Updated: January 2026

The Spiritual Variant of the Camino Portugués

When I wrote about the Camino Portugués, I mentioned the Variante Espiritual. This alternative route 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 10 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 the Spiritual Variant start?

The starting point for the Variante Espiritual is a couple of km outside of Pontevedra and it’s clearly marked with two big signs.

However, if want to be elligible to receive a Compostela, you must start walking at least in Porriño (central route) or Vigo (coastal route). Pontevedra does not meet the distance requirements for a Compostela.

At this point, you can decide to go right under the bridge and follow the traditional Camino Portugués. Or you can go left and follow the Variante Espiritual.

Go left to follow the Spiritual Variant route.

I walk up to this point frequently on my daily walks, but I’ve also kept walking to Santiago.

Leaving Pontevedra 

After you leave Pontevedra, you walk through rural areas until you reach 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 a couple of small sections on the main road, but there is plenty of space to walk. 

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.

One of the many hórreos you will see

Armenteira and the Ruta da Pedra e da Auga

After Combarro, you’ll be climbing most of the way to Armenteira. The first section is the steepest, but the views over the ría compensate for it. So, remember to look back every now and then.

There are not many accommodation options in Armenteira. There’s a monasterio, where you could stay More info on their website: https://www.monasteriodearmenteira.es/ There’s an albergue too. As for food, there are a couple of bars next to the monastery.

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.

It’s very popular with the locals, so it might be busy during weekends and holidays. 

There’s a picnic area at the end of this route, and a café a few meters down the road. 

After that, there’s a very pleasant walk along the river Umia. 

This area up to Vilanova de Arousa is known for its vineyards; it’s where the albariño wine comes from.

Vilanova is another lovely fishing town, and the place of birth of Spanish writer Valle-Inclán. There’s a statue of him sitting on a bench in Santiago’s Alameda. You’ll find many references to him in Vilanova. You could even visit his home, which has been turned into a museum. 

The Armenteira monastery inspired one of his books. Years later, Valle-Inclán’s son instigated the reconstruction of the monastery.

The boat trip to Padrón

Once in Vilanova de Arousa, you have 2 options:

• You can take a boat to Pontecesures, right beside Padrón.
• Alternatively, you can walk a 28km stage.

 Most people take the boat. It takes about an hour during which you’ll see the only maritime Via Crucis in the world, 17 stone crosses identifying the way followed by St. James’s remains.

There are at least 2 boat companies covering this route. It’s advisable to contact them in advance. During busy periods, you might need to book your tickets a few days before your trip. During the low season, boats might not run if they don’t get a minimum number of passengers. 

If you decide to walk, be aware that it’s a long stage. There are some beautiful sections, but there is also a lot of walking on asphalt or next to the train tracks. 

Whatever you decide, after this stage, you join the traditional Camino Portugués in Padrón.

The route is well marked. I walked it with no apps or maps, simply following the yellow arrows and didn’t have any issues. 

Some of the crosses you’ll see from the boat

Today’s Spanish words

 Updated January 2026

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

¡Buen Camino!

Updated: January 2026

Portuguese Caminos: routes, variations and what to expect

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. It also happens to pass through the area where I live.

As the name suggests, the Camino Portugués starts in Portugal and leads pilgrims north towards Santiago de Compostela. But there isn’t just one route from Portugal to Santiago.

Main routes in Portugal

• The best known, more traditional 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. You will need around 10-12 days to complete it, walking about 25 km per day.

 You can also start your 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.

The pilgrim infrastructure from Lisbon is not as good as from Porto, so you may need to plan a bit more and possible have some longer days.

• 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 coastal route is becoming more and more popular in recent years.

Because Portugal and Spain belong to the European Union and the Schengen Area, there is free movement of people between the two countries. In practice, this means there are no border checkpoints or passport controls when you cross from Portugal into Spain on the Camino.

Central Camino Portugués in Spain

If you follow the central route, these are some of the most important towns you’ll pass through in Galicia:

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. The first Spanish town after crossing the bridge over the river Miño, which form the natural border between Spain and Portugal. Tui was a key town in medieval times and its historic centre still has many buildings dating back to 15-16th centuries, including its cathedral. More info on Tui here.

• O Porriño. Located at the centre of an important industrial area and known internationally as one of the world’s biggest granite producers. 

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

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

• Pontevedra. One of the most important historical centres in Galicia, after Santiago de Compostela. Most of the city centre has been pedestrianised and Pontevedra has received international recognition, including 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: the Spiritual Variant or  Variante Espiritual, which includes a boat ride and rejoins the central route in Padrón.

• Caldas de Reis. Well-known for its thermal waters. Your legs will feel like new after soaking in them for a while.

• Padrón. Famous for the Padrón peppers. If you haven’t heard about them yet, don’t worry! I’m sure you will get the chance to try them on your Camino.

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

• Tui-Porriño
• Porriño-Redondela
• Redondela-Pontevedra
• Pontevedra-Caldas de Reis
• Caldas de Reis-Padrón
• Padrón-Milladoiro
• Milladoiro-Santiago de Compostela

Coastal route of the Camino Portugués

There’s no bridge on the coastal route to cross from Portugal to Spain. You’ll have to take a boat from Caminha to A Guarda.

A Guarda is a fishing town with lots to see and do… and amazing seafood! More info in this other post.

From A Guarda, you will continue along the coast through Oia and Baiona 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, on the central route.

Tui is a very popular starting point if you don’t have so muh time. It’s about 119 km from Santiago, enough to get a Compostela and easily done in less than a week.

On the coastal route, Vigo and Baiona are both quite popular too. 

**Heads up: 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.

Today’s Spanish words

¡Buen Camino!