Camino Portugués: Final Stage - Tui to Santiago
- Walk the final 100km of the Camino Portugués
- The charming spa town of Caldas de Rei and coastal town of Arcade
- Monte Santiaguino where St James first preached in Iberia
- Completing a unique and rewarding journey and gaining your Compostela in Santiago
Gallery
Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive in Tui and OvernightSeparated from Portugal by the River Minho, the Galician town of Tui is a pretty, historical border town. Explore its attractive cathedral cloister, or take a wander over the International Bridge to Valenca do Minho in Portugal.
It is a small but cozy guesthouse in the historical center of Tui, starting point for the Camino de Santiago.
Leaving Tui head throigh the Louro valley onward to O Porrino.
Follow quiet country roads and woodland paths along the rio Louro valley to O Porrino. As the final section of this walk is along roads with limited shade we recommend starting early in the day to try and avoid the worst of the heat. You will be collected from here to be transferred back to Tui for your overnight accommodation due to a lack of good standard accommodation in O Porrino.
Ascent:Â 40m /Â Descent:Â 58m
It is a small but cozy guesthouse in the historical center of Tui, starting point for the Camino de Santiago.
A short transfer will take you back to O Porrino, to continue your walk. Whilst leaving O Porrino does feel quite industrial, you are soon heading into the countryside again and paths through pine and eucalyptus trees. A short, steep climb up the Road of the Knights is rewarded with views of the sea, before heading downhill to Redondela. Continue along the coast, then a brief climb up through wooded forest, before reaching the coast again at Arcade.
Arcade is a wonderful little place to explore with the beautiful medieval bridge of Pontesampaio and the charming promenade being real highlights.
Ascent:Â 347m /Â Descent:Â 364m
Ein Hotel, das den Besuchern Qualität und Komfort in einer warmen, freundlichen und familiären Umgebung bietet.
Enjoy wonderful views of the Bay of Vigo before heading to Ponteverda
Begin the day by climbing the ancient stone paths of the Verea Vella da Canicouva. Explore the 13th century Church of Santa Maria with it’s wonderful views over the Bay of Vigo before arriving in Pontevedra.
Pontevedra is the most “city-like” town on the route aside from Santiago and a bustling place with a great atmosphere.
Ascent:Â 154m /Â Descent:Â 171m
Das Hotel liegt im Geschäftsviertel, nur 100 m von der Altstadt entfernt. Die Zimmer sind modern und elegant eingerichtet.
Gentle paths take you through eucalyptus woods and along river valleys shared with the railway line today. Approaching Caldas de Reis you do hop on and off the main road but only for very brief sections. Caldas de Reis is a spa town, its history linked to its thermal waters. Enjoy resting your feet in the hot spring on arrival.
Ascent:Â 135m /Â Descent:Â 133m
Das Hotel liegt im kleinen Ort Caldas de Reis in der Nähe vom Camino. Ein Teil des Gebäudes wird als Pilgerherberge genutzt. Die Zimmer sind einfach und zweckmäßig eingerichtet.
Enjoy your penultimate days walk which takes you through river valleys.
A lovely day of walking through two river valleys, the Bermana and the Valga valley. There are just two brief sections of road walking today as you leave Caldas and then enter Padron. Padron is the starting point of James ministry in Spain, and where St James remains were brought to following his martyrdom in Jerusalem.
Ascent:Â 149m /Â Descent:Â 162m
Â
Dieses Hotel ist ideal in Padrón gelegen. Alle Zimmer sind modern und praktisch ausgestattet.
Start your final day of walking into Santiago, the walking is varied and there are some inevitable stretches along the main roads into the city.
The route gets busier today as you head towards Santiago, but there are still pleasant sections through oak, pine and eucalyptus woodlands. You will soon spot the spires of the magnificent cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, and relish that moment of walking into Santiago and completing your journey.
Ascent:Â 386m /Â Descent:Â 130m
Only 25m from the traditional market, this house retains its natural charm of stone, wood and light, combined with modern materials. There is an elevator, WIFI throughout the hotel, LCD TV, room service, hair dryer, reading room and lounge.
In the heart of Santiago de Compostela, this hotel combines modernity with tradition, offering a cozy and comfortable stay. Hotel rooms are equipped with every comfort: free WIFI, TV, private bathroom ... The hotel also offers a 24-hour coffee shop.
