The Portuguese Camino - your 2026 guide
The Portuguese Camino is one of the spiritual routes to Santiago de Compostela. It is the second most popular Camino de Santiago route after the Camino Frances. According to the Pilgrim's Reception Office in 2025 more than 34% of all pilgrims who arrived in Santiago de Compostela walked it. Every year more and more people choose the Portuguese Camino. It's my favorite Camino route.
You can find a complete list of our posts dedicated to the Portuguese Camino on our Portuguese Camino de Santiago resource page.
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Portuguese Camino planning tool
You can use our free Portuguese Camino planning tool to get a customized itinerary with recommended places to stay.
The Portuguese Camino - downloadable PDF files
To make your Portuguese Camino planning easier we created free downloadable PDF files. Two files for each route; one contains walking stages and one places to stay along the route including public albergues with contact details and booking information.
Central Route
- Central Route Portuguese Camino - walking stages PDF
- Central Route Portuguese Camino places to stay PDF
Coastal Route
- Coastal Route Portuguese Camino - walking stages PDF
- Coastal Route Portuguese Camino - places to stay PDF
Litoral Way
- Litoral Way Portuguese Camino - walking stages PDF
- Litoral Way Portuguese Camino - places to stay PDF
Portuguese Camino overview
- Distance - from Lisbon: between 613 km/381 mi and 650 km/403 mi depending on the route from Porto. From Porto: 243.5 km/151 mi - Central Route; 274 km/170 mi - Coastal Route; 280 km/173 mi - Litoral Way. From Tui - 117 km/72.7 mi.
- Number of days – 25-30 days from Lisbon; 12-15 days from Porto; 5-7 days from Tui.
- Starting points - the Church of Santiago in Lisbon; Sé Cathedral in Porto; Cathedral de Santa Maria in Tui (for the last 100 km to Santiago).
- Finishing point - Obradoiro Square in Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
- Walking surface - asphalt, cobblestone, footpath, gravel road, boardwalks (on the coastal routes).
- Average cost - 35-55 Euro per person per day
- Accommodation - public and private Albergues, hostels, hotels, guesthouses, and campsites.
- Route marking - yellow shells and arrows, metal shells and arrows on the ground, stone distance poles.
Travel insurance for the Camino
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.
Where does the Portuguese Camino start?
The Portuguese Camino like other Camino de Santiago routes has several starting points. In fact one can start walking from any place on the route. The most popular starting points are Lisbon (the actual start of the Portuguese Camino), Porto (where most pilgrims start), and Tui (the last 100 km to Santiago).
In Lisbon the Camino starts at the Church of Santiago, a small church 400 m away from Se Cathedral. Many people think the route starts at the Cathedral but it doesn't. The church is closed most of the time. If you need a pilgrim's passport (Credential) you can buy it at Se Cathedral in Lisbon (from the church the Camino goes to the Cathedral).
In Porto the Portuguese Camino (all 3 routes) start at the Se Cathedral in the historical center.
In Tui (Spain) the route starts at Cathedral de Santa Maria de Tui. The reason many people start walking the last 100 km from Tui is to get the Compostela, a pilgrimage certificate. It's granted only to pilgrims who have walked at least the last 100 km to Santiago de Compostela on any Camino route.
Vigo is another starting point to walk the last 100 km on the Coastal/Litoral route of the Portuguese Camino. You can start the walk at the Church of Santa Maria de Vigo in the historical center.
How long is the route?
The distance of the Camino Portugues depends on where you start walking. As you can see in the above section there are several starting points.
If you start the Portuguese Camino in Lisbon your total distance will be between 613 km/381 mi and 650 km/403 mi depending on the route from Porto. It takes 25-30 days to complete it.
If you start in Porto and walk the Central Route it's 243.5 km/151 mi. It takes on average 10 to 12 days to complete.
The Coastal Route from Porto is 274 km/170 mi. It takes 12 to 14 days to complete.
The Litoral Way from Porto is 280 km/173 mi. It takes 12 to 14 days.
The combination of the Litoral and Central routes from Porto is 262 km/163 mi. It takes 12-14 days.
The Portuguese Camino from Tui is 119 km/74 mi. It takes 5 to 7 days to complete on average.
How difficult is the walk?
The Portuguese Camino is a challenging multi-day walk. It requires preparation and training especially if you're not an experienced hiker and have never done a long-distance walk. You walk 20-25 km a day on average with a backpack for weeks. You can imagine that by the end of the Camino, you'll be quite tired. You can always take rest days and stay in one of the beautiful towns on the Portuguese Camino.
