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The Portuguese Camino de Santiago is one of the most popular pilgrimage routes in Europe, and for good reason. It offers walkers glorious walking conditions, a moving pilgrimage experience, and an unforgettable cultural experience in two countries.

The Portuguese Camino is The Way of Saint James that begins in Portugal and journeys north to Santiago de Compostela. Pilgrims enjoy the Camino de Santiago community, traditions, and cinematic ending outside the Cathedral de Santiago, while experiencing smaller crowds than the popular Camino Francés route.

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This entire website is dedicated to the Camino Portugués and helping pilgrims find their way on The Way through glorious Portugal. I’m honored to help you plan your journey and answer any questions you have in the comments.

Let’s start with some quick-fire FAQs about the route, then I’ll share a step-by-step detailed planning guide.

Have a question? Leave a comment at the bottom and I’ll reply right away 🙂

Why walk the Portuguese Camino? 

Modern pilgrims choose to walk the Portuguese Camino de Santiago for a few common reasons: spiritual/religious interest, cultural exploration, community, and physical challenge. Many pilgrims choose this pilgrimage over a normal walking holiday for the compostela certificate which you receive in Santiago de Compostela if you walk at least 100 km / 62 miles.

How long is the Portuguese Camino? 

The entire Portuguese Camino walk is 610 km / 379 miles starting from Lisbon, Portugal. Most pilgrims start walking in Porto and walk anywhere between 260 km / 162 miles (Litoral Route) and 280 km / 174 miles (Central Route) to Santiago de Compostela, depending on which route they take.

How hard is the Portuguese Camino de Santiago?

The Portuguese Camino is considered to be the easiest Camino. A typical stage is 20–25 km / 12–15 miles per day, but stages can also be shortened. It’s well-suited for beginners and seniors, with many Camino pilgrims being at retirement age. However, it still presents a physical challenge for pilgrims who haven’t trained, who are sedentary at home, or who have overpacked.

Are you retired? Read my dedicated guide: Portuguese Camino for Seniors.

How much does it cost to walk the Portuguese Camino? 

The Portuguese Camino costs €30-100 per day. A pilgrim on a budget can use pilgrim hostels and choose grocery store meals, keeping their prices close to €30 per day. Pilgrims looking for a private room and dinner purchased from a restaurant can expect to spend more like €75 per day. Costs during peak season (summer) are higher for hotels.

Costs include:

• Walking gear
• Transportation to and from the Camino
• Food and beverages
• Accommodation

FAQ: Can you camp on the Portuguese Camino to cut costs? The quick answer is no, but you can read more here.

When should you walk the Camino Portuguese?

The Camino Portuguese can be walked year-round, as the area isn’t prone to below-freezing conditions. Those looking to avoid high heat and crowds will prefer to walk in the “shoulder season,” either spring or autumn. You can experience more rain, but the trade-off is fewer people, lower prices, and no intense heat. It’s also possible to walk in winter.

Here you can see the number of pilgrims broken down by month (data source):

Important Things To Know

There are a few important points that will help you understand the options at your disposal for the Camino Portugués. Let’s start quickly with the famous shell.

Iconic Shell

The scallop shell is the most iconic symbol of pilgrimage. It represents all routes leading to the relics of Saint James, as well as serving as a general symbol of pilgrimage across Europe.

A shell with a red cross can be purchased at your starting cathedral and in Santiago de Compostela. Many Camino pilgrims carry the shell on their backpacks.

Navigation

Navigation on the Portuguese Camino is generally easy and reliable. Scallop shells and yellow arrows will point your way to Santiago de Compostela all the way from your starting cathedral.

Signage can be less reliable when entering urban areas, such as Vigo. It’s wise to have a backup map on your phone to reference.

100km Minimum for Certificate  

Pilgrims who are excited to receive a Compostela certificate should note that this is only available after they walk a minimum of 100 km / 62 miles.

The most popular starting points for the 100 km mark are:

1. Tui, Spain. Distance to Santiago: ~115 km / 71 miles.
2. Valença, Portugal. Distance to Santiago: ~117 km / 73 miles.
3. Vigo, Spain. Distance to Santiago: ~105 km / 65 miles.

