Camino Portugués: Stages, Map and Where to Start

The first stage starts at Lisbon’s Sé, the Romanesque cathedral of Alfama, and leaves the capital following the Tagus upstream via Santa Apolónia, the Parque das Nações and the Passeio do Tejo, with the Vasco da Gama Bridge in the background. The route is flat and on city surfaces as far as Sacavém, where the city lets up and the Camino becomes a path among olive and almond trees beside the Trancão River. Alpriate, a quiet farming hamlet where asphalt gives way to dirt tracks, is the first rural stop of the journey.

A short, flat stage, with Lisbon’s pulse still close by. You return to the Tagus at Póvoa de Santa Iria and cross the Parque do Estuário do Tejo and the Praia dos Pescadores; the second half runs along wooden boardwalks beside the river. Watch out for the stretch of road before Alhandra: from there, a bike path leads to Vila Franca de Xira, a bullfighting town and home of the campinos, the mounted herdsmen of the Ribatejo. Every July its Colete Encarnado festival fills the streets with bull runs.

A transition stage through the farming heart of the Ribatejo: 20 flat km following the Tagus floodplain and the railway line. You leave Vila Franca de Xira over the tracks and pass under the great bridge over the Tagus, and dirt tracks avoid the main road past the Castanheira and Carregado stations as far as Vila Nova da Rainha, among rice fields and the lands of the Companhia das Lezírias. Azambuja, a land of horses and fighting bulls, comes into view soon: the day ends early.

One of the longest and most demanding days on the Camino Portugués, and very exposed to the sun: set off early and well hydrated. You walk beside the Tagus, at times on top of the flood levee, as far as Valada and Porto de Muge; then comes a lonely stretch through farmland, with no shade or services, and the silhouette of Santarém in the distance. The tough final climb takes you up into the city, capital of Portuguese Gothic: the church of Marvila, the church of Santa Maria da Graça, where Pedro Álvares Cabral is buried, and the Portas do Sol viewpoint over the Tagus.

You leave Santarém through the Portas do Sol gardens and the São Tiago gate in the medieval walls, on a descent with views over the valley. Then come 30.7 easy, flat km on dirt tracks among vineyards and cornfields, via Vale de Figueira and Pombalinho, and through Azinhaga, the village where José Saramago was born. Golegã, known throughout Portugal as the horse capital, holds the Feira Nacional do Cavalo (National Horse Fair) every November, around St. Martin’s Day, and its Igreja Matriz has a beautiful Manueline doorway.

A long, varied stage, mixing rural and urban stretches, where the relief of central Portugal begins to show. Via São Caetano and the Quinta da Cardiga, the Camino says goodbye to the Tagus, its companion for so many kilometers; Vila Nova da Barquinha and Atalaia, whose parish church is a National Monument, come before the Nabão River. Tomar, the Templar city, is home to the Convent of Christ, a World Heritage Site, with the Templars’ round Charola, the Manueline window of the Chapter House and the Pegões Aqueduct.

This is where the plain ends. You leave through Tomar’s historic center, cross the Nabão and then the Romanesque bridge of Peniche, part of the old road to Coimbra. The first serious climbs begin, with constant ups and downs among olive groves, pine woods and the limestone landscapes of the Serra de Sicó; a Roman road leads to the Alto de Espanha past small hamlets. Alvaiázere, at the foot of the hills, is Portugal’s capital of the chícharo, the grass pea of its traditional stews, and a land of good olive oil.

A shorter, easier day that gives you a break after the previous one. From the church of Alvaiázere the Camino heads into the Serra de Ariques, among holm oaks, olive trees and centuries-old oaks, with gentle ups and downs on dirt tracks, small hamlets and wide views for much of the way. Ansião, a town in the Leiria district set in a valley of the Serra de Sicó, boasts the Solar dos Condes de Castelo Melhor, the only Manueline building in the area and a National Monument.

One of the most beautiful stages since leaving Lisbon, and an easy one too: it’s mostly a gentle descent along old Roman roads and paths among vineyards, olive groves and riverside woods, some covered in moss that already brings Galicia to mind. Rabaçal is famous for its Roman villa and its sheep’s cheese; then comes the quiet spot of Fonte Coberta. The highlight comes at the end: the ruins of Conímbriga, one of the largest Roman sites in Portugal, with its mosaics, the Casa dos Repuxos and the baths, before you enter Cernache, right on the doorstep of Coimbra.