The hotel is located in the heart of the city, just 800 meters from the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela.
Enjoy breakfast before checking out and making your way home.
This trip has a carbon score of 15kg per person per night, meaning it’s one of our best trips! For comparison, a carbon count of 15kg is equivalent to 88.5 candy bars. Here at Macs, we pride ourselves on being a responsible travel company and continue to adopt, develop and innovate ways to positively impact the environment. Find out more information about how we've carbon counted our trips.
Other Information
Is it for me?If you don’t have time to walk the full Camino Portugués or simply would like a taster of what the route is like, this section is perfect for you. The walking is fairly easy and flat. And you still get the great sense of completion, walking into Santiago and getting your Compostela, and build that camaraderie with your fellow pilgrims.
Pilgrimages | For those looking to follow a path of self-discovery. Our Pilgrimage and Camino routes take you on a journey through diverse landscapes and local flavours, while meeting like-minded adventurers along the way.
Inn to Inn Walking | Walk from place-to-place changing accommodations each night. Generally staying in B&Bs, inns, and guesthouses.
Solo Travellers, Families with Teens
The minimum age for this tour is: 12 Years
This tour is graded moderate overall and involves daily walks of between 12-26km. It is suited to regular walkers who enjoy long-distance walking. You will follow a mixture of farm/dirt tracks, woodland paths, minor roads and closer to the bigger towns and cities, some busier roads. Much of this route is flat, but there are a few days that are long and some sections on cobbled pavements which can be tough so a good level of fitness is recommended.
The accommodation is a mixture of small family-run hotels, guesthouses and larger hotels in the big cities. All with private rooms and en-suite bathrooms and all offer a warm welcome to walkers, traditional hospitality and delicious local food. We do recommend that you book this trip early as the area is always popular and the hotels and inns do fill up early.
Solo Walkers & Single Rooms
The Camino is available to solo walkers at a supplement. Single rooms are available although a single supplement is payable.
Meals
A local breakfast is included each morning (except in Albergaria a Velha and Azambuja), which usually consists of a coffee and bread with jams. Lunch and dinner are not included as standard so you are free to choose from the available options.
Additional Nights
There is so much to see and do along the route that many of our clients choose to add extra nights along the walk either as a rest day or simply to do some extra sightseeing. If you are walking the whole route solo try not to add too many extra nights along the way as you will lose touch with those you have met.
The route is marked with yellow painted arrows but please take care at intersections where there may be a choice of several different alternative routes, particularly in the latter half of the route from Porto to Santiago. Navigation can become trickier when leaving the busier cities and towns such as Lisbon, Porto and Tui and you will need to pay close attention to your route notes for these sections. We also provide a guidebook and access to the Macs Adventure Smartphone App, which you can use to navigate. We strongly recommend using this App, or at least having it on your phone ready to use should you ever be in any doubt about your direction. There are usually other walkers around in case you are looking for help. A detailed information pack including route notes, local information and maps will be waiting for you at your first accommodation.
- 7 Nights in small rural hotels, twin/double rooms with en-suite W/C.
- Daily Breakfast
- Daily Baggage Transfers
- Return transfers from O Porrino to Tui.
- A detailed information pack for the group leader including route notes, maps and local information.
- GPX tracks and access to the Macs Adventure Smartphone Navigation App
- Emergency support from our local and UK offices in the event of a problem.
- Return travel to Spain/Portugal.
- Lunches, snacks or drinks.
- Travel Insurance.
- Personal Equipment.
- Taxi transfers or public transport should you need to skip a stage.
- Additional nights accommodation along the way.
This trip is available to start on any day from the beginning of March to the end of October. Option & extension prices will be displayed as part of the booking process.
Time of Year
The weather on the Camino Portugues can be quite varied as it passes through several different regions. We recommend walking between March and October to get the best weather for walking. July and August can be extremely busy on the Camino and very hot (temperatures have reached up to 40 degrees) so we tend to recommend avoiding these months. As some of the route passes close to the coast, this can cool down the temperatures but it can also cause storms and high winds.
Santiago de Compostela is the closest airport to Tui. You can fly directly to Santiago from London Stansted with Ryanair. To get down to Tui, you will have to take a train with RENFE which connects through Vigo. The total journey time for this is around 2.5 hours.
