Central Portuguese Way
The Central Portuguese Way is the most walked route in Portugal on the way to Santiago. It covers 247 km in 11 stages, from Porto cathedral to Praza do Obradoiro, through the historic towns of the Minho and the woods of Galicia. Here you’ll find every stage, the distances, the difficulty and everything you need to plan your Camino.
- 247 kmPorto to Santiago
- 11Stages
- 16 to 33 kmPer stage
- 5 + 6Days in Portugal and Galicia
Why walk the Central Portuguese Way
Well waymarked, with albergues all along the route and full of history. It’s the right choice if this is your first Camino.
Barcelos, the city of the rooster. Ponte de Lima, the oldest town in Portugal. The fortress of Valença. And Padrón, where tradition says the Apostle’s boat came ashore.
Green fields, the climb up Serra da Labruja, the crossing of the river Minho, the Vigo estuary and Galician woods with old Roman roads.
The first arrows are at Porto cathedral and they guide you all the way to Santiago. In Valença, the Coastal Way joins the Central Way and the two continue together to the end.
From Porto to Santiago, stage by stage
The climbs and descents of all 11 stages, from Porto to Santiago. The toughest day is the Serra da Labruja, between Ponte de Lima and Rubiães.
The 11 stages of the Central Way, from Porto to Santiago
Five days in Portugal and six in Galicia. Choose a stage to see the route, the map, where to sleep and where to eat.
Stage 1
Porto to Vairão
From the cathedral to a monastery hidden in green
- ModerateDifficulty
- 26 kmDistance
- ≈ 280 mAscent
- ± 5 hDuration
- UrbanTerrain
Stage 2
Vairão to Barcelos
From the monastery to the city of the rooster
- ModerateDifficulty
- 30 kmDistance
- ≈ 310 mAscent
- ± 8 hDuration
- RuralTerrain
Stage 3
Barcelos to Ponte de Lima
To the oldest town in Portugal
- DemandingDifficulty
- 33 kmDistance
- ≈ 360 mAscent
- ± 10 hDuration
- RuralTerrain
Stage 4
Ponte de Lima to Rubiães
The climb up Serra da Labruja
- DemandingDifficulty
- 18 kmDistance
- ≈ 440 mAscent
- ± 6 hDuration
- MountainousTerrain
Stage 5
Rubiães to Valença
Your last day in Portugal
- EasyDifficulty
- 17 kmDistance
- ≈ 260 mAscent
- ± 5 hDuration
- Rural and urbanTerrain
Stage 6
Valença to O Porriño
From the fortress of Valença into Galicia
- EasyDifficulty
- 20 kmDistance
- ≈ 130 mAscent
- ± 5 hDuration
- Forest and industrialTerrain
Stage 7
O Porriño to Redondela
Chan das Pipas and your first views of the ria
- ModerateDifficulty
- 16 kmDistance
- ≈ 220 mAscent
- ± 4 hDuration
- Forest and industrialTerrain
Stage 8
Redondela to Pontevedra
The Vigo estuary and Ponte Sampaio
- ModerateDifficulty
- 21 kmDistance
- ≈ 250 mAscent
- ± 5 hDuration
- Rural and estuaryTerrain
Stage 9
Pontevedra to Caldas de Reis
Vineyards, woodland and the springs of Caldas
- EasyDifficulty
- 22 kmDistance
- ≈ 160 mAscent
- ± 5 hDuration
- WoodlandTerrain
Stage 10
Caldas de Reis to Padrón
Woodland, Roman roads and the land of peppers
- ModerateDifficulty
- 19 kmDistance
- ≈ 190 mAscent
- ± 5 hDuration
- WoodlandTerrain
Stage 11
Padrón to Santiago de Compostela
The last day, all the way to Praza do Obradoiro
- ModerateDifficulty
- 25 kmDistance
- ≈ 410 mAscent
- ± 6 hDuration
- UrbanTerrain
Central Way via Tui
If you’d rather spend your fifth night in Tui, across the river Minho, you can follow this variant. It rejoins the main route in Pontevedra, where you carry on with stage 9.
