The Portuguese Camino. Porto to Santiago.
A 10-night trip covering the last 100km of the Portuguese Way. Suitable for
walkers and non-walkers alike.
September 23-October 3, 2023
We follow in the footsteps of Portuguese royalty, noblemen and high clerics, through nine centuries of
history on a 10-night journey along one of the oldest pilgrimages in the Iberian Peninsula.
Highlights
What to expect
Guided visit of the 12th century Sé Cathedral,
Beginning at UNESCO’s World Heritage site Porto, we Porto
visit the Sé Cathedral to learn of the history and
importance of the Portuguese Way and just how the Private visit to Symingtons Port House for
Jacobean culture influenced this route over the centuries. tasting visit and dinner
We cross from Portugal to Spain, setting out from one of Visit the legendary parish church of Padrón
the true gems of military architecture, the fortress of with an altar of Roman origin, not far from the
Valença do Minho, to tread in the lush green corridor of arrival point of the maritime transfer of the
Rías Baixas, home of the famous white grape varietal body of St. James
Albariño.
Walk along some of the original Via XIX
Our journey will follow parts of the 1st century Roman Roman road
road Via XIX linking Braga, in northern Portugal to
Astoria in Leon, where we will discover contrasts of rural Immerse in the local food culture paired with
life with natural landscapes, hot springs, forests, paths, wines from the region
medieval bridges, Roman milestones, crossroads, rivers
and oak groves. Dinner at Pepe Vieira's Ultramar restaurant
with wine pairing, Pontevedra
We walk through towns with fascinating history such as
Tui, Pontevedra, Caldas de Reis and Padrón and finish Guided tour of the city of Santiago de
our journey in Santiago de Compostela. Compostela
This route facilitates for those who want to walk the whole The Pilgrims’ mass at the Santiago Cathedral
100km but also for those who wish to walk just a small part with the Botafumeiro
each day and enjoy time at the beautiful hotels in the itinerary.
Farewell dinner in the 15th century Parador de
Santiago de Compostela
Optional private mass in the Santa Susana
Church for our pilgrims
Receive “Compostela“ certificate for
completion of last 100 kms
Trip Itinerary
Day 1. Saturday 23rd September
Guests arrive independently & check into our hotel, the 5- Day 2 continued:
star Lodge Hotel on the banks of Vila Nova de Gaía
looking across to the picturesque view of Porto. We return to Portugal by coach and check in to the
charming Pousada de Valença. Dinner at a local favourite
This afternoon we follow in the footsteps of medieval restaurant in Valença.
pilgrims walking up narrow cobbled streets to reach the
12th century Sé Cathedral on top of the hill with views out Hotel: Pousada de Valença, Valença do Minho 4*
over the city and the Douro River. Our guide will give us
an in-depth tour of this magnificent Romanesque building
whilst immersing us in the history of the Portuguese Way. Day 3. Monday 25th September - 15 KMS
It is here that we are handed our ‘Credential’ or Pilgrim’s After breakfast we travel back to Ribadelouro for the
Passport and Scallop Shell to carry along on our journey. second stage of the Camino to A Rúa.
We drive by bus back across the river to visit the Walking through pine and eucalyptus woods leading to
renowned Graham's 1890 Lodge with its spectacular views the Vigo Estuary, we come to our halfway point O
across Porto. Here, we enjoy a tour of the Caves followed Porriño which has origins closely linked to the Way of
by a port tasting and dinner. St. James. We walk along the river, circumventing the
outside of the town.
Hotel: Lodge Hotel, Vila Nova de Gaia, Porto 5*
From O Porriño, our route takes us to the small
Angustias Chapel from where we take an alternative
Day 2. Sunday 24th September route hearing the rushing waters of the Louro River
After breakfast, we travel to Valença do Minho on the which is hidden from view.
Portuguese-Spanish border where the Minho River divides
the two countries. We arrive mid-morning for an early Our destination is Mos with its 16th century Church of
free lunch and time to explore a little of the fortress with Santa Baia de Mos before a 40 minute drive by coach to
its 800 year history. Baiona in the southern Rías Baixas region.
The first stage of the walk begins here in Valença where we Baiona is protected from the open sea by its lovely bay
cross to Tui via the old centenary railroad bridge. Tui was where the Monterreal Peninsula stands. It is here that
considered one of the seven capitals of the ancient we overnight at the magnificent Parador de Baiona built
Kingdom of Galicia. We visit Tui’s 12th century Cathedral into the fortress where the first ships returning from the
standing at the top of a hill at the summit of the town and Americas made their landfall.
dedicated to Santa Maria with both Romanesque and
Gothic elements. Dinner is at the Parador overlooking the Bay of Vigo
and Cíes Islands.
