Walk the Portuguese Camino de Santiago
Walk the Portuguese Camino de Santiago
Walk the Portuguese Camino on this self-guided walk from Valenca Do Minho to Santiago De Compostella. This is the 8 day version but for the more energetic or for those with more time, we can extend this to a full 14 day tour.
Begin your walk of the Portuguese Camino at the fortress town of Valença in Northern Portugal. From here, you’ll cross the border formed by the River Minho and head north through Galicia to the ancient city of Santiago de Compostela. Explore the towns of Valença and Tui before entering the wooded countryside that leads you through historical Galician towns and cities such as Redondela, Pontevedra, Caldas de Reis and Padrón. As you walk, you’ll pass through delightful hamlets and picturesque villages, places where time appears to have stood still. Here you will find that the locals still use traditional methods to cultivate their crops.
When walking the Portuguese Camino, there will be plenty of opportunities to taste the fresh produce to be found along the route. Some of the best include mussels from the Ria de Vigo and oysters in Arcade. All washed down with excellent locally produced wine as you follow this well-worn pilgrim trail.
Day 1 - Arrival to Valença do Minho
Arrive at Porto airport and transfer to your hotel in Valença do Minho. The drive from the airport takes about 2 hours. Meet with a member of our team for a briefing and to collect the walking documentation.
Overnight at a local 3 star hotel
Note: For those arriving in Porto late, we can arrange hotel accommodation that evening and a transfer the following day.
Day 2 - Walk from Valença to O Porriño
Admire the views as you cross the International Bridge into Spain. Take some time to visit Tui’s magnificent cathedral and explore the charming historical centre before heading into the countryside. You can avoid the industrial zone near Porriño using our recommended detour and you’ll spend most of the day in green fields and forests.
Overnight at a local 2-star hotel (B)
Walking distance today - 20km / 12.4 miles
Day 3 - Walk from O Porriño to Arcade
As you leave O Porriño, you’ll pass through several villages before a gentle climb up to the Chan das Pipas pine forest. As you make your way downhill towards Redondela, look out over the blue waters of the Ria de Vigo estuary. Today’s stage ends in the riverside town of Arcade. For those of you who enjoy seafood, this is the best place to try the local oysters.
Overnight at a local 2-star hotel (B)
Walking distance today - 22km / 13.6 miles
Day 4 - Walk from Arcade to Pontevedra
This morning, set off and cross the historical bridge to leave Arcade and head into the hills. Walk along ancient stone paths and take in the views of the delightful countryside. Our recommended walking route avoids the main road into Pontevedra so that you can walk alongside the river Tomeza in the shade of trees. Pontevedra is the biggest city on this route and has plenty to keep you entertained.
Overnight at a local 3-star hotel (B)
Walking distance today - 13km / 8 miles
Day 5 - Walk from Pontevedra to Caldas de Reis
Walk through the ancient streets of Pontevedra and out into the countryside where you’ll soon find yourself in a forest. Continue the walk and you will make your way through fields and grape vines. There are a few brief parts that require travel on the main road before you reach the medieval spa town of Caldas de Reis.
Overnight at a local 2-star hotel (B)
Walking distance today - 22km / 13.6 miles
Day 6 - Walk from Caldas de Reis to Padrón
Start the day with a steady climb through a series of hamlets to reach the Valga woods. Once out in the open again, you’ll notice lots of elaborately carved crosses marking your route to Padrón, the town where the boat carrying St. James’ body is said to have washed ashore.
Overnight at a local 3-star hotel (B)
Walking distance today - 19km / 11.8 miles
Day 7 - Walk from Padrón to Santiago de Compostela
This will be your last day on the Camino. It is largely rural with a beautiful patch of forest before you get to the urban outskirts of Santiago. Enter the ancient town centre and make your way towards the cathedral square, Praza do Obradoiro, to join fellow pilgrims who have completed this epic journey.
Overnight at a local 3-star hotel (B)
Walking distance today - 25km / 15.5 miles
Day 8 – Departure from Santiago de Compostela
Enjoy your breakfast at the hotel before we transfer you to the airport for your onward flight. If you wish to stay and spend more time in Santiago de Compostela, let us know and we can arrange extra nights for you. (B)
Get in touch with Our Local Tour to book the Walk the Portuguese Camino de Santiago 8 day tour
Departure Dates
This tour can be booked for any departure date between March and October.
Let us know when you would like to take this tour and we will put all the arrangements in place.
Price
March - June and October - £725 per person (based on two people sharing)
July - September - £775 per person (based on two people sharing)
Single Supplement - £235
Walk the Portuguese Camino de Santiago
Included in the Walk the Portuguese Camino de Santiago Tour
- 7 Nights of accommodation with breakfast
- Luggage transfer between accommodations (1 bag per person – maximum 15 kg/bag)
- Private transfer from Porto to Valença do Minho
- Roadbook with tips, maps and detailed information of the way (in English)
- Pilgrim Kit: pilgrim passport (credencial)
- In-person welcome briefing
- 24/7 Emergency support
- Journey documentation
- Private transfer from Santiago de Compostela to airport
Not Included in the Walk the Portuguese Camino de Santiago Tour
- International travel to the start point - contact us for information and flight options
- Any airport taxes
- Travel Insurance
- Any visa requirements
- Drinks
- Items of a personal nature
Government Travel Safety Advice
We strongly recommend that you check your government's travel advisory for up-to-date information and advice about your destination: safety and security, entry requirements, health, local laws and customs. For UK citizens, check the latest Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office advice. Please refer to the COVID-19 entry requirements page for any country-specific conditions of entry.
