Camino Portuguese Coastal and Espiritual Pilgrimage Blog

Camino Portuguese Coastal and Espiritual

As we discovered years ago walking on the Camino Portuguese from Lisbon to Santiago, the Way of St. James through Portugal is a wonderful, historical and culturally rich pilgrimage trail.  Each of the Camino routes through Portugal offers pilgrims a chance to connect with nature, others, and yourself.   
 
In our most recent Camino pilgrimage, we followed the Camino Portuguese Coastal route and Espiritual variant from Porto Portugal to Santiago de Compostela Spain.  This combination of routes takes hikers through welcoming seaside villages, across rugged coastlines, and historic sites before crossing into Spain. En route, you can visit Esposende, Vigo, and Poio as well as the historic Santiago de Compostela.  This makes the Camino Portuguese coastal route and Espiritual variant the perfect trek for pilgrims seeking a journey of peace, spirituality, and connection.
 
On this pilgrimage, we trekked over 40 days in spring – walking both the Rota Vicentina in the Algarve through to the Camino Portuguese and onto the Coastal and Espiritual variants which we hiked in 14 days from Porto to Santiago Spain.   I am an explorer, naturalist and expedition leader for the Royal Canadian Geographical Society as well as an avid birdwatcher.  My hiking partner, Sean is an RCGS expedition team member and award-winning photographer.  Together we walk, photograph, and blog the Camino Portuguese pilgrimage.  The goal is to share some tips and tricks for hiking the Camino Portuguese, offer some advice for long-distance hikers, review the gear and clothing we used, and reflect on the journey.  Keep reading to learn more about why the Camino Portuguese is a perfect pilgrimage for those wanting to deepen their connection to nature, others, and themselves.

Follow Our Pilgrimage along the Camino Portuguese Coastal and Espiritual

About the Camino Portuguese, Litoral, Coastal, and Espiritual

Burnout and the Call of the Camino

Restoration in Nature along the Way of St. James

Rough Beginnings : Arriving into Porto

Beginning the Camino Portuguese Coastal : Porto to Vila do Conde

Little Moments on the Camino : Vila do Conde to Esponsende

Pilgrimage on the Camino Portuguese : Esponsende to Viana do Castelo

Country Lanes and Woodlands : Viana do Castelo to Caminha

Farewell Portugal, Hello Spain : Caminha, PT to Oia, SP

Many Ways to Santiago : Oia to Ramallosa

Nude Beaches, Great Tits, and European Shags : Ramallosa to Vigo

100km to Santiago de Compostela : Vigo to Arcade

Camino Portuguese Espiritual : Arcade to Poio

The Way of Stone and Water : Poio to O Cruceiro Vello

A Relaxed Walk To the Coast : O Cruceiro Vello to Villanova de Arousa

Mar de Santiago : Vilanova de Arousa to Santiago de Compostela

“Something’s been Lost”: Pilgrim Office and the Portico of Glory

Fate on the Camino Portuguese: Embracing the Uncertainty of the Journey

12 Lessons Learned from Pilgrimage on the Camino Portuguese

 

Additional Adventures and Pilgrimages to Enjoy

If you enjoyed this hiking adventure, you might also like reading about our walks on the Rota Vicentina / Fisherman's Trail, the Camino Primitivo, the Camino de San Salvador,  the Camino de Madrid, the Camino Portuguese Central, the Camino Finisterre, the Via Podiensis / GR65, and the Camino Frances.
 
We have also completed several other long-distance hikes in Canada, including the Bruce Trail, the East Coast Trail, and 19,000 km of the Trans Canada Trail from the Atlantic to the Pacific to the Arctic.
 
See you on the trail!