The Camino Portugués

Lisbon is the largest starting point on any Camino, but by European capital standards it's compact and walkable. Give yourself at least a night here before setting off — the city rewards an extra day if you can spare it.

Pick up your credencial at the Se Cathedral in Alfama or the Basilica dos Martires in Bairro Alto. Get two — the Portugues is long and stamps fill up fast. The Se is also the traditional starting point for the Camino; the first yellow arrow is on the lower right of the facade.

The city drapes itself across seven hills above the Rio Tejo. Three neighbourhoods matter most: Alfama to the east, the oldest quarter, climbing steeply beneath the Castelo de Sao Jorge; the Baixa in the centre, rebuilt on a grid after the catastrophic earthquake of 1755; and the Bairro Alto to the west, higher ground with narrow streets and late-night bars.

The Se Cathedral, Romanesque and fortress-like, dates from the 12th century and sits in the heart of Alfama. The Castelo de Sao Jorge above it offers the best panoramic views of the city and the river.

If time allows, take tram 15 to Belem. The Torre de Belem and the Mosteiro dos Jeronimos — both UNESCO World Heritage sites — are worth the trip. The monastery's Manueline stonework is among the finest in Portugal. The nearby Pasteis de Belem has been turning out pasteis de nata since 1837; the queue moves fast.

On your way out of the city toward Parque das Nacoes, you'll pass the Museu Nacional do Azulejo. Housed in the former Convento da Madre de Deus, it traces the history of Portugal's painted tile tradition from its Moorish-Spanish origins to the present. It has a stamp, and the collection is worth at least an hour.

The metro and commuter trains can eliminate the long urban walk. Take the metro to Oriente station (at Parque das Nacoes) to skip the city kilometres, or a commuter train onward to Sacavem, Alverca, or even Azambuja if you'd rather start walking in the countryside.

Also known as Oriente, Parque das Nacoes occupies the site of the 1998 Expo and is now Lisbon's modern quarter — wide promenades, contemporary architecture, and the Oceanario de Lisboa, one of the largest aquariums in Europe. The bus and rail stations are here, and the Metro's Oriente stop is the last one convenient to the camino.

The park along the Rio Tejo provides the first green space since leaving the city centre. Services line the promenade to your left, slightly off the camino. Between here and Azambuja the camino runs largely through industrial areas and along roads — not the most scenic walking.

If you planned on skipping any part, this is the logical place: turn left toward Oriente station and take the commuter train to Azambuja. It costs about 4 euros, runs every 30 minutes, and takes less than an hour.

Sacavem is more than a Lisbon suburb — it had its own Roman bridge, which remained in use until the 17th century. The coat of arms still depicts it. A new river walk has opened here along the Tejo, bypassing the old route through Alpriate and providing a much more pleasant path north. Services are available in the town centre, slightly off the camino.

A large town that the camino tries, with limited success, to avoid. Services are available but stay close to the arrows — they're difficult enough to find without wandering off track. The river walk from Sacavem passes through here.

Alverca was home to Portugal's first international airport until the 1940s, when Lisbon opened its replacement. The Museu do Ar (Air Museum) fills the void — it's one of the better aviation museums in southern Europe, housed in the old airport buildings. It has a pilgrim stamp. The museum is on your right as you approach town; the pedestrian bridge over the railway is opposite it.

A riverside town where a new pedestrian path has replaced the old camino along the N10. The path follows the water all the way to Vila Franca de Xira and is a significant improvement. Turn right off the N10 and head into town to find it.

Vila Franca is the heart of Ribatejo bullfighting culture. The bright yellow bullring announces your arrival, and the town's campinos — the horsemen who tend the bulls on the surrounding lezírias (floodplains) — are a living tradition. Several bull-running festivals are held in July and October.

The riverside pedestrian path continues through the municipal gardens. Unless you need to enter the town for services, keep on the path — yellow arrows at the bullring will guide you into and out of town if needed.

A small settlement marked by the train station. No services beyond what's at the station.

No accommodation, but a pair of mini-markets, a bar, a restaurant, and a padaria. The camino through town is brief before returning to the N3.

Azambuja is a medium-sized town with all necessary services and is the last place of any size before the long, flat walk across the Ribatejo plain to Santarem. Stock up here.

If you took the train from Lisbon, this is a sensible place to start walking — flat farmland, open skies, and the first stretch of proper countryside after the urban sprawl. The commuter train from Oriente takes under an hour.

