Portuguese Way by bicycle from Oporto

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Portuguese Way along the coast from A Guarda

Portuguese Way by bicycle from Oporto

from 
265 

Experience the Portuguese Way by bike starting in Porto, the capital of northern Portugal, and ending in Santiago de Compostela in four pleasant stages spread between Portugal and Galicia. An unbeatable way to enjoy the landscape, the Atlantic gastronomy, the cultural heritage and everything that makes the Camino de Santiago great, on a bicycle.

Itinerary

Day 1. Starting the Portuguese Way by bike in Porto

Starting your Portuguese Way by bike in a big city in the north of Portugal is a guarantee of a great start. Porto - in Portuguese, Porto - offers you the possibility of cycling through one of the must-see places in the north of this Atlantic country. Declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, it has many attractions, from its cathedral and the Torre dos Clérigos to the popular and bustling cais da Ribeirapassing by one of the most famous bookshops in the world: Lello & Irmão.

Porto is one of Portugal's top tourist destinations and it shows. And the experience you're about to begin on two wheels is a great excuse to drop by.

Day 2. Stage Porto - Barcelos

Distance: 51 km.
Duration: 5-6 hours.
Accommodation: Barcelos

The first stage of your adventure starts from the city of Oporto, which we recommend you have visited the day before. The first part of the route is obviously urban. You have to ride through the heavy traffic of the metropolitan area, which will give way to the open countryside as you go along.

Soon you will find small villages such as Mosteiró, Gião and Vairão that will lead you to Vilarinho, one of the places where pilgrims usually stop on foot. For those who cycle, however, this is only half of the journey. For the remainder of the day, rural and agricultural areas reign supreme. The Camino runs along small, almost traffic-free roads and dirt tracks. Finally, you will reach Barcelos, an interesting locality that is at the base of one of the Portuguese symbols par excellence: its rooster.

Day 3. Stage Barcelos - Tui

Distance: 71 km.
Duration: 6-7 hours.
Accommodation: Tui

The second day of this Portuguese cycling route will in fact be the longest and the last truly Portuguese stage, as its end, Tui, is already on the Galician side of the river Minho. From Barcelos you will cross the region of vinhos verdes, a young wine that is highly appreciated in Portugal. The vineyards will accompany you to Ponte de Lima, one of the jewels of the day. There you will find the river Lima, which the Romans knew as the River of Oblivion, and which played an important role in the Roman conquest of Gallaecia.

After leaving this village behind, where we recommend you stop in any case, the route continues through pleasant wooded surroundings, with the only difficulty being the climb to Portela Grande de Labruja. The steep slope and the absence of towns and services in the 9 km that separate the towns of Codeçal and Rubiães constitute the challenge of the day.

After Rubiães, it is less than 20 km to the Miño river and its international bridge, which leads to the old city of Tui, one of the seven ancient capitals of the Kingdom of Galicia, and the place to end this long and intense stage. Don't miss the cathedral of Santa María, a fortified temple that forms the centre of an intricate and pleasant historic quarter.

Aerial view of Tui, one of the key points of the Portuguese Way by bicycle.
Aerial view of Tui, one of the most interesting stops on this Portuguese cycling route.

Day 4. Stage Tui - Pontevedra

Distance: 52 km.
Duration: 5-6 hours.
Accommodation: Pontevedra

The Portuguese Way continues northwards and, on leaving Tui, it will ask you to make a decision: continue along the traditional route, which today runs through the monotonous industrial estate of As Gándaras, or take a detour through the natural area of Gándaras de Budiño and Río Louro. Both variants have the same length and end in O Porriño after 7.9 km. We recommend the second one, although it is a bit more demanding in terms of slopes, because it is worth the effort to get away from the industrial area and it is much more interesting from a scenic point of view.

After leaving O Porriño and Mos behind, the climb to the top of Enxertade begins, hard but relatively short. At the top, the Roman milestone of Vilar de Infesta awaits you, which corresponds to the old Roman road of via XIX, which linked Braga and Astorga. From there, you reach the village of Redondela, famous for the railway viaducts that fly over the houses.

Redondela may be a good place to take another break before tackling the last 19 km to the end of the stage. A new effort will take you to the top of O Viso, with splendid panoramic views over the Vigo estuary, where wrecks full of gold from America lie at the bottom. A gentle descent will take you to Arcade, a town famous for the quality of its oysters.

From there, a short cycle ride will take you to Pontevedra, which is said to be a good town (in Galician), boa vila). No wonder. Its historic centre, the charming church of La Peregrina and its legend, its lively squares and streets make it the perfect place to stop the Camino and rest.

Day 5. Stage Pontevedra - Santiago de Compostela

Distance: 64 km.
Duration: 6 hours.
Accommodation: Santiago de Compostela

Last stage of this Portuguese Way by bike that will take you to Santiago de Compostela. Don't be in a hurry: the Camino is about giving time to time and stopping where the mood takes you. You will start the journey leaving Pontevedra behind by the Burgo bridge, where the river Lérez becomes the Pontevedra estuary. This stage is for nature lovers: wonderful landscapes dotted with vineyards and the characteristic villages of the Rías Baixas - a name inextricably associated today with the wines of the area, especially Albariño.

After 20 km you will reach Caldas de Reis, one of the towns with the longest thermal tradition in Galicia, and another 20 km will take you to Padrón, on the banks of the river Ulla, which flows into the immense Arousa estuary. According to Christian tradition, this is where the stone boat that brought the remains of the apostle St. James to rest in Galicia entered. It is well worth taking a stroll through the historic centre and along the breakwater to the church of Santiago, where the pedrónThe stone on which, according to the same tradition, the boat was moored when the disciples and the remains of Santiago continued their journey on foot.

