Camino Portugués: On a winter Camino from one year to another

Camino Portugués Central. Doing a Camino de Santiago in the winter from Facha to Santiago de Compostela.
28th of December 2025 to 3rd of January 2026.
Distance: 180.5km. 7 days.

For a long time I have contemplated doing a winter camino. Especially the Camino Francés. However, if I was to walk that route in the winter, I would like to do it in its entirety. Unfortunately, when I finally found time to embrace a Camino in the colder months, I had not that many days at my disposal. Instead my eyes went further south to Ponte de Lima in Portugal, and the Camino Portugués Central.

Estátua Peregrino on the way from Facha to Ponte de Lima.

Ponte de Lima.

To get there I flew to Lisbon and took a bus to Ponte de Lima. On the way I was passing by Santarém, Coimbra and Porto, reminiscing about my first Camino Portugués back in 2018.

Ponte Medieval e Romana in Ponte de Lima.

After a quick walk down another memory lane in Ponte de Lima, I felt so eager to start walking that I took a taxi to Facha. From the tiny hamlet there is a walk of about 8km back to Ponte de Lima. Those that saw me on the way, would have witnessed a face with a huge smile kind of like the Cheshire cat passing by, only without the vanishing act.

Frost smoke on the Camino outside Ponte de Lima.

When I walked into Ponte de Lima the sky was painted in pastel colours, with the arches of the old medieval bridge lit up by lights and the Largo de Camões square adorned by Christmas decoration. A small merry-go-round cheering up the children. Interestingly enough, there are more people here now than when I was here two years ago during the fall. Seeing more pilgrims at this time of year is on the other hand something that I do not expect.

View from Labruja.

Cruz dos Peregrinos on the way up twards Alto de Portela Grande de Labruja.

There are some things that pilgrims need to take into account when walking a Camino in the winter. First off and as already mentioned, do not expect to meet a lot of other pilgrims. If, however, you are a person that wants to avoid the crowds, this might be a good time of the year to do a Camino in. That being said, with fewer pilgrims on the way, the infrastructure is more limited as well. Not all of the pilgrim albergues will be open, and some of the cafés that cater to the pilgrims will also be closed. Finding a place for the night should not be a problem though, but at times one might need to stay at a more expensive place.

Walking next to the Coura river.

Then, of course, comes the weather. It will be colder than during the normal walking seasons, and you have to expect more frequent inclement weather. Carry some more warm clothes than usual and know that the albergues that are open will be much colder during the nights. Bring a warm sleeping bag instead of a sheet bag.

Valença do Minho in the evening.

Fortaleza de Valença shrouded in mist in the morning.

It was a cold morning when I walked out of Ponte de Lima, with frost smoke seeping up from the lovely stream and path at the beginning of the walk. Behind me another pilgrim followed me, wrapped thick in clothes. When I walked over the Alto de Portela Grande de Labruja the previous time, I got heavy rain, now the sky was a clear blue. Mind that you get the best view from a small hill to the left just after you start the descent from the pass. For my own part, one of the lures of doing the Camino Francés in wintertime would be to experience snow on O Cebreiro, the same thing would be a distant hope here.

Tui.

Arriving at the top of the ramparts of the Fortaleza de Valença, I got the last glimpse of the sun as it disappeared behind the hills in the horizon. Again a sky painted in pastel colours. Staying at the Pousada Valença does not really feel like the pilgrim way, but another thing when walking off season is that you can get to stay at a place that is normally way too expensive to a much more reasonable price. After eating dinner out in one of the very few restaurants open, I came out to the old fortress covered in fog.

Ponte das Febres and the Cruz de San Telmo.

The fog lasted through the night and well into the next day. Quiet streets and old bulwarks wrapped in low clouds provided a mysterious atmosphere, but no views of Spain like the day before. In Tui after having crossed into Spain, Valença do Minho with its fortress was barely visible across the Minho river.

Canal on the recommended alternative route to O Porriño.

The stage from Tui features some beautiful woodland sections, made atmospheric in the sombre weather, passing by the Cruz de San Telmo and the Ponte das Febres stone bridge crossing over the San Simón river where Saint Telmo died in 1251. It was a quiet walk with very few people around; I did not meet any other pilgrims until just before I arrived in Redondela.