Not to be confused with Ponte do Reguengo. A bar in town — the Cafe Campino. The road follows the top of the embankment separating the lowlands from the river.

Several bars and small shops, plus a BP station at the start of town. The walking continues along the embankment toward Porto Muge.

One bar and some picnic spots. The town is recognisable for the large bridge crossing the river. At the far end, the paved road gives way to a rural farm road — a clear path all the way to Omnias. There are no services for the next 13 km, so fill your water bottles here.

A hamlet at the base of the hill leading up to Santarem. No services. The climb ahead is a welcome change from so much flatness.

Santarem sits high above the Tejo on a bluff that has attracted rulers since Julius Caesar set up a military camp here in 61 BC. Despite earthquakes and a Napoleonic invasion, the city retains an extraordinary concentration of Gothic churches — earning it the title Capital do Gotico.

The best of them: the Se Catedral; the Convento de Sao Francisco, whose triple-naved church is the largest Gothic hall in Portugal; the Igreja do Santissimo Milagre, itself a pilgrimage destination housing a eucharistic miracle from the 13th century; and the Igreja de Sao Joao de Alporao, now a museum with an eccentric empty tomb — built for Duarte de Meneses, whose body was never recovered from the battlefield in North Africa, so only a single tooth was placed inside.

The Torre das Cabacas, the old clock tower, houses a small Time Museum and is named for the ceramic vessels (cabacas) once attached to amplify the sound of its bells. The Portas do Sol gardens — built into the old Moorish castle walls — are the highlight: the views over the Tejo valley and the Ribatejo plain are spectacular, and this is where the camino exits the city through the medieval Puerta de Santiago.

A small settlement at the base of the bluff below Santarem, on the bank of the Tejo. The descent from the city is steep and the camino crosses the railway here before continuing through farmland. No services.

A quiet village on the road to Azinhaga. The arrows between here and Golegã have historically been confused — partly because the local councils haven't agreed on the exact route, and partly because frequent flooding in the area makes the original way impassable at times. The arrows will get you to Golegã one way or another.

The bronze figure in the square is Jose Saramago, Portugal's only Nobel laureate in literature (1998) and Azinhaga's most famous son. His novel Memorial do Convento is set partly in this Ribatejo landscape. The Casa Memorial Jose Saramago occupies the modest house where his grandparents raised him — worth a visit if it's open.

The camino follows the main road through town to a roundabout with a bullfighter statue. Keep straight, passing through Broa.

Golega is the horse capital of Portugal. The Lusitano breed — one of the oldest saddle horse breeds in the world — has been bred on the surrounding Ribatejo pastures for centuries, and the town celebrates the tradition with the Feira Nacional do Cavalo every November: ten days of equestrian competitions, bull-running, and celebrations that fill every bed within 50 km.

The Igreja Matriz has a spectacular Manueline portal that justifies a stop. In the square opposite, the photography museum and studio of Carlos Relvas occupies one of the most beautiful buildings in town — the entrance is on the street before the main square, not the one the arrows send you down. Relvas was a pioneering 19th-century photographer who built this elaborate glass-and-iron studio to pursue his art.

Services in town. The route out can be confusing — find your way to the front of the church and leave from there.

Not much of a town at all — a small park and an excellent albergue, but little else. The albergue is on the right, opposite the school building. A practical stop if the distances work.

The Quinta da Cardiga is a former Templar estate — one of several along this stretch of the Tejo valley where the Order held extensive properties. The palace is abandoned and boarded up, left to slow decay behind its graffiti-covered walls. With no inhabitants, it makes a shady rest stop.

The Templars received these lands from Afonso Henriques in the 12th century as a reward for their help in the Reconquista. When the Order was dissolved in 1312, the Portuguese crown transferred its assets to the newly created Order of Christ, which continued to operate from Tomar.

Services are in the town centre, but the camino doesn't enter it — it crosses the main road and the railway before heading out. Turn right at the main road to reach the historic quarter along the river, which has a pleasant park and makes a decent overnight stop.

From the river, the Castelo de Almourol is visible on its island in the middle of the Tejo. The castle was rebuilt by the Knights Templar in 1171 and is one of the most photogenic medieval fortifications in Portugal. Boat trips to the island run from the riverbank in Barquinha.