The difficulty level depends on the chosen route and starting point. If you start in Lisbon and walk to Santiago de Compostela it's a demanding walk, especially the part from Lisbon to Porto. The distances between towns are greater and there are fewer places to stop in between.
If you walk the Central Route from Porto you can expect steep ascents and descents. Some people might find it challenging. The route is well-marked and has good infrastructure for pilgrims. There are plenty of places to stay along the route so you can walk shorter distances.
The Coastal Route from Porto is well-marked and has fewer hills than the Central Route but it's a bit longer. During winter months it gets very windy, cold, and wet. It's not the best route to walk outside the spring/summer months.
The Litoral Way is my favorite route of the Portuguese Camino. Most of the time it goes next to the sea. It has no hills, the distance is the same as on the Coastal Route. The lack of route marking is the main challenging part of it. You'll need some sort of navigation to stay on the track.
If you decide to take the Spiritual Variant (the optional route of the Portuguese Camino from Pontevedra to Pontecesures/Padrón) be prepared for a challenge as the route has a very steep ascent and descent.
Camino with a company
We often get questions from our readers about using a company to plan their Camino walk. We have never done it so I can't recommend it from my personal experience.
It's easier to plan the Camino through a company because they do all the booking and planning for you. The main drawbacks (in my opinion) are that it's more expensive and it doesn't give you much flexibility as your accommodation and luggage delivery are booked in advance.
Download the Camino Portuguese Walking Routes map
Different routes of the Portuguese Camino
The Portuguese Camino de Santiago has different routes. You can combine the routes from Porto in one walk.
The Lisbon to Porto part has only one route. The Porto to Santiago part has three routes: Central, Coastal, and Litoral. The last two are similar they merge and split every day.
The Central Route is a 243.5 km/151 mi inland route from Porto to Santiago de Compostela. There are several interesting historical towns along the way. The scenery is countryside, forest, and fields.
The Coastal Route is a 274 km/170 mi partially coastal partially inland route from Porto to Santiago. It goes close to the coast till Vigo. From there is goes inland to Redondela where it merges with the Central Route. If you are choosing between the two above routes read my post where I compare the Central and Coastal Route. As an option you can combine the Coastal and Central routes in one walk.
The Litoral Way (Senda Litoral) is a 280 km/173 mi coastal route. From Porto, it goes along the Douro River and the Atlantic Coast. The main difference of the Litoral Way compared to the Coastal Route is that the first is 80% next to the sea. Like the Coastal Route, it merges with the Central Route in Redondela.
There are two connecting routes that you can use to switch from the Coastal/Litoral Way to the Central Route. First is from Vila do Conde to Rates (after the first stage) and second from Caminha to Valença/Tui.
The Spiritual Variant (Variante Espiritual) is an optional route from Pontevedra to Padron (Pontecesures). It includes 2 walking days and 1 day on the boat. It's a scenic and quite challenging route due to a steep ascent on the first day and a long descent on the second day.
The best time for walking
September and May are the most popular months for the Portuguese Camino. Good weather for walking is one of the reasons. It's warm and sunny but not too hot. It's not the peak holiday season so flights and hotels are usually cheaper. Expect to see a lot of pilgrims on the route. It's better to book accommodation and luggage transfer in advance.
If you want to have good weather and fewer people, the end of April and the first half of October are the best months to walk the Camino.
June is the beginning of the summer season; the weather is good and there are fewer people on the route compared to May and September.
July and August are the hottest months and the peak holiday season. Finding private accommodation on the coastal routes might be difficult without booking in advance and prices are a higher.
Winter months are not the best for walking in Northern Portugal and Spain it gets cold, rainy, and windy, and some albergues are closed.
What is the accommodation like?
Albergue is a special hostel for pilgrims with dormitories and shared facilities don’t expect any luxury.
There are two types of albergues on the Camino; municipal (public) and private albergues.
Municipal albergues are cheaper (10-12 euros pp.), they can’t be booked in advance, and most of them don't accept luggage delivery. One requires a Credential (a pilgrim's passport) to stay there. Usually can be paid only cash.
Private albergues are more expensive (around 20 euros pp.). They have better facilities, can be booked in advance online or over the phone, and accept luggage delivery. Usually accept cards and cash.
Most Albergues (private and public) have dormitories with bunk beds, shared bathrooms/toilets, and a kitchen, some have washing machines. Most (if not all) private albergues and some public have wi-fi.
