Portugal Easy Camino de Santiago Hike

A 10-minute taxi drive brings you to our Rendez-vous hotel (for logistical reasons, we meet at a hotel on the outskirts of Porto). Meet the other tour guests and your guides at 09:00 this morning. We will give you a short briefing and then transfer you to visit the UNESCO World Heritage site of Bom Jesus Sanctuary. An evocative flight of baroque stairs will take you past stations of the cross, chapels, and fountains as you climb to the 18th c. church that surmounts the forested hill. The trail winds through the forest down to our shady picnic spot. After lunch, we transfer to the outskirts of beautiful Ponte de Lima to enter the town on foot via its medieval bridge. The town has been inhabited since Mesolithic times. Its verdant hills, meandering river, and cool ocean breezes breathe relaxation while the quaint old town, all gleaming white stucco and red-tile roofs, invites exploration. We stay two nights at the splendid 4-star Pousada Viano do Castelo, a grand old Belle Époque hotel on a mountaintop overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. You will have time to relax by the pool and admire the expansive river and ocean views before dinner. Overnight. 4-star Pousada Viana do Castelo. The Hike: 3 kms/1.8 miles, Elevation gain/loss: 250m/815ft Elevation loss: 180m/590ft. Breakfast, picnic lunch, dinner and hotel included.

The friendly ghost of Queen Isabel of Portugal guides you today. She took the trail you hike on this day during her pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela in the 13th Century. Step back in time as you pass stone farmhouses and corn stacks as you hike through the small mountain villages of the Serra D’Árga. Indeed, we share our trail with goats, sheep, and foraging hens. Our hike ends with a picnic lunch at a 13th century monastery where you will be treated to magnificent views over the Minho River valley. We transfer you back to the Pousada to enjoy the pool and grounds or you may prefer to wander into town to explore its ancient streets. Dinner is on your own tonight. You can choose between one of the many authentic restaurants in the village or have a relaxed evening and dine again on the hotel’s scenic terrace overlooking the lovely old church of Santa Luzia.Overnight. 4-star Pousada Viana do Castelo. The Hike: 13km/8 miles, Elevation gain 600m/1900 ft Elevation loss 550m/1760ft. Breakfast, lunch, and hotel included. Dinner not included.

A rewarding climb starts your day (or a short van ride to avoid the climb!) as we hike through the eucalyptus woodlands of Labruja Mountain. Today’s trail is on the Portuguese Central Camino, and it takes you to the ancient town of Rubiães. You will cross over the river Pedreira on the same stone bridge used 2,000 years ago by the original Roman townspeople. From Rubiães, we transfer you to lunch in the fortified town of Valença do Minho, where you will walk along the fortress walls to our lunch spot. After lunch, you will cross the Minho River into Spain and settle into the 4-star Parador de Tui. Located on the banks of the Miño river, the Parador faithfully reproduces the architecture of a traditional Galician “pazo”. The ample park and inviting pool provide a relaxing space to soak up the lovely views of the river and surrounding mountains. For the remainder of the day, we’re free to stroll along the river into town and visit the cathedral of Tui and its medieval center or just relax at the hotel. Breakfast and dinner included. Overnight. 4-star Paradour di Tui. Overnight. 4-star Paradour di Tui. The Hike: 10kms/5.9 miles, Elevation gain/loss: 400m/127ft Elevationn loss 360m/1164ft; Optional additional 4km/2.5 mile hike Breakfast, dinner and hotel included.

You can savor a relaxed morning with a 10:30 start or join us for an optional hike to the medieval center of Tui.  Mid-morning, we all transfer to the austerely beautiful 12th-century monastery of Santa Maria de Armenteira. We compensate by enjoying yummy pastries and coffee at a local cafe before setting off on our trail, which takes you to verdant woodlands, fertile fields, and trellised vineyards to our lunch spot. After lunch, we transfer you to Santiago de Compostela. As we drive, the city and towers of the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela come into view. Our destination is the Plaza Obradoiro, Santiago’s grandiose square where the 4-star San Francisco Hotel Monumento is located. Part of the 800-year-old monastery of the same name, the hotel is just 150 meters from the cathedral of Santiago di Compostela. You might enjoy the jacuzzi and indoor swimming pool set beneath the ancient vaulted ceilings of the monastery before heading off to explore Santiago. Tonight is a free-night dinner so your schedule is your own. Overnight. 4-star San Francisco Hotel Monumento in Santiago de Compostela. Overnight. 4-star San Francisco Hotel Monumento in Santiago de Compostela.  The Hike: 10 km/5.9 miles, Elevation gain 390m/1276 ft Elevation loss 363m/1164ft; Optional morning hike of 4 km/ 2.5 mile with minimal elevation gain/loss. Transfer: 1.5 hours. Breakfast, lunch and hotel included. Dinner not included. 

A splendid hike along the Finisterra Camino to La Costa da Morte awaits you today. You begin hiking from Arnela Beach, on the Camino de los Faros (The Way of the Lighthouses). We meander through pine forests, along rocky clifftops, and down to the pristine beaches of the Galician coast. Our destination is the Lighthouse of Cape of Finisterra, known as “Land’s End” by the ancient people of the region. Free time and lunch on your own in Finesterra before continuing along the spectacular coastline where many ancient ships lay wrecked beneath the waves. We return to Santiago for our final dinner together. Overnight. 4-star San Francisco Hotel Monumento in Santiago de Compostela. The Hike: 10.9km/6.7 miles, Elevation gain and loss 580m/1866ft, Transfers: 75 minutes each way.   Breakfast, dinner and hotel included.

Wait, we are not finished yet! Unlike most of our tours, on this one, we offer you another hike before departing, on this, our last day. After breakfast, we transfer you to Monte Pedroso for a lovely hike through a pastoral landscape of age-old agricultural allotments and manor houses as we head back to Santiago. This hike rewards you with unforgettable views of the Cathedral’s towers soaring above the terracotta roofs of the medieval city. We culminate your Camino hike with a visit to the tomb of St. James (Santiago) inside the cathedral. We offer you one last delicious tapas lunch together before departing with the guides back to the Porto Vincci hotel* where we arrive at approximately 16:00. The Hike: Optional 4.8 km/3 mile hike: minimal elevation gain/loss; Transfer to Porto: 2.5 hours. Breakfast and lunch included.

Please note: Some details of the itinerary may change according to the departure date of your tour. Whenever we run a tour, we make discoveries. Sometimes, they are promising discoveries, like a wonderful new trattoria, and sometimes bad, like a trail has been washed away. We sometimes change our itinerary to improve it by adding new beautiful elements to the tour or by removing something that does not work anymore. Rest assured, our goal is always to provide you with the best possible experience. We will advise you of any changes to the original itinerary before departure.