Portuguese Way from Porto
260 km from Porto in about 12 days. The Camino that works best for a group with mixed levels.
From Porto there are two ways — the central route through Barcelos and Ponte de Lima, and the coastal route by the sea. You can combine them and merge again in Redondela.
It is the easiest route for a mixed group — 20-25 km stages, gentle terrain and villages every few kilometres to wait for whoever is behind.
How many km and how many days?
The full route is 247 km and about 12 days. Enter any km and days: if you are not doing it in one go, split it into several trips.
11 days, 247.1 km and 3799 m of climbing: about 22.5 km a day and 10 nights on the way.
The towns with beds on this section give 11 legs; to stretch it to 12 days add rest days when you build the plan.
- Porto → Vilarinho27.5 km · 350 m D+
- Vilarinho → Barcelos27.5 km · 350 m D+
- Barcelos → Ponte de Lima33 km · 500 m D+
- Ponte de Lima → Rubiães21 km · 450 m D+
- Rubiães → Valença21 km · 450 m D+
- Tui → O Porriño16.7 km · 233 m D+
- O Porriño → Redondela16.7 km · 233 m D+
- Redondela → Pontevedra16.7 km · 233 m D+
- Pontevedra → Caldas de Reis21 km · 300 m D+
- Caldas de Reis → Padrón21 km · 300 m D+
- Padrón → Santiago de Compostela25 km · 400 m D+
Create your account and keep going with these 11 days.
It is free and takes a minute.
- Save the plan and pick up where you left off
- Carry it on your phone, map and times included
- Send it to your group with one link
- Download the itinerary and the calendar
Stages and sections
Approximate distances and climbing. Every guidebook and GPX varies by a few kilometres.
Stops along the route7
Four facts per village — what is worth a stop, where to sleep, where to eat and the practical warning.
Sleep — Vilarinho, Barcelos
Eat — Vila do Conde, Rates
Good to know — Metro from the airport to the centre
See on the map
Sleep — Ponte de Lima
Eat — Vitorino dos Piães
Good to know — Big Thursday market
See on the map
Sleep — Rubiães, Valença do Minho
Eat — Alto da Portela Grande
Good to know — Monday market fills the town
See on the map
Sleep — O Porriño, Redondela, Pontevedra
Eat — Mos, Arcade (oysters)
Good to know — Cross to Valença on the iron bridge
See on the map
Sleep — Caldas de Reis, Padrón
Eat — Briallos, Pontecesures
Good to know — Everything walkable, no taxi needed
See on the map
Sleep — Santiago
Eat — A Escravitude, Milladoiro
Good to know — Direct train to Santiago in 30 min
See on the map
Sleep — Santiago
Eat — A Escravitude, Milladoiro
Good to know — Get your Compostela at the Pilgrim office
See on the map
Daily distance by level
Travel and paperwork
Season — March to October. The coastal variant wins in summer thanks to the sea breeze.
Keep it in your calendar
Once you build this route as a plan, every stage is a card with time, duration and place. From the plan link anyone can download the calendar (.ics) or add it to Google Calendar and Outlook, with reminders before each day and before payment or confirmation deadlines.
What to lock before you leave
- Book Ponte de Lima and Caldas de Reis ahead in summer.
- Stop for oysters in Arcade — that is the meal the group remembers.
- If someone struggles, the train between Valença and Redondela skips a stage without breaking the trip.
- Attach the return ticket from Santiago to the plan so nobody books it twice.
Frequently asked questions
In Keago this route becomes a plan — one card per stage with time and duration, the daily track, each night's accommodation with link and location, the meals, and both travel tickets where the whole group can see them. Everyone confirms and you know who is missing.
Create your account and keep building your Portuguese Way from Porto plan.
It is free and takes a minute.
- Save the plan and pick up where you left off
- Carry it on your phone, map and times included
- Send it to your group with one link
- Download the itinerary and the calendar