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Portuguese Camino de Santiago, The Old Way

Through Galicia on the Portuguese Camino
The Portuguese Way | A quieter and more picturesque path to Santiago.
Accommodation with style | From boutique rural hotels to Renaissance jewels.
Unique river boat journey | Experience Europe’s only waterborne pilgrim route.
Alluring villages | Famous for their charm – and their seafood.
Your arrival | Alongside other pilgrims in Santiago’s beautiful cathedral square.
What is included
  • 10 nights
  • 5 dinners
    5 picnics
    10 breakfasts
  • luggage transported
  • route notes
  • GPS navigation
  • transfer on day 2
  • wine-tasting in Meaño
  • Portuguese Camino de Santiago, The Old Way
    Through Galicia on the Portuguese Camino
  • Taking a break in Combarro
  • Plane tree avenue, Padrón
  • Pilgrims' bench at Arcade
  • Coastal path
  • Walking through the forest to Pontevedra
  • Camino 'credencial'
  • Zamburiñas: the little scallops common on menus along the Camino
  • Crossing stepping stones, en route to Vilanova de Arousa
  • Rúa de San Francisco en route to Santiago
  • Torres de Oeste
  • Walking between Albariño vines
  • Enjoying a glass of wine in Pontevedra
What is included
  • 10 nights
  • 5 dinners
    5 picnics
    10 breakfasts
  • luggage transported
  • route notes
  • GPS navigation
  • transfer on day 2
  • wine-tasting in Meaño

Holiday information

A walking holiday along the Camino de Santiago

Self-guided, long-distance walking on the Camino de Santiago through Galicia, staying in charming hotels and with your luggage transported for you. You follow the quieter Portuguese Way, including the Variante Espiritual, which features a unique, river boat journey and is the only water-based pilgrim route in Europe.
Since the 9th century, pilgrims have followed the Camino de Santiago to worship at the tomb of James the Apostle in Santiago de Compostela. There are many reasons people continue to walk this iconic, long-distance trail: spiritual, cultural, sporting – or simply to experience its camaraderie and ambience. Most people follow the Camino Francés across northern Spain which is subsequently busy throughout the year, but the Camino de Santiago has myriad tributaries, including the quieter, more picturesque Portuguese Camino.

Our journey along the Portuguese Camino commences in scenic Tui on the banks of the River Minho, from where you're taken to O Porriño to begin your pilgrimage north through Galicia. Beyond Pontevedra you follow the Variante Espiritual, part of the original Camino and the only waterborne pilgrim route in Europe. En route you discover charming riverside villages known for their seafood; the magnificent city of Pontevedra; and the beauty of the Rías Baixas region with its Albariño vineyards.

Reaching the emblematic city of Santiago de Compostela, pilgrims arriving from across Europe become a single body, walking the final steps into La Plaza de Azabachería and the 12th-century cathedral where the body of St James is interred. Whatever the reason for your personal journey along the Camino de Santiago, following the Old Way is an unforgettable experience.



Itinerary

The key to Inntravel holidays is flexibility. You can start on the day of your choice, and are free to add extra nights.
  • The average maximum daytime temperatures and monthly rainfall relate to the nearest weather station and are intended as a guide only.
    Average temperatures and rainfall
      Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
    °C 13 14 16 17 19 23 25 25 24 20 15 13
    mm 182 124 122 114 86 49 29 34 68 176 170 187
  • Arrival in Tui
    Night 1: at Parador de Tui (the first of two nights here).
    As your first night’s accommodation is on the day of travel, Day 1 is your first day of walking.
  • Explore Tui
    Today you have the full day to leisurely explore the attractive city of Tui with its ancient cathedral, historic old quarter and riverside walk. Strolling across the bridge to Valença takes you over the border into Portugal where you temporarily gain an hour, and time to discover this little-known, fortified town with its cobbled squares; shops selling traditional textiles; battlements; and views over the River Minho.

