Camino Portugués Central

Total distance: 241 km
Typical duration: 12 days
Stages: 11
Average stage: 21.9 km
Longest stage: 33.0 km
Pilgrims: ~120k a year

The historic Portuguese Way begins in Lisbon and covers some 620 km, but the overwhelming majority of pilgrims start in Porto, and the stages listed here cover that waymarked 240 km section. It crosses the Minho at Valença into Tui, then works north through Pontevedra and Padrón to Santiago.

It is the gentlest of the major routes. There is no mountain pass, the daily distances are moderate, and the walking alternates between cobbled Roman lanes, eucalyptus woods and river valleys. Its one drawback is the amount of pavement in the first two days out of Porto, which many pilgrims skip by starting further north.

Route map

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Stages

The conventional stage division. Distances over 30 km are highlighted — those are the days worth planning around.

#	Stage	Distance	Total	Ascent	Notes
1	Porto→Vairão	27.0 km	27.0	210 m	Largely urban and paved. Many pilgrims take the metro as far as Vilar do Pinheiro to skip it.
2	Vairão→Barcelos	29.0 km	56.0	380 m
3	Barcelos→Ponte de Lima	33.0 km	89.0	430 m	The longest day on the route; often split at Balugães.
4	Ponte de Lima→Rubiães	18.0 km	107.0	540 m	The steep climb over the Alto da Portela Grande is the toughest ascent of the Portuguese Way.
5	Rubiães→Tui	19.0 km	126.0	130 m	Crosses the Minho into Spain over the Valença–Tui bridge.
6	Tui→Porriño	16.0 km	142.0	120 m
7	Porriño→Redondela	15.0 km	157.0	290 m
8	Redondela→Pontevedra	19.0 km	176.0	310 m
9	Pontevedra→Caldas de Reis	21.0 km	197.0	250 m
10	Caldas de Reis→Padrón	19.0 km	216.0	210 m
11	Padrón→Santiago de Compostela	25.0 km	241.0	380 m