The Camino Portugues

A guidebook to walking the Camino Portugués (Portuguese Way), 620km from Lisbon in Portugal to Santiago in Spain. The book gives stage-by-stage directions for the Central Camino, starting from Lisbon, Porto or Tui, the Coastal Camino between Porto and Redondela, and the Spiritual Variant route from Pontevedra to Padrón. It also describes link routes that can be used to swap from one route to another.

Detailed route guidance and maps are accompanied by fascinating information about historic and religious sites passed along the way. It is packed with essential information for pilgrims, with advice on getting there, when to go, where to stay and equipment. An indispensable facilities table showing the availability of accommodation, refreshments, supermarkets, ATMs and pharmacies along the route, and a handy glossary, make this the complete guide to the Camino.

Since 1211 Santiago de Compostela has been a place of holy pilgrimage and the Camino Portugues is the second most travelled pilgrim route. The largely rural journey takes in four UNESCO World Heritage Areas - the Knights Templar Castle at Tomar, Portugal's oldest University at Coimbra, and the old towns of Porto and Santiago - culminating at the magnificent cathedral at Santiago de Compostela.

Nov 2018

Stage 6 - Baiona

Albergue Estela do Mar, Rúa Laureano Salgado 15, tel 986 133 213, www.esteladomar.com, 20 (bunk) beds, shared kitchen and laundry. Another welcome addition to Baiona, this modern albergue is just 400m from Praza de Santa Liberata, towards the fort.

Coastal Camino

Stage 5 - Caminha to Mougas

Alojamiento Camino Portugues Oia Hostel, Rua Serrallo 12, Villadesuso, tel 986 136 906, alojamientocaminoportuguesoia@gmail.com, 30 beds (dorm and private), shared kitchen and laundry. This new hostel is located opposite Hotel Glasgow in between Oia and Mougas, and has sea views.

Stage 3 - Viana do Castelo
Albergue de Peregrinos, Monte de Santa Luzia, tel 961 660 300, www.templosantaluzia.org. Located on top of Monte Santa Luzia next to the basilica, this new hostel (2018) has 6 bunk rooms (36 beds) and a shared kitchen. Can be booked direct or through www.booking.com.

Stage 6 - Baiona
Hostel Albergue Baionamar, Calle Venezuela 6, tel 986 138 025, www.hostelbaionamar.com, 18 (bunk) beds, shared kitchen. Located just 100m off the Camino, not far from Praza de Santa Liberata, this hostel is a welcome addition for budget accommodation in Baiona.

Highly recommended as essential preliminary reading for anyone considering the Camino Portugués

This welcome new guide to the 620km Camino Portugués responds well to the needs of pilgrims undertaking a largely rural camino which continues to grow in pilgrim numbers by about 10% annually - and which is now the second most travelled pilgrim route in Spain after the Camino Francés.

Also, by including Porto in its title and by its comprehensive content the guide recognizes the reality that about 80% of pilgrims choose not to walk the 25 stages 620km from Lisbon (only about 6% do so) but rather the 10 stage 243km from Porto to Santiago, and some even closer to Santiago, the 6 stage 120km from Tui.

The guide provides stage-by-stage information for the central camino from Lisbon, Porto, or Tui; the increasingly popular coastal camino between Porto and Redondela; and the spiritual variant from Pontevedra to Padron. Also described are the link routes which enable swapping from one route to another.

This is complemented by 145 excellent maps; 107 relevant high-quality photographs; information on historic and religious sites; fulsome advice on getting there, when to go, where to stay, what to carry; a services and facilities table; and a very useful language glossary in English, Portuguese, and Spanish.

All of this is packed into a well-edited, attractive, nicely printed (on lightweight durable paper), pocket-sized 333 page book. Unlike some other Cicerone guides, it comes in at a reasonable 360g. If you still baulk at that weight, the e-version is about the same price as the print version.

The guide’s author, Kat Davis, hails from Melbourne, and is now based in London after completing seven caminos and walking over 10,000km worldwide, including the 4240km Pacific Rim trail from Mexico to Canada. She knows her stuff, and merits congratulations on a job well-done.

This new guide by her is highly recommended as essential preliminary reading for anyone considering the Camino Portugués, and for anyone with the good fortune to actually undertake all or part of it.

Alan Bundy

Australian Friends of the Camino

Really excellent book... Details far more comprehensive than others covering the Camino

Really excellent book by Kat. Details far more comprehensive than others covering the Camino. Following the Coastal and then Spiritual routes was an absolute joy. These routes are not fully covered in some other guides.

Duncan, by email

Definitely the best cartographed publication I have seen.​

My first impression is how detailed, well researched and logically the book is laid out. Having spent time cross referencing books and articles over the last weeks and months I believe this book will save not only time but reduced some of the concerns with regard to route planning. Another fundamental aspect, true of all Cicerone Guides, is the accuracy and definition of the maps. In other publications, including those attached, maps tend to be perfunctory to the text, this is definitely the best cartographed publication I have seen.

Paul, via email.