More and more people walk the Camino de Santiago/Way of St James to the Apostle’s tomb in the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Spain every year. Movies like The Way, Looking For Infinity, and I’ll Push You have done their bit in increasing their popularity among the prominent pilgrimages worldwide. And you certainly don’t have to be religious to benefit from the experience.
No matter what route, most pilgrims walk 25 to 30 kilometres (15 to 19 miles) daily. But what if you don’t want to walk that much? Or if you’ve got an injury/are older and can’t? That question bugged us before our first Camino, and we’ve got good news: You can walk the Camino at your own pace. In today’s article, we share how we did the Camino Portuguese / Portuguese Way, averaging just over 11 kilometres (just under 7 miles) of walking a day, and how you can do it too.
So, how can you walk the Camino Portuguese (or any other Camino route) at a more leisurely pace?
Consider your needs and be prepared to make adjustments
We are generally fit and healthy. However, due to a running accident, Paul had to have spinal surgery only 3 1/2 months before our first Camino.
He was still recovering when we were about to embark on our Camino. So, we decided to make the following adjustments:
- to choose a less strenuous Camino route;
- to walk shorter distances each day and
- for me to carry the majority of our stuff.
We reduced our carry-on travel packs to a minimum and sent Paul’s travel pack (with anything we didn’t need) from our starting point to Santiago de Compostela. I walked with my usual travel pack, which weighed 9 kilograms / 20 pounds (about the same weight I typically carry). Paul walked with our usual daypack, carrying a few personal items, snacks, and a water bottle (weighing 3 kilograms / 6.5 pounds).
Tip #1: Don’t feel pressured by what others do. It’s YOUR Camino. Listen to your body.
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How many people walk the Camino Portuguese each year?
In 2023, the Pilgrim’s Office in Santiago de Compostela registered 443,391 pilgrims. 140,660 (just under 32%) of them chose to walk the Camino Portuguese (the central and coastal routes). This makes it the second most popular Camino after the Camino Frances (which 49% of pilgrims chose).
Where do most people start the Camino Portuguese?
36% of all pilgrims on the Camino Portuguese (de la Costa) commenced their journey on the Portuguese/Spanish border – in either Valenca/Tui (Camino Portuguese Central) or Caminha/A Guarda (Camino Portuguese de la Costa). This is closely followed (at 33%) by those who started in Porto. Just under 3% of pilgrims commenced their Camino in Lisbon.
Choose a route and distance according to your liking and ability
We decided to combine the various routes that are considered part of the Camino Portuguese, walking from Caminha to Santiago de Compostela via the
- Camino Portuguese de la Costa (Caminha to Redondela);
- Camino Portuguese Central (Redondela to Pontevedra);
- Variante Espiritual (Pontevedra to Padron); and
- Camino Portuguese Central (Padron to Santiago).
Why did we choose this particular route? We were concerned that the distance from Porto would be too far for Paul so soon after surgery—we would have had to walk 15-20 kilometres every day. On the other hand, we did want to start in Portugal, and we wanted to experience different routes.
Map of Accommodation, Points of Interest, Eateries and Transport
Below is a map of the recommended accommodations, points of interest, eateries and transport terminals/stops mentioned in this article.
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In the end, we walked 183 kilometres (114 miles) over 18 days—one of which was a rest day (in Combarro on the Variante Espiritual)—averaging just over 11 kilometres (just under 7 miles) per day.
Interested in replicating our itinerary? Just read on or jump straight to it.
Tip #2: While challenging yourself (at least a little) is part of the whole Camino experience, choose a distance that is achievable and a route that matches your abilities.
Manage your accommodation expectations and prepare as needed
How easy is it to find accommodation, and what can I expect? This must be among the most frequently asked questions in Facebook Camino Groups/Camino Forums.
If you walk in Spring (March/April) or Autumn (October/November), it’s easy, and you don’t generally need to book ahead (except for some small and very popular albergues like Casa Fernanda on the Camino Portuguese Central). The accommodations we stayed in (in April) were usually only 25 to 30 percent full. Once, we even had a 16-bed albergue all to ourselves.
Some accommodations may need to be pre-booked from May to September. Municipal albergues remain first come, first served even during the busy season (more on that below). If you want to walk the Camino in Winter (December to February), be aware that some accommodations will be closed.
What accommodation can I find along the Camino Portuguese?
Municipal albergues
Municipal albergues, as the name indicates, are owned and run by the municipalities you travel through. Local volunteers often staff them. Facilities tend to be (very) basic. However, the price of around EUR10 per person per night reflects this. Municipal albergues cannot be pre-booked. Bring a sleeping bag and liner if you plan to stay in municipal albergues. Not all provide blankets and/or bed linen. Or if they do, they may not be sufficient to keep you warm.
Private albergues
Private albergues are licenced as albergues and have to follow the same rules that apply to municipal albergues regarding eligibility to stay and lock-up times. The facilities tend to be (significantly) better than those in municipal albergues. But they also cost twice or three times as much (EUR15-25 per person per night). If you stay in private albergues, you won’t need to bring a sleeping bag (just a liner). They all provide blankets and bed linen (some even towels).