From Santiago City Centre to the Airport
From Santiago, you can arrange a private transfer through Macs Adventure, to ensure a smooth end to your Camino. Alternatively, a bus runs between the airport and Plaza de Galicia in Santiago, stopping at different points in the city (Pazo de Congresos, Capilla San Lázaro, the bus station, the railway station, Rúa da Rosa, and others). From the airport, the bus departs from 00:00 to 23:30, every half hour (duration 20 mins). Please see the Santiago Airport website for current timetables.
From Santiago to Madrid by train
If you would prefer to travel by rail, you can take a train (fast trains are available, 6h30 duration approx.) from Santiago to Madrid with RENFE.
By Bus within Spain
There are good bus connections from Santiago to other cities within Spain – see http://www.alsa.es for bus schedules.
Baggage transfers are included (max 18kg per person). Your main bag will be transferred each day between your overnight accommodation so that you only need to walk with a day pack. There is a supplement applicable for solo walkers on baggage transfers due to the fact that the transfer costs are usually shared.
At Macs Adventure, we work in partnership with many luggage transfer providers who set a limit on how many bags/suitcases they will transfer per person, and also the weight of the bag/suitcase. Your booking includes transfer of 1 bag per person.  It is very important that you read the luggage information specific to your tour before departure. If you do not adhere to these limits, there is a great possibility that you will be charged locally both for extra bags or if they are too heavy. This limitation can be a challenge, especially as airlines generally have limits that are higher. However, our luggage providers have reasons for these limits (usually due to the Health and Safety of their employees), which we must respect.
Please be prepared by packing all necessary items, for example, proper rain gear (jacket and pants), sun hat and sun screen. Your information pack has a detailed equipment list which includes standard walking/cycling gear such as good walking boots or shoes, warm and waterproof clothes for the cooler months and lightweight clothing for summer, and a day pack.
Pilgrim's Passport & Compostela
The pilgrim’s passport is issued by the church of St James, you can obtain one at the start of your walk in the pilgrim’s office or the local church in town. You need to get the passport stamped in churches, restaurants and hotels along the way. At the end of the walk, in Santiago, you can obtain your Compostela Certificate (only if you have walked the last 100km). For the other sections of the trail, the passport is used as a souvenir with all the colourful stamps you will receive.
Your information pack has a detailed equipment list which includes standard walking gear such as good walking boots or shoes, lightweight clothes, waterproofs and a day pack.
It is a requirement of booking this tour with Macs Adventure that you have suitable Travel Insurance which covers you for the activity, emergency evacuation and hospital care.
The average daily distance of the Portugués Camino is between 12 and 33 kilometers and you can expect to walk for between four and eight hours each day. You should do as much walking as possible prior to your walk as this will simply add to your enjoyment. That said if you are not at peak fitness you will find you will soon walk yourself fit.
Baggage transfers are included. Your bags will be transferred from your accommodation as per your itinerary and moved onto your next overnight accommodation. The maximum weight for a piece of luggage is 20kg.
Yes, some people prefer to walk carrying their own bags as a true pilgrim would have. You can select the option for removing the baggage transfers in Step 2 of the Booking Engine.
Public transport and taxis are available, if you are need of support our local partner in Portugal/Spain will be more that happy to help.
Unfortunately we are unable to change your accommodation bookings and itinerary once you start walking as alternative accommodation is generally not available at such short notice.