A bar at the far end of town along the camino. The camino passes straight through and continues along the N110 toward Tomar.

A curious modern church is the only notable building. The camino keeps on the country lane past it, descending into Asseiceira.

Two bars and a couple of small shops. The last services before Tomar. The route from here into Tomar involves navigating a series of roundabouts near the A13 — follow the arrows carefully, and when in doubt, aim for the town visible ahead.

Tomar deserves at least a half-day. The Convento de Cristo, perched on the hilltop above the town, is one of the great monuments of Portugal — and a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1983. Built as the headquarters of the Knights Templar in the 12th century, it was expanded over four centuries and the result is a layered masterpiece of Romanesque, Gothic, Manueline, and Renaissance architecture.

The star is the Janela do Capitulo — the Chapter Window, a riot of Manueline stonework depicting ropes, coral, seaweed, armillary spheres, and the cross of the Order of Christ. It's the most famous window in Portugal, reproduced on everything from postcards to euro coins.

Inside the complex, the Charola — the original Templar rotunda, modelled on the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem — is the oldest section. The knights attended mass on horseback here, riding their horses into the circular nave.

Across the river, the Igreja de Santa Maria do Olival served as the Templar mother church and pantheon — many Grand Masters are buried here. The Sinagoga de Tomar, on Rua Joaquim Jacinto, dates from the mid-15th century and is one of the few pre-expulsion synagogues surviving in Portugal. It was converted to a prison, then a chapel, then a warehouse before being recognised and restored as a Jewish museum.

The Mata Nacional dos Sete Montes, the woodland park adjacent to the Convento, is a welcome respite on a hot afternoon. Services are plentiful in the town centre.

A hamlet in the hills southeast of Tomar. No services. The camino passes through on its way to Soianda.

A small village on the road between Casais and Calvinos. No services. A steep descent and ascent lie ahead — road signs warn of a 10% grade.

A bar and a mini-market in the village square. The camino passes through on quiet country lanes.

A tiny settlement with a modern church. The camino passes through in moments — turn right before the church, then left, and you're back in the countryside.

The camino skirts around Ceras rather than passing through it, staying off the IC3 as much as possible. A confusing section — the arrows will bounce you between road and track for the next few kilometres. This is the easternmost point of the entire Camino Portugues.

A hamlet between Ceras and Portela de Vila Verde. No services.

A crossroads hamlet. No services. The camino passes through on its way south toward Daporta.

A small village. No services. The camino passes straight through and climbs into a cork plantation that transitions into eucalyptus forest — pleasant walking for the next 2.5 km.

The bar is in the albergue. The camino turns right at the church — which looks more like a miniature castle than a place of worship — and leaves the main road for a country lane through a string of hamlets before reaching Alvaiazere.

A small town but the first in a while with anything resembling suburban sprawl — welcome proof that civilisation hasn't abandoned this stretch entirely. Services are plentiful by the standards of the preceding 50 km: bars, shops, a pharmacy, and accommodation.

The albergue is near the church at the upper end of town, with a laundromat beneath it. O'Bras, a reliable restaurant, is along the bike path at the top. The ruins of the Castelo de Alvaiazere are visible on the hillside above but there's not much left to see.

The hills around here are limestone country, covered in olive groves. The name Alvaiazere derives from the Arabic al-bazira — the falconer.

A hamlet between Alvaiazere and Vendas. No services.

Several signs lead you into this hamlet, but once you arrive they vanish. Keep straight through, passing houses in various stages of ruin, and the camino picks up again at the top of the hill.

Another hamlet with missing arrows — a recurring theme on this stretch. The camino leaves via a fork at the far end of town. A dirt track parallels the road and is the preferred option; if you end up on the road instead, follow old arrows to Gramatinha.

A handful of houses. No services. A road sign points toward Casal Maduros and Casal do Soeiro.

A hamlet on the road between Gramatinha and Ansiao. No services.

A small village where arrows have been removed in places. Turn left after the church and the camino rejoins the trail in 20 metres. Pleasant country walking follows.

A proper town with all services, including the excellent Adega Tipica restaurant and the Solar da Rainha accommodation 600 m beyond the river crossing. The camino arrives at the main road but doesn't follow it — instead it turns left onto a side trail, marked by a small capilla, to bypass the traffic.

