11/03/2019
One of the most renowned and busiest streets of the old quarter of Santiago, not only for its proximity to the Cathedral but also for being one of the leisure and meeting points for locals and visitors, is the “Rúa da Raíña” (street of the queen). Its name is not a coincidence. According to popular tradition, one of the most famous pilgrims in the history discreetly stayed there: the queen Isabel of Portugal, who offered her crown upon the altar of Saint James showing her Jacobean devotion. This occurred during the fourteenth century and her example contributed without a doubt to settle significantly the pilgrimages from Portugal to Santiago, as did the Portuguese king Manuel I two centuries later, who after his arrival to Santiago’s temple assigned an annual income in order to light a lamp day and night inside the Cathedral as a reminder of his stay.
Kings, nobles and influential priests were decisive in the emergence of the Jacobean phenomenon on Portuguese territory, however, the Portuguese Way already started to take shape in the middle of the XII century, inheriting ancient routes such as the Vía XIX, which was one of the major Roman roads, supporting the antique Gallaecia. Ever since the Jacobean phenomenon continued to grow and it left such a mark that the road network of Portugal was shaped from south to north passing by the places traced by the Portuguese Way towards Santiago de Compostela: Lisboa, Santarem, Coímbra, Porto, Barcelos, Ponte de Lima and Valença do Minho, until it finally enters in Galicia.
Your steps will guide you through these same routes as pilgrims of the Portuguese Way of Santiago, it is a permanent dialogue between the past and the present in which this itinerary has become the second in number of pilgrims, right behind the most notorious path; the French Way. Many are the charms offered by the Portuguese Way of Saint James; starting with its kind orography, that allows to complete stages with a medium to low difficulty demanding low physical effort, and also the presence of great natural beauty in many stretches. Moreover, the fact that this route is uncongested and the undeniable incentive of going across two countries are other great attractions.
If we talk about the Portuguese Way of Santiago, the preparation of our tour starts with a decision, if anything characterizes this route is the wide variety of options we are offered when walking it, both regarding the overall distance travelled as well as the path chosen in order to reach Santiago de Compostela. Basically, there are two ways before us, among which the most popular and travelled is the Portuguese Way going through the inland (also known as Camino Portugués del interior) entering in Galicia through Tui to then continue by Porriño, Redondela, Pontevedra, Caldas de Reis and Padrón and finally Santiago. The other alternative is the Portuguese Coastal Way, reaching Galician land in A Guarda and passing by Baiona and Vigo until it merges with the previous path in Redondela.
Besides the itinerary, the starting point is also a matter of choice. If you choose the most distant point, the Portuguese capital (Lisboa), you will need 25 days at least for your walk. An intermediate option is starting the route in the city of Porto, which you can complete in only 11 days. If you are short on time, the ideal alternative is the Camino from Tui to Santiago, which starts in Galician land and can be done in five easy stages that cover 118 kilometres, enough to apply for the Compostela certificate when you reach your destination.
At Galician Roots we know that the experience of the Camino includes many other aspects than the personal fulfilment of reaching the Plaza del Obradoiro or overcoming a challenge or also keeping a promise; it is a sum of intangible aspects that are added to our backpack and remain as experiences and memories forever. All of this is offered by the Camino from Tui to Santiago, this is why this option is always among our recommendations.
Ideally you should have an extra day of the 6 needed to complete the route in order to visit the region of Baixo Miño, to taste the famous Albariño wine in one of the many wineries that can be found in as Rías Baixas or also to discover the cities of Pontevedra and Vigo, from where you can take the boat toward the Cíes Islands, an unspoilt paradise in the Atlantic Ocean. We cannot fail to mention the gastronomy; if there is something well known about Galicia, this is its seafood, and if there is any place to taste it, this is the Rías Baixas. Nor should you leave without trying the peppers from Padrón, at the last stop before arriving at Santiago de Compostela, there is a popular saying about them in Galicia which says that “uns pican e outros non” (some are spicy and some others are not). This means that you are at risk at each bite… Good luck! Although this gastronomic variety is available throughout Galicia and Spain, it is always nice to taste them in their place of origin, Padrón, where according to legend is located the place where the Apostle disciples tied up the small boat which brought his remains from Palestine.