The shortest stage of the route, barely a couple of hours’ walk, so you reach Coimbra early. You leave Cernache on a gentle climb via Pousada and Palheira, past the remains of an old aqueduct, and go up to the Santa Clara and Mesura neighborhoods, with panoramic views of the city. Before crossing the Mondego you can visit the monastery of Santa Clara-a-Nova. Coimbra, the kingdom’s former capital, has one of the oldest universities in Europe, with the Joanina Library, the Romanesque Sé Velha (Old Cathedral) and its own fado.

After crossing the Mondego, 24.8 km of rolling terrain and mixed surfaces, on tracks and minor roads, through pine and eucalyptus woods and the first vineyards of the Bairrada. It’s a densely populated stage: Adémia, Fornos, Trouxemil and Santa Luzia follow one another, so keep an eye on the arrows. Halfway through, a wooded stretch of dirt paths gives you a break, and the end comes among olive groves. Mealhada is the home of leitão à Bairrada, the roast suckling pig that made the area famous, and of its sparkling and red wines.

A transition stage through the Bairrada, with a gentle profile and plenty of settlements: villages, semi-rural areas and the odd industrial estate follow one another, so take extra care on the asphalt stretches. After a well-marked forest track, the Camino runs parallel to the Cértima River via Avelãs de Caminho, Aguada de Baixo and Sardão, and drops into the Águeda valley. The town of Águeda is famous for its street art and the Umbrella Sky Project: during the AgitÁgueda festival, hundreds of colorful umbrellas cover its streets.

A short day of 15.8 km, perfect for resting your legs and one of the most beautiful in this section. The Camino climbs gradually out of the Águeda valley and, from Pedaçães, follows dirt paths through lush vegetation, past a small lagoon, to the medieval bridge over the Marnel River. Then come Lamas do Vouga, the viaduct over the Vouga and a stretch among eucalyptus trees. Albergaria-a-Velha owes its name to an old albergaria, a medieval pilgrims’ hospital, and keeps that feel of a town people pass through.

A long stage of 28.8 km on dirt tracks through pine and eucalyptus woods and small settlements, in an increasingly built-up landscape. You cross the historic center of Bemposta and Oliveira de Azeméis, with its Roman milestone, and the medieval bridge of Salgueiro before reaching São João da Madeira, already in the Porto metropolitan area. It’s Portugal’s shoe and hat capital: its Museu da Chapelaria (Hat Museum) tells the story of the old felt industry, and industrial tourism tours show how shoes and hats are made.

An urban stage that tells you Porto is near, mostly on asphalt and with the odd short, steep climb. You cross the historic center of Arrifana and climb toward Escapães through streets and slopes; past Malaposta comes the best part of the day, a beautiful cobbled stretch of old Roman road. Then Lourosa, Mozelos and Nogueira da Regedoura to Grijó, already in Vila Nova de Gaia and 15 km from Porto, where the church and cloister of the monastery of São Salvador, a former house of Augustinian canons, are worth a visit.

A short stage through Vila Nova de Gaia, between urban streets and the odd park, with a moving finish: crossing the Douro on the Luís I bridge into the heart of Porto. The city, a World Heritage Site, invites you to drop your backpack and go and get lost: the Ribeira by the river, the Sé, São Bento station and its azulejos, the Torre dos Clérigos, the Avenida dos Aliados, the Livraria Lello and the port wine cellars in Gaia. For dinner, a francesinha.

The Camino from Porto begins. You leave via Praça de Carlos Alberto and the pedestrian Rua de Cedofeita, ideal for breakfast, following the yellow arrows north. The city soon fades into quiet villages such as Moreira da Maia, Gião or Vairão, and the stage, well waymarked and with asphalt stretches through semi-rural areas, ends on dirt paths and woodland in Vilarinho. Watch out for the odd stretch of road with little shoulder. It’s 26.5 km: you can split it in two by spending the night in Maia.

The landscape changes at once: after the outskirts of Porto, the Camino heads into farming and rural areas, where small hamlets are the norm and there are plenty of places to stock up. You cross the medieval bridge of Zameiro and pass close to the monastery of São Simão da Junqueira, older than the Kingdom of Portugal itself, and the remarkable Romanesque church of São Pedro de Rates. The day ends crossing the medieval bridge over the Cávado River into Barcelos, home of the rooster that is one of the symbols of Portugal.