The Ponte da Cal crosses the Rio Nabao at the far end of town — the river's volume varies dramatically with the season. From here the camino passes through suburbs and past a football pitch before heading into open country toward Bate Agua.

The camino splits here into old and new routes — the old way follows the road; the new way takes country paths. In dry conditions, the new way is far preferable. In heavy rain, the road via Netos may be the safer option.

A hamlet. No services. Pass straight through, turning left at the last house.

A gas station with a cafe — the only services. The camino continues straight past the gas station rather than turning right at the large intersection, despite what older guidebooks may suggest.

The revised camino bypasses Junqueira entirely, but if you arrive via the road, turn sharply left at the bus stop and right onto the first gravel path.

A small village with a new albergue in the basement of the community centre, an ATM, a mini-market, and a friendly bar. The name derives from the Arabic al-burj (the tower), though the tower itself is long gone.

The stretch before Alvorge follows sections of an old Roman road — the arrows have disappeared but the path is clear. Keep straight and you'll arrive.

A stream crossing. No services. More Roman road fragments underfoot — keep straight along the track.

A quiet village known for two things: Roman ruins and cheese. The Villa Romana do Rabaçal lies about 800 m north of town — a worthwhile afternoon detour if you're staying overnight. The excavated villa preserves excellent mosaic floors and the foundations of a 4th-century country estate.

Queijo Rabaçal, a small, firm cheese made from a blend of sheep's and goat's milk, has a protected designation of origin (DOP). You can find it at local shops and it travels well in a backpack.

There are no services for the next 11 km to Conimbriga — stock up here, even if you have to do it the night before.

A hamlet between Rabaçal and Conimbriga. No services. The camino passes the church and continues through well-marked trails.

A handful of houses at the end of a trail from Zambujal. A picnic area has been built but the fountain has not been connected — don't count on water here.

A hamlet. No services. The camino descends through forested hillside all the way to Conimbriga.

Conimbriga is the best-preserved Roman site in Portugal and one of the finest on the Iberian Peninsula. The camino passes directly by the ruins, and you'd be foolish to skip them.

The city was a prosperous Roman settlement from the 1st century BC through the 5th century AD, when Suebi invaders overran its defences. The hasty defensive wall built to repel them — cutting straight through existing houses and streets — is itself a dramatic piece of evidence of the city's final days.

The highlights are the mosaics. The Casa das Fontes (House of the Fountains) preserves elaborate floor mosaics and a sophisticated water garden. The Casa dos Repuxos has hunting scenes in remarkable detail. The museum at the entrance contextualises everything and is included in the ticket.

The only option for food or drink is in the visitor centre. Allow at least an hour, ideally two.

Around Orelhudo, a new type of camino marker appears — stone posts with ceramic tiles. They're well designed but not plentiful: one at the entrance to each hamlet, sometimes one at the exit, but rarely in between. Arrows fill the gaps.

A town on the N1 with basic services. The camino passes through and continues toward Coimbra via a series of industrial buildings and residential areas. Not the most scenic stretch.

Bigger than the average village but with no pilgrim-oriented services. The camino is well marked through and out of town.

The high point on the approach to Coimbra. The camino descends steeply from here, passes under an arch of the Roman aqueduct, and enters the suburb of Santa Clara. Views of the city begin to open up.

The Convento de Santa Clara-a-Velha, on the south bank of the Mondego, is the main attraction on this side of the river. Founded in the 14th century by Queen Isabel, it was repeatedly flooded by the rising river and eventually abandoned in the 17th century — the nuns moved uphill to Santa Clara-a-Nova. The old convent has been excavated and restored as a museum, and the Gothic church, half-submerged for centuries, is hauntingly beautiful.

The albergue is near the convent. Follow the winding cobbled lane downhill to reach the bridge into Coimbra.

Coimbra is the third-largest city on the Camino Portugues and the former capital of Portugal during the 12th and 13th centuries. Even if you're not planning to stay, don't skip the walk through the old town — the concentration of history here justifies every step.

The Universidade de Coimbra, founded in 1290 and a UNESCO World Heritage site, dominates the hilltop. The Biblioteca Joanina is its crown jewel — a Baroque library of staggering excess, with gilded shelves, painted ceilings, and a colony of bats that are released each night to eat the insects that would otherwise devour the books. Visit early; the queues grow quickly and entry is timed.

