Way of Saint James (coastal): Porto - Santiago de Compostela

Enjoy Porto and the beauties of this lively city. The baroque bishop's palace and the cathedral dominate the narrowly nested old town. The beautiful pedestrian zones of the old town are a wonderful place to stroll. The picturesque waterfront along the Douro is particularly attractive. It attracts visitors with its many cafés and restaurants. Several bridges span the river in picturesque fashion and the port wine cellars on the left bank of the Douro invite visitors to interesting tours and guided tours. How nice that Porto can be reached from many European airports with inexpensive and direct flights and that the airport is directly connected to the old town by the modern metro in 30 minutes.

On the banks of the Douro, they cycle pleasurably out of Porto. Lined with palm trees, the cycle path leads along the beautiful waterfront promenade of Foz do Douro to the Atlantic Ocean. Look forward to a complete cycling day by the sea! Matosinhos with its impressive harbour is quickly reached. Take a worthwhile break in the middle of the old harbour quarter with its typical and inexpensive restaurants, famous for delicious seafood. Your pilgrimage continues along the flat coast. You can look forward to well-maintained stilt paths, beautiful sandy beaches and an extensive dune landscape. Again and again you will meet pilgrims. Small conversations along the way or at the many free drinking water points are almost automatic. In the afternoon, look forward to Vila do Conde, a beautiful town with a medieval centre. Stroll through the old alleys and discover the historic caravel from the time of Portugal's discovery on the shore, which is well worth seeing. Visit the cathedral in the city centre and marvel at the aqueduct that crosses the entire city.

Another full day along the Portuguese Atlantic coast awaits you! After a few kilometres, the Camino Santiago de Compostela brings you to the small town of Povoa de Varzim with its 2 km long beach promenade, the old harbour district and a venerable casino, which was opened in 1934 in a classicist building. Afterwards, you will cycle through the flat hinterland on new cycle paths and small roads. Take a leisurely lunch break in Esposende with its historic centre before following the Atlantic coast northwards again. Many bathing opportunities beckon, as you pass one beautiful sandy beach after another. Small beach kiosks and cafes also want to be visited. The Pilgrims' Way takes you in a relaxed manner to Viana do Castelo, one of the most beautiful towns in northern Portugal. Imposingly perched on the top of the hill, the harbour town is overlooked by the sanctuary Santuario de Santa Luzia. In the afternoon, stroll leisurely through the old streets of the historic centre and discover the large square Praça da República, the heart of the city. The car-free old town with its numerous Renaissance palaces and charming squares has an almost Italian flair! Even today, Viana do Castelo is known for filigree gold jewellery as well as for cod fishing.

Your last cycling day in Portugal! Flat and effortless, your cycle route follows the very well signposted Pilgrims' Way.  New cycle paths, the so-called 'Ecovia', run beautifully through a magnificent dune landscape and vast pine forests. This is real cycling bliss! Look forward to the village of Vila Praia de Ancora, which still lives from fishing and has a long, beautiful beach promenade. In Moledo, marvel at the stately villas that bear witness to the historical splendour of Portugal's northernmost seaside resort. You'll be in the best of moods as you roll on to Caminha, whose pretty old town is completely protected as a historic monument. Stroll through the narrow streets, marvel at the mansions and sacred buildings and enjoy the central square with its many street cafés. Afterwards, take the ferry or a rustic fishing boat (both not always available) across the mouth of the Rio Miño to Spain, or cycle along the Portuguese riverbank to the next bridge and back along the Spanish riverbank (+ 24 km) to A Guarda. But don't be surprised, suddenly it's an hour later, because Spain is in our time zone. Look forward to the fishing village of A Guarda with its old harbour and colourful fishermen's houses. Here the fishermen return home with boats full of turbot, monkfish and sea bass. However, the southernmost town in Galicia is most famous for its langostas, hence the nickname "capital of langoustines". Rejoice, this delicacy is on almost every menu in the many small harbour restaurants.