Learn more in our 100km guide: How to Walk the Last 100km.

Pilgrim Passport  (Credencial del Peregrino)

Pilgrims walking on the Camino need a pilgrim passport (or credencial del peregrino) for their journeys.

It’s used for two things:

1. Staying in albergues. Pilgrims are permitted to stay in albergues only if they have passport stamps to prove they’re current pilgrims.
2. Collecting the Compostela. A Compostela certificate can only be collected by showing the stamps you’ve collected in your passport.

A pilgrim passport costs €2 and is purchased at the cathedral where you begin your Camino de Santiago.

Get answers to all of the passport FAQs here: Pilgrim Passport Guide.

Special Pilgrim Accommodation (Albergues) 

Don’t jump straight to booking hotels! There’s a special type of accommodation available only to pilgrims, called albergues. These are special pilgrim hostels where you share rooms (bunk beds) with other pilgrims. The benefit is the community and low price — albergues typically cost €10-15 for a bunk bed.

It’s important to bring your own towel plus a sleeping bag or sleeping bag liner if you plan on staying in albergues (some albergues will have rentable linens). Beyond a bed, bathroom, and shower, a mixture of other amenities are available: washing machines, a kitchen, linens, private rooms, and WiFi.

Albergues are often run by volunteers, so a good attitude and attention to cleaning up after yourself is essential.

Should you pre-book your Camino accommodation? Learn more in my guide.

There are 3 different Portuguese routes 

There’s not one single route from Portugal to Santiago de Compostela — there are three similar but distinctive routes that pilgrims can choose from. Which Portuguese Camino route is right for you? Let’s zoom in and look at each one.

The 3 Portuguese Camino Routes 

The Portuguese Camino has three separate routes that each come with unique draws for pilgrims. If you’re starting from Porto, the route difference only matters for the first week. In Redondela, all routes join together. Here it is for a quick reference:

• Porto to Redondela (days 7-8): Litoral, Central and Coastal Routes
• Redondela to Santiago de Compostela (days 8-12): All along Central Route

Planning tip: You’re not committed to one single route for the entirety of your trip. As you can see on the map below, the routes all overlap at the end and they also meet at points during the walk, making it easy to switch.

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Central Route (Caminho Central)

The Central Caminos is the most traditional route through Portugal, taking you along ancient pilgrim trails. It goes inland, leading pilgrims through historical towns and lush forests.

It’s the most popular route through Portugal, and walkers enjoy walking on 2,000+ year-old Roman roads and seeing stunning Medieval architecture.

Central Itinerary

This itinerary for the Central Camino technically starts in Lisbon. Since most pilgrims begin in Porto, I’ll start the itinerary there (see the stops from Lisbon to Porto below).

1. Porto to Vairão: 25 km / 15.5 miles
2. Vairão to Barcelos: 31 km / 19.3 miles
3. Barcelos to Ponte de Lima: 34 km / 21.1 miles
4. Ponte de Lima to Rubiães: 18 km / 11.2 miles
5. Rubiães to Tui: 19 km / 11.8 miles
6. Tui to Mos: 23 km / 14.3 miles
7. Mos to Redondela: 11 km / 6.8 miles
8. Redondela to Pontevedra: 20 km / 12.4 miles
9. Pontevedra to Caldas de Reis: 21 km / 13 miles
10. Caldas de Reis to Padrón: 18 km / 11.2 miles
11. Padrón to Santiago de Compostela: 24 km / 14.9 miles

Coastal Route (Caminho da Costa)

The Camino Portuguese Coastal Route balances seaside vistas with historical towns. Rather than walking on the beach itself, the Coastal Route actually goes slightly inland to give you stunning views of the Atlantic Ocean.

