doesn’t matter how many people pay for it only you or a group of 50 the ceremony will take place during the Pilgrim’s Mass and will be public. So if you’re 10 or more people it’s not that expensive. You have to book it beforehand for a specific day when you’re planning to be in Santiago.

I’ve seen Botafumeiro once and it’s something to experience especially if you just completed your pilgrimage! Important! No photo or video footage is allowed during the Mass even if you pay for Botafumeiro you can’t take photos. To make a booking write to botafumeiro@catedraldesantiago.es.

Camino Portuguese planning resources

• Combine walking the Portuguese Camino with the Camino Fatima | Camino Portuguese and Camino de Fatima from Lisbon |
• Find useful tips for planning the Camino | The best Camino de Santiago tips |
• Find out about another beautiful walking route in Portugal
  | The Rota Vicentina detailed guide & itinerary |
• Learn which churches and cathedrals on the Camino hold Masses | Masses on the way |
• Make sure to try some traditional Portuguese dishes | 33 Portuguese dishes to try |

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