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The Portuguese Way is the second Camino de Santiago with the largest influx of pilgrims. The original starting point is the capital of Portugal: Lisbon, although over the years Porto (Portugal) and Tui (Galicia) have become the two main starting places of the Portuguese Way.

The Portuguese Way has three variants as it passes through Portugal: the interior, the center and the coast. The most popular among pilgrims is the Central, which, before arriving in Galicia, passes through such important towns as Santarem, Coimba, Oporto or Valença, combining sea and mountains, incredible landscapes and rich gastronomy. From the border between Portugal and Galicia, the pilgrim travels about 120 kilometers distributed in 5 or 6 stages, passing through Tui, O Porriño, Redondela, Pontevedra and Padrón. The stages increase to 8 if the Portuguese Coastal Way is chosen, which in Galicia starts from the town of A Guarda and passes through beautiful places such as Oia, Baiona or Vigo. The Portuguese Way does not present excessively hard sections and it has the important monumental heritage and the beautiful panoramic views that the Rías Baixas offer.

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The Camino de Santiago Portugues has a great historical tradition, fostered by the support received from the old Portuguese crown, which documents pilgrimages to Santiago de Compostela from the 11th and 12th centuries.

It is the second most popular route among current pilgrims after the French Way, in part because of its medium-low difficulty, its good communications, especially with Porto and Lisbon, and its rich landscape.

About 600 kilometers is the pilgrimage route from Lisbon. The capital of the Portuguese country is the original starting point of this Jacobean Route and one of the most relevant places on the itinerary that, for centuries, facilitated cultural and economic exchanges.

The Portuguese Way does not have a single route, since other variants to the north leave the rest of the Portuguese territory, which ascend through the interior, the center and the coast of Portugal. Although, as we have already seen, the original Route goes from Lisbon to Santiago, crossing Portugal from south to north.

From Tui (Pontevedra) to Santiago de Compostela. 6 stages. 115 kilometers.

Thus, most pilgrims circulate along a main artery that passes through important centers such as Santarem, Coimbra and Porto until they reach Valença do Minho. The Route crosses the border and enters Galicia through the Pontevedra town of Tui.

It is the international bridge over the river Miño, which joins both countries, the preferred starting point for those who decide on this beautiful route, which runs combining the sea with the mountains, the watchword of the Galician lands.

From the border between Portugal and Galicia, 120 kilometers that are covered in 6 or 5 days of walking to the Cathedral of Santiago, depending on time needs. The Galician sections cross towns such as Tui, O Porriño, Redondela, Pontevedra and Padrón. They are all lively towns, on a route that barely touches unpopulated areas, which offers pilgrims numerous leisure options and services that facilitate day-to-day life.

There are no excessively hard sections, so the walk is pleasant in most of this route, which year after year gains followers due to its monumental background and its excellent natural heritage.

From A Guarda (Pontevedra) to Santiago de Compostela 8 stages. 161.6 kilometers

There is another option for pilgrims who want to follow the Portuguese Way and also know the Galician coast. Since 2016, the Portuguese Way along the Coast has been officially recognized by the Xunta de Galicia.

Porto is the beginning of this popular Route, whose beginning in Galicia begins in the town of A Guarda. A town that has been a strategic point for centuries due to its location on the border with Portugal.

The route covers 161.1 km that are divided into 8 stages. Its route runs along the Galician coastline during its first stages, from A Guarda to Vigo walking along the cliffs and landscapes of the Rías Baixas in the province of A Pontevedra and with a view of the Cíes Islands at the height of the Vigo estuary. .

There is an alternative to this official coastal route. In the second stage of this Camino, from Baiona to Vigo, the pilgrim arrives at Ramallosa. At this point, the pilgrim can deviate to Nigrán and travel through the interior the 22.6 kilometers that take him through Coruxo to reach the most industrial city in Galicia.

From here the Camino enters to reach Redondela, famous for its gastronomic festival of "choco". At this point the two routes come together and the pilgrims of both routes will continue the Portuguese Way together passing through Pontevedra, Caldas de Reis, Padrón and finally, Santiago de Compostela.