Our walk continues to follow the Minho River before
changing to forests and vineyards where our way is clearly Hotel: Parador de Baiona, Baiona 4*
sign posted with the yellow and blue scallop shell.
Our destination is Ribadelouro which has a first historical
reference from a document dating back to 1112 in which
this parish is mentioned by the name of its titular saint,
Santa Comba.
Day 4. Tuesday 26th September - 17 KMS
After breakfast we travel back to Mos to begin the third stage of the Camino to Arcade.
A stone cross with the inscription ‘Camino de Santiago’ marks the start of Os Cabaleiros street, which leads to a cross
monument of the same name. At O Enxertado, with the valley to the east, there is a slight climb up to the Santiaguiño
de Anta Chapel, a simple monument surrounded by a lovely oak wood.
A Roman milestone (1 Roman mile = 1,480 metres) which once formed part of Via XIX, linking Braga and Astorga,
guides the way to the municipality of Redondela surrounded by pine and eucalyptus woods, an important feature of
this stretch of the route. We finish at the legendary Chan das Pipas where it is said that a man pushed barrels of wines
downhill in an attempt to delay the advance of Napoleon’s troops!
We reach Redondela passing by the Vilavella Convent dating back to 1501, now serving as a pilgrim’s hostel.
From here we enter the parish of Cesantes where we view the spectacular Ria (estuary) of Vigo and the islands of San
Simón and San Antón where beneath these waters lie the remains of the galleons of the Battle of Rande (1702). In the
background, the panoramic view is completed by the Rande Bridge, a cable-stayed bridge that rises above the mussel
farmers’ rafts.
We follow the route until we reach the historic, medieval, 10 arcades Sampaio Bridge with beautiful views of the
Peneda del Viso and the estuary of the Verdugo river.It was here, during the Napoleonic wars, that a famous battle
took place against the French in June 1809.
The municipality of Pontevedra begins at the bridge’s halfway point. The route runs through the town of Ponte
Sampaio and continues along ancient, evocative stone paths, including sections of the Roman Via XIX.
We finish in the village of Arcade with its old stone houses clinging to green hills that plunge into tranquil bays,
ancient Roman bridges, cobblestone streets and narrow lanes that pass up and down through old time
neighbourhoods with traditional stone granaries at almost every home.
We will then take a short drive to our hotel Galicia Palace in Pontevedra where we shall stay for the next two nights.
Dinner at a favourite local restaurant.
Hotel: Galicia Palace, Pontevedra 4*
Day 5. Wednesday 27th Sept. - 17 KMS
After breakfast we take a 15 minute drive back to Arcade to begin the fourth stage of the Camino to Alba via
Pontevedra.
The route approaches Pontevedra where along the way we find the unexpected and small 1617 Santa Marta Chapel
by the roadside to stamp our Credential.
As we enter Pontevedra we see the beautiful scallop-shaped Church of the Pilgrim Virgin dating back to 1778 and
considered to be one of the most symbolic and important buildings in the city. The church is dedicated to the Virgin
who, according to tradition, guided pilgrims from Baiona in the south-west of the province of Pontevedra to
Santiago de Compostela.
In the evening we enjoy dinner at Pepe Vieira's Ultramar restaurant with paired wines.
We spend our second night at Galicia Palace.
Day 6. Thursday 28th Sept. - 18 KMS Day 7 continued:
After breakfast: We check out and begin the fifth stage of
the Camino to Caldas de Reis. On leaving Pontevedra, With an impressive history linked to Roman emperors,
we cross the Lérez River on Burgo Bridge which runs Pontecesures is also noted for its 12th century shipyard,
beside a large wetland known as A Xunqueira de Alba. where three ships were built destined to fight the Berber
pirates that caused damage to English ships brimming
After crossing the bridge over the Areal River, our route with pilgrims on their way to Santiago.
leads us into Valbón amidst large stone houses. Three
interesting stone crosses line the way, one of them near We take a 10 minute drive to our hotel for the next two
Amonisa House whilst another boasts a carving of St. nights: Pazo de Lestrove, a renovated former mansion
James the Pilgrim looking north, towards Compostela, house outside the town of Padrón. Dinner at the hotel.
on its shaft. A third cross, the solitary Soutelo, completes
the triad of these genuine sculptures created to mark Hotel: Pazo Le Strove, Padrón 4*
crossroads.