Coastal Itinerary

1. Porto to Vila do Conde: 30 km / 18.6 miles
2. Vila do Conde to Esposende: 24 km / 14.9 miles
3. Esposende to Viana do Castelo: 23 km / 14.3 miles
4. Viana do Castelo to Caminha: 29 km / 18 miles
5. Caminha to Mougás: 23 km / 14.3 miles
6. Mougás to Baiona: 20 km / 12.4 miles
7. Baiona to Vigo: 23 km / 14.3 miles
8. Vigo to Redondela: 15 km / 9.3 miles
9. Redondela to Pontevedra: 20 km / 12.4 miles
10. Pontevedra to Caldas de Reis: 22 km / 13.7 miles
11. Caldas de Reis to Padrón: 18 km / 11.2 miles
12. Padrón to Santiago de Compostela: 24 km / 14.9 miles

Litoral Route (Caminho do Litoral)

The Litoral Route is the youngest route, and is actually considered to be a variant of the Portuguese Coastal Camino. This route is defined by fishing villages and seaside boardwalks before it turns inland.

Litoral Itinerary

1. Porto to Vila do Conde: 30 km / 18.6 miles
2. Vila do Conde to Esposende: 24 km / 14.9 miles
3. Esposende to Viana do Castelo: 23 km / 14.3 miles
4. Viana do Castelo to Caminha: 27 km / 16.8 miles
5. Caminha to Mougás: 30 km / 18.6 miles
6. Mougás to Vigo: 32 km / 19.9 miles
7. Vigo to Redondela: 20 km / 12.4 miles
8. Redondela to Pontevedra: 20 km / 12.4 miles
9. Pontevedra to Caldas de Reis: 21 km / 13 miles
10. Caldas de Reis to Padrón: 19 km / 11.8 miles
11. Padrón to Santiago de Compostela: 25 km / 15.5 miles

The 3 Popular Starting Points

Pilgrims aren’t required to start their Camino in any one specific place. Some pilgrims even begin walking from their homes, which was the original spirit of pilgrimage! Most pilgrims will start walking from Porto, but I’ll outline the pros and cons of the 3 most popular starting points.

Lisbon to Santiago

Lisbon is the official starting point of the Portuguese Camino, but it’s also the least popular. This isn’t totally surprising given that it’s less rich in amenities and doubles the length of the trip. There’s also a lot of misinformation that Porto is the official starting point, leaving many pilgrims unaware of this as an option.

As Portugal’s largest city and capital, Lisbon has endless transportation options for arrival and departure. Pilgrims walking from Lisbon enjoy walking the entire distance of the Camino and seeing their surroundings change drastically as they transition from narrow cobblestone streets to the scenic Galician countryside.

• Popularity: 3,060 pilgrims started in Lisbon in 2023, accounting for 0.72% of total Camino de Santiago pilgrims
• Distance: ~620 km (~385 miles)
• Duration: 28–35 days on average

Porto to Santiago

All Camino Portuguese routes pass through Porto, which is great for pilgrims: Porto’s a stunning and convenient city that belongs on any Portuguese itinerary.

This is the most popular starting point on the Portuguese Camino. It’s easy to navigate to via bus, train, or plane, and offers walkers a memorable departure.

• Popularity: 46,280 pilgrims started in Porto in 2023, accounting for 10.9% of total Camino de Santiago pilgrims.
• Distance: ~260 km (~161 miles)
• Duration: 12–14 days on average

Tui to Santiago

Tui, Spain is the second most popular starting point for pilgrims walking the Portuguese Way. It offers a short but cultural and beautiful walk that’s popular for pilgrims with shorter vacations.

This choice omits Northern Portugal and exposes you only to Spanish culture, though it still counts as the Portuguese Way.

• Popularity: 32,861 pilgrims started in Tui in 2023, accounting for 7.8% of total Camino de Santiago pilgrims
• Distance: ~115 km / 71 miles
• Duration: 5-8 days on average

How To Plan Your Camino Portugués

With all of that background information covered, I’m going to walk you through the planning steps to put your Portuguese Camino de Santiago on the calendar.

If you have questions that aren’t answered, just drop them in the comments and I’ll reply right away 🙂

Step 1: Choose When You’ll Walk

The Portuguese Camino can be walked year-round, allowing you to choose based on personal preferences.