From Padrón, the Way will take you through Iria Flavia, where the bishopric of Teodomiro was located at the time of the discovery of the tomb of the apostle, and through O Milladoiro, today a dormitory town of Santiago whose name comes from the Latin humiliatorium - a clear reference to the pilgrimage and to the fact that from its top it was finally possible to see the towers of Santiago Cathedral.

Only five kilometres more and you will enter the city from the south, through the Porta Faxeira of the old city wall and the Rúa do Franco, a name related to the pilgrims, who were called francos indistinctly, whether they came from Portugal or from the south of Galicia. Congratulations, pilgrim! You have reached your goal. The journey continues.

Day 6. Santiago de Compostela and more

You have completed your Portuguese Way by bike and after a well-deserved rest, you finally have time to visit the city you have cycled more than two hundred kilometres to reach. Its historic centre, its university, its market and its countless parks, its surroundings...

And, if you have time, the End of the World awaits you. We bring it to you on a full day trip to Muxía, Fisterra and the Costa da Morte to complete a fantastic week.

Tailor-made

and get your discount from 5%

The basic programme includes these services. Configure the rest to your liking.

Get your discount

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Lodging

During the Camino, sleeping well and resting is essential. Here are some images of some of the accommodation we work with on this route.

Frequent Asked Questions

Yes, in our programmes you choose the starting date. The Camino de Santiago can be done all year round, although in January and February many accommodations are closed for rest, so if you want to do it in those dates, we recommend you that you consult us first

Most of the accommodation is located next to the Camino, at the place where you will finish each stage. When you make your booking we will generate for you the documentation with the exact address and other location data. 

If the available accommodation is more than 1.5 km from the Camino, we will provide a transfer at no extra cost to you. 

In our programmes we include the option of hiring a luggage transfer service, with a limit of 1 piece of luggage of up to 20 kg per person. There is the option to increase the number of items, but this is not usually necessary. In addition, we will give you luggage identifiers (similar to those at airports) so that you can leave your backpack with the accommodation staff, properly identified, and the shuttle will pick it up there. It is important to do this before 8:00 am, so that our team can take it to the next accommodation before your arrival. In addition, if you plan to travel with more luggage than the Camino, we can also transport the luggage you are not going to use to your last accommodation, so that you can then continue your journey.

Although the Camino is done on foot or by bicycle, you may need a vehicle from the airport to the starting point of your pilgrimage or to make a trip to a place of interest near the end of your stage. In these cases, we provide you with private transport vehicles whose price varies depending on the distance. You can see it among the options by clicking on "I want to book my Camino".

By default and compulsory, all our programmes include travel insurance with specific coverage for the Camino de Santiago. You can see the details in the section Insurance of our website. 

All our programmes include a 24-hour telephone support service, should you need help at any time during your experience. This means that you can also contact us outside office hours (when you are on pilgrimage). 

If you want to book this programme, you have the following options available a form where you can indicate the starting date, the type of accommodation and a series of optional services. The price will be updated according to the options you choose, so you have full control. Once you have configured your trip, click on "Book" to make the payment.

Once we receive your request, you will automatically receive a proof of purchase and within 48 working hours we will contact you to confirm the details of your booking and provide you with the documentation. 

In Proguías we also work with tailor-made programmes (short stages, intermediate rest days, itineraries different from those proposed, etc.). If you are looking for a Camino that meets your needs/preferences, you can ask us for a quote here.

Are you preparing
the Camino de Santiago?

Download the free e-book we have written for those who are preparing their first Camino de Santiago. 
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Walkers' Manual. How to prepare for the Camino de Santiago

The pilgrim's backpack

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Person responsible for processing: Your data will be processed by ALBA RODRIGUEZ SILGO with registered office at Rua do Rego 6C 5°D - Milladoiro, 15895 - Ames (A Coruña). Purpose and legitimacy: Your data will be processed for the purposes specified in the reason for contact and in order to respond to your requests or queries, legally based on express consent. Transfers: they will not be transferred to third parties, unless legally obliged to do so. Term: Your data will be processed for the time strictly necessary to fulfil the specific purpose or purposes for which they were collected, until the loss of relevance of their use or, in any case, until they are cancelled in response to the exercise by the owner of the corresponding rights. Rights: We inform you that you can exercise your rights of access, rectification, cancellation and opposition to the processing of your data through this contact form or by sending an e-mail to the following address: administracion@proguias.es, or in writing, attaching a copy of a document proving your identity to the address: Rua do Rego 6C 5°D - Milladoiro, , 15895 - Ames (A Coruña). Additional information: You can consult additional and detailed information on Data Protection in our privacy policy.

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Opening hours: M-F 9h - 21h

Request a quote for this programme

We prepare a personalised quote and send it directly to your e-mail. 

Person responsible for processing: Your data will be processed by ALBA RODRIGUEZ SILGO with registered office at Rua do Rego 6C 5°D - Milladoiro, 15895 - Ames (A Coruña). Purpose and legitimacy: Your data will be processed for the purposes specified in the reason for contact and in order to respond to your requests or queries, legally based on express consent. Transfers: they will not be transferred to third parties, unless legally obliged to do so. Term: Your data will be processed for the time strictly necessary to fulfil the specific purpose or purposes for which they were collected, until the loss of relevance of their use or, in any case, until they are cancelled in response to the exercise by the owner of the corresponding rights. Rights: We inform you that you can exercise your rights of access, rectification, cancellation and opposition to the processing of your data through this contact form or by sending an e-mail to the following address: administracion@proguias.es, or in writing, attaching a copy of a document proving your identity to the address: Rua do Rego 6C 5°D - Milladoiro, , 15895 - Ames (A Coruña). Additional information: You can consult additional and detailed information on Data Protection in our privacy policy.

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