The Camino Portugués

Pontevedra has one of the most walkable old towns in Galicia — the entire historic centre is pedestrianised, and you could spend a happy afternoon wandering its granite squares without a map.

Your entrance is punctuated by the Iglesia de la Virgen Peregrina, a scallop-shell-shaped shrine to the Pilgrim Virgin who, according to legend, guided pilgrims here from Baiona. Inside, the polychrome retablo and the unusual round floor plan are worth a look.

The Basilica de Santa Maria la Mayor, often called the cathedral (Pontevedra lost its bishop to Vigo in 1959), has a spectacular Plateresque facade. The Convento de San Francisco preserves Gothic arches and a fine stone cross. The Plaza de la Lena, the smallest and most atmospheric of the old town plazas, is the one to aim for if you only have time for one coffee.

The Museo de Pontevedra is spread across several buildings and is one of the best provincial museums in Galicia — the collection includes Celtic gold torques, Sargadelos ceramics, and a significant holding of Spanish paintings.

Two routes leave Pontevedra for Santiago: the original camino inland via Caldas de Reis (36 km, the shortest and most popular), and the Variante Espiritual via Combarro and Armenteira (44 km on foot plus 28 km by boat or on foot). The split is about 3 km after the bridge, well signposted. All services available.

A hamlet just past the railway crossing beyond Pontevedra. The camino crosses the Ponte do Burgo and passes straight through. No services.

A narrow road with fierce traffic — exercise caution passing through. At the end of town, turn right off the road. Soon you'll be alongside the railway again, following it for several kilometres.

A hamlet along the railway stretch. No services.

A hamlet. No services. The camino continues along the railway.

San Amaro sits above the railway tunnel through the hillside. Two bars in town — the first has more character and better service. Turn left at the fork past the park onto a country lane. The turn-off for the A Portela-Barro albergue is along this stretch, uphill to the right.

A deviation from the camino, well signed. The municipal albergue is in a quiet setting that adds a few metres to the journey but provides a welcome change from the road.

Before reaching Briallos, the camino approaches the N550 — signs for the Parque Natural do Rio Barosa and its waterfalls appear here. The waterfalls are 500 m down the opposite road, with picnic areas, a bar, and bathrooms at the base. Worth the detour.

The albergue and bar are a few hundred metres from the centre — turn left when you reach town, following the signs. Otherwise, keep straight to continue through.

A hamlet between Briallos and Caldas de Reis. No services.

Caldas de Reis takes its name from the thermal springs — caldas — that drew the Romans here. The springs still flow, though putting your feet in the public fountains is officially discouraged for hygiene reasons. After a long hot day of walking, you'll understand the temptation and why they had to post signs.

To see the springs and follow the camino, turn left after crossing the first bridge. The route passes through the old quarter before reaching another bridge, with the municipal albergue and the way out of town on the far side.

The Iglesia de Santo Tomas Becket is one of very few churches in Spain dedicated to the murdered Archbishop of Canterbury — and possibly the only one in Galicia. The palm trees surrounding it make a cooling rest spot in the afternoon.

All basic services available.

The walk to Santa Marina is through a quiet forest, away from the busy road. The bar is friendly and makes a welcome morning stop if you've left from Caldas. The camino crosses the N550 to visit the church in the upper part of town, then crosses back before Casalderrique.

A hamlet between Santa Marina and O Pino. No services.

The camino only touches the back side of O Pino. A bar and a large albergue are about 200 m off the track — the albergue is clean, friendly, and has a shaded park in front.

A modest church and a bar-grocery-everything store. The quaint countryside walking gives way to the sprawl of Pontecesures from here.

A small church on your right, a playground and recreation area on your left. Hidden in the park is an ancient petroglyph — these Galician rock carvings are common throughout the region and new ones are still being discovered. A bar at the far end of town.

This is the first notable stop on the Variante Espiritual after the fork from the main camino. The route descends through the hamlet of Fragmoreira and emerges at a roundabout on the divided highway.

A hamlet on the descent from Cabaleiro to Poio. No services.

The Mosteiro de San Xoan de Poio, a massive Benedictine monastery, is the first building in town and impossible to miss. The monastery has been a centre of learning since the 7th century, though the current buildings are mostly 17th and 18th century. Several bars along the descent from the monastery.

The route through town requires care — watch for a narrow path turning upward on your left, just before a small B&B called A Marchanta. From the monastery, the camino descends to the waterfront and a large park before climbing to the main road toward Combarro.

Combarro is one of the most photographed villages in Galicia, and for good reason. The horreos — the granite granaries that are a defining feature of Galician rural architecture — line the waterfront here, some of them practically hovering above the sea at high tide. They were used to dry fish as well as grain, and the visual effect of a row of them standing on their stilts against the ria is unique.

The town is small, compact, and genuinely beautiful in the way that only a working fishing village can be. The camino doesn't actually pass through the best parts — it turns uphill to join the road before you reach the waterfront. Keep going straight instead to see the horreos and the cruceiros that dot the lanes. Getting lost in Combarro would be an achievement, but be aware that other arrow variations exist and could lead you astray.

A few bars and restaurants. The Variante Espiritual crosses the road from here and immediately begins ascending the Monte Redondo.