Visa and Passport Information for UK Passport Holders
Passport validity
If you are planning to travel to an EU country (except Ireland), or Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Andorra, Monaco, San Marino or Vatican City, you must follow the Schengen area passport requirements.
Your passport must be:
Issued less than 10 years before the date you enter the country (check the ‘date of issue’)
valid for at least 3 months after the day you plan to leave (check the ‘expiry date’)
You must check your passport meets these requirements before you travel. If your passport was issued before 1 October 2018, extra months may have been added to its expiry date.
Contact the embassy of the country you are visiting if you think that your passport does not meet both these requirements. Renew your passport if you need to.
Visas
You can travel to countries in the Schengen area for up to 90 days in any 180-day period without a visa. This applies if you travel as a tourist, to visit family or friends, to attend business meetings, cultural or sports events, or for short-term studies or training. If you are travelling to Portugal and other Schengen countries without a visa, make sure your whole visit is within the 90-day limit. Visits to Schengen countries within the previous 180 days before you travel count towards your 90 days. To stay longer, to work or study, for business travel or for other reasons, you will need to meet the Portuguese government’s entry requirements.
Passport stamping
Check your passport is stamped by the border officer when you enter and exit Portugal as a visitor. You can use the staffed immigration booths or, if you are aged 18 and over, the e-gates designated for UK and some other non-EU nationals. Hand your passport for stamping to the border officer after you have passed through the e-gate. You cannot use the e-gates to exit Portugal if you entered the Schengen area via another member state. Border guards use passport stamps to check you’re complying with the 90-day visa-free limit for short stays in the Schengen area. If relevant entry or exit stamps are not in your passport, a border officer may presume that you have overstayed your visa-free limit.
If you are missing entry/exit stamps, you can show evidence of when and where you entered or exited the Schengen area and ask the border officer to add this date and location in your passport. Examples of acceptable evidence include boarding passes and tickets.
Other nationalities should consult their local embassy or consular office.
Vaccinations
There are no longer any COVID-19 vaccination, testing or passenger locator form requirements for entry to mainland Portugal, Madeira and the Azores. If you’re travelling to Portugal via other countries, such as France and Spain , check the entry requirements for those countries before you travel. For general health and vaccination advice, please visit the NaTHNaC website - http://travelhealthpro.org.uk/countries. Please check the latest requirements with your travel clinic or doctor prior to departure.
Travel Insurance
It is a condition of booking with Our Local tour that you have adequate valid travel insurance. It is your responsibility to arrange appropriate travel insurance and ensure you have read and understood the full terms and conditions of your travel insurance policy to ensure that you are covered for all activities you intend to undertake whilst on the tour, including all optional activities.
Your Insurance Policy must fully cover you for medical expenses and emergency repatriation to your home country. Please ensure your policy includes medical emergency helicopter evacuation in the event of illness or injury and covers the entire duration of your holiday. If you are trekking at altitude please ensure that there is no upper altitude limit which may limit or exclude cover for your trip. Please ensure that you are covered for the full amount of your holiday cost, as insufficient cover could invalidate a claim under the policy.
What to bring on your Walk the Portuguese Camino de Santiago tour.
Clothing
Depending on when you are travelling, lightweight clothing is essential in midsummer however a warmer jumper is advisable for cooler evenings. A good waterproof is essential, and you should consider waterproof trousers in case of poor weather. A hat is essential for sun protection. There is a laundry available in most hotels..
Footwear
Lightweight trail/walking boots and comfortable shoes/trainers and sandals.
Luggage while on your tour
Please allow yourself one main piece of luggage and a day-sack.
Equipment
We recommend sunscreen, a torch, insect repellent and a waterbottle. Binoculars are good for bird and animal spotting. A solar charger for your phone and other electronics is a good idea.
Tipping
Tipping isn't compulsory, and we work hard to ensure that our local guides all receive a fair wage. However, you might want to recognise if your guide has done a great job or really added to your trip by giving them a tip. We're often asked about the recommended amount. It's a tricky one, and down to personal preference, but we'd recommend between £15 to £20 per person per week as a guideline.
Tour Kitty
Although entirely voluntary, tipping is a recognized part of life in this region of the world. Some local staff will look to members of the group for personal recognition of particular services provided. In order to make things easier for you, your guide may organise a group tips kitty for included activities and meals and if this is the case, they will account for it throughout the tour. Accordingly, you should allow US$ 30 , approx. 18'000 Colones for this. For all non-included services and meals on your trip please tip independently at your discretion.
Local currency in Costa Rica
Costa Rican Colon (CRC) - for an idea of exchange rates, please see www.xe.com
You can choose to either change your money in advance or on arrival at the airport, where there are both ATMs and Bureau de Change. USD are accepted in some shops and restaurants. We recommend you take some emergency cash in USD as the GBP exchange isn’t very good. Notes should be in good condition otherwise they may not be accepted.
ATMs can be found in the major towns and cities for cash withdrawals in Colones. Always have some cash back up as they are not always reliable.
Credit card are widely accepted in many shops and restaurants but some may be subject to a service charge.
Food and drink
The costs for meals may vary depending upon location, type of restaurant and number of courses eaten and so the prices given are an average guide. Local restaurants located off the beaten track may be less expensive, whereas an upmarket restaurant located in the centre of a major city may charge more.
Lunch price - £13 / Dinner price - £13 / Beer price - £3 / Water price - £1.3