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 us, Camino de Santiago guidebooks by John Brierley are the best. We used his Pilgrim’s Guide to the Camino Portugués Lisbon – Porto – Santiago: including Camino Central, Variente Espiritual, Camino da Costa, & Senda Litoral on the Portuguese Camino.
Want to read a fun, entertaining book about the Camino? Some fun and informative novels take place on The Way. Campbell read a few of the most famous books written about the Camino. See our reviews of a couple of the Top Novels on the Camino de Santiago.
Best Camino apps
We don't use apps for walking the Camino but I know many people do. So we've tried different apps for the Portuguese Camino to see how they work. I used for a couple of days Wise Pilgrim and Buen Camino on the different stages and routes of the Portuguese Camino. I used Camino Ninja (I know many pilgrims like it) when I walked the Litoral Way and it was quite accurate most of the time.
Overall my experience with Camino apps was good. I didn't need apps for walking the Central and Coastal Routes as they are well-marked. For the Litoral Way I used it for a couple of stages. I didn't like walking attached to my phone so unless you walk a not-well-marked route I don't think having an app is crucial.
Luggage transfer on the Camino
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. Several companies offer this service on the Portuguese route. Pilbeo (Central Route), Tui Trans (Coastal, Central, and Spiritual Routes) and Correos (Central, Coastal, and Spiritual Route). You can use it for the entire route or 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.
The cost of walking 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 public albergues and buy food in supermarkets your average Camino cost will be around 25 Euros per person per day. If you stay in private 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 35-40 Euros per person. If you stay in hotels, eat out twice a day, and use luggage transfer service be ready to spend 55+ euros per person per day. You can find a detailed breakdown with prices in our Portuguese Camino cost post.
Prices in Portugal
- Accommodation - municipal albergues - 10-12 Euro per person, private albergues - 20 Euro pp. Hotels from 30 Euros pp. (if sharing a budget double room), from 45 euros for a single budget room.
- Eating out - Menu do Dia, a set lunch that includes a starter, main dish with sides, drink and coffee or dessert - from 12 Euro pp.
- Food shopping - 10 Euro pp per day
- A cup of coffee (Americano) - 1.5-3 euros
- A beer in a bar - 2 Euro.
- Laundry - washing 4 Euro per load.
- Backpack delivery service (optional) - 7 euros per backpack per stage.
Prices in Spain
- Accommodation - municipal albergues - 10 euros per person, private albergues - 20-25 euros pp. Hotels from 35 Euro pp. (if sharing a double budget room), from 50 euros for a budget single room.
- Eating out - Menu del Dia; starter, main dish, drink (usually house wine), coffee or dessert - from 12 euros.
- Food shopping - 10 euros pp per day
- A cup of coffee (Americano) - 1.5-3.5 euros
- A beer in a bar - 2-3 euros
- Laundry - washing - 4 euros 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 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 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 Portuguese Camino packing list post where you can find our recommendations on what to pack for the Camino for men and women for different seasons.
Portuguese Camino planning resources
- The three routes of the Portuguese Camino from Porto
- The Central Route of the Portuguese Camino
- The Coastal Route of the Portuguese Camino
- The Litoral Way of the Portuguese Camino
- The last 100 km on the Portuguese Camino from Tui
- Portuguese Camino packing list
- The Spiritual Variant of the Portuguese Camino
- The Portuguese Camino from Lisbon
- Best towns on the Portuguese Camino de Santiago
Questions or Comments?
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The pretty half of Stingy Nomads, responsible for all our land adventures (hiking, climbing, walking the Camino) and following them write-ups. Alya loves walking since she was a child, she prefers to walk 1000 km with a backpack rather than to do a 10 000 km road trip (actually any road trip). Alya is a big fan of Latin America, the Spanish language, and dancing. Every time we go away she desperately misses our dog Chile.
Hi,
Thanks for all the detailed info! Very usefull!!
For the Porto-Compostella route you advice to combine the coastal route with some rural and mountain scenery (part of the Central and Spiritual way). Do you know what the distance is in that case? Thx!
Hello Erik. Thank you for the comment. The total distance on the Coastal Route combined with the Central Route and the Spiritual Way will be between 280 km and 290 km depending on where you want to switch from the Coastal Route to the Central Route.
Buen Camino
To qualify for the certificate, do you have to do the final 100km, or can I hike 100+km total from Porto.....walking some parts and busing between others?
Hello Amy. You have to walk at least the last 100 km to Santiago. You can skip some parts before that but not on the last 100 km.