Not well signposted but identifiable by the large dirt parking lot adjacent to it. The mirador platform doesn't inspire much confidence structurally but offers excellent views east over the Ria de Pontevedra. From here the camino levels out and follows a mountain track before joining a paved road briefly and descending toward Armenteira.

The camino delivers you directly to the front door of the Monasterio de Santa Maria de Armenteira, a 12th-century Cistercian foundation set in a quiet valley. The church's Romanesque portal and the cloister are the highlights. Two bars in town — the one directly in front is the more popular. The albergue is a few hundred metres further along, following the arrows.

From Armenteira, the camino joins the Ruta da Pedra e da Auga — a popular local trail following a creek downhill to sea level, passing dozens of abandoned water mills. The right-hand side of the creek keeps you closer to the mills and the water. The walking is beautiful and the descent is gradual.

A large picnic area and recreation space with public bathrooms. A small bar-kiosko operates during the summer months. The riverside walk is interrupted by a highway and roundabouts, but the trail resumes quickly on the far side.

A small seasonal bar on your left at this junction. A larger bar-restaurant is over the river. The camino approaches Puente Arnelas via a steel-and-wood walkway under the bridge — follow the arrows up to road level.

A small village with a chapel, a large pharmacy, and bars at both ends. If both bars are closed, a gas station provides backup. The camino continues along the Rio Umia from here.

A small village on a brief climb. No services. The camino passes through and returns to the road before turning left into Mouzas.

A hamlet. No services. The camino passes through to a crossing of the PO-549, where a pair of bars await — including the eccentrically named Mississippi Bar.

Just beyond Cores, the camino reaches the sea for the final stretch of the Variante Espiritual. The last 3 km follow sandy paths with beaches on your left and beach bars on your right, arriving at Vilanova de Arousa via a large bridge.

A seaside harbour town with bars and restaurants but not much else besides the pleasure of gazing out to sea after days of walking inland. The albergue is the operational hub for arranging the boat to Pontecesures.

The boat recreates the Translatio — the legendary voyage that brought Santiago's body from Palestine to Galicia. Schedule varies with the tide, the number of passengers, and the captain's calculations. You can't reliably plan it days in advance — show up at the albergue and arrange things with the hospitalero.

The alternative to the boat is a roadside walk roughly mirroring the coastline but providing little contact with it. Arrows are lacking in places, and accommodation along this stretch is unreliable outside peak summer months.

Pontecesures occupies a pleasant riverside location that is somewhat spoiled by the factory across the Rio Ulla. The town is where the Variante Espiritual (by boat or by road from Vilanova de Arousa) rejoins the main camino.

The bridge here is where, according to the Translatio legend, the stone boat carrying Santiago's body arrived. The Roman bridge foundations survive beneath the current structure. The camino crosses the river into the approach to Padron.

The Monasterio de San Antonio de Herbon and its albergue could not be better placed for a peaceful penultimate night before Santiago. The albergue is run by the Galician Amigos del Camino and is one of the few places on the route where you can count on eating dinner with everyone staying there.

The monastery's kitchen gardens are where the famous Pimientos de Padron originate — Franciscan monks brought pepper seeds from the Americas in the 16th century and planted them here. The peppers are at their best between May and September.

Follow the red arrows marked Herbon — this is a deviation from the main camino, adding 3 km total (2.7 km from Pontecesures, plus 3 km the next morning to reach Padron). The detour is worth it for the hospitality alone.

A hamlet between Pontecesures and Padron on the main camino. No services.

Padron may be the most important small town on any Camino. This is where, according to the Translatio legend, the stone boat carrying Santiago's body came to rest — the pedron (mooring stone) from which the town takes its name sits beneath the altar of the Iglesia de Santiago on the riverfront. Ask the sacristan to show you; it's in the crypt.

Santiago is said to have preached here during his lifetime, making his posthumous return a homecoming of sorts. The Convento del Carmen, on the hill above town, offers views over the valley.

Padron is also the birthplace of Rosalia de Castro, the 19th-century poet who is to Galicia what Pessoa is to Portugal — the voice of a people and a language. Her house on the edge of town is now a museum. Camilo Jose Cela, the 1989 Nobel laureate, was also born here.

And then there are the peppers. The Pimientos de Padron — small green peppers fried in olive oil and sprinkled with coarse salt — originate from the monastery gardens at nearby Herbon. The famous saying holds: uns pican e outros non (some are hot and some are not). Between May and September they're at their peak. Out of season, you'll still find them, but the Russian roulette is less thrilling.

All services available.

Iria Flavia is one of the most historically important sites on any Camino, though you wouldn't know it from the modern settlement. This was the original bishopric — the episcopal seat before it was transferred to Santiago de Compostela after the discovery of the Apostle's tomb in the 9th century.

The Colegiata de Santa Maria de Iria Flavia is the site of the original cathedral. The Adro (the cemetery and churchyard) is worth visiting — Rosalia de Castro was originally buried here before her remains were moved to the Panteon de Galegos Ilustres in Santiago.

A hamlet between Iria Flavia and the approach to Santiago. No services.

A hamlet. No services.