Winter and summer each have their pros and cons. Winter is peaceful, but there’s more rain and fewer pilgrims. Summer is hot and beachy, but crowds are at their max. Summer crowds put a strain on the local communities — I feel that walking in the most crowded months should be avoided to minimize the impacts of overtourism.

Spring and autumn offer joyful walking conditions, though you can be unlucky with rain. A part of the Camino experience is the unknown — embracing it starts here at step one! I’ve done pilgrimage walks in every season and I think spring is ideal.

Get help deciding when to go in my guide: Best Time To Walk The Portuguese Camino.

Step 2: Determine Length of Trip 

The amount of travel time that you have will set the stage for your trip. If your amount of time off is flexible, then you can skip this step now and revisit once you’ve chosen your starting point and route.

Most pilgrims will want to add two extra days — one at the beginning and one at the end — onto their schedule to account for travel to and from their starting point. New walkers will also want to consider adding in time for one rest day (more on rest days further down).

Your schedule will look something like this:

1. First day: Arrive at your starting point (Lisbon, Porto, Tui, etc.)
2. Second day – the day you arrive in Santiago: Walking days and potentially rest days.
3. Last day: Leave Santiago de Compostela.

Some people start walking immediately the day they land and fly out the day they arrive in Santiago de Compostela, but that’s a very hasty schedule that I would only recommend if it’s absolutely necessary.

Customizing Trip Length

There are a few ways you can customize the length of your trip:

• Skip sections that are less interesting to you by taking the train or bus.
• Add time for more interesting stages.
• Shorten stages.
• Extend stages.
• Take rest days.

What’s typical? Pilgrims walking from Porto to Santiago tend to take 10-18 days. The length of your trip is determined by your route and how much time off you have.

Step 3: Select Route 

Which of the three routes calls to you most? If you’re not sure, consider this quick reference below:

• For history and more pilgrims, consider the Central Route
• For scenic vistas and diverse landscapes, consider the Coastal Route
• For seaside walks and quiet trails, consider the Litoral Route

Remember that your route decision only accounts for the first week out of Porto, and then the routes all join together in Redondela.

Because of this, only pilgrims starting in Lisbon or Porto will need to choose which route they’d like to take. Those starting in Vigo or Tui will follow the Central Camino north to Santiago de Compostela.

What’s typical? The majority of pilgrims walking the Portuguese Camino start from Porto and take the Central Route, with the Coastal and Litoral routes also being popular. The Litoral is the easiest route, which makes it very accessible.

Step 4: Choose Starting Point 

Those pilgrims walking only the last 100 km can choose between the most popular routes: Tui, Valença, or Vigo.

What’s typical? Most pilgrims start in Porto, with the second most popular starting point being Tui. If you have the time (but don’t want to walk all the way from Lisbon), starting in Porto is ideal.

It’s a fantastic city and offers a nice 11-14 day experience on the Camino. A shorter pilgrimage is good for pilgrims who don’t have more time, but the longer you walk, the more you’re impacted by the trail and other pilgrims.

Step 5: Establish a Budget 

Your daily budget will determine a few other planning points about your trip, like your accommodation.

Albergues cost €10-15 per night, and don’t need to be booked far in advance (or sometimes at all). Hostels cost €40+ per night and will need to be booked in advance in peak season.

What’s typical? Most pilgrims budget €60 per day, with very budget-aware pilgrims spending as little as €30 per day.

Step 6: Book Transportation

Lisbon, Porto, Tui, and Santiago de Compostela are all easily accessible by public transportation, making it relatively headache-free to travel to and from your Camino. There are also private taxi companies that cater to pilgrims specifically. Here are some popular transportation options:

• Booking site for train tickets: Trainline
• Private taxi: Welcome Pickups or Caminofácil
• Bus: FlixBus or BlaBlaCar Bus
• Carpool rideshare: BlaBlaCar

Flights can be booked up to a year in advance, while busses and trains can be the month before your Camino. Carpool ridesharing with BlaBlaCar is typically booked a day or two before your trip.

I’ve never had an issue with booking a bus or train the week of my travel to Portugal or Spain, but there’s no harm in planning ahead.