In addition to this the views over the Vigo estuary are impressive, some monuments and emblematic places are reminiscent of some of the major historical episodes of the Portuguese Way of Santiago, such as the bridge of San Telmo or ”Ponte das Febres” (bridge of the fevers) in Tui: nicknamed in this way as it was here where San Telmo got sick from fever in 1251. The tourists passing through this bridge will see a nameplate saying “Walker, San Telmo got sick unto death here in April 1251. Ask him to speak to God on your behalf.” It’s not the only bridge with a history that you will find; when crossing the bridge of Sampaio, in Pontevedra, may you know that you are at one of the places where triggered one of the most renowned battles of the War of Independence in 1809, where French troops of the marshal Ney were defeated.
Besides the Camino from Tui to Santiago and its considerable historic, gastronomic and its landscape importance, another personal recommendation from Galician Roots is the stretch from Oporto to Tui, where nature alternates with the most important towns in northern Portugal, a combination that gives it a particular charm and that will allow you to enter the culture of Portugal. This option may require better planning, on the contrary to other routes where the path is unique, in Portugal the motto saying that there are as many paths as pilgrims exist is totally true. The variety of pilgrimage paths progressing from south to north, both along the coast and inland, complicate the task of completing a full network of accommodations along the Portuguese Way, as well as consolidating the various paths.
However, do not panic, by no means, this will constitute a drawback for your journey. The improvements in this route prospered the last years in parallel to the increasing number of pilgrims and while in the Portuguese part they are finishing off the building of municipal and private hostels, in the Galician part there is already a great network of accommodations existing. On the other hand, we must take into account the efforts that have been done by the associations of friends of the Camino de Santiago, on both sides of the border, to define the itineraries, and also improve the signposting, which is correct between Porto and Santiago, especially in the Galician stretches. We should also not forget that many are the densely populated towns spread around the Portuguese Way, which provides several services to the pilgrims, including the increasingly useful luggage transfer service, an option to consider that will not diminish the merit to your exploit and that will allow you to get rid of any extra burden in order to enjoy better and even more intensely the experience. The Portuguese Way of Santiago deserves it.
So wait no more and discover all our tours of the Portuguese Way of Santiago:
https://www.galicianroots.com/en/viajes/el-camino-de-santiago/el-camino-portugues.htm
Kings, nobles and influential priests were decisive in the emergence of the Jacobean phenomenon on Portuguese territory, however, the Portuguese Way already started to take shape in the middle of the XII century, inheriting ancient routes such as the Vía XIX, which was one of the major Roman roads, supporting the antique Gallaecia. Ever since the Jacobean phenomenon continued to grow and it left such a mark that the road network of Portugal was shaped from south to north passing by the places traced by the Portuguese Way towards Santiago de Compostela: Lisboa, Santarem, Coímbra, Porto, Barcelos, Ponte de Lima and Valença do Minho, until it finally enters in Galicia.
Your steps will guide you through these same routes as pilgrims of the Portuguese Way of Santiago, it is a permanent dialogue between the past and the present in which this itinerary has become the second in number of pilgrims, right behind the most notorious path; the French Way. Many are the charms offered by the Portuguese Way of Saint James; starting with its kind orography, that allows to complete stages with a medium to low difficulty demanding low physical effort, and also the presence of great natural beauty in many stretches. Moreover, the fact that this route is uncongested and the undeniable incentive of going across two countries are other great attractions.
If we talk about the Portuguese Way of Santiago, the preparation of our tour starts with a decision, if anything characterizes this route is the wide variety of options we are offered when walking it, both regarding the overall distance travelled as well as the path chosen in order to reach Santiago de Compostela. Basically, there are two ways before us, among which the most popular and travelled is the Portuguese Way going through the inland (also known as Camino Portugués del interior) entering in Galicia through Tui to then continue by Porriño, Redondela, Pontevedra, Caldas de Reis and Padrón and finally Santiago. The other alternative is the Portuguese Coastal Way, reaching Galician land in A Guarda and passing by Baiona and Vigo until it merges with the previous path in Redondela.