Buen Camino
Question! I have printed out _everything_ that you have offered to walk the Portuguese Camino coastal route, switching to the central route. I have a detailed itinerary, reservations, etc. My husband (who is not going with me :-D) looked on WisePilgrim and almost all of the towns along the Way are different? Did you each pick your favorite ones, or are there different central routes as well? Thank you!
Hello Christine. Thank you for the comment.
There is only one Central Route on the Portuguese Camino. I'm not sure what you mean the town are different? The walking stages are different because they start and end in different towns? It's possible anybody can change the itinerary the way it suits them. Our itinerary for the Portuguese Camino is quite standard and often overlaps with the main guidebooks and the official Camino websites. We have never used WisePilgrim and don't know what they recommend. You're free to use any planning resources for your Camino walk.
Buen Camino
I am so grateful for your wonderful and detailed reviews/summaries/opinions of the Caminos!! THANK YOU!
Although it is a pleasure to research such an amazing adventure on my own, I am so relieved to have so much information made available is such clear and concise charts and summaries--the landscapes, the albergues, the stages (distances and terrain), the difficulty of the different Caminos, the videos (a real glimpse of what is to come...); It is all such a gift.
I am grateful and feeling excited about my Camino in October, 2022.
Carmen in Austin, Texas, USA.
Hello Carmen. Thank you very much for the comment. We're glad you've found our site helpful. Enjoy the Camino!
Your information has been most valuable!I was born in Sagres but live in Canada for many years now! I am walking to Santiago from Porto at the end of September.
Do you know how much public transport will be available to return to Porto? At this time I cannot see the fall schedule and I am not sure what to expect . ..it will be also a holiday in Spain ( 12 Outubro)when I need to go to Porto . Thanks.
Antonio (Victoria, BC)
Hello Antonio. Thank you for the comment. We love Sagres, it's a great place. We moved to Portugal last year and now live in Lagos so we go to Sagres quite often. As of now, on the FlixBus website, I can see one daily bus from Santiago to Porto in October but not on the 12th and 13th of October. It's difficult to say if it's all sold out because of the public holiday in Spain or if it's just too early to book. On the ALSA website, there is no itinerary for October only September but there are 4-5 daily buses from Santiago to Porto. I'd suggest checking the website from time to time and once they publish the itinerary for October book your ticket.
Buen Camino
I'm considering walking from Porto in October 2022. Is this a good time to walk in Portugal? Have accommodations opened up again after COVID? I walked the Camino Frances in 2012 and am looking forward to celebrating the 10th anniversary of my Camino awakening. Great website that you have. Gracias!
Hello Patrick. Thank you for the comment. I'd suggest the first half of October for walking the Portuguese Camino from Porto. In the second half, it gets quite chilly and rainy in the north of Portugal and Spain. Most albergues are currently open there might be some that are closed for renovation but overall the route has plenty of accommodation options.
Buen Camino
Like others I want to thank you for all this info and the info on the other routes. Can you direct me to where I can find your in for on starting from Lisbon please? I read you started in Lisbon but can't find anything for that. I would like to do this stage this year and Porto to SCQ next year.
Hope bubba enjoyed the journey 🌻🌻
Thanks
Lindy
Hello Lindy. Thank you very much for the feedback. You can find the post on the Portuguese Camino from Lisbon here https://stingynomads.com/camino-fatima-walk-lisbon-porto/
Cheers
Thanks a lot for the amazing long-read!
Short question: how is it safely to leave backpacks in albergue and go sightseeing rest of the day? Or it's better to go everywhere with backpacks??
Hello Raman. We usually leave our backpacks in albergues but take all valuable stuff (money, phones, cameras, passports, etc.) with us if we go out. It's pretty useful to have a small foldable day pack for this purpose. Many albergues have lockers where you can lock your backpacks. We carry small travel locks with us.
Buen Camino
Is it possible to store luggage in Santiago before the hike and pick it up a week later?
Hello. Yes, there is a Correos luggage storage office 5 minutes walk from the Cathedral, next to the Pilgrim's Reception Office in Santiago. You can store your luggage there. To store 1 piece of luggage there costs 3 euros per day. Here is the link to their website https://www.elcaminoconcorreos.com/en/luggage-storage.
Buen Camino
+ greetings, I’m looking to speak to someone over a call about this. I find it easier to communicate that way. Is it possible?
Hello, Charlene. Sorry, we don't do phone calls. We're not a company we don't provide any services we write about our personal experience on the Camino. If you have any questions regarding the post we can answer them here.
