Overview
Walk the final stage of the Camino Portugués from the medieval town of Tui to the magnificent cathedral in Santiago de Compostela at a leisurely pace in nine walking days*. The 116km journey will take you through gorgeous forests, fields and villages in the Galician countryside of Northern Spain.
With stage lengths ranging from 7 to 18km per day, you will have plenty of time to explore the beautiful villages along the route, the local culture and the Galician cuisine: sample delicious tapas, fresh tortilla, succulent seafood and Padrón peppers. Stop to taste the oysters or relax on the sandy beach in the riverside town of Arcade, enjoy the vibrant historical centre of Pontevedra, soak your weary feet in the thermal springs in the spa town of Caldas de Reis.
*The classic 8-day version of the tour is available here.
- Small villages and historic towns like Valenca, Tui and Pontevedra
- Taste oysters in Arcade
- Santiago de Compostela cathedral
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Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive in Tui
Arrive in the town of Tui. Separated from Portugal by the River Minho, the Galician town of Tui is a pretty, historic border town. Visit the Impressive Gothic cathedral and buy some fish-shaped almond biscuits from the nuns of Convento de las Clarisas.
- Accommodation: 2-star hotel in Tui (Villa Blanca, A Torre do Xudeu or similar)
Day 2: Tui – O Porriño | 17km
From Tui, you’ll follow the Louro valley, walk along a forest track and across a stone slab bridge into a wetland area where you should spot plenty of birdlife. Reach the city of O Porriño with its magnificent Gothic town hall building.
- Walking for the day: 17km, 4-5h
- Accommodation: 1-star hotel in O Porriño (Hostal Expo or similar)
Day 3: O Porriño – Redondela | 15km
Leave O Porriño and make your way through the forest of Chan das Pipas. A short, steep climb up the Road of the Knights is rewarded with amazing seascapes. You will reach Redondela, where the central route and the coastal route merge.
- Walking for the day: 15km, 4-5h
- Accommodation: in Redondela (Alvear Suites or similar)
Day 4: Redondela – Arcade | 7km
Enjoy the shortest walking day of your Camino. Walk uphill through a beautiful forest, then down to the small coastal town of Arcade, renowned for its oysters. Over one hundred years old, stone houses clinging to green hills that plunge into tranquil bays, ancient Roman bridges, cobblestone streets and narrow lanes that pass up and down through old-time neighbourhoods with traditional horreos on almost every home.
- Walking for the day: 7km, 2-3h
- Accommodation: 2-star hotel in Arcade (Hotel Duarte or similar)
Day 5: Arcade – Pontevedra | 13km
This is one of the most beautiful stages of the Camino Portugues. Climb the ancient stone paths of the Verea Vella da Canicouva and explore the 13th-century church. When you arrive at Pontevedra, don’t miss the historic city centre and its numerous tapas bars.
- Walking for the day: 13km, 3-4h
- Accommodation: 1-star hotel in Pontevedra (Hotel Avenida or similar)
Day 6: Pontevedra – San Mauro | 10km
Excavations, a replica milestone, the reconstructed Ponte do Burgo bridge and the ancient Via Romana XIX are all visible Roman heritage on today’s journey. Continue uphill through the woods to the café at San Mauro. Afternoon transfer back to your accommodation in Pontevedra.
- Walking for the day: 10km, 3h
- Accommodation: 1-star hotel in Pontevedra (Hotel Avenida or similar)
Day 7: San Mauro – Caldas de Reis | 12km
Morning transfer Pontevedra – San Mauro. Pick up your Camino where you left off the day before to head downhill, past fields and vineyards and numerous stone crosses to the thermal waters awaiting you in the ancient spa town of Caldas de Reis.
- Walking for the day: 12km, 3-4h
- Accommodation: 2-star hotel in Caldas de Reis (Balneario Acuña or similar)
Day 8: Caldas de Reis – Padrón | 19km
Today’s route leaves Caldas de Reis and takes you on a soft climb to the charming woodlands of Valga. You’ll see many churches and stone crosses on the way to Padrón and take in the Bermana and Valga river valleys. Padrón is the place where St James remains were brought to following his martyrdom in Jerusalem.
- Walking for the day: 19km, 4-5h
- Accommodation: rural guesthouse or hotel in Padrón (Casa Antiga do Monte or similar)
Day 9: Padrón – Teo | 11km
See the beautiful carvings on the Romanesque church of Iria Flavia shortly after leaving Padrón and walk through more villages and woodland to reach the ancient oak grove and stone cross in Parada da Francos.
- Walking for the day: 11km, 3-4h
- Accommodation: rural guesthouse in Teo (Casa Parada de Francos or similar)
Day 10: Teo – Santiago de Compostela | 13km
Your final stage! You will walk mostly through rural settings, but there are still pleasant sections through oak, pine and eucalyptus woodland. Enter the ancient city of Santiago de Compostela and relish the end of your journey at the Cathedral.