You will notice it already on the first few kilometres of cycling. You follow the Camino de Santiago do Compostela further north and also further along the coast, but the landscape changes completely, because the Galician coast is characterised by rugged rock. The cycle path winds elegantly and variedly through the bizarre landscape. Smaller hills have to be mastered today, but you will be rewarded with fantastic views. In the fishing village of Oia, marvel at the Romanesque monastery of Santa María la Real from the 12th century with its Baroque façade. On mostly very well paved cycle paths you will roll to the pretty holiday resort of Baiona with its mighty fortress in an imposing location. The construction of the huge complex dates back to the beginning of the 11th century. At times, the castillo provided shelter for about 200 families on an area of 18 hectares. Today, the castle houses a Parador, a luxury hotel of the state hotel chain, whose terrace offers a wonderful panoramic view. In the afternoon, a large sandy beach and a wonderful promenade in Nigrán will tempt you to take an extensive break. But your destination for the day, Vigo, also has a lot to offer. Stroll through the old town worth seeing around the old fishermen's quarter O Berbés. Marvel at the many historical sights, at the old archways on the Plaza de la Constitución, at houses with heraldic stones, at façades with glazed balconies and enjoy the special atmosphere in the winding streets.

The day's stage is short, but there are three steep climbs to master on today's pilgrimage route. The first 100 metres of altitude are right at the beginning of the day. You will be rewarded with beautiful views of Vigo. Afterwards, you will roll for about 10 km on the altitude along a wonderful wooded panoramic path. A rushing descent finally brings you to Redondela, where a café break tempts you in the centre of the old town. Freshly invigorated, you then climb the next ascent, which brings you back to wooded heights. Again and again you will discover hanging scallops and colourful pictures lining the pilgrimage path. More and more pilgrims will overtake you now, because from here on, the coastal path and the central path of the Portuguese Way of St. James continue together to Santiago de Compostela. Look forward to your destination for the day, Pontevedra, because there is a lot to see in the old town, where everything is just a stone's throw away. Stroll through the old narrow streets that regularly lead into charming squares. Many squares still bear the name of the trade they once traditionally belonged to. Stone architecture, houses with coats of arms, old aristocratic palaces, fountains, churches and monasteries radiate a very special ambience in the evening light.

The varied, green and hilly landscape of Galicia wants to be discovered further today. More and more pilgrims can now be seen. They can be sure of our respect for their hiking performance. But many a cyclist will be inwardly delighted to be able to overtake the many pilgrims quickly and easily. The constantly heard greeting "Bon Camino" connects hikers and cyclists alike. On the way, marvel at the wide waterfall on the Rio Barosa, which stretches over many cascades. Many pilgrims seek out a spot here to cool their tired feet. Take a well-deserved break in the thermal town of Caldas de Reis, which is well worth seeing. You then cycle along small, well-signposted paths past many vines, through fields and small villages to Padrón, the home of the small green peppers. A typical feature of the variety is the varying degree of hotness of the individual fruits. A Galician saying goes: "Peppers from Padrón: some hot, some not." In Padrón, about 15,000 kg of peppers are harvested every year between June and September, most of them in a valley in the district of Herbón. It was there that the first Festa do Pemento de Padrón was organised in 1979, a popular gastronomic event that has been held every year since then on the first Sunday in August at the Franciscan monastery of Herbón.

The anticipation of Santiago de Compostela is enormous. It is the shortest day of the entire journey, but there is a continuous gentle climb to master. Wonderfully on quiet paths, the cycle route finally leads through the Alameda Park. Overwhelming and sublime from here is the view of the cathedral, where inside is the tomb of Saint James, the apostle of Jesus Christ. If there is one square in Santiago that stands out, it is the square in front of the cathedral, which hundreds of pilgrims reach every day. The entire life of the city seems to revolve around this square. The cathedral is the pilgrims' destination here, the Raxoi Palace is located here and the luxurious Hostal de los Reyes Católicos, supposedly the oldest hotel in the world. In the square, many pilgrims settle down with their typical sticks and shells at the end of their journey. They all sit here: alone, in pairs or in small groups. Take your time, enjoy the unique atmosphere, visit the cathedral and stroll through the old town, which is a Unesco World Heritage Site.

The way is the goal, the goal has been reached. For the many pilgrims from all over the world and for all the cyclists who set out in Porto.