    Whilst in Tui you can pick up your credencial – the 'passport' you need to get stamped along the way in order to receive your completion certificate (Compostela) upon arrival in Santiago. To qualify, you must have completed the final 100 kilometres of the approach to Santiago entirely on foot (excepting day 7's boat journey between Vilanova de Arousa and Lestrobe). Please note this means opting for our longer recommended routes on days 4 and 8.
    Tui from the bridge
  • Tui to Saramagoso: 22.5km, 8hrs; ascent 555m/descent 360m
    A transfer takes you to O Porriño where you join the Camino de Santiago to begin your pilgrimage, the first milestone showing you have 102 kilometres, 616 metres ahead of you on your journey. The Camino follows the XIX Via Romana which passes through farming communities and the pretty little centre of Mos before arriving into Redondela. An ascent along forest roads takes you away from the Camino to reach the rural idyll of Saramagoso and the Casa Rural As Chivas where you stay for one night.
    Walking from O Porriño to Saramagoso
    Tui to Saramagoso: 22.5km
  • Saramagoso to Pontevedra: 16km, 6hrs; ascent 295m/descent 430m
    Leaving Saramagoso, a short walk takes you back to re-join the Camino from where you descend to cross a Roman bridge into the alluring village of Arcade; this sits at the mouth of the Verdugo river on the Atlantic coast and is famous for its oysters. The Camino climbs from the coast, passing through the narrow streets of the medieval village before joining a lovely forest path. From the outskirts of Pontevedra, you follow a camino complementario which takes you along a dappled, riverside track all the way into Pontevedra and either the Parador de Pontevedra or Hotel Rias Bajas.
     
    Saramagoso to Pontevedra, Bridge at Arcade
    Saramagoso to Pontevedra: 16km
  • Pontevedra to Meaño: 20.5km, 8hrs; ascent 687m/descent 429m; shorter option: 11.5km, 4.5hrs
    Crossing the River Lérez, you re-join the Camino as it heads out of Pontevedra and continues its journey northwards. Shortly beyond the city, you leave the main Camino to head west on the Variante Espiritual, which includes the original Camino route along which the body of St James was carried in AD 44. Hugging the Galician coastline, the route passes through the captivating coastal village of Combarro with its narrow streets; stone hórreos (grain stores); fishermen's cottages; and riverside seafood restaurants. Opt to take a taxi from here to your destination to shorten the route (pay locally); alternatively, a steady climb out of the village and into the forest takes you to the Monastery of Armenteira where two inviting bars provide a welcome place to await your transfer for the short drive to the sumptuous Quinta de San Amaro in Meaño where you stay for two nights.
    View of Combarro
    Pontevedra to Meaño: 20.5km
  • Out-and-back route from Meaño: 8.5km, 3hrs; ascent/descent 155m
    Today you have a full day to discover the Rías Baixas region. We provide notes for a delightful, out-and-back woodland trail along the Ruta de los Muiños where the remains of 17th- and 18th-century mills line the banks of a stream which tumbles and cascades through rolling hillsides and valleys.
    Waterfall on the Ruta de los Muiños
    Out-and-back route from Meaño: 8.5km
  • Visit to an Albariño winery & optional lunch
    No stay to the Rías Baixas would be complete without a taste of the region's premier Albariño wines, so your holiday price includes a tour of one of Meaño's wineries, which your host, Nacho, will arrange for you. The visit lasts about an hour, during which the wine production process from grape to bottle is explained in English, before finishing with a tasting.

    For a very authentic experience, Nacho can also arrange lunch in Meaño at a furancho, a small, privately-owned establishment where the owners sell their surplus wine accompanied by homemade tapas. It is not haute cuisine, but these rustic eateries are great value for money and offer a glimpse of local life. Book and pay locally.
  • Meaño to Vilanova de Arousa: 24km, 8hrs; ascent 185m/descent 465m
    A short transfer takes you back to San Amaro monastery where you re-join the Camino along the breathtaking ‘Route of Stone and Water’ which follows a cascading river of waterfalls as it tumbles through 7 kilometres of dappled woodland before joining a delightful riverside path for a further 7 kilometres. Heading due west, you then trace the coastline towards Vilanova de Arousa, a traditional Galician fishing town with a small old quarter, where you stay overnight in the central Hotel Bradomin.
    Approaching the bridge to Vilanova de Arousa
    Meaño to Vilanova de Arousa: 24km
  • Vilanova de Arousa to Lestrobe: 3.5km, 1hr; ascent 30m/descent 15m
    Today, you board a river launch to travel along the only waterborne pilgrim route in Europe, where ancient crosses mark the way. Stopping at mussel platforms, your crew will explain the process of acquiring, growing and harvesting the mussels, as well as pointing out landmarks, and sharing some of the legends and cultural events of the area. A short cruise through marshes provides an opportunity for bird-watching before you disembark in Pontecesures, from where a short walk takes you to your penultimate accommodation in Lestrobe, on the outskirts of Padrón.
    Checking the mussels platform
    Vilanova de Arousa to Lestrobe: 3.5km
  • Lestrobe to Santiago de Compostela: 27km, 10hrs; ascent 545m/descent 370m; shorter option: 19km, 7hrs
    The final leg of your pilgrimage takes you first into historic Padrón – a town named for the stone to which the boat carrying the body of James the Apostle was moored (and whose impressive Church of Santiago still houses this same stone). Although this is the longest day, the kilometres seem to pass quickly as the route meanders along forest tracks and through a potpourri of charming hamlets set in verdant countryside (choose to shorten the route by taking a taxi (pay locally) to begin from A Escravitude). Arriving into the outskirts of Santiago, path gives way to asphalt as you push on for the final few kilometres, finally reaching the Plaza de Azabachería and the iconic Cathedral where sore feet and weary shoulders give way to elation. Your two nights here are spent at Hotel Virxe da Cerca or, if you choose to upgrade, at Parador de Santiago de Compostela.
    Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela
    Lestrobe to Santiago de Compostela: 27km
  • Explore Santiago de Compostela
    Once you’ve collected your official Compostela certificate from the Pilgrim’s Office, you have a full day to rest and enjoy the singular beauty of this UNESCO World Heritage city – where Romanesque, Gothic, and Baroque buildings sit cheek-by-jowl with lively bars and restaurants. Apart from Santiago’s monumental treasures, the city is rich in greenery, with parks, gardens, and riverside paths to enjoy. We provide a suggested walking tour, but you may prefer simply to allow yourself to get lost in the fascinating maze of lanes and plazas.
    Mosteiro de San Martiño Pinario

