The camino Portugues along the coast

2023-02-22

The pilgrim route along the Portuguese coast has been known for centuries as an important religious and spiritual pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela. After being partially forgotten for a number of years and perhaps overshadowed by the Camino Frances, this pilgrimage has taken on an almost explosive holiday in recent years. Why is that? What makes this camino so popular? We list it for you.

The breeze from the Atlantic Ocean

The most important reason is probably the experience of walking or cycling along the Atlantic Ocean. The walking and cycling paths are pleasant. You benefit from mass tourism through the endless - very pleasant - wooden hiking trails through the dunes. This camino delivers both unique, historical and natural landscapes. You experience the beach life, the fishermen, beautiful nature, excellent cities and villages, and of course the powerful ocean. Diving can be fresh, but cooling your feet after a walking day is also nice, right? Finally, and not unimportantly, this route is much less crowded than the other Camino Portugues. This is especially true for the part before Redondele, where this camino meets again with the camino that walks inland. 

About the camino

The traditional camino Portugues from Porto to Santiago is 239 km. The route along the coast is longer, 273 km. From Porto to Caminha, this camino goes along the coast via promenades and roads, along the wide sandy beaches and flowery dunes of the northern Portuguese coastal area. Yet it also concerns a large part of the inland, along national roads, traditional villages, forests and historic towns and small towns such as Esposende and Viana do Castelo. Here time seems to stand still and you think you are a totally different century. There are also some climbs in this part of the route. So if you think you can walk the entire camino right along the coast, then you are wrong!

Once on the other side of the river Minho and when you leave a Guarda, you usually walk along and over the rocky Galician coast. Goes to the camino inland, via the large city of Vigo and Redondela, where the path meets the traditional camino again.

Mmmmm...

The inner person is also well cared for. Buy a pastel de nata from the local bakery (literally: pastries from Belém). This is one of the most famous sweets from Portuguese cuisine. They are available in many cafes and pastry shops in Portugal, but the big recipe is secret. The Pastéis de Belém gets their characteristic color range by baking in the oven at a high temperature. And don´t forget the fresh sardines, simply prepared on fire with a little salt and lemon. Jummie!

Time difference

The route is well marked on this camino. The shell shows you the way everywhere! Another tip: In Portugal it is 1 hour earlier than in the in most European countries. So the moment you cross the border between Spain and Portugal, put your watch forward another hour.

Do you also want to walk or cycle the camino Portugues along the coast? Click here for more information.

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