The longest stage of the route, 34.5 km through rural Portugal and long-established wine country, among hamlets, churches and cobbled lanes. The climbs are moderate except for the considerable one toward Portela de Tamel. You pass through Vila Boas, Tamel and Balugães, and many pilgrims split the day at Vitorino dos Piães, 22 km from Barcelos. The reward comes at the end: crossing the medieval bridge over the Lima River into Ponte de Lima, capital of vinho verde and one of the most charming towns on the Camino Portugués.

A short stage of 17.4 km, with a climb you should take calmly. You cross Ponte de Lima’s medieval bridge again and follow the Labruja River among vineyards and woods. Then comes the hard part: the climb to the Alto da Portela, past the Cruz dos Franceses, up to 400 meters. The descent leads to the 13th-century Romanesque church of São Pedro de Rubiães. Rubiães is a historic overnight stop for pilgrims, and this is perhaps the most hidden-away and peaceful stage of the Camino Portugués: woodland, calm and nature.

A short stage and one of the most iconic: the one that takes you into Galicia. You leave Rubiães through woods and small hamlets of the Alto Minho to Valença, with its imposing fortress, and there you cross the Minho on the international bridge, a marvel of iron architecture. Tui looks out over the river opposite Valença, with a stone old town, arcades and café terraces, crowned by its fortified cathedral, half church and half castle. It’s worth crossing the bridge again to see the Portuguese fortress from the other side.

The first stage in Galicia. You leave through the lower part of Tui’s old town, beside the Minho, after saying goodbye to the cathedral of Santa María, a Romanesque-Gothic fortress with one of the best-preserved cloisters in Galicia. The Camino soon enters the As Gándaras and Louro River natural area, with riverside paths and Roman bridges such as the one at Orbenlle. Near the end there are two options, the natural route along the Louro or the asphalt one; the first takes you to O Porriño, with its town hall built of local marble and the chapel of As Angustias, dating from 1511.

An exciting stage: today you finally catch sight of the Atlantic. From O Porriño you head toward Mos and tackle a steep climb to the chapel of Santiaguiño de Mos, a Jacobean hermitage; at the top you get your first views of the Ría de Vigo. A gentle descent leads to Redondela, with its railway viaducts and modernist feel, where the Coastal Route of the Camino Portugués joins. You continue almost at sea level, with San Simón Island in view, to Arcade, in Soutomaior, Galicia’s oyster capital and a good place to treat yourself to seafood and Albariño.

Just 12 km, with plenty of time to reach the day’s goal. You leave Arcade over the historic Pontesampaio bridge, scene in 1809 of a decisive battle against Napoleon’s troops, and continue along the evocative Roman road of Brea Vella da Canicouva, with its large stone slabs, through woods and hamlets. Pontevedra, city of the Virgen Peregrina (Pilgrim Virgin), whose church has a curious scallop-shaped floor plan, has the second most important old town in Galicia and the Museo de Pontevedra, with more than 16,000 pieces.

A gentle, pleasant stage, walked with the joy of the nearing finish. You leave Pontevedra via the Praza da Peregrina and the Ponte do Burgo into a rural setting of riverside woods, vineyards and hamlets, in the shade of centuries-old oaks. The short detour to the Barosa River waterfall is worth it. Caldas de Reis, a spa town since ancient times, invites you to bathe in its waters; to round off your visit, there’s the church of Santa María, with its 12th-century doorway, the botanical garden of camellias and oaks, and the Fervenza de Segade waterfall by the Umia.

The second-to-last day before Santiago, 18.6 km along rural paths and through villages of inland Pontevedra. You pass through Valga and Pontecesures, the old “Port of Compostela”, and cross the Ulla River into the province of A Coruña and Padrón, a landmark of the Jacobean Translatio: the church of Santiago Apóstol keeps the pedrón, the stone to which, according to tradition, the boat carrying the Apostle’s remains was moored. The Casa-Museo de Rosalía de Castro, the poet who spent her last years here, and the famous peppers complete the arrival.

The last stage: leave Padrón early to make the most of your day in Santiago. You soon pass through Iria Flavia, whose collegiate church was the first cathedral in Galicia and in whose cemetery, under an olive tree, lies the humble grave of Camilo José Cela. Then come the last hamlets and more and more built-up areas, through the municipalities of Teo and Ames, a sign that the finish is near, until you reach the Praza do Obradoiro and the Cathedral. You collect the Compostela at the Pilgrim’s Office; don’t miss the pilgrims’ Mass.