Travel Planning & Stages
Day 1 – Arrival in Tui (Pontevedra)
We will meet all at 7:00 p.m. at the established meeting point and you will be given your location days before the start of the trip through the whatsapp group or by email.
We will introduce ourselves among the participants and give a talk to tell you what the Stages will be like, answer questions and distribute the Pilgrim’s Credentials (which you must seal during the tour to get the Compostela when you arrive in Santiago) and we will also give you the labels for the transport of luggage.
The Portuguese Way is the second busiest Jacobea route after the French Way. You will begin the adventure in Tui, (town of Pontevedra) gateway to Galicia from Portugal, and you will cross the province of Pontevedra from south to north, discovering in your path agricultural areas of vineyards, orchards, cornfields and lush forests, letting you take the beauty of its villages, the charm of its people and its exquisite cuisine.
You will be impressed to see the Cathedral of Santa Maria, whose fortified aspect dominates the panoramic views of the city. Its historical complex is one of the main attractions of the city and one of the most important in Galicia after Santiago de Compostela. A walk through its cobbled streets will witness the history throughout the centuries, emblazoned houses and monuments among which the Diocesan Museum, former pilgrims hospital, the chapel of San Telmo, the Convent of the Poor Clares and the one of Santo Domingo.
Good Way Pilgrim Runners!
Day 2 – Tui – O Poriño
Medium difficulty – 19 km
This first stage is comfortable to run, alternating roads with paved roads and roads, following the riverbed of the Louro River. Perhaps the beauty of the route will be a bit opaque when crossing an industrial estate a few kilometers from Tui, which can be avoided by taking the alternative that leads through vineyards and trees to an asphalted track that will only increase the half kilometer stage. When we arrive at O Porriño and after going to our accommodation, we will have the rest of the day to visit the town and visit recommended places such as the City Hall, the Fonte do Cristo, the Templete of the Madrid Metro and the Botica Nova.
Day 3 – O Porriño – Arcade
Medium difficulty – 23 km
At this stage we will also run along sections of road, dirt tracks and stones, passing between oaks, pines and eucalyptus that beautify the route. In some sections we will find steps with large stones that will help us to save the streams, crossing the famous Galician corredoiras. This way we will reach Redondela, an important fishing village located in the middle of the Vigo estuary, known as the “viaduct village” by the numerous bridges that characterize it. It is worth stopping on the Camino to see the panoramic view of the Vigo estuary, the parish church of Cedeira, the Convent of Vilavella and the Museum of Meirande. After running just over 5 kilometers we will reach the end of the second stage in Arcade, capital par excellence of oysters in Galicia.
Day 4 – Arcade – Caldas de Reis
Medium difficulty – 34 km
We recommend facing this stage with tranquility alternating, if necessary, stretches of walking and running, as it is the longest of the route and we have 42 km on our legs. We started crossing one of the most important bridges in Galicia at a historical level, Ponte Sampaio, a colossal stone bridge that saves the Verdugo river and in which, during the War of Independence, a battle that led to the withdrawal of French troops was fought in Galicia. After crossing it, we stroll through villages, pazos, granaries and cruises until we reach the Brea Vella da Canicouva, an evocative path of large slabs through which the Roman route XIX passed.
Pontevedra is for many one of the most beautiful cities in Galicia, and it is not for less, a walk through its cobbled streets and its squares will be enough to realize the special charm it hides.
After crossing the Lérez River, the Camino leaves Pontevedra along the Rúa da Santiña, from which we will arrive at the Marismas de Alba observatory, a large 80-hectare wetland that houses hundreds of plant species and 123 bird species. The route runs on roads where many crossroads and level crossings converge, so we must exercise caution. Arriving in Briallos, we recommend diverting half a kilometer to visit the Cascadas del Barosa, a natural place of extraordinary beauty, with a beautiful jump of sixty meters and fourteen mills arranged along the waterfalls. Already in Caldas de Reis, our end of the stage, water is still the protagonist as it is one of the hottest thermal villas in Galicia.
Day 5 – Caldas de Reis – Padrón
Low difficulty – 19 km
After the previous stage, this one will be shorter and our legs will thank you! After leaving the thermal town of Caldas, we enter the valley of Bermaña following the route through its forests of centenary trees, carballedas, cornfields and cruises. After a gentle ascent we arrive at Santa Mariña de Carracedo, a town composed of a church, a rectory house and a granary and we continue running through forests with mills and villages towards Padrón, place where the ship that led the body of the Apostle Santiago and locality famous throughout Spain for its delicious peppers.
Day 6 – Padrón – Santiago de Compostela
Low difficulty – 24.5 km
Last stage!
Concludes our running adventure on the Portuguese Way, so we recommend leaving early to take advantage of the day in Compostela. We will run through urbanized areas that confirm that we are reaching the goal. The highlight of this stage, in addition to the Cathedral of Santiago, is the beautiful Collegiate Church of Iria Flavia, which was the first Cathedral of Galicia and whose cemetery, under an olive tree, is the humble tomb of Camilo José Cela, Nobel Prize writer Spanish. The road continues through the municipalities of Teo and Ames until reaching the desired Plaza del Obradoiro.
WE COME TO SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA RUNNING FROM TUI!
Soon we will enjoy a relaxing massage END OF ROAD of 30´in a Physiotherapy Center where we will choose if we treat our back or legs and feet. We still have to discover the beauty of the city, its streets, enter the Cathedral, visit the Saint and go in search of our Compostela at the Pilgrim Reception Center.
Day 7 – Breakfast in Santiago de Compostela and farewell …
A special day and full of emotions.
Some have been accompanied, others have done it alone, but when you are part of a Group, we all integrate from day one, and more if we share this “blessed hobby of Running!”
Because Running unites people, and with a pair of shoes we are all the same!
This experience can mark the END of a Path and the PRINCIPLE OF ANOTHER …
And surely along the way many new friendships will have been forged that will accompany us or not, in the various paths of our life.
Our wish is that you have enjoyed this sport, life, travel experience and that you do not forget it, because for many this will have been the 1st. Santiago’s road.
WE ARE RUNNING FREE … WITHOUT PRISONS BUT WITHOUT PAUSE!
After leaving our accommodation, you will have concluded the provision of our services.
See you soon!