Afonso Henriques, the first King of Portugal, is buried in the Mosteiro de Santa Cruz in the lower town, as is his son Sancho I. The church facade is Manueline; the interior houses some of the finest azulejo panels in the country.

The Se Velha (Old Cathedral), a compact Romanesque fortress-church from the 12th century, sits on the hillside between the university and the river. It's the credential pickup point in Coimbra. The Se Nova (New Cathedral), former Jesuit church turned cathedral, stands above it — Baroque and Mannerist, with statues of Jesuit saints replaced by Peter and Paul after the Order's expulsion from Portugal.

Coimbra has its own fado tradition, distinct from Lisbon's. Here it's traditionally sung by male university students in black capes, and the songs tend toward melancholy and nostalgia for student days. You're most likely to hear it in the bars around the Se Velha on a weekend evening.

All services available. No pilgrim-specific albergue in the city centre yet — the Convento de Santa Clara on the south bank is the nearest option.

A small settlement on the outskirts of Coimbra where the camino crosses a canal. No services. The walking from Coimbra is flat and follows canals and straight roads through the Mondego floodplain.

A hamlet between Ademia and Trouxemil. No services. Keep left at the first fork and cross the roundabout uphill toward Trouxemil, passing under the A1.

A village spread along the road to Sargento Mor. No services of note. Continuous asphalt through both towns.

A bar and two mini-markets along the main road. The camino leaves the road near the Restaurante Manuel Julio at the start of town.

Be careful not to follow old arrows along the N1 — the camino has been rerouted. Turn left off the N1 at the start of town and follow the new route through eucalyptus forest to Lendiosa via Mala.

One cafe-bakery in town. The camino passes through on its way between Santa Luzia and Lendiosa.

A small village. No services. Turn right at the bus stop and follow the arrows — the road gives way to a trail that leads to the outskirts of Mealhada, arriving at a roundabout with a statue of Bacchus seated atop a wine barrel. You've entered the Bairrada.

Vegetarians, avert your eyes. Mealhada is the capital of leitao assado — roast suckling pig. The town's identity revolves around this single dish, and the restaurants lining the main road compete with increasing desperation for your attention. The preparation has been refined here over generations: whole piglets roasted in wood-fired ovens until the skin crackles and the meat falls apart. Even if pork isn't your thing, the spectacle of an entire town built around one recipe is worth absorbing.

Mealhada sits at the heart of the Bairrada wine region, Portugal's other great sparkling wine country. The local espumante pairs naturally with the pig. Basic services in town.

The private albergue known as Hilario is in Sernadelo, just past the turn-off from the main road. The camino leaves Mealhada along the highway and turns right here.

A hamlet with a church. The camino wraps around it and continues toward Aguim on the road.

A village on the road to Anadia. The arrows near Anadia can be confusing — a set of wiggly arrows on a pole suggests a detour through the woods that was once the route but isn't the current official way. Keep straight on the road.

The centre of the Bairrada wine region, though the town itself isn't directly on the camino — it's a left turn at the second roundabout near the sports complex. If you need services (shops, ATM, pharmacy), make the detour. Otherwise, follow the arrows through to Arcos.

The Alianca Underground Museum, housed in the cellars of the Alianca winery a few kilometres outside town, has an eclectic collection of archaeology, African art, minerals, and ceramics alongside the wine barrels. Worth a visit if you have time.

A small village with a church. The arrow is at the base of the church — turn right, around a bend, then left toward Alfeolas.

A pleasant bar in the old part of town. The village splits into old and new halves, divided by the N235 — cross the busy road and follow arrows through a walled residential area and a small industrial zone. Asphalt all the way to Avelas.

Most services are along the road at the start of town, opposite the church. The name — Avelas do Caminho — tells you this village has been on the pilgrim road for a long time. A marker near the chapel of Henrique Marques Moura claims 303 km to Santiago; the actual distance is somewhat different.

Several bars along the narrow road through town, and a pharmacy near the church at the end. The walking from here to Agueda is along asphalt through a string of hamlets, crossing under the highway and through the Barro Industrial Zone.

An industrial area between Aguada de Baixo and Sardao. No services. Keep walking.

A short strip of road between the river and the main road — it has seen better days. Cross the road toward a new pedestrian bridge that leads into Agueda.

Agueda is a river town with all basic services, though accommodation options are fewer than you might expect for a town this size. The albergue and Celeste are not centrally located — from the bridge, head straight up the hill, passing the Parque Alta Vila along the way. The park is the best spot in town for a rest.

