More about the route
Caminho da Costa, as the route is called, is a nice alternative to the regular Portuguese Camino route. The trip from Porto to Santiago is approx. 259km (160mi), and the rises are not very steep. You walk along paths, small roads, the beach and through small towns. On average, you walk 20 km (12.5mi) per day. The longest stretch will be 25km and the shortest just 14km (9mi).
Itinerary
Here you can see the programme for the tour.
You will start your Camino hike towards Santiago de Compostela in the beautiful and colorful Porto, with its UNESCO-listed old town, picturesque river bank, and last but not least, the home of port wine. Experience the best of Portuguese hospitality in this lively city before starting your hike along Caminho da Costa.
Hotel (example): Hotel Porto Trindade
Today you start by being driven to Matosinhos to bypass the less interesting outskirts of Porto. You are driven to "Mercado", from where your Camino Portugues begins. You'll go through small fishing villages, small castles and churches. You also pass the prehistoric ruin Castro San Paio while being surrounded by beautiful sandy beaches.
Hotel (example): Grand Hotel da Povoa
Today you start by taking a stroll along the beautiful port of Póvoa de Varzim and exploring the city's medieval quarter before continuing your Camino walk. Go up to the Convento de Santa Clara to get the best views of the city and the nearby coast. On your way to Esposende you will cross the natural park Parque Natural do Litoral Norte.
Hotel (example): Hotel Suave Mar
Today, your Camino coastal walk continues from Esposende through the natural coastal park towards Viana do Castelo. Take the opportunity to taste the local cuisine, explore the historic center of the city and take the cable car to the Basílica de Santa Luzia to experience the impressive views. Legend has it that when the Romans reached Viana in the first century BC, they were so impressed by the city's beauty that they believed they had reached paradise.
Hotel (example): THotel Rali
Today you leave Viana do Castelo and continue along the beautiful Atlantic coast to the north. Today is an easy day, giving you plenty of time to enjoy a leisurely pace and have enough time to make the most of the coastal towns and cities along the way. Stay overnight in the coastal town of Vila Praia de Ancora.
Hotel (example): Hotel Meira
From Vila Praia de Ancora, continue along the coastal Camino towards Caminha, just by the mouth of the Minho River. Here you take the small ferry, Santa Rita de Cássia over the Minho River to Galicia. There are about 10 crossings a day from Caminha to A Guarda (however, it does not sail on Mondays). The ticket costs approx. 3 € and is not included in the trip's price.
From the ferry you have the choice to either walk directly to A Guarda or take a detour along the estuary, where the views are worth the effort (about 4km farther). If you have the time and the energy when you arrive at A Guarda, we recommend that you visit the city's famous hilltop Castro, where you will find some impressive ancient ruins from Roman settlements.
Hotel (example): Hotel Villa da Guarda
If you did not see the archaeological gem of Santa Tegra Castro yesterday, then we strongly recommend that you visit the ancient settlement ruins, overlooking the sea, before continuing along the coastal trail, through forests and along small gravel roads to the village of Oia. Here you will find a 12th century monastery and your accommodation.
Hotel (example):Casa Puertas
You continue in the Rías Baixas wine region to the elegant seaside resort of Baiona. Here we recommend a walk along the harbor, a visit to the impressive Monte Real fortress, and enjoying the perfect combination of seafood and Rías Baixa's white wine.
Hotel (example): Hotel Anunciada
Now you are at about halfway on your journey towards Santiago de Compostela. Today you will continue along the coast from Baiona to Nigrán and from there on to the town of Vigo. You will enjoy stunning views of the Vigo Bay, with the beautiful Cíes Rock Islands. On a hot day, you can stay at the beach Praia América in Nigrán. Enjoy a quick dip before the last trek to Vigo.
Hotel (example): Hotel Tryp Los Galeones
From the town of Vigo, you wander along Vigo Bay. Today's trek is short, so you have the opportunity to enjoy a more leisurely pace or take extra long breaks. Your stop for the night is in the town of Redondela, from where your walking route will join the original Portuguese Camino towards Santiago de Compostela.