Buen Camino
Hi. Thanks for the info. I’ve been told the cobblestones on Portuguese make it rough on old knees and feet, and there are fewer accommodations than on the Francese. Yet, I am drawn by the photos of the Portuguese. Any thoughts?
Hello, Tammy. Thank you for the comment. The Portuguese Camino from Porto is much shorter than the Camino Frances and it's very flat I'd say it's better for people with knee problems than the French route. You do walk on cobblestones but if you have good shoes your feet and knees should be fine. It's not all the way on cobblestones only when you walk through Portuguese towns.
Buen Camino
Hello.
Thanks so much for the super helpful info! It’s really kind of you to share your knowledge with everyone.
I’m thinking of doing a walk that takes around 2 weeks at the end of the summer on my own and wondered if you had a route that you’d recommend please? I wouldn’t want anything too remote or quiet for my first one. I like to feel that there are people and places nearby but not necessarily be in a big crowd. Also, I’m vegan so any info on what and where I can eat would be great. Any recommendations/help gratefully received.
Thanks
Katie
Hello, Katie. Thank you for the comment. I think the Portuguese Camino from Porto is a good option for you. It's quite popular but not as busy as the Camino Frances. To complete the route you need 12-14 days. There are plenty of albergues, hotels, restaurants, and shops along the route.
As for finding vegan food, it might be easier in bigger cities and towns. Overall Portugal and Spain are not very vegan-friendly places outside touristy places it might be difficult to find a diverse vegan menu. The easiest option is to make your own food. Most albergues have a kitchen you can buy whatever food you want and cook it yourself. We often cook on the Camino. It's nice and social to make food together with other pilgrims.
Buen Camino
Hi Folks,
First off, thanks a million for such an informative post.
It's by far the most useful I've seen and will be such a help in planning.
I see in one of your messages below that you guys live in Portugal so I thought I'd ask if there's any recent info on the status of the municipal auberges ?
Cheers,
Phil
Hello, Phil. Thank you very much for the comment. Yes, we live in Portugal. I'm not sure what you mean by the status of the municipal albergues? Do you want to know if they're open? Most of the municipal albergues. In this post, you can find updated information for the albergues along the Portuguese Camino in the walking stages section.
Buen Camino
@Stingy Nomads,
Hi, thanks for such a quick reply. In the post you noted that in february some alberqgues were still closed due to travel restrictions but that the situation might change,
So I just wanted to ask has this changed (if you know) ?
Separate question - does this need much planning or could I just fly to Porto and start walking?
Slightly concerned about accommodation (first two weeks in June)
thanks again
Phil
In the post at the end of every stage, you can see if public albergues is open or closed. I update the information on a regular basis. June is usually not the busiest month on the Portuguese Camino I think you'll be able to find a bed. Public albergues can't be booked in advance anyway. If you want to stay in budget private rooms then I'd recommend booking places in advance there are not many affordable private rooms on the Camino.
Buen Camino
Hi, grate informations thank you! I have one question, do you have any traffic problems/dangerous (to walk on the road with cars ) between Labruge – Rates ?
Hello, Marlene. The Camino follows the busy road on the part between Vila do Conde to Rates. From Labruge to Vila do Conde it's a nice walk along the coast. There are two routes from Vila do Conde; the river route and the aqueduct route. The river one has a lot of traffic, the aqueduct one doesn't but it's not as well marked as the river route. If you don't like any of the options you can always walk on the Coastal Route to Caminha and from there switch to the Central Route and walk to Tui. If you take that route there will be no road walking at all. The part of the Portuguese Camino from Porto to Caminha is one of my favorites.
Buen Camino
Hi. Your information is so invaluable. Thank you for providing this.
I'm thinking about planning a Camino for late July. I know it will be hot but I'm okay with that. I'll probably be solo and will have about 7-11 days but would ideally like to include a few days on either end of my Camino in Seville (where I lived many years ago) or elsewhere in Portugal. So, ideally my Camino would be about 4-6 days. I really want to do the Camino Portugal as I love coastal hiking, villages and towns.. and therefore start in Porto but I'm concerned I won't have enough time. So, here's my question - are there sections where one can combine public transportation (trains/buses) with walking to eliminate some of the walking time and still do the entire route? Is this even something that pilgrims do and is it okay as part of the "approved pilgrimage"? I hope this question makes sense. If public transport cannot be combined with walking, what would you recommend as an alternative?
I look forward to any advice you can give. And thank you again!