Step 7: Start Training

Training is a key element of enjoying your Camino de Santiago. Why do you train? You do so to hit one of these three different goals:

1. Complete each stage. Pilgrims at this level of training will be physically able to complete each stage, but it’s painful and strenuous. They might have bags that are too heavy for them and shoes that give them blisters.
2. Enjoy each stage. Pilgrims who train to this level will have already broken in their shoes and will be able to handle their pack weight with minimal pain. They still have aches and pains (and maybe the odd blister) but walking all day is doable.
3. Arrive energized. Pilgrims at this stage will arrive in good spirits, ready to put down their pack and walk around exploring the city. Their gear will fit them well and they’ll be able to complete their stages with a smile.

What’s typical? Most pilgrims are tired, sore, and blistered at the beginning of their Camino. The difference between completing each stage and enjoying each stage is that people who have trained will feel the aches and pains start to fade after a few days of walking.

Training Warning

No amount of training can make up for a pack that’s just too heavy for you, or for shoes that give you blisters. You’ll learn what works for you through weeks of walking preparation before your Camino.

Try walking for six weeks before your Camino, increasing the distance week by week. Train in the shoes and bag (with weight in it) that you’ll be wearing for the Camino.

Step 8: Get Walking Gear 

You’ll need some basic gear for your walk, such as comfortable shoes and rain gear. This step of planning can be exhausting with all of the endless packing lists, reviews, and recommendations.

As you’re researching gear, remember that this Camino has well-maintained trails and limited climbs. Don’t get scared into buying a pair of boots fit for Everest when your normal sneakers will work just fine for most.

Also avoid the mistake of using packing lists written about the Camino Frances – these will be more intense as that’s a mountainous Camino.

Use my realistic packing list for a comprehensive but no-frills (or fear-mongering) approach to your Camino gear.

Get it here: Realistic Packing List.

To reduce your costs and carbon footprint, you can consider buying gear secondhand or borrowing it from others.

Step 9: Have Neutral Expectations

Traveling with an open mind and eager heart will move mountains on your Camino journey. Try to cast aside any lofty expectations or mental images of what your experience is supposed to look like.

I try to live by these three rules when walking:

1. Have neutral expectations: expect nothing and appreciate everything.
2. Embrace the unexpected, whether that’s weather, delays, or new people.
3. Make it about the journey, not just arriving in Santiago de Compostela.
4. Arrive in good spirits: if you can do this every day, then you’ve succeeded.

Even after thousands of kilometers on pilgrimage, I still have no idea what’s waiting for me on each walk. To be a pilgrim is to embrace the unexpected and unknown parts of the journey.

I remind myself of these same principles before embarking on a new pilgrimage, and I can attribute a lot of happy memories to entering the journey with the correct attitude.

Step 10: Embrace The Community

Many Camino pilgrims will tell you that the walk is about the people you meet as much as anything else. I understand that striking up a conversation with new person after new person might sound like a nightmare for introverts, so here are three tips:

• Open body language. No one is going to strike up a conversation with someone who has their head down, headphones in, and doesn’t make eye contact. Smiling and saying hello to pilgrims walking by is the first step in making friends.
• Initiate conversation. Waiting for someone else to initiate conversation will lead you to miss out on lovely conversations and connections. Try to push yourself to initiate conversation yourself without worrying about how you sound or what people think (they don’t think anything).
• Talk about the experience. Try striking up a conversation about the Camino, like the weather, the sights, or your aches and pains. Many pilgrims will start conversations with each other by asking “What made you choose to walk?” Consider leaving mundane questions like “what do you do?” on the shelf.

If meeting other pilgrims is really important to you, consider walking during the busier months (warmer months) and/or on the busiest route (Central Route).

Additional Things To Consider

I’ve covered a lot of info so far, are you still with me?! I’m going to share a few more things to consider that will help you plan, but I invite you to leave a comment if one of your questions is still unanswered.

Luggage Transfer Service 

Completing the Camino Portuguese walk while carrying a heavy backpack isn’t a possibility for every pilgrim, but thankfully there are services to handle this for you.

