Short Break on the Camino Portugues Coastal
If you’re short on time but want to maximise your Camino experience, a short break on the Camino Portugues is just what you need. Walking from Porto to Viana do Castelo, this 4-night tour is a wonderful way to spend a few days on the Portuguese Way, taking in all the sights, sounds and tastes.
A quieter route than the French way, this tour starts in the Unesco World Heritage city of Porto. From here, you will journey across Porto, Póvoa do Varzim, Esposende, and Viana do Castelo. This section of the Camino de Santiago is 75km long, and each turn is a surprise, with traditional fishing villages greeting you on your journey.
In Porto, get lost in the riverside quarter with streets so narrow that cars can’t drive on them! Be sure and take a photo from the viewpoint at the cathedral (you can also collect your pilgrim passport here) and cross the D. Luis bridge designed by one of the associates of Gustave Eiffel to taste a Port wine in one of the many famous cellars. To top it off, try Francesinha, a signature sandwich from Porto, considered by many the best sandwich in the world.
On this Short Break along the Camino Portugues Coastal from Porto to Viana, you can observe fishermen going into the ocean to fish in the old way and, at the end of the day, bargain to get the best piece of the catch of the day.
Relax at beach bars on golden sandy beaches and enjoy some freshly caught fish in one of the many fish restaurants with ocean views. Enjoy the sunset from old forts, a testimony to the era of the pirates, and visit a full-size replica of a discovery ship docked in one of the most important ports during the discoveries.
At the end of the evening, stroll around Viana do Castelo with its many Roman remains and a lively city centre where in August, the biggest fair in the north takes place, and women parade with necklaces with kilos of gold.
*Note that the Caminho da Senda Litoral goes along the seaside. The Caminho da Costa follows inland along with coastal towns and follows the same way as the Senda Litoral in some parts. If you choose the Caminho da Costa, the trail will always take you to the same finishing point.
