Camino Portugués: the Portuguese Way, central and coastal

The short answer

The Camino Portugués is the pilgrim road to Santiago de Compostela from Portugal, and after the Camino Francés it is the most walked of all the Caminos. Most people start in Porto and choose between two routes: the central way, about 240 km (150 miles) inland through vineyards and old market towns in around ten days, or the coastal way, about 280 km (175 miles) along the Atlantic in twelve to fourteen days. Starting in Lisbon makes it about 620 km (385 miles) and closer to four weeks. Both routes from Porto meet at Redondela in Galicia and walk the last stretch to Santiago together.

Central or coastal?

Route	Start	Distance	Days	What it is like
Central way	Porto	about 240 km	about 10	Inland, gentle, vineyards, eucalyptus and old market towns
Coastal way	Porto	about 280 km	12 to 14	Beaches, fishing towns and boardwalks, then inland from Redondela
Central from Lisbon	Lisbon	about 620 km	about 28	A quiet, sometimes lonely first fortnight through the interior

Choose the central way if you have about ten days, want the classic route with the most company, and like walking through towns and farmland.

Choose the coastal way if you want the sea. It follows the Atlantic north from Porto, crosses into Spain at the mouth of the River Miño, and runs up the wild Galician coast before turning inland. It takes a few more days, and the sea views are the reason people take them.

The stages in Galicia

The last part of each route runs through Galicia, and the Galician government’s official Camino site describes both.

Central way. It enters Galicia by crossing the River Miño at Tui, and from there it is 118.8 km to Santiago, rated medium to low difficulty. The road passes O Porriño, Mos, Redondela, Pontevedra, Caldas de Reis and Padrón before the final day into Santiago. It is also a route with a famous pilgrim: the official site recalls the 14th-century pilgrimage of Elizabeth of Portugal, the “Holy Queen”, who offered her crown at the altar of St James.

Coastal way. It enters Galicia at the seafaring town of A Guarda after crossing the mouth of the Miño, and its Galician section is 163.1 km, also rated medium to low. It goes west along the river to its estuary, then north along the coast. Some of the official stages:

Stage	Distance
A Guarda to Oia	16.7 km
Baiona to Vigo	26.8 km
Vigo to Redondela	16.3 km

At Redondela the coastal way meets the central one, and the two continue together to Santiago.

The 100 km rule

To receive the Compostela, the certificate the cathedral gives pilgrims, you must walk at least the last 100 km (62 miles) into Santiago, or cycle the last 200 km, collecting stamps in a pilgrim credential along the way. That is why Tui, at 118.8 km out, is one of the busiest starting points of any Camino: it is the shortest start on the central Portuguese way that still qualifies.

How it compares with the Camino Francés

The Francés, from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port in France, is about 780 km and a month long, with the Pyrenees on day one and the high Meseta in the middle. The Portuguese from Porto is a third of the length, lower and gentler, and fits into two weeks. Camino de Santiago routes compares all of the main routes side by side.

Maps

The Galician government’s official site has maps and stage-by-stage profiles for both the central way and the coastal way through Galicia, which are the most reliable place to plan the Spanish section.

Walking a Camino at home

To be honest about it: reTrek does not have the Portuguese Way. Its Camino is the Camino Francés, the 784 km from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port to Santiago de Compostela, with a short film about the place waiting at each milestone from Roncesvalles to the cathedral. If you are planning the Portuguese, walking the Francés in reTrek is a way to get the feel of the pilgrim road, and the daily habit of walking, before you go. And if the Francés is next on your list, it is a way to start it from home. Walk the Camino Francés in reTrek.