Portuguese Way along the coast

8 stages | 194 km

The Camino de Santiago on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean

The Portuguese Way along the coast is the perfect route to get to know the coastal environment of the northern region of Portugal and southern Galicia. The sea will be your travel companion on this adventure, and at every step, you will be treated to breathtaking views of endless sandy beaches, estuaries, cliffs, as well as pleasant stays in cozy towns and seaside villages.

Our journeys of the Portuguese Camino de Santiago along the coast

Information on the Portuguese Coastal Way

Where to start the Portuguese coastal way?

From Oporto

The Portuguese Way along the coast starts in the city of Porto, the second largest city in Portugal. From the mouth of the Douro, the route covers a total of 270 km along the entire Portuguese coastline until it enters Galicia, crossing the mouth of the river Minho. Once in Galician territory, the Way continues, passing through important cities and fishing villages in the province of Pontevedra, such as A Guarda, Oia, Baiona, or Vigo, until it joins the traditional Portuguese Way in the town of Redondela. Together, they march on to Santiago de Compostela.

Moreover, it is a very straightforward route with a smooth terrain, featuring few slopes, making it ideal for cycling. You can complete the Portuguese coastal route in a total of 13 stages, requiring approximately 15 days.

From A Guarda

The Galician section of the Portuguese route along the coast begins in the town of A Guarda, at the foot of the mouth of the river Minho. From this point to Santiago de Compostela, there is a total of 150 km that can be covered in 9 or 10 days. Its itinerary runs through the province of Pontevedra from south to north, passing through beautiful villages of seafaring tradition such as A Guarda, Oia, and Baiona, as well as important cities like Vigo and Pontevedra. It is a simple and physically undemanding route with few slopes, ideal for any time of the year.

History of the Portuguese Coastal Route

The itinerary of the Portuguese route along the coast is a route recognized as official since relatively recently. However, the history of this route is as old as the original route of the Portuguese Way. In this route, we travel the 280 kilometers that separate Porto from Santiago de Compostela, in a unique coastal itinerary.

The history of this route begins in the ninth century, after the discovery of the remains of the apostle Santiago and the beginning of the phenomenon of pilgrimages that began to happen throughout Europe.

As those interested in the history of the Iberian Peninsula will already know, in the 12th century, the Kingdom of Portugal gained its independence from the Kingdom of León, being proclaimed King Alfonso I of Portugal. This, together with the fervent Christian devotion of the Portuguese population, motivated the consolidation of the Portuguese roads to Santiago de Compostela. On the other hand, the existence of Roman roads was used for the settlement of pilgrimage routes.

From Portugal, many illustrious people made the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela, including Isabella of Portugal, “the Holy Queen”, the Portuguese King Manuel I in the 16th century, and even the rich Florentine Cosimo de Medici.

As it could not be otherwise, another of the causes that helped the consolidation of the coastal variant of the Portuguese Way was the arrival of numerous pilgrims by sea, who disembarked in the main Portuguese ports and from there began their pilgrimage.

Like the rest of the Jacobean routes, from the end of the 16th century, it experienced a process of decline and decadence. A gap largely overcome today, in a route that is consolidated in the XXI century, as the second busiest pilgrimage route of the Peninsula.

Other routes of the Camino de Santiago