When I wrote about the Camino Portugués a couple of weeks ago, I mentioned the Variante Espiritual. This route variation starts from Pontevedra and takes you to Padrón,  where it joins the traditional Portuguese route.

The Variante Espiritual is a very recent route. It was created around 5 or 6 years ago, connecting places that were historically related to the Camino.

• The initial part of the Variante Espiritual is based on the pilgrimage taken by Padre Sarmiento in 1745. Fray Martín Sarmiento, or Padre Sarmiento, was a Spanish scholar and monk. He wrote on a variety of subjects, including his pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela. In his record of this pilgrimage he mentions some of the places along the Variante Espiritual.

• The third stage follows the same route as the remains of St. James on arrival to Galicia, across the Ría de Arousa and up the river Ulla.

Where does it start?

The starting point for the Variante Espiritual is clearly marked with two big signs.

New sign (2021)

A few days ago I walked more or less half of the first stage (from Pontevedra to Combarro), with my marido (husband) and our two hijas (daughters), aged doce (12) and diez (10). Have you done it with family, or are you planning to? With children? I’d love to hear your experiences!

The reason why we chose to walk this part is mainly that it is very convenient for us. We packed some agua (water) and snacks in a mochila and we started walking. Once we reached our destination, we simply took an autobús back home. Also, the climb up to Armenteira is hard and we didn’t want to get the kids too tired and/or bored.

Leaving Pontevedra 

After we left Pontevedra, we walked through rural areas until we reached the monasterio (monastery) in Poio. You can actually spend the night there, since they have an area for guests. For more info, you can check their website: http://monasteriodepoio.es

After Poio, you go down to sea level and walk a stretch along the coast of the Ría de Pontevedra before you reach Combarro.

There is also a couple of small sections on the main road, but there is plenty of space to walk. It might not be so good during the summer, since this is a touristic area, the road gets very busy and there are cars parked everywhere. But it was fine the other day. 

Combarro

Combarro is a beautiful fishing town, famous for its hórreos (granary), a typical Galician construction. Hórreos are used to store grain; they are raised from the ground by pillars ended in flat stones that prevent access by rodents. They are made of stone or a combination of stone and wood.

And that’s where we finished our walk this time. Maybe next time we will start here and walk up to Armenteira. The climb is hard, but the views of the Ría are amazing.

Armenteira

There’s another monasterio in Armenteira, where you can also spend the night. More info on their website: https://www.monasteriodearmenteira.es/ There’s an albergue too.

Monasterio de Armenteira

Ruta da Pedra e da Auga

The section after Armenteira is one of great natural beauty. It’s called Ruta da Pedra e da Auga (route of stone and water) and it goes along a river where you can see the remains of many old water mills.

This second stage ends in Vilanova de Arousa, from where you will take a boat to Pontecesures, right beside Padrón. Alternatively, you can walk for 28km.

The boat trip takes about an hour and you need to arrange it in advance. The boat departures depend on the tides, so there are no fixed times. If you decide to take the boat, you will see the only maritime Via Crucis in the world, 17 stone crosses identifying the way followed by St. James’s remains.

After this third stage, you just join the traditional Camino Portugués in Padrón.

I found the section we did was very well signed. We didn’t have any maps with us, but we didn’t miss them. We had our phones, which we could have used if we got lost, but that was not necessary either.

It’s a very quiet route, even during busier times of the year. The day we walked, we didn’t meet anybody walking. We saw a couple of young men leaving Pontevedra, but they took the Portuguese route. That was it.

Today’s Spanish words

If you want to know more about hórreos, check Walking through Galicia.

¡Buen Camino!

For the second Camino in this series I’ve chosen el Camino Portugués (Portuguese Way). It’s the second most popular route to Santiago de Compostela, after the Camino Francés. And also, it is where I live.

As the name suggests, the Camino Portugués goes to Santiago de Compostela from Portugal, but there are a couple of route variations to choose from:

• The best known one is the central route. The most popular starting point for the Camino Central Portugués is Porto (Oporto in Spanish), which is 240 km from Santiago. If you walk 25 km per day on average, you will need around 10 days to complete it.

 Some people start their pilgrimage from the Portuguese capital, Lisbon (Lisboa in Spanish), which is further south. In this case, you will have to cover a distance of around 600 km. You will need approximately 25 days to complete it.

• If you decide to start from Lisboa, you could also take el Camino Portugués interior once you reach Coimbra. This route will take you through the Portuguese towns of Viseu, Vila Real and Chaves. Once you enter Galicia the Camino Portugués interior joins the Vía de la Plata.

• After Oporto, you have two options too: you can continue on the central route through Barcelos, Ponte de Lima and Valença. Or you can take the Camino Portugués por la costa (coastal route).

The Camino Portugués in Spain

If you follow the central route, Tui will be the first Spanish town you will encounter after crossing the bridge over the river Miño, which serves as a natural border between both countries.

• Tui was a very important town in medieval times and you can still see many buildings dating back to 15-16th centuries, including its cathedral.

• Porriño is at the centre of an important industrial area. It is one of the world’s biggest granite producers. More on the Porriño-Redondela stage here.

• Redondela. This is where the central and coastal routes meet.

• Arcade is a small coastal town famous for its oysters. Every year, at the beginning of April, Arcade celebrates an oyster festival.

• Pontevedra has one of the most important historical centres in Galicia, after Santiago de Compostela. Most of the city centre has been pedestrianised and Pontevedra has become an internationally acclaimed city, winning awards such as the UN Habitat Award and the Active Design Award.

Pontevedra is also the starting point of the last of the route variations on el Camino Portugués: variante espiritual, which includes a boat ride and joins the central route in Padrón.

• Caldas de Reis is well-known for its thermal waters.

• Padrón is the home of the famous Padrón peppers. If you haven’t heard about them yet, don’t worry! I’m sure you will get the chance to taste them when you do your Camino.

Coastal route of the Camino Portugués

If you follow the coastal route, you will have to take a boat from Caminha to A Guarda. From A Guarda, you will continue along the coast towards Vigo, which is the biggest Spanish town on this Camino. After Vigo, the coastal route joins the central route in Redondela.

There is also a variation of this coastal route, going from Caminha to Valença, along the river Minho. After Valença you then continue on to Tui.

If you don’t have enough time, you can do the Spanish section of this Camino, from Tui. It’s 119 km, enough to get a compostela and easily done in less than a week.

**Update: Regardless of the route you choose, you should know that Spain and Portugal are on different time zones. Once you cross over to Spain, you will be one hour ahead.

This document lists all available accommodations along this route. It’s a great resource.

In a previous post, I shared pilgrims recommendations about accommodation on the Camino Portugués. You can read it here. And if you would like to add any further recommendations (accommodation, food…), I’d love to hear your suggestions. 

For more details on some of the stages of the Camino Portugués in Spain:

• Porriño-Redondela
• Redondela-Pontevedra
• Pontevedra-Caldas de Reis
• Caldas de Reis-Padrón
• Padrón-Milladoiro

Today’s Spanish words 

¡Buen Camino!