Guest houses/Hotels
You will find guest houses and hotels all along the Camino. Many restaurants (that offer pilgrim’s menus) also have a few guest rooms. Many rural lodges do not advertise their services on websites like Booking.com. You need to knock on the door and ask. Most of them offer double or twin beds. Some also have family rooms. Rates for a basic, clean double/twin room with its own bathroom start at EUR35 per room per night (in low season). Breakfast is usually not included.
Some people buy guidebooks written by John Brierley to help them plan their routes and accommodation. We downloaded the Wise Pilgrim Camino Portugués app (available on Google Play and Apple Store) and supplemented it with Booking.com to find accommodation not mentioned in the app.
Tip #3: Once you’ve decided what average distance per day you can or want to walk, check the route you’d like to do and the lodging options along the way. Then adjust your daily stages according to the options available.
Private albergues, like this one in Redondela, have better facilities but are also double or triple the price of municipal albergues
Walk the Camino Portuguese averaging 11km/7miles a day (Sample Itinerary)
If you have three weeks available and are happy to (only) walk on average 11 kilometres/7 miles per day, you may want to replicate our itinerary. This gives you 17 days of walking (along the Coastal, Central and Spiritual routes) and four spare days, which you may want to use as (a) rest day/s on the road (there are plenty of places that warrant further exploration) or once you’ve reached Santiago de Compostela.
Tip #4: Make sure you leave some time to explore Baiona [Tourist Office], Redondela [Tourist Office], Pontevedra [Tourist Office], Combarro [Tourist Office], Padron [Tourist Office] and of course, Santiago de Compostela.
We slept in various accommodations, from dorm beds in municipal and private albergues to bedrooms with our own bathrooms in guest houses and hotels (including a monastery and a 4-star hotel). Sometimes, a room with a bathroom costs the same as two dorm beds. In some areas, guest houses/hotels were the only options.
Since we did the Camino Portuguese, prices have increased by about 15%. The below has been updated to reflect 2024 low-season prices.
| Day | Name | Stage | Type | Distance in kilometres | EUR Cost (for 2 people) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | Arca Nova Guesthouse | Porto - Caminha | Bunk beds in dorm | by train | 36.00 |
| 1 | Albergue de Peregrinos Municipal A Guarda | Caminha - A Guarda | Bunk beds in dorm | 7.9 | 20.00 |
| 2 | Albergue da Estrela | A Guarda - Viladesuso | Bunk beds in dorm | 17.0 | 32.00 |
| 3 | Hotel Bayona | Viladesuso - Baiona | Ensuite double | 14.3 | 45.00 |
| 4 | El Retiro | Baiona - Nigrán | Ensuite double | 9.4 | 35.00 |
| 5 | Hesperia Vigo | Nigrán - Castrelos Park | Ensuite double | 15.8 | 48.00 |
| 6 | Hostal Los Tres PaÃses | Castrelos Park - Vigo | Ensuite twin | 5.5 | 43.00 |
| 7 | Albergue Santiago de Vilavella | Vigo - Redondela | Bunk beds in dorm | 15.0 | 30.00 |
| 8 | Hostel Albergue O Meson | Redondela - Puentesampayo | Bunk beds in dorm | 9.3 | 34.00 |
| 9 | Casa Maruxa | Puentesampayo - Pontevedra | Ensuite double | 11.8 | 42.00 |
| 10 | Hotel Xeito | Pontevedra - Combarro | Ensuite double | 11.5 | 51.70 |
| 11 | Mosteiro de Santa MarÃa da Armenteira | Combarro - Armenteira | Ensuite twin | 10.6 | 70.00 |
| 12 | Hostal O Legado de Ramira | Armenteira - Ponte Arnelas | Ensuite double | 13.6 | 50.00 |
| 13 | Albergue A Salazon | Ponte Arnelas - Vilanova de Arousa | Ensuite twin | 11.9 | 43.00 |
| 14 | Pensión JardÃn | Vilanova de Arousa - Padrón | Ensuite double | 2.9 (plus 26.8 by boat) | 50.00 |
| 15 | Albergue Da Capellania | Padrón - A Escravitude | Bunk beds in dorm | 7.5 | 32.00 |
| 16 | Albergue Peregrinos Milladoiro | A Escravitude - O Milladoiro | Bunk beds in dorm | 11.6 | 33.00 |
| 17 | Albergue Santiago KM-0 | O Milladoiro - Santiago | Bunk beds in dorm | 7.5 | 48.00 |
| Total | 183.1 (excluding boat) | 742.70 |
Make sure you explore the towns and villages along the way, such as Combarro on the Variante Espiritual
I hope I alleviated your concerns and that the Camino is now firmly on your bucket list. If you’re looking for an up-to-date guidebook, nothing seems to beat A Pilgrims Guide to the Camino Portuguese, though the Wise Pilgrim Camino Portuguese app gets pretty close.
Bom Caminho / Buen Camino!
Have you walked the Camino Portuguese?
I wrote these Camino Portuguese tips based on our own experience. If you’ve walked the Camino de Santiago, what other tips do you have? And if you’re still planning your trip, what other question/s do you have?
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