Portuguese Way along the coast in 10 days

Your adventure on the Portuguese Camino along the coast begins after arriving in A Guarda, on your own or with our transfers. A small coastal town famous for its lobster and the spectacular 1st century castro of Santa Tegra, which stands at the mouth of the river Minho and offers majestic views from 340m above sea level that you should not miss.

In front of you, Portugal. And next to you, the immensity of the Atlantic Ocean, the Tenebrous Sea in which sailors feared to get lost when sailing too far from the coast. These will be the views with which you start your Portuguese Coastal Route. 160 km separate you from your goal in Compostela.

Hostel: O Peirao Hostel or similar
Standard accommodation: Hotel Brussels or similar
Charming accommodation: Hotel San Benito or similar

Distance: 12.7 km
Difficulty level: ●●○○○
Accommodation: Oia / Viladesuso

This is the start of your Portuguese Way along the coast. Leaving A Guarda behind and, with almost no gradients and the ocean at your side, you will follow the coastline towards the monastery of Santa Maria de Oia, an abbey that once overlooked the sea and was home to the famous "monks cannoneers".

A good place to rest and spend the night and discover the history of these particular friars.

Hostel: Albergue da Estrela or similar
Standard accommodation: Hotel A Raíña or similar
Charming accommodation: Doors House or similar

Distance: 23.2 km
Difficulty: ●○○○○
Accommodation: Baiona

Once you leave Oia, a route along impressive cliffs awaits you until you reach the beautiful lighthouse of Cabo Silleiro, the true landmark of this rectilinear coastal area.

From there, you will ascend towards Baredo and immediately begin your descent towards Baiona, the port where Columbus' ships arrived to communicate the "discovery" of America. You will be able to see a reconstruction of the caravel La Pinta, and also visit the castle of Monterreal, today converted into a Parador de Turismo.

What we are sure of is that this small town, today one of the most important for tourism in Galicia, will not disappoint you.

Hostel: Estela do Mar Hostel or similar
Standard accommodation: Hotel Anunciada or similar
Charming accommodation: Casa do Marqués or similar

Distance: 26.2 km.
Difficulty level: ●●○○○
Accommodation: Vigo

On the fourth day of the Portuguese Way along the coast you will leave Baiona behind and begin to enter the Vigo estuary, where Spanish galleons loaded with gold from the Americas rest on the seabed, and where, according to Jules Verne, the Nautilus made one of its landfalls.

In the background, the Cíes Islands, a natural park of incalculable ornithological value. You will pass the beautiful O Pombal fountain, cross the Romanesque bridges of A Groba and A Ramallosa, and visit the impressive architecture of the Templo Votivo do Mar in Nigrán.

At the end of the stage, you'll arrive at the gates of Vigo, Galicia's largest city and its economic and industrial engine. Be sure to visit the area of O Areal and Plaza de Compostela, where you can see some interesting modernist buildings, the Old Town and the Mercado da Pedra, with its famous oysters.

Hostel: R4 Vigo Hostel or similar
Standard accommodation: Hotel Alda Estación Vigo or similar
Charming accommodation: Lar Atlantica or similar

Distance: 16.8 km
Difficulty level: ●●○○○
Accommodation: Redondela or Cesantes

You'll spend the fifth day crossing Vigo. After leaving the city through the working-class neighbourhood of Teis, with the lighthouse looking down on you from the top of A Guía hill, you'll reach Redondela, the so-called city of viaducts.

This route joins this route with the interior variant of the Portuguese Way, so you will have many experiences to hear and tell other pilgrims.

Hostel: A Casa da Herba or similar
Standard accommodation: A Marisma Hostel or similar
Charming accommodation: Alvear Suites or similar

Distance: 19.1 km
Difficulty level: ●●○○○
Accommodation: Pontevedra

After leaving Redondela, a new effort will take you to the top of O Viso, which offers one of the best views over the famous Vigo estuary - the one portrayed by Jules Verne in his 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, where Spanish galleons loaded with gold from America rest on the seabed.

After a gentle descent, you will reach Arcade, a town famous for the oysters produced on its banks. Further on, you will cross the historic Roman bridge over the river Verdugo and start your descent towards Pontevedra, a town with an impressive historic quarter that is well worth a visit, taking advantage of the shorter-than-usual stage design.

In addition, you can't miss the church of the Pilgrim Virgin and discover its history. Take a look at the ground plan of the building and you'll see that it stands on an unusual but very appropriate scallop shape.

Hostel: Acolá Hostel or similar
Standard accommodation: Hotel Avenida or similar
Charming accommodation: Hotel Boa Vila or similar

Distance: 21.1 km
Difficulty: ●○○○○
Accommodation: Caldas de Reis

The Way leaves Pontevedra over the historic Burgo Bridge, where the River Lérez becomes an estuary. Here the Portuguese Way along the coast finally leaves the coastal route to head inland, in search of Santiago de Compostela.

From there, and after leaving behind the marshes of A Xunqueira de Alba, you will have before you country roads between vineyards that go into a much more rural area, such as the Reirís forest or the Lombo da Maceira spot, until you reach the unique Barosa river.

Finally, the town of Caldas de Reis, perched over the Umia river, is the perfect place to rest and perhaps recharge your batteries in one of its various spas and thermal accommodation.

Hostel: GBC Hostel or similar
Standard accommodation: Hotel O Cruceiro or similar
Charming accommodation: Via XIX Hotel Accommodation or similar

Distance: 18.7 km
Difficulty level: ●●○○○
Accommodation: Padrón

After leaving Caldas, the Portuguese Way continues through rural areas, with small towns and villages. Almost reaching the end of the stage you will cross the river Ulla, one of the most important rivers in Galicia and one of the main channels of the largest and most productive estuary in Galicia: the Ría de Arousa.

On the other side of the bridge, you will find Padrón, the point where, according to tradition, the boat carrying the body of the Apostle James docked when his disciples Theodore and Athanasius brought him back to Gallaecia.

In Padrón you will also discover that the "national poet" of Galician literature is a woman: Rosalía de Castro.

Hostel: Murgadan Hostel or similar
Standard accommodation: Hotel Rosalia or similar
Charming accommodation: Garden Guesthouse or similar

Distance: 24.3 km
Difficulty level: ●●○○○
Accommodation: Santiago de Compostela

You are approaching the finish line of this Portuguese Way along the coast. Passing through small villages, always climbing moderately, you will reach Santiago passing through Iria Flavia, where the bishopric of Teodomiro was located at the time of the discovery of the tomb of the apostle, in the 10th century.

You will also pass through O Milladoiro, which today functions as a dormitory town of the capital of Galicia, but whose name probably comes from the Latin humiliatorium - a clear reference to the pilgrimage and the fact that from its top it was possible to see, at last, the towers of the Cathedral of Santiago. Keep walking and you will enter the city from the south, through the Porta Faxeira of the old city wall and the rúa do Franco, a name related to the pilgrims, who were indistinctly called francos, whether they came from Portugal or from the south of Galicia.

Congratulations, pilgrim! You have reached your goal.

The journey continues.

Hostel: The Last Stamp or similar
Standard accommodation: Hospedería San Martín Pinario or similar
Charming accommodation: Hotel Costa Vella or similar

After a well-deserved rest, you finally have time to visit the city you have walked more than a hundred kilometres to reach. Its historic centre, its university, its surroundings...

This is the end of our services, but if you have time, the End of the World awaits you. We bring it to you on a full day trip to Muxía, Fisterra and the Costa da Morte.