Imagine this: the Portuguese Coastal Camino de Santiago. Over 240 kilometers of ancient paths stretching from Porto to Santiago de Compostela, and we’ll be walking it together – a community, a shared heartbeat, a small brave tribe embarking on a journey that’s sure to leave its mark.
Before we even set foot on those paths, we’ll gather a few times on Zoom to prepare. We’ll get our bodies ready by getting our steps in – but it’s more than that. We’re preparing our minds and hearts, because the Camino? It asks for something different. It asks us to walk with intention, to meet ourselves honestly, and to step onto the path with hands (and heart) wide open.
From Porto, we’ll take those first steps, winding along sandy beaches, through lush forests, and past ancient villages where history feels so alive you can practically reach out and touch it. Each day, we’ll walk about 20 kilometers – sometimes in deep conversation, sometimes in a meditative, sacred silence, and sometimes in laughter, the kind that only comes when you’re doing something beautifully hard with people who understand.
We’ll cross the river Minho, step into Spain, and keep going until we reach Santiago. And each night, when the day’s walk is done, we’ll rest in places that hold stories of their own. We’re talking monasteries, palaces, fortresses – places carefully restored, just like we’re bringing something back to life in ourselves. We’ll share fresh local food that’s as much a part of the journey as the miles we’ve walked, savoring each bite, each conversation, each story.
This is our pilot trip, the very first of its kind. And it’s going to stay with us, long after that last step. Because this journey? It gets into your bones. It changes you, not just because of the places we’ll see, but because of the person we allow ourselves to become along the way.
So, if you feel that pull – come walk with us. This is your invitation. The Camino is waiting. And so are we.
Distance: 20 km (12.4 miles)
We start our Portuguese Coastal Camino in Matosinhos, just outside Porto. Wooden boardwalks and pavements lead us via a series of wide sandy beaches, nature reserves and fishing villages to the historic coastal town of Vila do Conde.
Distance: 25 km (15.4 miles)
After entering the seaside resort town of Povoa de Varzim, we spend most of the day walking alongside the coast between flowers and sand dunes and across beaches, before we head inland towards Esposende via market gardens, forest, villages, and a bridge across the wide Cávado estuary.
Distance: 23.5 km (14.5 miles)
After leaving the coast, we pass through some delightful sections of woodland and rivers. The long Eiffel Bridge into Viana do Castelo, an attractive town famous for its ancient and contemporary architecture, offers magnificent views over the Lima Valley and estuary with views of distant mountain ranges.
Distance: 19 km (11.8 miles)
With coastal views from a string of hillside villages, we cross through an enormous eucalyptus forest and then make our way uphill before descending to the low-key beachside resort town of Vila Praia de Âncora.
Distance: 15 km (9.3 miles)
We follow the coastal path which connects Âncora with Moleda and then continue to the charming town of Caminha where we catch the ferry across the River Minho to the peaceful fishing town of A Guarda in Spain.
Distance: 13 km (8.1 miles)
Before leaving A Guarda, we take a short detour up to the Santa Tegra Celtic settlement where the views of the ocean are spectacular. We walk back down to the rugged coastline and continue on to the small beachfront village of Oia, dominated by its 12th-century monastery.
Distance: 17.5 km (10.9 miles)
We begin our walk through delightful wildflower fields, along the coast before a change of scenery and terrain. We now cut across the mountains with a final descent into the mediaeval centre of Baiona.
Distance: 25 km (15.5 miles)
Outside of Baiona, the terrain becomes more rural, before a short busy section upon our approach to Vigo, where we then cross through Castrelos Park to reach the city.
Distance: 22 km (13.5 miles)
After taking Vigo’s main shopping street out of the city, we walk through peaceful hillside villages with views across the city, estuary and port. Around halfway, we enter the woods leading to Redondela and then head down to Arcade, a riverside town famous for its oysters.
Distance: 13 km (8 miles)
We leave Arcade via its iconic bridge and follow ancient stone paths up through another forest, then take a scenic detour along the River Tomeza to approach Pontevedra, its historical city centre filled with atmospheric squares and tapas bars.
Distance: 22 km (13.6 miles)
Today’s walk takes us through attractive countryside and a section of forest to the riverside spa town of Caldas de Reis where we can bathe our weary feet in the thermal spring on the main square.
Distance: 19 km (11.5 miles)
We begin the day with an easy ascent through a series of small villages and the delightful Valga forest. Several impressive churches and stone crosses line the route to Padrón, the riverside town where St. James’s body is said to have been laid to rest by his faithful followers.
Distance: 25 km (15.5 miles)
The last stage of our Camino trek is mainly through the countryside (with only a few busy final kilometres). Once we enter the ancient narrow streets of the mediaeval centre of Santiago de Compostela, the atmosphere magically changes as we approach the magnificent cathedral square, our final destination.
