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The Central Route of the Portuguese Camino is a peaceful forested walking route to Santiago de Compostela. On your route, you’ll stay at beautiful albergues and monasteries as you make your way through the charming Portuguese countryside.
Starting at the Porto Cathedral (Sé do Porto), you make your way north out of Porto (population 248,769) towards Vairão (population 2,643). As you walk out of the city, the monumental architecture of the historic center slowly fades as the bustle of the city gives way to the more gentle pace of the countryside.
It’s a long walk today, so let’s take a look at what’s in store.
Save it for later! ↓
Quick links:
- Central Route Overview
- Tomorrow’s stage: Vairão to Barcelos
Porto to Vairão Overview
Experience Today’s Walk
☑ See tourists from all over the world exploring Porto’s famous architecture
☑ Taste a pastel de nata in one of the many cafes or bars in Porto’s urban landscape
☑ Hear the buzz of Porto fade into the gentle countryside
☑ Touch the Camino marker outside of the Porto Cathedral
☑ Smell the fresh countryside air once you leave the city behind
If you choose to walk the Central Route of the Camino Portugues, you’re in for some beautiful scenery. Lovely green forests, beautiful historic bridges, and Roman roads will make up your chosen Portuguese Camino.
Unfortunately, you won’t see much of it on your first day.
In fact, the first stage on the Central Route is a bit of a mixed bag. Although walking through the historic center of Porto is urban walking joy, it’s only a small part of the day.
Don’t be alarmed, though, as the scenery will improve drastically once you move further away from Porto!
The official Camino marker outside of the Porto Cathedral 
Bert-Jan walking the Porto Cathedral courtyard next to azulejo murals 
The Porto Cathedral 
Bert-Jan looking at the Igreja do Carmo in Porto 
Bert-Jan walking through Porto on the Central Route of the Camino Portugués 
Igreja de São Pedro do Araújo 
Yellow Camino arrow and Bert-Jan walking on cobblestone roads on the Central Route of the Camino Portugués 
Blooming flowers on the Camino Portugués in winter 
Bert-Jan walking on cobblestone roads on the Central Route of the Camino Portugués 
Yellow X signage guiding pilgrims on the Camino Portugués 
Kayla walking next to scallop shell signage on the Central Route of the Camino Portugués 
Bert-Jan walking on roads on the Central Route of the Camino Portugués 
Pilgrim walking on cobblestone roads on the Central Route of the Camino Portugués 
Old storefronts on the outskirts of Porto on the Central Route of the Camino de Santiago 
Camino signage at the edge of Vairão 
Sunset at the Mosteiro de Vairão Pilgrims’ Hostel 
Sunset from inside the Mosteiro de Vairão Pilgrims’ Hostel 
Kayla sitting inside the Mosteiro de Vairão Pilgrims’ Hostel
Distance and Elevation*
Distance: 25.4 kilometers / 15.6 miles
Elevation gained: 387 meters / 1,270 feet
Elevation lost: 390 meters / 1,280 feet
*Distances are estimates. Learn why on our methodology page.
Map
The Central Route is very well marked. At every stage, you can see yellow arrows pointing you in the right direction.
The official route takes you through the small streets of the historic center of Porto. But since I had already spent most of the previous day exploring Porto, I chose to take a slightly different route out of Porto.
Amenities
The Porto area is the second-largest metropolitan area in Portugal, and comes with all of the amenities you could possibly ask for.
On your way out of Porto, you can find plenty of bakeries and cafes that offer opportunities to take a break. As an added benefit, restrooms are easy to find on this stage.
While there are plenty of stores, restaurants, and supermarkets in Porto, there is one that deserves a special mention: Decathlon. This outdoor store offers gear of excellent quality for any budget and is an amazing place to get any missing pieces of gear.
What’s in Store
Today is a day spent largely walking through urban areas. After a promising start in the beautiful historic center of Porto, things will quickly go south.
Although I didn’t think the bulk of this stage was interesting or inspiring, it’s a walk sandwiched between a beautiful start and a charming end.
Here’s what today looks like.
Morning: Leaving Porto
Like the Coastal Route and the Senda Litoral Route, the Central Route of the Camino Portugués departs from the Porto Cathedral.
Historical fun fact: The Porto Cathedral dates back to 1108. As the centuries passed, Romanesque, Gothic, and Baroque layers were added to its structure and interior. It’s a living timeline of architectural styles, and entry is free.
Here’s a look back in time at the cathedral in 1899. Can you picture pilgrims on the square departing for their pilgrimage?
After the cathedral, we walk past the famous São Bento Station with its famous interior of blue and white tiles (azulejos). If you haven’t already, take a moment to step inside and see its claim to fame for yourself!
