Walking the Portuguese Way is an incredibly rewarding and meaningful experience. When hiking the Camino Portuguese, you will have an unforgettable tour all the way to Santiago de Compostela in Spain.

For many pilgrims, the Portuguese Way is more spiritually connected to the Camino than any other way. The Camino is all about the apostle St. James, and Portugal, it is said, is where he was known to have first preached. It is also believed that his final journey to Santiago was via Portugal when his bones were brought back from Jerusalem following his beheading.

The Portuguese Way extends from the capital, Lisbon, across the border to Santiago, although the majority of today’s travellers begin from the city of Porto since this section has more way marks and auberges to assist true pilgrims.

The Portuguese Way was first used by Queen Isabel of Portugal in the 13th century when she made her pilgrimage to Santiago.

The Portuguese coast drips in history. It is along this coastline that Christopher Columbus returned to announce his discovery of America and the architecture of Porto and the University of Coimbra showcase an exciting and vibrant period that once existed in Portugal.

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Camino Portuguese highlights

 

Why travel with us

Personal Experience of the Camino Portuguese

Our team have been walking and cycling for over 4 decades. We are passionate about the Portuguese Way, active holidays and delivering exceptional service. Combined, we’ve travelled to virtually every corner of the UK & Europe and bring a multi-disciplined, multicultural and whole-hearted love of all things travel.

Great Value & Quality Portuguese Way Trips

Our active holidays on the Portuguese Way are well priced offering great value for money. Included in your package are comprehensive route notes, maps & guide books along with bag transfers and locally run accommodation. When you book, your trip will be fully organised by a dedicated member of our in-house team, so you will always know who you are dealing with. We take the stress out of organising your Portuguese Camino.

Local Knowledge of Portugal

We place great emphasis on researching, planning and crafting innovative itineraries along the Portuguese Way to ensure you get the very best experience out of your trip. We believe relationships are important and have been working with many of our hoteliers and local suppliers for years. This means that they know exactly what our travellers expect.

Accommodation

Hotels

Often family run, these charming hotels range from 2 to 4 stars and provide access to local living thanks to your hosts. The hospitality is generous and their local knowledge is invaluable. Where possible, we choose locations that add to your experience.

Bed & breakfasts (B&Bs)

Simple yet rich in local character, the B&Bs chosen are clean, comfortable and run by hosts that help add to your experience.

Trip reviews

Videos

Caminhos de Santiago | Ways of St. James

Essential information

Currency

Euro

You will find cash points / ATM machines (“caixa eletrônico”) at airports and in larger towns and villages. There are different networks. Using a cash point from your own network (e.g. Cirrus) will help avoid extra charges for withdrawals.

The most common credit cards are: Visa and MasterCard. American Express and Diners Club cards are sometimes accepted.

IMPORTANT: Credit cards are not always accepted in small shops and restaurants, so always ask in advance if you can pay by credit card. Travellers? cheques are generally accepted at banks, but the charge for changing them can be quite high. Personal cheques are not accepted.

International Dialing Code

+351

Electricity
Type C plug

Electricity in Portugal is 230 Volts, at 50 hertz. The most common pin type is C. (2 round prong).

Visas

Visas are not required for citizens of Australia, Canada, USA and New Zealand for up to 90 days in a period of 180 days for all Schengen countries (see www.schengenvisainfo.com/schengen-visa-countries-list/ for countries part of the Schengen). Please ensure your passport is stamped on arrival in the Schengen area. For all other nationalities and for longer stays in countries covered by the Schengen Agreement (Australian New Zealand, Canadian and US passport holders), please contact the relevant embassy. Stays of longer than 90 days in the Schengen area require a long stay visa for the country you are spending most time in. However long stay visas are unlikely to be issued unless there is a valid reason (eg. studying in country). Unfortunately we cannot assist in obtaining visas for long stays due to individual country visa requirements.

Safety

Your safety is our number one concern. Our safety track record is exemplary thanks to careful management and thorough consultation with local partners. Our industry leading risk management procedures have become a skill that we continue to refine. Our leaders in the field are highly trained and have safety as their number one priority. Expert leaders, risk assessments, quality inclusions and your financial security all come standard when you travel with us.

Please refer to our Travel Advisory page for updates on recent events, travel warnings and advice.

We strongly recommend that all clients take out travel insurance at the time of booking to cover against sickness, accident, loss of baggage, unexpected alterations to travel arrangements and travel disruption, emergency evacuation, cancellations, etc. Insurance information is enclosed with your pre-departure information. Please contact us if you would like to obtain a quote for your trip duration.

We suggest that you consult your doctor, local government inoculation centre or a travel medical specialist in order to get the most current advice regarding vaccination requirements.

Money and valuables should always be stored safely when travelling. Keep your passport with you at all times and do not leave it in your main luggage. You will need it to change money and check into hotels. Where safety deposit boxes are available, we recommend that you use them. Keep jewellery and valuables to a minimum.