Day 1: Along the Minho river

Pick up at Porto city center or at the airport and transfer by van to Ponte de Lima, one of the oldest towns in Portugal.

If the longest journey begins with one step, ours will start across the monumental Roman bridge of Ponte de Lima.

Today we will ride along the river on a quiet and bucolic hard-packed, dirt bike path, ideal to get used to the bike, which will take us to the village of Ponte da Barca.

• Meals: Picnic Lunch / Dinner
• Destinations: Ponte da Barca
• Accomplished: 18km ride, elevation gain: 80 meters
• Accommodations: Hotel Fonte Velha

Day 2: From one valley to the other

Today we travel from Lima valley to Minho valley, just like thousands of pilgrims have done in the past centuries. Our route includes Arcos de Valdevez, an historic mark on our history and closely related to the birth of our nation, and Sistelo  – also known as the portuguese Tibet –  a tiny village up on the hills, proclaimed as one of the Portuguese 7 wonders, which is now a UNESCO candidate site.

• Meals: Breakfast/ Picnic Lunch / Dinner
• Destinations: Monção
• Accomplished: 53km ride, elevation gain 800 meters
• Accommodations: Hotel Solar de Serrade

Day 3 – Into Spain

A 19th century bridge inspired by the Eiffel Tower separates Portugal from Spain.

On one side Valença and its medieval walled fortress, on the other Tui and its late Romanesque Cathedral. Up to here we will be riding 18km flat along the “rails to trails” bike lane, from here we have the famous ascent through the Monte Aloia Natural Park and then descent into Baiona, where we will stay overnight in the Parador.

It was here that La Pinta – one of the ships of the Colombo fleet – landed and spread the good news of Columbus’ arrival in the Indies (not India, as they believed).

• Meals: Breakfast/ Picnic Lunch / Dinner
• Destinations: Baiona
• Accomplished: 50km ride, elevation gain 850 meters
• Accommodations: Parador de Baiona

Day 4 – Baiona loop

The most common symbol of the “Way” is the scallop shell. Not only it is evidence of the proximity to the sea (Santiago de Compostela is very close to the Atlantic Ocean) and as such used by medieval pilgrims as a symbol of its successful journey, but also the structure of its shell (roads converging at one point) symbolizes the confluence of paths to the holy city.

Today we are going to experience this other route, the Portuguese Way of Santiago along the coast, with the blue sea framing the serene and ancient monastery of Oia, the bustle of the fishing port of “A Guarda”, the verdant valley of “O Rosal” with corn from the Americas and its water mills.

• Meals: Breakfast/ Picnic Lunch
• Destinations: Baiona
• Accomplished: 63km ride, elevation gain 780 meters
• Accommodations: Parador de Baiona

Day 5 – From the Ocean to the River

For the first 20km of this stage of the Portuguese Way of Santiago we will be riding on a flat bike path along the sea, the bays and beaches – to the fishing town of Vigo.

Galicians say that when God created the Earth, he reached out to Galicia to form the Rias with his fingers, we will go around a part of these fingers.

According to several studies, about a quarter of the population of Europe in the fourteenth century carried out this risky and harsh epic journey that is the Way of St. James, fighting and depending on the beasts to set fire to the toll collectors or away from the diseases caused by prostitutes in hostile pilgrims.

We will be far from these challenges but what awaits us after crossing the town of Vigo is a “mountain stage” on our scale, with privileged views of the Cies Islands and provides the motivation for the tapas that await us in Cinco Calles, Pontevedra.

Bicycles and cyclists, all have a right to rest in the Historic Parador of Pontevedra, a XVI century Renaissance Palace. The city is an important stopover on the Caminho de Santiago that bears witness to the circular Church of the Pilgrim ́s Virgin, boasting a floor plan in the shape of a scallop shell.

Meals: Breakfast/ Picnic Lunch

• Destinations: Pontevedra
• Accomplished: 65km ride, elevation gain 1000 meters
• Accommodations: Parador de Pontevedra

Day 6 – The famous peppers

The presence of pilgrims and references to the Way becomes more and more intense, the thermal village of Caldas de Reis is no exception and another chance to stop for stamping our pilgrim credentials.

After crossing the Ulla River we know that we have reached Padron, the village where – according to legend – the ship with the remains of the apostle Santiago docked.

A must for a Rioja wine and the famous Padron peppers!

• Meals: Breakfast/ Dinner
• Destinations: Padron
• Accomplished: 68km ride, elevation gain 1300 meters
• Accommodations: Os Lambrans

Day 7 – Arriving in Santiago!

Morning ride. A ticket to heaven and the forgiveness of sins were the rewards when arriving in Compostela, and although today most of us are not moved by these same motivations, we feel that we have reached a stage in life. We no longer find the dying pilgrims in survival mode, but we can be sure that everyone feels the spiritual element of the Way – be it a Strava cyclist with their timed stages or the heavy-laden backpacker.

The tension increases a few kilometers before, but it is when we cross the door of the Faxeira – the official entrance of the Portuguese Way of Santiago – and we navigate through the medieval streets to Praça do Obradoiro and the Santiago Cathedral, that we will be fulfilled.

After receiving our Pilgrim credential, the best in Galician gastronomy awaits us at the farewell dinner.

• Meals: Breakfast/ Dinner
• Destinations: Santiago de Compostela
• Accomplished: 40km ride, elevation gain 730 meters
• Accommodations: Hotel Monumento Convento de San Francisco

Day 8 – Farewell

After breakfast we will transfer you to Santiago de Compostela airport and / or to Porto. Today we do not say goodbye, we say ‘See you soon!’