After that, we walk past a lovely square and the Porto City Hall towards the Cleric’s Tower. The tower can be seen from all over the city, and its lavishly decorated exterior is definitely worth viewing.
Note: Not all maps take you past the above Porto highlights. We felt it was a pity to pass them up, so our map includes them. We rejoin the official Central Route on the Rua de Cedofeita. From here, you can follow the familiar yellow arrows into the suburbs.
Afternoon: The Suburbs
Walking through the suburbs of Porto is exactly what you expect. You spend most of the first few hours walking along busy roads with plenty of traffic. While there’s plenty to see in the center of Porto, the same cannot be said for the outskirts of the city.
However, the scenery starts changing after about 3 hours of walking. Gradually, the urban sprawl is replaced by more charming sights, and hues of green become more common.
For me, it really became clear at the town of Barranha. This is where I first noticed how much more green and especially quiet the road had become. Although you never fully leave the built-up area, it feels like you’re walking in a village rather than a city.
While the first day is unlikely to be the most exciting stage of your Camino, it is one of the easiest. There are no serious climbs or descents, and any elevation change is gradual enough to be almost unnoticeable.
Arriving in Vairão
After a long day of walking on cobblestones and asphalt, you arrive in the picturesque town of Vairão. With fewer than 3,000 inhabitants, this small town is a welcome change after the chaos of Porto.
Right at the beginning, you can see the imposing Mosteiro de Vairão, the only pilgrim accommodation in Vairão.
Amenities are very limited in this town. With only a tiny mini-mercado and a small restaurant, finding food is easy, but options aren’t exactly plentiful.
Accommodations in Vairão
It’s no surprise that a town the size of Vairão offers slim pickings when it comes to accommodation.
While there are options for staying in guesthouses in neighboring towns, there’s only one albergue in town. Fortunately, it’s an absolute gem!
Mosteiro de Vairão
Located right as you walk into town, this former monastery is now a hostel that caters exclusively to pilgrims.
The building itself is almost 1000 years old and presents a very special way to start your Camino. The building simply oozes character, and you can feel its age as you explore the grounds.
Completely run by volunteers, the monastery offers beds in either private rooms or dormitories (six beds max). Although many websites claim the accommodation is donativo (pay what you can), this is no longer the case and there are now set prices.
Besides comfortable beds, the Mosteiro de Vairão also has a well-equipped kitchen. During my stay, the kitchen and fridge were stocked with lots of food for pilgrims to use (in exchange for donations).
Extending or Shortening the Stage
The first day out of Porto is a long walk that few pilgrims will describe as a scenic route. However, the further you go from Porto, the more pleasant the scenery becomes.
Moreover, the next Camino stage is a long one so shaving a few kilometers off will make it a little easier.
All the more reason to want to extend the first stage of the Central Route!
Shorter Stage: Mosteiró (Casa Dos Caminhos)
If the long walk to Vairão is too much for your first day, you can shorten your day by about 6 kilometers by staying in the small town of Mosteiró.
With fewer than 1,000 inhabitants, Mosteiró is home to both an albergue and a restaurant, which makes it a great stop for your first day.
In Mosteiró, you can find the charming Casa Dos Caminhos accommodation. Compared to other albergues, a bed in this accommodation is a little on the pricey side, but it does the job.
In peak season, check their website for availability as well as plenty of photos of the accommodation.
Longer Stage: Vilarinho
Some pilgrims choose to simply take the bus to the edge of Porto and skip the boring section of the day. In order to avoid having a first day of less than 10 km, consider extending the stage a little.
Rather than going to Vairão, consider going to the next town, Vilarinho. This town has a nice albergue, Casa de Laura, as well as basic amenities such as mini markets and cafes.
Connecting from the Coastal Route
One of the great joys of the Camino Portuguese is that you can combine routes. Rather than choosing and sticking to a single route, many pilgrims switch to the Central Route after walking one or two coastal stages.
Many pilgrims choose to switch to São Pedro de Rates on the Central Route from Povoa de Varzim or Vila do Conde. Following a direct route, it only takes a few hours to walk to São Pedro de Rates. Afterwards, it’s only 10 km to the next town of Vairão.
You can get an overview of all routes here:
Bom Caminho!
Everyone has their own camino, so whether you decide to skip the first stage or walk the full Central Route, you’re doing the right thing.
All I can say is that the first stage is not representative of the rest of the Central Route on the Camino Portugués and you’ll see that things change dramatically in stage 2.
However you choose to start your path, let me be the first to wish you a Bom Caminho!