Every summer, Agueda decorates its streets with hundreds of colourful umbrellas suspended overhead — the AgitAgueda festival. The installation has been photographed millions of times and has put this otherwise unremarkable town on the tourist map. If you're walking in July, you'll see it. The rest of the year, it's a pleasant enough place to stop.

Like Coimbra, you don't need to enter the town centre — turning left at the bridge keeps you on the camino. The next stretch heads uphill through residential areas.

A few bars in town — Pompeia has wifi. The straight road through town passes beautiful homes in various stages of decay, many abandoned. The contrast between past prosperity and present emptiness is a recurring theme through this stretch of central Portugal.

The town sign appears immediately after crossing the N1, but the town itself is still 1 km ahead through residential areas. Straight walking to the Roman bridge at Marnel.

The bridge here dates from Roman times and crosses a section of the river that's been turned into a small reservoir by the N1 embankment. In the early morning light, it's a genuinely beautiful sight — two small islands with picnic tables sit in the middle. One of the more photogenic spots between Coimbra and Porto.

Not much in Lamas itself, but the climb to the church rewards you with a view over the surrounding countryside. The arrows at the end of town are poor, and old arrows can lead you on a needless hike to a washed-out bridge. After descending back to the N1, turn right and cross the Rio Vouga on the road bridge.

A hamlet just off the N1 after crossing the Rio Vouga. No services — just homes. Turn left into it after crossing the river bridge.

The bar and mini-market are one and the same — on your right as you pass through. From here the camino enters eucalyptus forest on a wide track. Pleasant walking among the trees for 2.5 km before returning to traffic at Asseilho.

The name tells the story: Albergaria means inn or shelter, and this town has been providing hospitality to travellers — pilgrims included — since the medieval period. The a Velha (the Old) distinguishes it from Albergaria a Nova down the road.

Today it's a practical stop with restaurants, shops, accommodation, and a few shaded parks. The camino's route through town doesn't show you the best parts — continuing straight from the roundabout takes you through the centre instead.

A bar with odd hours and a gas station with a small shop for emergencies. The camino crosses the railway entering town. From here you stay on the east side of the N1 through continuous development — Laginhas, Escusa, and Coche — until reaching Pinheiro da Bemposta.

An industrial town between Albergaria a Nova and Pinheiro da Bemposta. The camino passes through without ceremony.

A bar in the main square, near one of the many covered cruceiros that appear along this stretch. A pharmacy is along the N1 — to reach it, cross the elevated pedestrian walkway and turn south. Otherwise, continue straight off the walkway toward Bemposta.

Bemposta marks a curious detour in the camino's course. After crossing the N1, the route climbs to the historical centre, passes underneath a house (well marked), descends back to the N1, and crosses over again. The road then turns north through the heavily developed area of Besteiros-Travanca. Traffic here is rarely aware of pilgrim traffic — stay alert.

A developed area along the road with no notable services. The turn-off for the camino is marked with a single arrow and the path seems like a driveway to a house — if you reach the junction with the busy N1, you've gone too far. Retrace your steps. Behind the house, the camino crosses an active railway and continues on a gravel track.

A crossing point. The road ahead turns left at a railway but the camino crosses the tracks and climbs a cobbled stone path. Turn right at the top — it's straight uphill into Oliveira de Azemeis from here.

A town on a hilltop with basic services. In the square near the church, one of the original granite camino markers — similar to those common in Galicia — stands with its inlay missing, unable to tell you how far Santiago is.

The Santuario de La Salette, a replica of the French shrine, draws pilgrims in its own right. The Parque da La Salette surrounding it provides welcome greenery. The shrine's feast day on the first Sunday in August can fill every bed in town — book ahead if you're passing through.

A hamlet on the road between Oliveira de Azemeis and Puente do Salgueiro. No services.

From this point, nearly continuous development stretches all the way to Porto and 20 km beyond. There are exceptions — quiet stretches through forest or farmland — but those are brief. Settle in for urban and suburban walking.

A village between Puente do Salgueiro and Sao Joao da Madeira. The Mosteiro de Cucujaes, a former Benedictine monastery dating to the 10th century, is worth a glance if you pass it.

