Camino Portugués

Lisbon to Santiago through Portugal. Flatter than the Francés, and growing faster than any other route.

Distance

620 km

Typical time

25 to 30 days

Difficulty

Easy to Moderate

Total ascent

~3,990 m

Starts

Lisbon

Ends

Santiago de Compostela

The Camino Portugués starts in Lisbon and heads north through Portugal into Galicia. Together, the Portuguese routes now make up more than a third of all Caminos walked, and they are growing faster than anything else.

Most pilgrims start in Porto rather than Lisbon, which leaves about 240 km, or roughly two weeks. The Lisbon to Porto half is quieter, hotter and flatter, with long stretches of Roman road and far fewer walkers.

From Porto you choose: the Central route inland through Barcelos and Ponte de Lima, or the Coastal route along the Atlantic. The Coastal is the prettier walk, the Central has the older pilgrim architecture, and they rejoin in Galicia.

Who it suits

Best for: Walkers who want a gentler profile, and anyone with only two weeks.

When to go: March to June and September to October. Portugal in high summer is punishing on the Lisbon stretch.

Watch out for: Cobblestones. Long sections of Portuguese calçada are hard on feet and ankles in a way that dirt track never is.

Suggested stages on the Camino Portugués

28 stages averaging 21.6 km a day, generated from the route itself rather than copied from a guidebook. Treat it as a starting point: the whole idea of planning your own Camino is that a 27 km day someone else picked might be the wrong day for you.

Stage stops and distances are derived from the route geometry and from OpenStreetMap place data (ODbL). Distances are measured along the route line, so they will differ slightly from a guidebook.

Walking the Camino Portugués offline

There is no reliable mobile signal on large parts of this route, and the stretches without it are exactly the stretches where you want a map. Caminantes caches the route, the stages and the elevation profiles before you leave, and tracks your distance, pace and ascent while you walk. It is free, with no paywall on any of it.

Common questions about the Camino Portugués

How long does the Camino Portugués take?

25 to 30 days at a typical walking pace. Our suggested plan splits the 620 km into 28 stages averaging 21.6 km a day, and you can split or join any of them.

How hard is the Camino Portugués?

Easy to Moderate. It covers 620 km with ~3,990 m of total ascent, and the longest stage in our plan is 31.7 km. Cobblestones. Long sections of Portuguese calçada are hard on feet and ankles in a way that dirt track never is.

When is the best time to walk the Camino Portugués?

March to June and September to October. Portugal in high summer is punishing on the Lisbon stretch.

Where does the Camino Portugués start and finish?

It runs from Lisbon to Santiago de Compostela, a total of 620 km.

Does the Camino Portugués count towards the Compostela certificate?

Yes. You need the last 100 km on foot, so starting at Valença, which leaves 121 km to Santiago, or anywhere earlier on the route, qualifies. Collect two stamps a day over that final stretch.

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