Camino Portugues Coastal Way By Bike

This cycling tour is suitable for most regular to experienced cyclists. You’ll spend much of the day in the saddle and you should be experienced with this to enjoy your holiday. Some of the days are much longer than others and you should be prepared for this.

Before your tour, we recommend cycling a couple of consecutive days, so you get used to riding back-to-back days and incorporating some hilly terrain into your routine. Be sure to take into account the daily distances and elevation changes outlined in your itinerary.

Pedal on a mixture of coastal paths, wooden walkways, dirt tracks, cobblestones and some roads (secondary and main) closer to the bigger cities and towns, with distances between 25-49 km / 16-30 miles. You will also cycle on forest tracks (dirt or gravel and sometimes rocky). You will also encounter a few steep climbs. It is advisable that you are comfortable riding off-road, particularly in wet weather as this makes the terrain more challenging. Total daily elevations range from 87m-435m / 285 ft-1427 ft with descents from 118m-498m / 387-1634 ft. The tour follows the Portuguese Coastal Camino for 80% of the official pilgrim route, but the remaining sections of the Camino is not safe for bikes (since it was created for pedestrians), so you will be diverted via small roads for the remaining sections where rocky and muddy mountain trails and some of the boardwalks are not suitable for bikes.

This tour is graded easy-moderate overall. Within the tour, individual days may vary in difficulty - some sections are a bit tougher or easier than the overall rating suggests.

Accommodation is a mix of hotels, small guesthouses, and larger hotels in the bigger cities along the way.

During the high season you might occasionally be booked into an alternative property to those listed in the day-by-day description - if so, it will be of the same standard or better.

Yes, solo travelers are very welcome on this tour at a special solo rate, with single occupancy rooms and a private en-suite available. There will be a supplement because some costs, like transfers, aren't shared. If you'd like to book a single room within a group, just ask - these are also available for a supplement.

Breakfast is included each morning. Lunches and dinners are free for you to choose from the available options - if there isn't a restaurant at your accommodation there will be options nearby. For lunch, you'll pass through towns and villages where you can pick up provisions for a picnic.

You can begin your tour on any day of the week between 1 March and 31 October. Spring and autumn are generally the best times for cycling here, with cooler temperatures, fewer visitors, and the added benefit of the Atlantic keeping the climate mild even in summer. March, April and October tend to be the quietest and coolest months (though evenings can be chilly), while May and September bring long, warm days. June and July are the warmest months, so you may want to plan a longer lunch stop to avoid cycling in the midday heat - the Atlantic breeze helps keep things cool. Rainfall is generally low throughout the season, with May to September typically the driest months.

Your bags will be collected from your accommodation each day and moved onto your overnight accommodation. We ask you to limit your luggage to one bag of up to 15kg/30lbs per person. An extra bag can be added for an additional cost if needed.

It’s vital that you adhere to these limits. Heavier bags, or additional items might not be transferred, and you may be charged locally. Airlines may have different allowances, but our luggage handlers do not have the same capacity or equipment, and their health and safety is our priority.​

The majority of the tour follows the official, waymarked Camino Coastal Way route, so you'll find it relatively easy to find your way.

Navigation is straightforward using our app which has maps, tracks and daily route info. Simply download the information and tracks for offline use and follow the route on your phone. Once on the trail you do not need signal for the app to work and follow your progress.

By air, Porto Airport (OPO) is easily accessible from London and many airports throughout Europe on a direct flight, or you can fly via Lisbon (LIS) and take a train to Porto (2.5 hours). Airlines flying to Porto include most low-cost carriers, such as Ryanair and Easyjet, as well as many international airlines. By rail, Porto is one of the main railway hubs in northern Portugal, with a train from Lisbon taking around 3 hours. By road, Porto has good connections to the rest of Portugal, with the drive from Lisbon taking around 7 hours. We can also arrange a private transfer from Porto Airport to your first hotel (not included).

For your return by air, you can fly from Santiago (SCQ) direct to some UK airports, or to Madrid (MAD) with Lufthansa, or via Paris (CDG or ORY) or Barcelona (BCN) with Vueling - check Santiago Airport's website for other options. By rail, it's also possible to take the train from Santiago to Madrid (around 7 hours), with timetables and fares at RENFE. Alternatively, you can return to Porto by train via Vigo (4.5 hours), or catch a daily bus to Porto (3 hours). We can also arrange a private transfer back to Porto (not included) should you wish to book return flights from there.

You'll need your standard cycling gear. Bike hire comes with a pannier rack and bag, a pump, lock, a basic repair kit, and handlebar phone mount. On booking, our Tour Info will give you a complete packing list.

Since you'll have your bike with you, shortening or skipping sections may not be easy. For the best local advice on transport options for cyclists, please consult your accommodation provider or reach out to our local bike partner, where applicable.

We highly recommend that you have travel insurance when you book with Macs Adventure. Your policy should cover medical treatment (including repatriation and emergency evacuation by air ambulance or helicopter), injury, death, third-party liability, and trip cancellation

We hire bikes suited to the terrain, including e-bikes for a bit of extra assist, in a range of sizes - just let us know your height when booking so we can get your frame right. If you'd like to bring your own bike then, in the majority of cases, this isn't a problem - please contact us to talk it through. We encourage all cyclists to wear a helmet, and it is law in many countries across Europe. We recommend bringing your own helmet for hygiene and safety reasons, however on most tours you can hire one.

The following bikes are available for hire:

Included (MTB): Trek Marlin 6 as the default bike, 27.5-inch wheels for size S and 29-inch wheels for M-XL, with a Shimano Deore M4100, 10-speed shifter. A Trek Verve 2 touring bike (27.5-inch wheels, Shimano U400 9-speed shifter) is also available on request.

Upgrade to e-bike: Trek Powerfly 4 625 (27.5-inch wheels for S, 29-inch for M-L, Shimano Deore M4100 10-speed shifter, Bosch PowerTube 625Wh battery, Bosch Performance CX 250W motor, 23kg). A Trek Allant 7+ e-bike is also available on request (27.5-inch wheels, Shimano U400 9-speed shifter, Bosch PowerTube 625Wh battery, Bosch Performance CX 250W motor, 25kg).

Tandems are not available on this tour. Bikes are delivered at 4pm on the first day of your tour. Brand and model may vary depending on availability, and the minimum age for e-bike hire is 16.

Please provide your height (for bike sizing) and head circumference (if hiring a helmet) when booking.

Bike hire includes a spare inner tube, helmet, repair kit and pump, a pannier bag, a lock, a water bottle holder, an adjustable phone mount, a bell, and a battery charger for e-bikes.

This region is popular, especially from May to June and in September, so it's worth booking as early as you can - particularly if you'd like to hire an e-bike, as availability can be limited.

Your pilgrim's passport is issued by the Church of St James and included in the cost of your tour. You'll need it stamped in churches, restaurants and hotels along the way, with a minimum of two stamps required per day.

At the end of your ride in Santiago, you can collect your Compostela Certificate in person at the Pilgrim's Office, open between 9am and 6pm. Pre-registering your details online in advance can help save time when you arrive. If you reach Santiago later in the day, it may be worth visiting the office the following morning instead, or adding an extra night to allow time for this.