Sao Joao da Madeira built its fortune on hats. The felt and fur hat-making industry that drove the town's growth in the late 19th century is documented in the Museu da Chapelaria — the only hat museum on the Iberian Peninsula. It's on the way out of town, poorly advertised, and looks closed from the outside. It isn't. Don't miss it.

When hats fell out of fashion, the workers shifted to making shoes. The town is now considered Portugal's shoe capital, and the industrial heritage defines the place — the main square (Praca Luis Ribeiro, actually a large roundabout) is dominated by a column celebrating local industry.

All services available. The arrows and shells can get lost among the visual distractions of a working industrial town.

A town between Sao Joao da Madeira and Malaposta. The camino climbs the cobbled pedestrian path to the left of the church and winds through residential zones, crossing over the N227 via a road bridge about 2.6 km out. From there, another 3.2 km to Malaposta, mostly along the N1.

In Malaposta you walk along the modern Rua Estrada Romana — named because this stretch was indeed a Roman road. Where the pavement ends, a section of the original road still exists. It's beautiful, though the Romans haven't been by to maintain it in some time. Keep straight along the ancient stones.

One bar along this residential strip. The camino passes straight through and eventually rejoins the N1 in Vergada.

The village proper is off the camino — included here for the accommodation available at the Bombeiros (fire station, which doubles as a lodging option in several Portuguese towns). The Igreja de Lourosa, in the village, is one of the oldest pre-Romanesque churches in Portugal, dating to the 10th century.

Strung along the N1. The camino crosses the road at a four-way intersection and continues through quieter stretches, passing under the A1 before reaching Grijo.

The natural setting around Grijo is the prettiest for a long stretch — high walls, shade, and a welcome sense of enclosure after so much exposed road walking. The Mosteiro de Grijo, a former Augustinian monastery dating to the 10th century, is worth a stop. The church preserves Gothic elements and the monastery grounds provide a peaceful rest before the final push to Porto.

A hamlet between Grijo and Vila Nova de Gaia. No services.

A small village on the approach to Vila Nova de Gaia. No services.

Porto, across the river, is famous for its Port wine. Vila Nova de Gaia, on the south bank of the Douro, is where it's actually stored and aged. The Port wine lodges — Graham's, Taylor's, Sandeman, Ramos Pinto, and dozens more — line the riverside, most offering tastings and tours. If you have time for only one, Graham's has the best terrace views.

The Jardim do Morro, at the upper level near the Mosteiro da Serra do Pilar, provides excellent views of Porto's Ribeira district across the river — one of the classic panoramas. The monastery itself, with its circular cloister, is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

The Ponte Dom Luis I connects Gaia to Porto at two levels. The upper crossing delivers you to the Se Cathedral; the lower one to the Ribeira waterfront. Check where your accommodation is before choosing — taking the lower route (the marked trail) will require you to make up the elevation difference later.

Porto is half the size of Lisbon and twice as rewarding for walking. The city drapes itself across the steep north bank of the Douro, and the historic centre — a UNESCO World Heritage site — earns every bit of its designation. Plan at least one extra day here.

Pick up your credencial at the Se do Porto if you haven't already, or get it stamped if you have. The cathedral, one of the oldest buildings in the city, is Romanesque in origin and fortress-like in character. The cloister's azulejo panels and the terrace views over the rooftops are worth the entrance fee.

The Torre dos Clerigos offers the most commanding 360-degree view of the city — 200 steep steps in a tight spiral. Leave your backpack below. The Igreja do Carmo next to it is unassuming from the outside but spectacular within. Sao Bento railway station, even if you're not catching a train, has an entrance hall covered in 20,000 azulejo tiles depicting Portuguese history — it's one of the most photographed interiors in the country.

The Livraria Lello, often cited as one of the most beautiful bookshops in the world, charges an entrance fee redeemable against a book purchase. The queue can be long. The Cais da Ribeira — the riverside boardwalk — is the social heart of the city, somewhat overpriced but atmospheric.

Three caminos leave Porto: the Central (north through Barcelos and Ponte de Lima to Tui), the Coastal (northwest along the coast through Vigo to Redondela), and the Braga Way (northeast through Braga, rejoining the Central before Santiago). The Central is the most popular and best serviced. The Coastal is growing quickly. The Braga Way has limited infrastructure.

Be aware that arrows in Porto may point to any of these three routes. Follow the Central Way signs heading north from the cathedral.