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Pilgrimage › Camino de Santiago
Camino PortuguésLisbon or Porto to Santiago, inland (Central) or by the sea (Coastal)

Photo: Porto, the Ribeira on the Douro by Jakub Hałun, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

From Porto~240 km (Central) · ~270 km (Coastal)
From Lisbon~608–620 km
Shortest validTui, ~116 km
2025 pilgrims19.0% + 16.9%

The second most popular Camino, now more than a third of all pilgrims. Most start in Porto (10–13 days). The Central route goes inland through Barcelos and Ponte de Lima and crosses into Spain at Valença/Tui; the Coastal route follows the Atlantic through Vila do Conde, Viana do Castelo and A Guarda. A Spiritual Variant from Pontevedra includes a boat stretch up the Ría de Arousa.

Route map of the Camino Portugués
Camino Portugués: the Central route from Lisbon via Porto and Tui, and the Coastal route from Porto. Tap to enlarge.

Good to know

Deep Dive

History and origins

Pilgrims from Portugal have walked to Santiago since the Middle Ages, along roads that often followed the old Roman route between Lisbon (Olisipo), Braga (Bracara Augusta) and Astorga. The kingdom of Portugal itself took shape in the 12th century, and its kings and queens kept close ties with the shrine. The best-known royal pilgrim is Queen Isabel of Portugal (St Elizabeth of Portugal), who went to Santiago in 1325 after her husband King Dinis died and gave her crown to the cathedral, receiving a pilgrim's staff and scrip from the archbishop. A second, humble pilgrimage on foot in 1335 is told in later chronicles, but it is undocumented and recent studies suggest it may be a chronological error. Medieval pilgrims also travelled north on the coastal roads, where towns such as Vila do Conde and Viana do Castelo were already busy seaports. The modern revival is recent: the Portuguese Way is now the second most walked route.

Regions crossed

From Lisbon the Central route runs up the Ribatejo and Centro regions past Santarém, Tomar and Coimbra to Porto, then through the green, vine-covered Minho, crossing the Minho river at Valença/Tui into Galicia (the province of Pontevedra, then A Coruña). The Coastal route follows the Atlantic through Vila do Conde and Viana do Castelo to A Guarda and Vigo. Portuguese and Galician are close cousins, and many pilgrims notice how easily the languages blend at the border. Highlights at the table: Porto's francesinha and tripe (tripas à moda do Porto), Minho's vinho verde and caldo verde, bacalhau in countless forms, and on the Galician side Padrón peppers (from the town on the route), Albariño wine and seafood of the Rías Baixas.

Elevation and landscape

This is the gentlest of the long routes. Most of it is lowland farmland, eucalyptus and pine woods, river valleys and coastal paths. The one real climb on the Central route from Porto is the Portela Grande de Labruja, a forested pass of roughly 400 m between Ponte de Lima and Rubiães. The Coastal route stays close to sea level, with boardwalks, beaches and a few headlands. Expect cobblestones in towns and some stretches on paved roads; the coastal variant can be windy.

Notable past travellers

Notable stops

Sources

⚠ Guides differ by a few kilometres because of variants and measuring methods. Distances are shown as ranges.

Last verified: October 15, 2026. Prices, hours and rules change: confirm with the official source before you go.