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8 Days - 7 Nights
Self-guided
from 1 person
March to November
This variant hiking connects the Portuguese Way with the Translatio Route, also known as the Arousa Sea and Ul la River Route, which is the origin of all the Santiago routes.
Organised into three stages, the variant begins in Pontevedra and ends in Pontecessures, where it joins the final leg of the Portuguese Camino. From Armenteira, the Camino leads pilgrims along the Stone and Water Route, considered to be one of the most beautiful in Galicia.
One of the peculiarities of this variant is the possibility of doing part of the last section between Vila Nova de Arousa and Pontecessures by boat, sailing in the waters of the Arousa estuary and arriving via the last navigable section of the Ulla River. It is the same route that the remains of the Apostle Saint James are believed to have travelled on their way to Santiago de Compostela.
The route passes through a beautiful natural area, visiting the only Holy Way river crossing in the world, where you can see seventeen ancient crosses that identify this Camino de Santiago as Translatio, the origin of all Caminos.
Meeting with a member of our team for a briefing and to collect the documentation.
→ Accommodation: Hotel 3*
→ Meals: Breakfast
→ (22 km / 13,6 Miles)
Leave Vigo straight ahead until you get to the square of “Santa Rita”. Continue on until you reach “O Troncal”, almost on the outskirts of the city. Continue to “A Paradela” at the foot of “Mount Madroa”, in the neighborhood of “Teis”.
Follow a stream that runs parallel to your route as a reference mark to reach “Cidadelle”. Surround the “Alto da Encarnacion”, where you can admire the river and “Rande Bridge”.
After “Rio das Cabras” and “Coto da Fenteira”, start the descent through “Cedeira” and “Cruzeiro” from where you arrive Redondela.
Leave Redondela along by-ways until you reach Outeiro de Penas, a place with an excellent view over the Ria de Vigo.
Finally you will arrive to Arcade, a place renowned for having the best oysters in Galicia.
→ Accommodation: Hotel 2*
→ Meals: Breakfast
→ (13 km/ 8 Miles)
From Arcade, continue to Pontesampayo where you will cross a long medieval bridge over the Verdugo River and then enter a cluster of narrow streets that will guide you to one of the most beautiful stretches of the Caminho: the very old by-ways which climb up the slope of Canicouva until Cacheiro.
After crossing the mountains, the track widens again, now dominated by fields, vineyards and orchards until you reach Pontevedra.
→ Accommodation: Hotel 3*
→ Meals: Breakfast
→ (23 km / 14,3 Miles)
Today’s stage marks the beginning of the Salnês Spiritual Variant, which begins about 2 km after leaving the city of Pontevedra.
You will walk through the picturesque landscapes of Comarca and O Salnês, crossing the village of Poio – with its old monastery – and the beautiful coastal town of Combarro, before beginning the long and demanding climb to A Armenteira. Here, you will find a magnificent Monastery, built in the 12th century, and which is still in operation today.
→ Accommodation: Hotel 2*
→ Meals: Breakfast
→ (23 km / 14,3 Miles)
Today’s stage is one of the most beautiful and pleasant on the entire Portuguese Camino. From Armenteira to Pontearnelas, you will travel “A Ruta da Pedra e da Auga”, which unfolds through natural landscapes of great beauty in the municipalities of Meis and Ribadumia. Walking under the shade of the trees along the banks of the Armenteira river, you will find ancient watermills that rest on the riverside, small waterfalls and bridges.
Vegetable gardens and vineyards indicate that the Arousa estuary is approaching. After walking almost 23 km, you will reach the beaches and town of Vilanova de Arousa.
→ Accommodation: Hotel 3*
→ Meals: Breakfast
→ (13 km / 8 Miles)
On the last day of the Salnês Spiritual Variant, before resuming the traditional Portuguese Camino, you will journey between Vilanova de Arousa and Pontecessures.
This journey can be done in two ways: the first is by taking the Translatio, a boat trip going up the Ulla river and honoring the journey that the remains of Saint James made, up to Pontecessures.
The second option, if traveling by boat is not possible, is to walk along the coast of the Ria de Arousa, walking through a succession of fishing villages until you reach Pontecessures, where you will find the Portuguese Camino.
From Pontecessures to Teo there are a couple of sections on busy main roads without pavement but most of the terrain is tarmac lanes and stone or dirt tracks.
→ Accommodation: Hotel 3*
→ Meals: Breakfast
→ (14 km / 8,7 Miles)
The final stage begins with a steady but not terribly arduous climb, mostly through woodlands, of 160 m to a peak of 260 metres. As you descend along quiet tarmac lanes, you will see the city of Santiago de Compostela ahead of you on the next hill.
When you get within 4 km of the city, you will need to decide whether to stay amid greenery for as long as possible or stick with the original Way to take a short cut up a steep hill through a built up area.
Either way, the last few kilometres will be along tarmac and urban roads but as the graffitied sign at Ponte Rio Sar says, “Don’t Stop Now!”
The yellow arrows all but disappear once you enter the centre of Santiago de Compostela so follow these directions to arrive at the cathedral the Portuguese Way.
→ Accommodation: Hotel 3*
→ Meals: Breakfast
→ After breakfast: end of our services
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