Accommodation

You stay in a wide variety of accommodation – from boutique rural hotels to grand Paradors – but always in style and comfort. We offer an upgrade option in Santiago de Compostela. Please indicate your preference at the time of booking.

In some places, we work with more than one hotel, as shown below. All are hand-picked by us and, unless there is a price implication (in which case we will contact you to discuss your options), we will tell you which one we have booked for you on your booking confirmation.

Whichever hotels you stay in, we recommend extra nights in both Pontevedra and Santiago.
Prices & travel options
All prices are in £ sterling (GBP). If you'd like to see what they equate to in your currency, use the converter. For general information on pricing, see the 'your holiday price explained' page.
Currency converter

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  • 10 nights: 15 March 2026 - 31 October 2026 & 14 March 2027 - 31 October 2027

    Start any day | End by latest date(s) shown above

    Starting Price *
    1 - 30 Sep 2026 From £1356
    1 - 21 Oct 2026 From £1538
    14 - 31 Mar 2027 From £1588
    1 - 30 Apr 2027 From £1618
    1 - 31 May 2027 From £1593
    1 - 30 Jun 2027 From £1693
    1 - 31 Jul 2027 From £1728
    1 - 31 Aug 2027 From £1828
    1 - 30 Sep 2027 From £1688
    1 - 23 Oct 2027 From £1643

    * Final price is subject to change due to the customisable nature of our holidays and is dependent on accommodation availability for the dates selected. We will contact you to confirm the final price. Single supplements are applicable on many of our holidays. Please contact us for full details.

    Includes accommodation, meals and services integral to the holiday as described, plus walking notes, but no travel from the UK, nor any connecting travel from the airport unless stated below.

    Book your flights through us and we'll find the best route and times to suit you. Please contact us to find out more about our flight booking service. We can also book connecting travel - see below.

  • RECOMMENDED AIRPORT(S):
    Porto or Santiago de Compostela

    Travelling from the UK

    Travelling from outside the UK

    If you are flying from outside Europe,  you may need to fly to an airport not listed here. To discuss onward connecting travel to the start of your holiday, please contact us.

    Travelling from outside the UK
    We have many years' experience catering for customers who live outside the UK, and will be happy to make tailored arrangements to fit with your plans.

    You have two options:

    1) Book your own flights to London, from where we can book flights and onward connecting travel to your hotel.

