Camino Portugués | Círculo Chileno

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From Tui: 6 stages, about 120 km. Along the coast from A Guarda: 8 stages, about 163 km.

The Camino Portugués is the second pilgrimage route with the most pilgrims, only behind the Camino Francés. Its original starting point is Lisboa, although today most walkers prefer to start in Oporto or in Tui, already in Galicia.

In Portugal it divides into three variants: the inland, the central and the coastal. The busiest is the central one, which before reaching Galicia passes through important towns such as Santarém, Coímbra, Oporto and Valença, combining mountains and coast, spectacular landscapes and a much appreciated cuisine. From the Spanish-Portuguese border the pilgrim walks about 120 kilometers over 5 or 6 stages, passing through Tui, O Porriño, Redondela, Pontevedra and Padrón. Those who choose the coastal variant add two more stages: in Galicia it starts from A Guarda and passes through beautiful places such as Oia, Baiona or Vigo. Neither of the two has especially hard sections, and both offer notable monumental heritage as well as views of the Rías Baixas.

Most pilgrims follow the main axis that passes through Santarém, Coímbra and Oporto as far as Valença do Minho, then cross the border into Galicia at Tui. The international bridge over the Miño river is the preferred starting point for those who choose this route, which combines the sea and the mountain, so characteristic of Galician lands.

There is also an alternative to the official coastal route: on the second stage, between Baiona and Vigo, the pilgrim can turn off at A Ramallosa toward Nigrán and continue inland for about 22.6 kilometers, passing through Coruxo until reaching Vigo. From there the Camino goes to Redondela, famous for its cuttlefish food festival, where both routes join again to continue toward Pontevedra, Caldas de Reis, Padrón and, finally, Santiago.

It has a long historical tradition, driven by the support of the old Portuguese crown, with pilgrimages documented since the 11th and 12th centuries. Today it is the second most popular route, thanks to its medium-low difficulty, its good connections and the richness of its landscapes. From Lisboa, the complete pilgrimage adds up to about 600 kilometers.

Stages

Desde Tui (Camino Portugués por el interior)

Desde A Guarda (Camino Portugués por la costa)

Continuación desde Redondela

Getting to the starting point

Tui: the train station is in Guillarei, 5 km from the town center, which can be reached by bus or taxi. There are trains from Madrid, Barcelona, Alicante and Bilbao, and a Vigo-Porto train that also stops there. By bus, the best option is to get to Vigo (AvanzaBus, Alsa, Vibasa) and from there take ATSA to Tui; there are also connections from Pontevedra (Monbús), O Porriño and A Guarda. By car, the AP-9 arrives from A Coruña via Vigo, or the A-55. The nearest airport is Peinador, in Vigo.

A Guarda: the nearest airport is Peinador (60 km); the airports of Santiago, A Coruña and Porto (a little over 100 km) also serve it. By train, the best option is to get to Vigo, and from there Atsa connects with A Guarda by bus. From Portugal you cross the Miño by the Friendship Bridge, and from A Caminha there is a ferry to A Pasaxe, every day except Monday.

Bus, train and airport links are on the Spanish page. With the 25 km of the Vía de los Andes validated, Chilean pilgrims need 75 km on foot in Spain to reach the minimum 100 km for the Compostela.