- Walking for the day: 13km, 4h
- Accommodation: 3-star hotel in Santiago (Hotel Lux Santiago or similar)
Day 11: Departure
Arrange extra nights in Santiago or enjoy breakfast, then make your way to Santiago Airport. If you have time, explore the old city of Santiago de Compostela before you leave.
What to expect
Accommodation
Accommodation is in nice, 2-star and 3-star hotels and guesthouses. They all have private en-suite rooms and offer a warm welcome to walkers, traditional hospitality and delicious local food. We have carefully hand-picked all places and regularly monitor their quality. We have tried to choose accommodations that offer friendly service, clean and comfortable rooms and local flavour. Please note that many rooms with en-suite/private facilities have a shower rather than a bath, usually because of limited space.
Important: We aim to book you into each town listed on the itinerary. However, in case of low availability, we may book you two nights in the same town with provided transfers. Also, on some occasions, your accommodation can be located a few kilometres away from the trail, so we organise transportation to/from your accommodation.
Click to view default hotels
*Hotels are subject to availability. In case a particular hotel is fully booked for your desired dates, we will replace it with a hotel of equal or higher value and quality level. We will provide exact accommodation details to you upon booking confirmation.
Meals
Breakfast is included (usually buffet breakfast/coffee and toast/bread/croissant). When no restaurant location is available en route, lunches and snacks should either be bought from local shops, or packed lunch can be pre-ordered from your hotel the night before. Dinner is available at the restaurant of your accommodation or the towns where you overnight.
Difficulty and terrain
This trip is suitable for walkers with average levels of fitness and who are in general good health. The terrain is mostly flat – a combination of small country roads, stone footpaths and well maintained compact dirt tracks with no really steep climbs or treacherous descents. Daily walks of 7-19km (13km per day on average) (read more about difficulty grades). The routes are well waymarked, and in general, the itinerary is very easy to follow. However, please be careful at intersections where there may be a choice of several different alternative routes. We strongly advise you to follow only marked trails and never try to shorten the path through the unknown and unmarked terrain. We will provide you with detailed road notes and maps, and you can call our 24/7 local assistance phone number anytime. More detailed info on route navigation will be included in your holiday information pack.
When to go
This trip is available from 1st March until 1st November. The best months to visit are April – June and September – October as in summer months it may become too hot. The flexibility of self guided holidays means that there are no fixed dates, and you can start your trip on any date during the season.
Getting there
Click to view travel options
By plane
Our recommended arrival and departure airport for this tour is Santiago de Compostela.
By train or bus
To get down to Tui, you will have to take a bus or train which connects through Vigo. The total journey time is around 3 hours. For further information, timetables and tickets, visit ALSA. There are regular shuttle buses from Santiago city to Santiago Airport.
Inclusions
Included
- 10 nights of accommodation in private en-suite rooms
- 10 breakfasts
- Pilgrim Kit: Credencial (passport) and Vieira (shell)
- Luggage transfers from hotel to hotel on all walking days (1 pc up to 15kg per person)
- Transfer San Mauro – Pontevedra – San Mauro
- Roadbook explaining the highlights of the Camino de Santiago
- Detailed journey documentation and practical information
- 24/7 phone assistance by our local office/representative
Excluded
- Airfare and connecting land transfers
- Lunches and dinners, drinks and snacks
- Travel insurance (required – get a quote online)
- Local tourist tax and entrance fees (payable on the spot)
- Personal expenses
- Any items not specifically mentioned as ‘Included’ in the programme
Options, extras and supplements
- Supplement applies to members of a group who require a single room / single use of a double room
- This holiday is available for solo travellers; a supplement will be charged as accommodation and luggage transfer costs are not shared (we never mix and match – solo travellers will be accommodated in single rooms)
- In-person welcome briefing in Tui
- Extra nights
Compostela/Pilgrim’s Passport
You can obtain one at the start of your walk in the pilgrim’s office or the local church in town. You need to get the passport stamped in churches, restaurants or hotels along the way. At the end of the walk in Santiago de Compostela, you can obtain your Compostela Certificate (only if you have walked the last 100km, finishing in Santiago).
Important: Due to the large influx of pilgrims during summer, and to avoid long waiting times, the Pilgrim Office in Santiago has installed a numbered ticket system for issuing pilgrim certificates (the Compostela). This new system allows pilgrims to collect their ticket and, using a QR Code, to check the status of the queue and estimated waiting time to obtain the Compostela. However, the number of tickets per day is limited, so on days with high numbers of pilgrims arriving, there is a possibility that not all pilgrims will be able to collect their certificate on the day of arrival and will have to return for it on the following morning.
Therefore, if obtaining a pilgrim certificate is important to you, and if you plan to undertake the Camino between April 15th and October 15th, we recommend that you arrange the return travel in such a way that you will be in Santiago de Compostela during the morning after your arrival. Better still, we encourage you to book a second night in Santiago so that you can collect the certificate without rush and enjoy the charms of the city!
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