Besides the itinerary, the starting point is also a matter of choice. If you choose the most distant point, the Portuguese capital (Lisboa), you will need 25 days at least for your walk. An intermediate option is starting the route in the city of Porto, which you can complete in only 11 days. If you are short on time, the ideal alternative is the Camino from Tui to Santiago, which starts in Galician land and can be done in five easy stages that cover 118 kilometres, enough to apply for the Compostela certificate when you reach your destination.
At Galician Roots we know that the experience of the Camino includes many other aspects than the personal fulfilment of reaching the Plaza del Obradoiro or overcoming a challenge or also keeping a promise; it is a sum of intangible aspects that are added to our backpack and remain as experiences and memories forever. All of this is offered by the Camino from Tui to Santiago, this is why this option is always among our recommendations.
Ideally you should have an extra day of the 6 needed to complete the route in order to visit the region of Baixo Miño, to taste the famous Albariño wine in one of the many wineries that can be found in as Rías Baixas or also to discover the cities of Pontevedra and Vigo, from where you can take the boat toward the Cíes Islands, an unspoilt paradise in the Atlantic Ocean. We cannot fail to mention the gastronomy; if there is something well known about Galicia, this is its seafood, and if there is any place to taste it, this is the Rías Baixas. Nor should you leave without trying the peppers from Padrón, at the last stop before arriving at Santiago de Compostela, there is a popular saying about them in Galicia which says that “uns pican e outros non” (some are spicy and some others are not). This means that you are at risk at each bite… Good luck! Although this gastronomic variety is available throughout Galicia and Spain, it is always nice to taste them in their place of origin, Padrón, where according to legend is located the place where the Apostle disciples tied up the small boat which brought his remains from Palestine.
In addition to this the views over the Vigo estuary are impressive, some monuments and emblematic places are reminiscent of some of the major historical episodes of the Portuguese Way of Santiago, such as the bridge of San Telmo or ”Ponte das Febres” (bridge of the fevers) in Tui: nicknamed in this way as it was here where San Telmo got sick from fever in 1251. The tourists passing through this bridge will see a nameplate saying “Walker, San Telmo got sick unto death here in April 1251. Ask him to speak to God on your behalf.” It’s not the only bridge with a history that you will find; when crossing the bridge of Sampaio, in Pontevedra, may you know that you are at one of the places where triggered one of the most renowned battles of the War of Independence in 1809, where French troops of the marshal Ney were defeated.
Besides the Camino from Tui to Santiago and its considerable historic, gastronomic and its landscape importance, another personal recommendation from Galician Roots is the stretch from Oporto to Tui, where nature alternates with the most important towns in northern Portugal, a combination that gives it a particular charm and that will allow you to enter the culture of Portugal. This option may require better planning, on the contrary to other routes where the path is unique, in Portugal the motto saying that there are as many paths as pilgrims exist is totally true. The variety of pilgrimage paths progressing from south to north, both along the coast and inland, complicate the task of completing a full network of accommodations along the Portuguese Way, as well as consolidating the various paths.
However, do not panic, by no means, this will constitute a drawback for your journey. The improvements in this route prospered the last years in parallel to the increasing number of pilgrims and while in the Portuguese part they are finishing off the building of municipal and private hostels, in the Galician part there is already a great network of accommodations existing. On the other hand, we must take into account the efforts that have been done by the associations of friends of the Camino de Santiago, on both sides of the border, to define the itineraries, and also improve the signposting, which is correct between Porto and Santiago, especially in the Galician stretches. We should also not forget that many are the densely populated towns spread around the Portuguese Way, which provides several services to the pilgrims, including the increasingly useful luggage transfer service, an option to consider that will not diminish the merit to your exploit and that will allow you to get rid of any extra burden in order to enjoy better and even more intensely the experience. The Portuguese Way of Santiago deserves it.
So wait no more and discover all our tours of the Portuguese Way of Santiago:
https://www.galicianroots.com/en/viajes/el-camino-de-santiago/el-camino-portugues.htm
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