    2) Book your own flights direct to an airport appropriate to your chosen holiday. You can either make your own way from the airport to the hotel, or we'll be happy to book onward connecting travel for you. Please consult with us before booking your flights, so that we can advise you on the suitability of your proposed route and timings.
    Outward route Airline
    Aberdeen - Porto (via Amsterdam Schiphol) KLM 
    Aberdeen - Porto (via Paris CDG) Air France,  KLM 
    Outward route Airline
    Birmingham - Porto Ryanair 
    Outward route Airline
    Bristol - Porto easyJet,  Ryanair 
    Outward route Airline
    Edinburgh - Porto Ryanair 
    Edinburgh - Porto (via Amsterdam Schiphol) KLM 
    Edinburgh - Porto (via Barcelona) Vueling 
    Edinburgh - Porto (via Geneva) easyJet 
    Outward route Airline
    Glasgow - Porto easyJet 
    Outward route Airline
    Leeds Bradford - Porto (via Amsterdam Schiphol) KLM 
    Outward route Airline
    Liverpool - Porto Ryanair 
    Outward route Airline
    Gatwick - Porto British Airways,  easyJet,  TAP Air Portugal 
    Gatwick - Porto (via Geneva) easyJet 
    Gatwick - Santiago de Compostela easyJet,  Vueling 
    Outward route Airline
    Heathrow - Porto British Airways,  TAP Air Portugal 
    Heathrow - Porto (via Lisbon) TAP Air Portugal 
    Heathrow - Santiago de Compostela (via Madrid) Iberia 
    Outward route Airline
    Luton - Porto easyJet,  Wizz Air 
    Outward route Airline
    Stansted - Porto Ryanair 
    Stansted - Santiago de Compostela Ryanair 
    Outward route Airline
    Manchester - Santiago de Compostela (via Barcelona) Vueling 
    Manchester - Porto easyJet,  Ryanair 
    Manchester - Porto (via Brussels) Brussels Airlines 
    Manchester - Porto (via Frankfurt) Lufthansa 
    Manchester - Porto (via Lisbon) TAP Air Portugal 
    Manchester - Santiago de Compostela (via Barcelona) Ryanair 
    Outward route Airline
    Newcastle - Porto (via Amsterdam Schiphol) KLM 
    Newcastle - Porto (via Brussels) Brussels Airlines 
    Newcastle - Porto (via Paris CDG) KLM 
    Outward route Airline
    Norwich - Porto (via Amsterdam Schiphol) KLM 
    Travelling from outside the UK

    If you are flying from outside Europe,  you may need to fly to an airport not listed here. To discuss onward connecting travel to the start of your holiday, please contact us.

    This list of flight options should be used as a guide only, and you should check each airline’s website for current routes, frequency and schedules. Not all flights operate daily, and may not run for the entire season. You should also heed the latest flight arrival time and earliest flight departure time stated in the connecting travel section, as it may not be possible to arrange connecting travel outside these times. Please do not book your flights until we have confirmed your accommodation to you. Alternatively, our expert reservations team will be happy to offer advice and to make flight bookings for you for any of the options listed above. We charge £35 per person for our flight booking service. Your flights are then covered by our package-booking conditions, which give you greater protection in the event of delay or cancellation, as well as providing ATOL cover.

  • Prices below are based on 2 people travelling together. If you are travelling solo or as a party of 3 or more and our arrangements include a taxi, please contact us for prices; additional passengers often pay less.

    Unless otherwise stated, connecting travel by rail or bus tends to be from the city centre station, rather than from its airport, and connections between the two should be paid for locally.

    Where a price range is given, the price you pay depends on your date of travel.

    Connecting travel options - flying via Porto

    Outward route Price per person Latest flight
    arrival time
    coach Porto airport to Valença bus station (2h), taxi Valença bus station to hotel (0h05) TBA 1500
    direct taxi Porto airport to hotel (1h10) TBA flexible
    Homeward route Price per person Earliest flight
    departure time
    coach Santiago de Compostela city centre to Porto airport (4h) TBA 1400

    Connecting travel options - flying via Santiago

    Outward route Price per person Latest flight
    arrival time
    bus Santiago de Compostela to Vigo (1h30), bus Vigo to Tui (1h15) pay locally 1600
    Homeward route Price per person Earliest flight
    departure time
    own travel arrangements hotel to Santiago de Compostela airport pay locally flexible
Reviews

If you've experienced this holiday first hand, why not write a review?

We are keen for as many customers as possible to review their holiday. To make it easier to do so, we include a specific review section on our post-holiday questionnaire, and this is what we publish here, unedited. Read our full review policy >

Please note: any reference to maps in customer reviews is now out of date – we no longer provide these. For information on this, please see our FAQs page.


