Portuguese Way from Tui (6 stages)

Frequently Asked Questions

• Which Camino is easier, the Portuguese or the French?

  If you are wondering which route is easier between the Portuguese Way and the French Way, the answer depends on several factors. However, in general, the Portuguese Way is considered more accessible for most pilgrims. The Portuguese Way has flatter and gentler terrain, especially on its most popular stretch from Porto to Santiago de Compostela. The stages are less demanding and the climate is more moderate, an ideal option for those looking for a less physically challenging route. On the other hand, the French Way, although more famous and with a highly developed infrastructure, presents stages with greater unevenness, especially in the first sections that cross the Pyrenees and some mountainous areas in the provinces of León and Galicia. Although it is an incredibly popular route full of history, the physical effort is greater, so it requires better physical preparation.

• Does the Portuguese Way from Tui entitle you to the Compostela?

  Yes. From Tui to Santiago it is between 115 and 119 km depending on how the stages are split (115 km in 5 stages, 118 km in 6 and 119 km in short stages), more than the 100 km minimum on foot that the Pilgrim's Office requires for the Compostela. Tui is the equivalent of Sarria on the Portuguese Way: the most popular starting point that meets the requirement.

• What is the difference between walking from Tui in 5 or in 6 stages?

  The start and finish are the same, but in 6 stages (118 km) the distances are better spread out. In the 5-stage version the first day is Tui–Redondela, 31.6 km. In the 6-stage version you sleep in O Porriño (18.7 km) and Arcade (23 km), and the next day is a short 12 km stage to Pontevedra. The longest stage of this trip is the last one, Padrón–Santiago, at 24.3 km. It is the best option if this is your first Camino or you prefer to take it easy.

• What is the first stage, from Tui to O Porriño, like?

  It is a pleasant, gentle 18.7 km stage, ideal for getting started. You leave Tui through the lower part of the old town, beside the Miño, and soon enter the As Gándaras and river Louro nature area, with Roman bridges and riverside paths. Near O Porriño you choose between the natural Louro section and the paved one; we recommend the first. In the afternoon, take a stroll around the centre of O Porriño.

• Where are the best views on the Portuguese Way from Tui?

  On the O Porriño–Arcade stage. After climbing from O Porriño to Santiaguiño, in Mos, you get your first views of the Vigo estuary. From there you descend towards Redondela and carry on almost at sea level, with the island of San Simón in sight. For many pilgrims these are the best views of Galicia's southern coast on the whole route.

• Why do you stay overnight in Arcade and what do you eat there?

  Because that way the section to Pontevedra becomes a short 12 km stage. What's more, Arcade is known as the oyster capital: the best place on the Way from Tui to treat yourself to seafood with a glass of Albariño, the local white wine. The next morning you set off across the historic Pontesampaio bridge.

• What is there to see in Pontevedra on the Portuguese Way from Tui?

  You arrive early, because the stage from Arcade is only 12 km, so make the most of it. After Santiago, Pontevedra is the stop on the Way from Tui with the richest heritage. Don't miss the church of the Peregrina, the symbol of the city, the basilica of Santa María la Mayor and the ruins of Santo Domingo, part of the Museum of Pontevedra. Then wander through its cobbled streets and squares.