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9 Days - 8 Nights
Self-guided
from 2 people
March to November
Cycling the Portuguese Coastal Camino to St. James (Santiago) is a sensational and unforgettable adventure. It’s an invitation to discover the Atlantic’s sandy beaches, ancient customs and welcoming people. From plateaus to mountains, from fields to coasts, monumental sites, works of art in the way of cathedrals, bridges, roads and monasteries, the route is full of pleasant surprises. The Coastal Way to Santiago is a route habitually taken by pilgrims coming from Portugal and by those choosing to cross the Miño River through A Guarda. The route, which heads northwards very close to the riverbanks, connects to the classic route that comes from Tui in Redondela.
Free day in Oporto.
→ Accommodation: Hotel 3*
→ Meals: Breakfast
→ (35km / 21 Miles)
Follow the coastline on wooden boardwalks and pavements where you’ll encounter a series of wide sandy beaches and local fishermen at work before you reach the historical seaside town of Vila do Conde.
→ Accommodation: Hotel 3*
→ Meals: Breakfast
→ (49km / 30,3 Miles)
Cut through the urban areas between Vila do Conde and the coastal resort town of Povoa de Varzim. Then cycle beside the coast and across beaches before heading inland through market gardens, woodland and villages.
Admire the views as you cross the Cávado River to enter Esposende. This day offers a series of villages interspersed with delightful patches of forest and rivers with views of distant mountain ranges. The Eiffel bridge over the Lima River offers spectacular views along the valley and estuary and the attractive historical and contemporary architecture of Viana do Castelo.
→ Accommodation: Hotel 3*
→ Meals: Breakfast
→ (46 km / 28,5 Miles)
Leaving Viana do Castelo tere’s a steady climb up one mostly forested hill before the descent to the seaside town of Vila Praia de Âncora.Follow the coastal path between Âncora and Moledo and then continue to the pretty town of Caminha. A short, scenic ferry journey takes you across the Minho River to the fishing town of A Guarda in Spain.
Then follow the Way along coastal pathways, forest tracks and tarmac roads to the small but attractive beachfront village of Oia with its 12th century monastery.
→ Accommodation: Hotel 2*
→ Meals: Breakfast
→ (43 km / 26,7 Miles)
Continue cycling through a rural coastal landscape of small fields, scattered houses and a few villages then cut across the mountains towards Baiona. This rugged uphill section offers a change of scenery and terrain before the final descent into the pretty resort town of Baiona.
The residential outskirts of Baiona gradually lead to more rural terrain and scattered villages interspersed with patches of woodland. A stint on a busy road ends with another series of villages before you reach Vigo where you’ll cut through Castrelos Park to skirt around the edge of the city.
→ Accommodation: Hotel 3*
→ Meals: Breakfast
→ (34 km / 21,1 Miles)
Leave Vigo via its main shopping street and follow one long road through a string of quiet hillside villages. After several kilometres you’ll swap houses for trees and views of floating mussel farms, the Cíes islands and the city and port of Vigo before the descent into the town of Redondela.
Cycle uphill through a forest then down to the riverside town of Arcade, renowned for its oysters. Ancient stone paths lead up through the woods and a scenic detour takes you along the River Tomeza. Pontevedra’s historical city centre is a maze of atmospheric squares filled with tapas bars.
→ Accommodation: Hotel 3*
→ Meals: Breakfast
→ (41 km / 25,5 Miles)
Although fairly long, the journey to Padron is not difficult and is mostly through pleasant countryside including an attractive section of woodland. Bathe your feet in one of Caldas de Reis’ thermal springs and continue for a gentle climb through a series of hamlets and the charming woodlands of Valga.
You’ll see several attractive churches and stone crosses on the way to Padrón, where St. James is originally said to have been buried.
→ Accommodation: Hotel 3*
→ Meals: Breakfast
→ (25 km / 15,5 Miles)
Leave Padron for the final stage of your Camino. Pass through a series of Galician villages and the magnificent sanctuary of Nossa Señora da Escravitute.
After a delightful wooded area you’ll begin to wend your way through the outskirts of Santiago and into the city centre. Enter the medieval streets that lead to Santiago Cathedral where your journey ends.
→ Accommodation: Hotel 3*
→ Meals: Breakfast
→ After breakfast: end of our services
* NOTE: The Camino de Santiago by bicycle program generally uses the same route that pilgrims follow on foot and there is no specific cycle route. The route is a combination of rural paths (asphalt, cobblestones or dirt), forest trails (dirt or gravel, uneven and sometimes rocky), secondary roads and some main roads (both on asphalt). Along the journey you may sometimes encounter some steep climbs and descents, so, good advance physical preparation is necessary in order to do this trip.
It is essential that clients have experience with mountain bikes and basic bicycle repair knowledge, especially how to change a tire as punctures may occur during the Camino.
Like what you see but it’s not quite a perfect fit?
Simply tell us what you’re looking for. We’ll happily adapt this itinerary to suit your personal interests, needs and schedule to create your ideal holidays.
Because we’ve carefully created this programme ourselves, we selected the most appropriated bikes for this route. Each bike has a full service between trips, replacing any parts as needed. Plus, we always ensure the brake pads are changed, delivering the bike as new to our guests.
All our bikes are high-quality Trek bikes, chosen for reliability and performance. We have different sizes and use the Trek size guide to pick the best one for you. When you book a cycling holiday with us, we’ll ask for your height so we can reserve your bike.
We also have some e-bikes in our fleet, which can help give you a boost on the hills, that we offer as an optional upgrade.
MTB: Trek Marlin 6
This 29-inch hardtail mountain bike (27.5-inch for smaller sizes) is the standard bike for most of our cycling holidays. The geometry and front suspension make it a comfortable ride and it’s perfect for off-road trails. The medium width tyres roll well on asphalt, gravel, and cobbles.
Electric MTB: Trek PowerFly 4 – 625
This 29-inch hardtail e-mountain bike (27.5-inch for smaller sizes) has all the features of our regular mountain bike, plus a battery for extra power. It’s great for riding with a stronger partner or if you want to cover longer distances. The design makes it perfect for gravel, cobbles, and steep paths. We use this bike on our Camino Portuguese tours and offer it as an option on other tours for those who prefer to ride an electric mountain bike.
Electric hybrid bike: Trek Allant+ 7
This 27.5-inch electric bike was named the Dutch e-bike of the year in 2020. The faster rolling tyres, more upright design, and front suspension, make it comfortable on smooth surfaces. It’s perfect for longer distances on roads, and the electric motor means you can still enjoy the ride when the hills get steeper.
What’s provided with our bikes?
Relax and enjoy your cycling holiday, knowing we’ve got everything covered for you:
- Rear pannier rack and bag
- Bottle cage and brand new Portugal Green Walks water bottle
- Helmet
- Adjustable phone mount on the handlebars
- Bell
- Bike lock
- Battery charger (where applicable)
- Small repair kit per group. This includes spare inner tubes (Schrader valve), tyre levers, bike pump, chain oil, chain link, disposable gloves, and multi-tool.