 

FAQs

If you have any questions relating to this or any other Inntravel holiday, our friendly travel experts will be happy to help. You might also find our General FAQs section helpful.
  • Yes, prior to going on holiday you will be able to download GPX tracks so that you can follow your route on your smartphone or dedicated GPS device if you wish. It’s entirely up to you whether or not you use them – our detailed, step-by-step route notes remain the principal means of guiding you from A to B – but we provide them as a secondary means of navigation for additional reassurance when walking.
  • We can book a wide range of routes from the UK with a variety of airlines. As well as being more convenient for you to book all elements of your holiday together, it also means that we’ll accept liability for your travel arrangements, so if things go wrong, such as the airline going bust, we’ll make suitable alternative arrangements for you. The fee for this service is £35 per person (£15 for children aged 2-11). More information on flights >
  • Absolutely! We are experts in tailored rail travel. Making use of sleeper trains or stopovers in cities along the route, we can get you from London to virtually anywhere in mainland Europe. We can even make arrangements to Mallorca, Sicily and Norway with a combination of ferries and rail. Please contact us to discuss your plans.
  • We can’t book flights that originate outside the UK, but if you wanted to book your own flights to London (or elsewhere in the UK), we can make all onward travel arrangements (including flights) from there. Alternatively, if you are booking your own flights to an airport in continental Europe that’s appropriate for your holiday, we can book onward rail travel and/or taxis. More information about how we can tailor holidays for customers outside the UK >
  • Since our holidays are self-guided, we recommend calling us for a chat about your plans before making a booking, especially if it’s the first time you’ve booked with us.
    The price panel shows the supplement for a single room and also the single traveller charge (this covers (luggage) transfers and other costs which are usually shared between two people).
  • Once you’ve decided on your exact itinerary (our travel experts will be happy to offer advice), you need to provide us with your party’s details, either by phone or via our booking form. At this point we also ask you to pay a deposit so that we can secure a room for you immediately on confirming availability with the hotel(s). If it turns out that we can’t secure the accommodation for the holiday you’ve requested, or offer an acceptable alternative, we’ll refund your deposit promptly and in full. After booking your accommodation and other key elements, we'll then book your travel (or you can do so if you’re making your own arrangements) and send you a Booking Confirmation and Invoice.

    More information about the booking process >
    Information about accommodation, general practicalities and more >
    Booking conditions >
  • Yes, it’s something we insist on, even for holidays in the UK. The vast majority of holidays go smoothly, but when things go wrong, it can be expensive to put them right. Buying a new pair of walking boots after your suitcase is stolen mightn’t seem so bad, but the bill for being airlifted down from a mountain with a broken leg or flown home while still recovering from an illness or accident can incur a five or six-figure bill.

    Many insurers offer travel insurance (you can find details on our insurance page of a policy that you may like to consider if you are a UK resident), but you do need to make sure that you’re covered for medical emergencies – including falling ill with Covid-19 while on holiday – and repatriation. We also recommend that you are covered for other eventualities, such as cancellation and loss of luggage and passports.

    When you purchase a policy, be sure to check that it covers the activities you'll be doing on holiday and that it is adequate for your own individual needs.
  • It is your responsibility to ensure you are in possession of the correct travel documents, with the correct validity. If you’re a UK citizen, you need a full British passport to travel to Spain, but not a visa (please note, however, that a new travel authorisation system is being introduced). If you are a citizen of another country, you’ll need to check requirements with the national embassy or your own consulate.

    Current information regarding vaccinations and travel health advice for UK citizens can be found through the Travel Health Pro website. You must make sure you have adequate insurance cover for illness, accidents and repatriation (see the insurance question). You should also apply for a Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) if your EHIC has expired (if you have a still-valid EHIC, you can use this until it expires).
  • (Castilian) Spanish is one of several official languages; Catalan, Basque and Gallego have equal status in Catalonia, the Basque Country and Galicia, respectively. The currency is the Euro. Spanish time is GMT/UTC + 1. It uses Daylight Saving Time, so in summer is on BST + 1.
  • For information on the practicalities of travel now that the UK is no longer part of the European Union, visit www.gov.uk/visit-eu-switzerland-norway-iceland-liechtenstein.
  • The UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) provides up-to-date, country-by-country travel advice, as well as information on security, local laws, passports and visas for UK citizens.

    If you live outside the UK, see our essential travel information page for a list of relevant websites.
  • You are the best judge of your child’s/children’s capabilities. We are happy to take bookings for families of older children/teenagers if they walk regularly, love the outdoors and are comfortable with the distances and ascent/descent involved. Please note that the bedrooms at most of the accommodation we use will normally only sleep a maximum of 3 people, and sometimes only 2.
Portuguese Camino de Santiago, The Old Way
10 nights
Portuguese Camino de Santiago, The Old Way
10 nights
Hotel-to-hotel walking
Grade: Moderate
Last fetch time is : 9/16/2026 12:17:08 PM

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