A luggage transfer service is a simple and affordable service where a company transports your bags for you from A to B while you’re walking. This service costs as little as 7 per bag per day.

Learn more in my guide: Luggage Transfer Guide.

Planning tip: Not sure if you’ll need help with your bags or not? No worries, you don’t have to decide in advance. Some services, like Top Santiago, allow you to arrange a next-day transfer as late as 8 pm the night before.

Rest Days

There are two types of rest days on the Camino: true rest days and jump-ahead rest days.

• True rest days: Wake up and fall asleep in the same place (what a luxury for a pilgrim!). Each true rest day extends your trip by one day.
• Jump-ahead rest days: Don’t walk, but instead take public transportation or a taxi to the end of the stage.

If you do a jump-ahead rest day on public transit, you’ll quickly see just how popular these are. I’ve heard many people joke about how the train station from one stage to the next was filled with almost exclusively pilgrims.

Rest days are for more than just physical recovery – they also allow you to be a tourist for a day instead of a pilgrim.

What’s typical? I’d guess that most pilgrims who walk more than just the 100 km take one rest day to let their blisters heal.

Pilgrim’s Mass

One of the quintessential Camino moments happens at the end of your journey: pilgrim’s mass. This is a special service held daily for pilgrims at the Cathedral de Santiago. It’s a cherished moment worth making time for in your schedule.

Get times and planning tips in my guide: Pilgrim’s Mass Guide.

Arriving in Santiago

Arriving in Santiago at the Plaza del Obradoiro outside the cathedral is a moment that you want to remember forever. It represents a journey that millions of pilgrims across a millennium have taken.

It’s worth it to plan out your final day with some care to ensure that you don’t miss anything that’s important to you.

I share 9 tips for your last day here: Final Day on the Camino.

Helpful Resources

There are two types of pilgrims out there: the type that researches everything in detail (me) and the type that could wing it tomorrow and have a great time (Bert-Jan).

These additional resources are for the pilgrims like me out there who like to know what they’re getting themselves into:

• This website: This entire website is dedicated exclusively to the Portuguese Camino. Make yourself at home and ask ANY question that you have!
• A Pilgrim’s Guide to the Camino Portugués guidebook: This book offers a lot of fun facts on the history and cultural spots along The Way. It’s very inspirational and informative to use as a planning resource.
• Wise Pilgrim app: A great way to find trail-specific resources gathered by stage.

Respect For Locals

Pilgrims are visitors in Portugal and Spain and need to be gracious guests. Here are some important reminders for your walk:

1. No graffiti. Never write your name on a waymarker, sign, or building. This ruins property and requires items to be replaced.
2. Leave no trace. All garbage should be saved for trash cans, including compostable items. This is especially true of toilet paper; should you be unable to find a bathroom, pack your toilet paper out and save it for a trash can.
3. Local language. Learn a few words of the language (Portuguese, Spanish, or both, depending on where you start) so that you can say please, thank you, and good day.
4. Never trespass. Stay on the trail and never go on private property.

My Advice For You

The Portuguese Camino was my first distance walk, and it wasn’t love at first sight. The morning that I was leaving from Porto, even the walk up the steps to the cathedral felt strenuous. “What was thinking wanting to walk to Spain?!” I thought as I was heaving my enormous backpack up the stairs.

I honestly wasn’t sure what drew me to the idea of pilgrimage, but it was a persistent idea that I felt like I needed to try. That walk on the Camino Portugués was full of blisters, packing mistakes, and aches and pains. It also changed my life more than I ever expected.

That first Camino inspired thousands of kilometers of pilgrimage walks, taking me from Portugal to Spain many times, as well as across Europe from Canterbury to Rome. Bert-Jan and I started this website to encourage others who feel called to The Way to take their first steps and see where it takes them.

Buen Camino! 

If you’re still here reading after 4,000+ words, then I think the Camino is meant for you! You don’t need to identify or understand your attraction to The Way to know that it’s valid.

Take a chance and say yes to the Portuguese Camino. You have no idea what’s waiting for you. I’m here if you need anything – just ask in the comments.

And finally… have a buen camino!