Hotel (example): Alvear Suites
Today is your last hike along the coast and another relatively short day, so you'll have time to take in the last experiences along the Atlantic. Stop, for example, to try the famous oysters in the fishing village Arcade. Your accommodation city is Pontevedra, with its scenic historic center. We also recommend spending some time exploring the Old Town with its many Romanesque churches and picturesque granite squares.
Hotel (example): Hotel Virgen del Camino
As you walk out of Pontevedra, the Camino leads you through chestnut groves and pine- and eucalyptus forests. In the village of Ponte Cabras you walk past the fine vicarage of Santa María de Alba. At Lombo da Maceira, a statue of Saint James with its cane will show you the way and before you reach Caldas de Reis, you pass the small village of Tivo with a fine fountain.
Hotel (example): Hotel Roquiño
From Caldas de Reis you cross the Umia River and pass the hot springs that the city was named after in Roman times. The route brings you again through forests and gradually rises up to the village of Santa Marina. You continue along the Camino through a pine forest to today's destiantion: the city of Padrón.
Hotel (example): Casa Antiga do Monte
Your last day of hiking brings you through a series of small villages heading towards the historic shrine A Esclavitude. Nearby, on a hilltop, lie the ruins of a fort called Castro Lupario. Soon you will see some of the oldest road crosses in Galicia. As you walk towards Agro dos Monteiros, the famous spiers of the Compostela Cathedral will appear in the horizon - the goal is close. You pass the ruins of the castle A Rocha Vella as you approach Santiago de Compostela, where the last night of the tour is spent.
Hotel (example): Hotel Virxe da Cerca
After breakfast there is check-out and return journey. However, we recommend that you take the time to go around exploring this gem of a city. It is mall, vibrant and historic, and its UNESCO-registered old town can seem quite enchanting. Santiago de Compostela is not just a place for pilgrims, but also for locals and students, who buzzing around in the cityscape.
Pictures from the trip
Prices and dates
Price includes
- 14 nights in carefully selected hotels (2-3 star - always incl. private shower/toilet)
- Breakfast every day
- Detailed descriptions of the daily routes (route maps, route descriptions, info on relevant tourist attractions and important phone numbers)
- Pilgrim passport
- Transportation of luggage from hotel to hotel
- 24-hour emergency hotline for the duration of the tour
- Access to the route in our GPS-app which works offline while you walk
- This is a packaged holiday and is therefore covered by The Travel Guarantee Fund - See which benefits this means for you - click here
- Half board (12x dinner)
- Extra nights before or after the trip
- Transport to the starting point of the tour
- Ferry ride + recommended metro on day 1 (a few euros)
- Cancellation insurance and travel insurance
Practical information
The price is based upon two people sharing. It is also possible travel alone in a single room. Simply choose "1 person" in the booking form and it will automatically add the single room surcharge.
On this tour you will be on your own supplied with maps, route descriptions and luggage transfers. That means that your time is your own and you have plenty of time to enjoy the stages in your own pace.
Check the price quickly
You can quickly check the price of your desired trip without having to fill in anything. Here's how:
- Choose your desired start date
- Click on the green button "See price and reserve your holiday" and go to the booking form
- Select number of people, add any optional extras and see the price at the bottom of the page (you don't have to fill in anything on the form).
Get a quote
For example, if you want a flight included or changes to the trip, you can order a quote for this using the "Get a quote" button. Remember to describe in detail what, if anything, you want changed.
The process of your booking
When you book, we will start booking hotels and arranging all the practical details of the trip. This process typically takes 2-5 working days, but some bookings may take longer. If you are arranging your own transport, we recommend that you wait until we have confirmed your booking before arranging this.
Dates
If you can select the date in the tour calendar at the top of this page, this is a possible start date. We continually update the tours with sold-out dates, after which those dates will turn red and cannot be selected.
The flights to/from Porto are not included in the price. You can easily find a suitable flight via a flight booking engine such as Momondo or Skyscanner.
Notice: we recommend that you book with us and wait for the confirmation before you book your flights.
