Biking the Portuguese Way along the Coast

After arrival to Porto you will check in at your hotel in the center of Porto.

Your bicycle will be at the hotel upon arrival.

We recommend you mounting your bike the night before you leave for your cycling holiday. All you need do is to unpack your bike and follow the instructions included, basically take the time to adjust the handlebar and pedals.

Remember: Our bikes are delivered with waterproof Ortlieb Panniers, an extra bag mounted on the handlebar for camera, personal items etc. Extra tube and tools for repairs are included.

After preparing for your Cycling Camino Journey, we recommend that you relax and enjoy your first evening in this magnificent Portuguese city.

You will be free to dispose of the rest of the day on your own in this beautiful city. The historical core of the city is full of charm and was proclaimed a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1996. Interesting monuments, history, the beautiful location and not to mention the port, are some of the reasons why you should visit this city. An interesting visit that permits you in one day to walk the equivalent of one stage of the Pilgrimage Route.

Your first day as a pilgrim starts at the Cathedral Sé in the heart of Porto's Old Town, with stunning views of Vila Nova de Gaia and the Port wine houses and their characteristic red brick roofs.

Your route cycles through Porto's Old Town and from there you leave Porto, riding along the Duero River and further on, along the Atlantic coast. This beautiful cycle route takes you out of Porto and you will quickly sense the role the Atlantic Ocean will play on your upcoming pilgrimage. If you feel like having lunch during the route, there are several places to pick from. Otherwise, we suggest bringing some food to enjoy at one the many amazing beaches.

Distance: 46 Km

This day’s cycling also takes you a little more inland to the Portuguese countryside, where you will experience beautifully maintained villages, ancient churches and pristine woodlands before you ride again along the breathtaking Portuguese coastline. It is a somewhat hillier route, but, you won't have to go any higher than about 160m! A beautiful and varied stage that takes you to the carefully renovated city, Viana do Castelo.

Distance: 44 Km

This day of cycling includes something special, since today you will take the ferry and cross the border between Portugal and Spain. This is also your last day along the stunning Portuguese coast, so you might feel a touch of sadness at the prospect of saying goodbye to all of this natural beauty! We therefore suggest that you plan to take a little break before you leave; find somewhere on the beach or on one of the rocks, look out over the ocean, take a deep breath, and recall the previous days' experiences, before you ride your final few kilometres towards the ferry in Caminha. From A Guarda to Baiona you will cycle along the vast coastline of Galicia and get the sense of the truly enormous power of the Atlantic Ocean.

Distance: 58 Km

This stage offers you the opportunity to choose between two different routes. You can either take the traditional Camino, that leads you into the countryside, through beautiful forested areas, historic monuments and with great views of the Atlantic Ocean. Or, another option is the "New" Camino, which follows the coast and runs along some of the most beautiful beaches that local Spaniards like to visit during their summer holidays. This route has fewer inclines, but it also includes some spots where you have to follow the main road. The distances are roughly the same for both routes.

Distance: 25 Km

After yesterday’s shorter cycling part of the Camino, a little longer route is waiting ahead for you today. From your hotel in Vigo you will start the day with a little climb, where you will also be cycling along the beautiful "La Ruta de Aqua", with spectacular views of the Bay of Vigo (La Ría de Vigo). The Camino takes you through the adorable towns of Redondela and Pontevedra before arriving at Caldas de Reis. Along the way you will cycle through the authentic and incredibly beautiful Galician countryside. Enjoy your experience of beautiful woodland areas and picturesque villages in this area on your pilgrimage to Santiago.

Distance: 58 Km

This is the last of your pilgrim's stages towards Santiago de Compostela. Whether this is your first pilgrimage, or you have done the Way of Saint James previously, you will notice that there is a very special contrast between excitement about arriving, and, at the same time, an unexplainable peace of mind the closer you get to Santiago, .

The route from Caldas de Reis to Santiago de Compostela starts with some cycling on the main road, but you soon return to the small and charming paths and dirt roads, which you know so well from your earlier days of this cycling pilgrimage. About seven kilometres from Santiago, from a hilltop, you can see the Cathedral of Santiago's two iconic spires for the first time, and from here there is only one way to Santiago.

When you reach the Plaza de Obradoiro in front of the Cathedral, which may already be filled with happy, tired and redeemed pilgrims, you will surely see some of the pilgrims you have met before on your way to Santiago. Maybe you have made new friends along the way, and maybe, you will find that these friendships and the special Camino spirit only gets stronger and better as it develops over time – Buen Camino!

Distance: 43 Km

True pilgrims continue further and finish their journeys in Finisterre. The tour goes by bus with an English-speaking guide from Santiago to Finisterre in the morning and returns mid-efternoon to Santiago. Just off the stunning, rugged coastline and the fabled “Costa de la Muerte” (Death Coast), is a reef filled with shipwrecks and tales of legends that captures the raw, natural beauty of this place. On the coast’s westernmost point is Finisterre – meaning the "World’s End". Romans named this coast that way because for them, it was literally the end of the known world. For many pilgrims this is the symbolic endpoint of the pilgrimage as well.

The final evening is spent in Santiago de Compostela.

This is the last day of your holidays and also of all of your experiences in this beautiful part of Europe. Undoubtedly, you will be saying goodbye to Portugal and Spain with a little melancholy but must of all, you will be bringing wonderful experiences back home with you.