Variant · Stage 5
Rubiães to Tui
From the Minho to Galicia, over the international bridge
- EasyDifficulty
- 19 kmDistance
- ≈ 300 mAscent
- ± 6 hDuration
- Rural and urbanTerrain
Variant · Stage 6
Tui to Mos
Galician woods, Porriño and the climb to Mos
- ModerateDifficulty
- 23 kmDistance
- ≈ 180 mAscent
- ± 6 hDuration
- Urban and ruralTerrain
Variant · Stage 7
Mos to Pontevedra
Redondela, Ponte Sampaio and Pontevedra
- DemandingDifficulty
- 29 kmDistance
- ≈ 400 mAscent
- ± 8 hDuration
- HillyTerrain
Distances and difficulty of the Central Portuguese Way stages
Every stage in one table, to help you plan your days.
| Stage | Route | Distance | Duration | Ascent | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Porto to Vairão | 26 km | ± 5 h | ≈ 280 m | Moderate |
| 2 | Vairão to Barcelos | 30 km | ± 8 h | ≈ 310 m | Moderate |
| 3 | Barcelos to Ponte de Lima | 33 km | ± 10 h | ≈ 360 m | Demanding |
| 4 | Ponte de Lima to Rubiães | 18 km | ± 6 h | ≈ 440 m | Demanding |
| 5 | Rubiães to Valença | 17 km | ± 5 h | ≈ 260 m | Easy |
| 6 | Valença to O Porriño | 20 km | ± 5 h | ≈ 130 m | Easy |
| 7 | O Porriño to Redondela | 16 km | ± 4 h | ≈ 220 m | Moderate |
| 8 | Redondela to Pontevedra | 21 km | ± 5 h | ≈ 250 m | Moderate |
| 9 | Pontevedra to Caldas de Reis | 22 km | ± 5 h | ≈ 160 m | Easy |
| 10 | Caldas de Reis to Padrón | 19 km | ± 5 h | ≈ 190 m | Moderate |
| 11 | Padrón to Santiago de Compostela | 25 km | ± 6 h | ≈ 410 m | Moderate |
| Total | 247 km | 11 stages | |||
Durations and ascents are approximate.
Planning the Central Portuguese Way
What’s worth knowing before your first step.
Eleven days of walking, one per stage. The longest is stage 3, at 33 km. If you want to shorten it, there is accommodation halfway.
Get your credential stamped along the way. On the last 100 km you need at least two stamps a day. You collect the Compostela at the Pilgrim’s Office in Santiago.
Once you cross the river Minho, the clock moves one hour ahead of Portugal. Keep it in mind for albergue and restaurant opening times.
There are public albergues run on donations in Vairão, Rubiães and Tui. In Pontevedra, the public albergue does not take bookings. Each stage page lists where to sleep.
If you have fewer days, you can start at the border. Valença and Tui are more than 100 km from Santiago, so you still qualify for the Compostela.
Training, your backpack and your footwear make all the difference. You’ll find tips on each of them on our blog.
Pack your backpack
Some of pilgrims’ favourite products, chosen by people who have walked the Camino. Discover them all in our online shop.
Questions about the Central Portuguese Way
How many kilometres is the Central Portuguese Way?
Adding up the 11 stages, it’s 247 km, from Porto cathedral to Praza do Obradoiro in Santiago de Compostela.
How many days does the Central Portuguese Way take?
We split the Central Way into 11 stages, one per day. The stages are between 16 and 33 km long.
Where does the Central Portuguese Way start?
At Porto cathedral, where you’ll find the first yellow arrows. The waymarking guides you all the way to Santiago de Compostela.
Which is the hardest stage of the Central Way?
Stage 3, from Barcelos to Ponte de Lima, is the most demanding because of its 33 km. Stage 4 has the toughest climb, up Serra da Labruja. On the Tui variant, the Mos to Pontevedra stage is also very demanding.
Can I start the Central Way in Valença or Tui?
Yes, many pilgrims start here. To receive the Compostela you need to walk at least the last 100 km, and both Valença and Tui are more than 100 km from Santiago.
Do I need to change my watch when I enter Spain?
Yes. Galicia is one hour ahead of Portugal. Keep it in mind for albergue and restaurant opening times.
Where do the Central Way and the Coastal Way meet?
In Valença, at the end of stage 5. From there, the two routes continue together to Santiago.
Just want to walk? We take care of the rest.
If you would rather take the first step with everything sorted, we organise your trip on the Central Way. You only have one thing to do: live the Camino. Choose what you want to add and we build a Camino made to measure for you.
Included
- Guaranteed accommodationA bed booked at the end of every stage.
- Insurance includedWalk with peace of mind, from the first day to the last.
- WhatsApp supportA direct line to us for the whole Camino.
You can add
- Luggage transferExtraYour big backpack travels ahead of you. You carry only the essentials.
- Return transferExtraAt the end of the Camino, we take you back, no worries.