Book a quote
If you prefer that we handle your flight, then we would be happy to arrange this for you. You simply book a quote below the map on this page and we will return with a quote as soon as possible (usually within 48 working hours). Please note that we add a handling fee of 45 euro to each flight and this means that the flight will be cheaper if you book it yourself.
For the accommodations, handpicked family-run hotels and guesthouses have been selected for their character and warm hospitality. The standard is 2-3 star tourist class. The hotels are centrally located in the cities and close to the Pilgrim Route. In rare cases, it may be necessary to book accommodation further from the route, but in these cases, transfers will be included so that it does not affect the hiking program.
In the tour itinerary, you can see examples of the hotels we most often use on the tour.
The standard package includes daily breakfast. The breakfast offered will depend on the hotel. Continental breakfast is the norm. A usual setup will be a breakfast buffet that includes fruit, bread, pastries, cheese, cold cuts, coffee, tea and juice. If there is a special breakfast product that you are used to having, then we recommend that you bring it or buy it at the local supermarket.
The dinners availble in the hotels will usually be a "pilgrim menu", where you can choose between three starters, three main courses and a dessert. The starters usually include soup, salad or fish. The main courses are usually fish or meat with fries, potatoes and bread. As a rule, there is the possibility of a vegetarian dish. For dessert, for example cheesecake, creme caramel or ice cream.
The food will vary depending on the area, as each area has its own seasonal and local dishes and specialties. For example, fish will be more common in Galicia, the northern coast and the Portuguese coastal regions rather than in the inland areas.
Regarding lunch, we recommend that you either buy it at the local store in your accommodation city or stop in the cities along the route to buy basics like water, snacks, fruit, etc. You can also eat at small cafés along the way.
Your route description will include guides to water posts and eateries.
Luggage transfer is included on this tour. Upon arrival at the first hotel you will be given luggage tags along with the rest of the welcome package. You fill out the luggage tags and put them on your bags where they will remain for the duration of the tour.
Your luggage is picked up from the hotel lobby around 9am every morning and will arrive at your next hotel at 6pm at the latest (often long before that). If there are any special exceptions to the luggage transfer you will be notified upon arrival.
Luggage transfer includes one bag per guest and the bags can weigh 20kg each.
This journey has difficulty level 2
Grade 2
Easy hiking on reasonably good trails. The day walks will last 4-6 hours in hilly terrain. Anyone in good physical condition can participate. Your luggage will be transported and you only carry a light daypack. Requires comfortable footwear such as trekking shoes or hiking boots.
Read more about our grading system here.
On this tour, you will receive the following documents:
Upon booking
Immediately after booking this trip, you'll recieve a pre-booking-email where you can get a complete overview of your booking. Once the tour is confirmed you get a confirmation email from us along with practical information about the tour.
One month before departure
You will receive a hotel list and final travel documents.
Upon arrival at the first hotel
You'll receive the welcome pack, which contains everything you need for the trip. There will be route descriptions, maps, luggage tags and specific local vouchers. The documents are in English.
Notice: On some tours it is necessary to either print the documents yourself or to bring them electronically.
We recommend taking out travel insurance that covers at least illness, accident, repatriation, lost holiday, luggage and liability. As a customer, you are responsible for taking out the necessary travel insurance to cover these costs.
Before taking out insurance, you should check whether you are already covered by travel or cancellation insurance through your home insurance company, credit card or similar - please note that there may be differences in insurance coverage.
After booking this trip, you get access to various discount schemes.
A hiking holiday on the Portuguese Camino from Porto to Santiago offers varied temperatures during the spring, summer, and autumn months. The spring months, March, April, and May, offer mild temperatures between 13-22 degrees, with moderate rainfall and mild wind conditions. In the summer months, June, July, and August, the temperature rises to 22-30 degrees. Since there can be particularly hot days, we recommend that on these days you start the day's stage early to avoid the midday heat. Rainfall is rare in these months, and there will be light wind conditions, which can feel like pleasant breezes. The autumn months, September and October, offer pleasant temperatures between 18-25 degrees, rainfall increases slightly compared to other periods, and wind conditions remain mild.
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"We look forward to making your holiday dreams come true"