Day 8. Saturday 30th Sept. - 15 KMS
The route alternates between short sections of trail, dirt After breakfast we travel back to Pontecesures to begin
tracks and paved paths where we come to the lovely the seventh stage of the Camino to Rúa Francos vía
Tivo, almost on the doorstep of Caldas de Reis. After Padrón.
passing the Santa María Church, our route takes us into
the beautiful thermal town of Caldas de Reis, crossed by As we leave Pontecesures, we cross the Roman bridge
the river Umia and known for its high mineral hot over the Ulla River separating the provinces of
springs and Romanesque architecture. Pontevedra and A Coruña. We follow our route to
Padrón, to the Santiago church, home of the Jacobean
We take a five minute drive to our hotel, the pretty Torre tradition, located at the estuary of the Ulla and Sar
do Río, set against a backdrop natural beauty by the rivers. For those who wish, you can visit the beautiful
Umaia river. 10th century Padrón Church, best representing the
history of the Camino.
Hotel: Torre do Río, Caldas del Reis 3*
Not far from here is Iria Flavia which is considered the
Day 7. Friday 29th September - 15 KMS arrival point of the maritime transfer of the body of St.
After breakfast we travel back to Caldas de Reis to begin James and the starting point of its overland transfer to
the sixth stage of the Camino to Pontecesures via San Compostela.
Miguel de Valga. Free time to enjoy the famous small green Padrón
peppers lightly fried in olive oil and sprinkled with sea
The route takes us through Casal de Eirigo where on salt along with other specialities of the region.
April 27th 1809, the Battle of Casal de Eirigo took place On leaving Padrón, we visit the Santa María Collegiate
between the Galician army and local villagers against the Church cemetery where the tomb of Spanish Nobel
Napoleonic army. From here we come to Prize Literature winner, Camilo José Cela is located.
Mount Castelo giving way to dense woods washed by
the waters of the Valga River and dotted with old stone From here our walk takes us to the beautiful church of
mills. the Sanctuary of A Escravitude highlighting the fountain
that is under its impressive stairway.
Crossing the Fontelo River we pass through small
villages to reach the Pino Manso viewpoint which offers We have time to take in the view of the valleys of Padrón
us a magnificent view out over the Ulla River valley and and surrounding lands of Amaía before descending to A
the town of Pontecesures. Angueira de Suso and then climbing to Rúa de Francos.
We return to Pazo Le Strove for our second night here
and dinner.
Day 9. Sunday 1st October - 13 KMS
After breakfast we travel back to Rúa Francos to begin the eighth stage of the Camino to Santiago Compostela.
In Milladoiro, we catch sight of the Santiago Cathedral for the first time and a sense of excitement is in the air.
We descend to A Rocha Vella on the Sar River crossing the old bridge before reaching Vigo Square and the old
quarter. We pass through the mythical streets of Santiago de Compostela to reach our destination of the famed Praza
de Obradoiro in front of the Cathedral.
This evening we stay at the impressive 15th century Parador in Santiago de Compostela.
We come together with our fellow pilgrims from St George's Episcopal Church for mass at the Santa Susana Church
followed by a drink together at the Parador before leaving for dinner at a local favourite, A Moa serving Galician
specialities with a modern twist.
Hotel: Parador Santiago de Compostela 5*
Day 10. Monday 2nd October Day 11. Tuesday 3rd October
After breakfast we meet for a private walking tour to Breakfast.
learn of the history of Santiago and its cathedral passing Say our goodbyes.
through the well-known main streets and squares.
Free time for lunch.
We meet in the Parador at 7pm to attend the Pilgrim’s
Mass held inside the cathedral with a chance to see the
impressive botafumeiro incense burner in full motion
operated by no less than 8 tiraboleiros pulling the ropes.
8.30pm We have our farewell dinner this evening at the
Parador where we will enjoy fine dining paired with
Spanish wines in the private dining room overlooking
the Obradoiro Square.
We spend our second night at the Parador.
End of tour
The Portuguese Camino. Porto to Santiago.
September 23-October 3, 2023
Price per person: 4855€
Single Room Supplement: 950€
Deposit: 500€
Included:
1 night at the Lodge Hotel, Vila Nova de Gaia, Porto 5*
1 night at the Pousada de Valença, Valença do Minho 4*
1 night at the Parador de Baiona, Baiona 4*
2 nights at the Galicia Palace, Pontevedra 4*
1 night at the Torre do Río, Caldas del Reis 3*
2 nights at the Pazo Le Strove, Padrón 4*
2 nights at the Parador Santiago de Compostela 5*
Private transport by luxury coach
Tour host
Breakfast daily; 10 dinners with wine (all lunches at own expense along the way)
Visits & activities as specified
A $200 USD donation to the Friends of the Anglican Centre in Santiago de Compostela
All applicable taxes
Flights, tips & holiday insurance are not included.
To book your place please fill out this booking form:
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Contact:
Joanna Wivell Insider's Travel
[email protected]
Cell: +34 699 493 193
Cell UK: +44 7341 641 874