-
Hiking14 tips for walking in The SunRead More2 Min Read28 June 2018
-
Hiking4 Foods You'll Eat on the CaminoRead More2 Min Read26 January 2018
-
Camino23 Essential Camino de Santiago FAQsRead More7 Min Read26 January 2021
-
HikingThe Basque Country: 15 interesting things to knowRead More3 Min Read20 July 2017
-
HikingDiscover: Spain’s fabulous feriasRead More2 Min Read24 January 2022
-
HikingHiking in Style - You're Worth it!Read More3 Min Read26 August 2019
-
Tips & AdviceEssential Phrases for SpainRead More1 Min Read24 January 2022
-
HikingWhich part of Spain is right for me?Read More2 Min Read24 January 2022
-
Hiking9 Reasons to Visit CataloniaRead More2 Min Read24 March 2016
-
Hiking5 Must-See Salvador Dalí sites in CataloniaRead More1 Min Read01 February 2022
-
5 reasons I loved the Sierra de Aracena!Read More1 Min Read15 February 2022
-
10 dishes you have to try in Andalucia!Read More1 Min Read15 February 2022
-
8 Postcards from the Pueblos Blancos!Read More0 Min Read15 February 2022
-
Top 8 Beaches of the Balearic IslandsRead More1 Min Read22 February 2022
-
An Insider's guide to MallorcaRead More3 Min Read01 March 2022
-
HikingWhere to go on your hiking vacation in NovemberRead More2 Min Read15 September 2023
-
Camino & PilgrimagesHow to Choose a Camino de Santiago RouteRead More3 Min Read01 July 2024
-
Hiking15 Interesting Mont Blanc FactsRead More3 Min Read27 June 2024
-
HikingHow fit do I need to be for the Tour du Mont Blanc?Read More4 Min Read20 January 2018
-
HikingPacking List for the Tour du Mont BlancRead More3 Min Read22 January 2018
-
HikingWeather Conditions on the Tour du Mont BlancRead More2 Min Read19 January 2018
-
Hiking13 Things you can do in the Bernese Oberland (besides the epic hiking!)Read More2 Min Read22 June 2017
-
HikingWhere to walk in Southern Europe… for the best weatherRead More2 Min Read26 April 2017
-
HikingFriluftsliv: A Norwegian PhilosophyRead More3 Min Read20 October 2016
-
Hiking27 fascinating facts about the Maltese islandsRead More2 Min Read21 June 2016
-
BikingBest destinations for winter sunshine cyclingRead More2 Min Read22 February 2013
-
Hiking6 reasons to visit West SwedenRead More3 Min Read02 February 2023
-
HikingBest Hikes in EuropeRead More3 Min Read14 August 2024
-
BikingThe Best Biking Tours in Europe: The Ultimate Guide for US TravelersRead More2 Min Read14 August 2024
-
WalkingWhat Makes a Walk a Pilgrimage?Read More2 Min Read22 January 2021
-
WalkingHow fit do I need to be to walk the Camino?Read More3 Min Read05 December 2017
-
What is a pilgrimage?Read More2 Min Read25 May 2023
-
HikingWhen to Use Hiking Poles for Adventure TravelRead More4 Min Read15 May 2024
-
HikingBest Hiking Vacations in ItalyRead More5 Min Read28 August 2024
-
HikingThe Best Time to go Hiking in ScotlandRead More4 Min Read22 October 2018
-
Tips & AdviceThe Best Time to Visit Ireland: A Seasonal GuideRead More4 Min Read14 August 2024
-
Tips & AdviceFive of the Best Hikes in IrelandRead More3 Min Read09 March 2019
-
HikingTips for hiking in Cape Breton, Nova ScotiaRead More1 Min Read17 April 2019
-
West Highland WayFrequently asked questions on the West Highland WayRead More6 Min Read28 October 2021
-
Tips & AdviceWhat to Pack for hiking in the CotswoldsRead More3 Min Read08 February 2018
-
Hiking3 reasons to visit NewfoundlandRead More2 Min Read16 April 2019
-
Hiking25 Frequently Asked Questions on the Tour du Mont BlancRead More6 Min Read20 January 2018
-
West Highland WayWhat to Pack for the West Highland Way?Read More4 Min Read13 January 2011
-
HikingTop 5 Hiking Trails in ColoradoRead More1 Min Read18 April 2019
-
CaminoEating and Drinking on the Camino Frances - Sarria to SantiagoRead More3 Min Read11 December 2017
-
Meeting the people behind the scenery - Minna & Classic RoutesRead More2 Min Read01 February 2023
-
Biking18 things to know about Robert BurnsRead More2 Min Read25 January 2018
-
Biking12 things to know about John MuirRead More1 Min Read21 April 2016
Why Macs
The Biggest Choice
Founded in 2003
21,000+ Customer Reviews
Positive Impact
At Macs, we don’t do tour buses, groups, or guides. Instead, we give you the freedom and confidence to have your own self-guided hiking or biking adventure.
This is active travel led by you.
You choose your departure date and who you travel with, we do the rest.
We sort accommodation and luggage transfers and provide your route in an easy-to-use app.
We give you everything you need to travel independently but we're here 24/7 if you need us.
Getting from A to B under your own steam is intensely rewarding. With Macs, you'll see the world, and yourself, differently.