5 sections

	Portuguese Way Section 1 Walk from Lisbon to Santarem - 102 km 6 Days/5 Nights, Half Board, en-suite, year round		Portuguese Way Section 2 Walk from Santarem to Coimbra– 151 km 8 Days/7 Nights, Half Board, en-suite, year round
	Portuguese Way Section 3 Walk from Coimbra to Porto - 126 km 8 Days/7 Nights, Half Board, en-suite, year round		Portuguese Way Section 4 Walk from Porto to Tui – 126 km 8 Days/7 Nights, Half Board, en-suite, year round
	THE LAST 100KM. Walk 1 week and get your Certificate! Portuguese Way Section 5 Walk From Tui to Santiago de Compostela - 117km 8 Days/7 Nights, Half Board, en-suite, year round

Information

From the mid 12th century, the veneration of Saint James and the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela – considered one of the bastions of European culture – had far-reaching effects in Lusitanian lands. For centuries, the Portuguese people participated enthusiastically in this collective experience – supported by monarchs, members of the nobility and the high clergy. Indeed, from the 12th century up until the present day, much of Portugal's road network has seen the comings and goings of pilgrims heading from towns and cities all over the country – Lisbon, Santarem, Coimbra, Porto, Braga, Chaves – to their goal of Santiago de Compostela. Their motives were strictly religious, yet thanks to this steady flow of movement between Portugal and Galicia, cultural, economic and intellectual exchange also flourished.

A number of infrastructural entities gave rise to the popularity of the Portuguese Way in Galicia. Bridges, country chapels, sanctuaries, wayside crosses, manor houses and historic cities dot the route that starts on the banks of the Minho river, in the city of Tui, and ends at the tomb of Saint James. Although the pilgrimages did not necessarliy lead to the design and creation of a set of monuments corresponding to a specific period (Romanesque or Baroque) in an integrated artistic space, the Portuguese Way in Galicia asserts a deep cultural heritage.

The Portuguese Way gently winds northwards, along ancient tracks and paths that traverse woodlands, farmlands, villages, towns and historic cities. Some paths are routed over stunning medieval bridges, many of which maintain some trace elements of Roman design. The route is enriched by the presence of chapels, churches, convents, petos de animas (stone altars usually found at crossroads) and cruceiros (wayside crosses), where the comforting image of Santiago the Pilgrim is ever-present, to accompany and hearten the pilgrim on his journey.

The hospitality offered to pilgrims by those stationed along the route is proverbial; the practice was started in the Middle Ages by the monks and clergymen serving the hospitals founded by the monarchs and nobility. This tradition is kept alive today by the inhabitants of the towns scattered along the Way and by the inkeepers at pilgrims' hostels. Many of the paths along this Way were built upon the major Roman roads that formed the backbone of Roman Gallaecia – such as Via XIX, which was used for trade and travel for many centuries. Via XIX was built in the 1st century AD under the Emperor Augustus. Reference to this road in classical texts is proof of the vitality of this route from antiquity. Since the Middle Ages the Portuguese Way has maintained a tradition of exchange between neighbours that began during the days of the Roman Empire.

Despite its rich historical background, the Portuguese Way has not escaped the processes of modernisation. At times, the pilgrims must leave the dirt paths and stone-paved ways to walk along the verge of the N-550 road between Vigo and A Coruña. The road follows the Portuguese Way to Santiago, something of a drawback for those seeking to recapture the essence of the original pilgrims' way. But these discomforts are fleeting, and are fully compensated for when the pilgrim finishes his journey on this route of devotion, art, culture and heritage.

Stages of the camino Portugues

This is the list of the sections and stages of our Walking holidays on the Camino Portugues (Portuguese Way). Click on the Camino section to go directly to the walking holiday.