Hello, Marissa. Thank you for the comment. 4-6 days is definitely not enough to complete the Portuguese Camino from Porto. You need 12-14 days for the route. There is no approved pilgrimage you can walk the Camino the way it works for you. Skipping a big part of the route is not something that many people do. Many people if they don't have time to walk the entire route start closer to Santiago de Compostela, e.g. walk the last 100 km to Santiago from Tui on the Portuguese Camino. There is not any coastal walk on the last 100 km but it might be easier for planning. If you want to get a Compostela Certificate for completing the Camino it's required to walk at least the last 100 km to Santiago that's why many people walk it. If you are not too worried about the Compostela then you can start walking in Porto and walk for a couple of days. For the first 3-4 days on the Coastal Route of the Portuguese Camino, you walk along the coast for most of the time. then you can take a bus and skip the middle part and continue from Pontevedra or Redondela to Santiago. You walk the first 3 days and the last 3 days combining the coastal walk at the start with the nicest towns on the Portuguese Route at the end of the route.
I hope it helps.
Buen Camino
THANK YOU! great information !!!
Wow thanks for the great read! Really informative! I’ve looked online and every time I search Camino de Santiago travel agencies come up I’m guessing as a option to book the tour for you and have everything sorted like accommodation and luggage transfers and day activities in Santiago. Did you “book” your Camino de Santiago through a travel agency or did you just rock up at your starting point and start your hike and book your accommodation along the way doing everything yourself? I’m worried I might miss out on something important by not booking through an agent but the prices are quite high compared to what I could do the hike for planned on my own. Cheers
Hello, Geordi. Thank you for the comment. We have never used an agency to plan our Camino de Santiago walk. Thousands of people walk the Camino every year. It's not necessary you can do it yourself, most people who walk the Camino do it independently. The walk is self-explanatory, the route is well-marked, and there are albergues, hostels, hotels, and restaurants along the Camino. If you're going to walk the Portuguese Camino there will be plenty of other pilgrims.
The only important thing is to have your Pilgrim's Passport (Credential) where you collect stamps that you can get at places and stay, restaurants, and cafes along the route. After completing the Camino you go to the Pilgrim's Reception Office in Santiago where you show your Credential and they issue a Compostela Certificate for completing the Camino de Santiago. For the last 100 km to Santiago de Compostela, you need 2 stamps per day.
At the beginning of this post, you can find downloadable PDF files with walking stages and places to stay along the Camino Portuguese. You can use them to plan your walk.
We have many posts on the Camino de Santiago that might be helpful for your planning. You can find all the posts here https://stingynomads.com/camino-de-santiago/
Buen Camino
Wow the information you have given is amazing thankyou.
Can you give any advice on a short walk as I wont have enough time to do the full Camino, I will have about 5/6 days and I would like to experience some of the Camino. I will be visiting Porto in June, some people have suggested Tui what would you suggest?
Hello, Kim. Thank you very much for the comment. If you're going to be in Porto and have only 5-6 days I think the Portuguese Camino from Tui is the best option for you. As an alternative, you can walk the Camino Finisterre. The route starts in Santiago de Compostela and finishes on the coast at Cape Finisterre. It's a 5-day walk. This route is less busy than the Portuguese Camino from Tui but you'll have to get by bus to Santiago first and then start walking from there towards Finisterre.
Buen Camino
Thank you for the great and very informative read!
How recent are the prices / estimates that are mentioned?
We are in the planning stages of our trip and want to be realistic with the budget.
Many thanks
Hello, Janet. Thank you for the comment. We live in Portugal so the prices indicated in the post are current prices. The accommodation might work out more expensive if there are new Covid restrictions and the capacities of the albergues on the Portuguese Camino will be reduced.
Buen Camino
Hi Stingy Nomads. Wow! What a helpful and informative resource you've created! Thank you! I walked the Camino Frances in 2012 and have subsequently walked many of the routes in France. In April 2022, to celebrate the 10th year of that life-changing walk, I plan to walk the Camino Portugues. QUESTION: Are there monasteries or other religious orders along the route that offer single or multi-day accommodation?
Hello, Patrick. Thank you for the comment. As far as I remember the only religious places that offer accommodation on the Portuguese Camino is in Armenteira on the Spiritual Way, the optional route from Pontevedra to Padron. Pilgrims can stay in one of the monastery rooms but you have to book it in advance and it's not free, 42 Euro for a single room, 60 Euro for a double room. You can make a booking online https://www.monasteriodearmenteira.es/peregrinos/ the page is in Spanish. Other than that I don't recall any other similar places on this route.
Buen Camino