View towards Redondela.

The Three Wise Men in front of Convento de Vilavella in Redondela.

As I approached O Porriño, where I stopped for lunch, the clouds took their leave and the rest of the way to Redondela became a warm walk in the sun. Redondela has always fascinated me, situated underneath its tall viaducts. In front of the Convento de Vilavella there was a sculpture of light depicting the Three Wise Men.

View from Alto da Lomba, Arcade and Ponte Sampaio below.

After Redondela, the way has changed. To the better. Where it before went too quickly down to the road leading to Arcade, it now heads uphills over Alto da Lomba on a track providing nice views over the estuary surrounding the Verdugo river. The Ponte Medieval de Pontesampaio is still a highlight, and the rest of the walk to Pontevedra a pleasant one.

Ponte Medieval de Pontesampaio.

Speaking of New Year’s Eve, I was not here for the sake of the celebration, but I considered it a bonus to be able to experience the transition into a new year while on the Camino. Celebrating it in Pontevedra however, turned out to be a somewhat surreal experience, mostly due to my own expectations.

Omg! They killed Kenny!

Pontevedra is hosting an annual New Year’s Eve race, the San Silvestri. Running through the streets are everything from the usual athletes to witches to rubber ducks to inflatable dinosaurs. Even the Grinch was out running. Afterwards the charming narrow streets in the old town were packed with people celebrating.

Convento e Igrexa de San Francisco in Pontevedra.

Ponte do Burgo in Pontevedra, New Year's Eve.

What I was not aware of, however, was that on New Year's Eve, all the restaurants close early. Luckily, not all of the food stores were closed, and I was able to buy some food that I could eat in my hotel room while I relaxed before going out to celebrate the transition into the new year.

Beautiful forest path on the way towards Caldas de Reis.

However, when I went out, I found myself all alone. There was not one person around. All the streets and squares were empty, by the look of it I had the whole city to myself. Where did every go? I had expected that they would be gathering at the squares counting down to the next year and doing their grape ritual, which amounts to eating one grape for each stroke of the clock leading up to midnight.

Ponte de Pedras.

At the Praza de España, a lone security guard gave me an answer. Unlike, for example in Madrid or Barcelona, it is not a tradition here to gather for fireworks and celebration in the squares in the city at midnight. Around eleven o'clock the bars and cafés closes, and then the Spaniards go home to have dinner, either with their family or with friends. Unfortunately for the grapes, they still do not escape. When the clock strikes twelve, the deep rumbles of fireworks has already been going on for a while.

Pontecesures.

Leaving Pontevedra the next morning is not so pleasant on the other hand, with the streets being full of garbage. I also pass by some stragglers from parties last night.

When I arrive in Padrón, chains of lights between the sycamore trees on Paseo Do Espolón guide me towards the Church of Santiago.

Padrón and the Convento do Carmen.

And with the change of year, there is also a change of weather. From blue and sunny days to a forecast of grey and rainy days. Despite the inclement weather and a long walk to Padrón, I had a nice day out. A calm of mind as I walk through melancholic forests, tranquil villages in the rain and a cultural landscape clad in grey. At dusk I cross the Roman bridge in Pontecesures with its lamps lit and a light rain in the air.

Another wonderful forest section on the Camino Portugués on the last day towards Santiago de Compostela.

If walking a Camino on the first day of a new year, one thing to be aware of is that almost all of the cafés and food stores will be closed. I was therefore happy to find a place that were open both in Caldas de Reis and Padrón so I that could get some food for lunch and dinner.

A small wooden ferris wheel at the Praza do Obradoiro.

The forecast for the last day had promising a wet walk to Santiago de Compostela, but the weather itself was not having any of it. I had barely any rain, although the sky was as dull as one could make it.

Christmas decoration on the walls of the convent next to Praza da Quintana.

Christmas decoration on Praza do Obradoiro.

In front of the Concello de Santiago de Compostella there is a Christmas installation with a merry-go-round and a Ferris wheel, both small and wooden. Praza do Obradoiro is busy as usual, but the number of pilgrims are as expected far fewer than normal. I wonder how it must be to arrive here in snow. I sit down at the square together with another pilgrim, with the sounds of children laughing from the Christmas installation in the background.

View of Santiago de Compostela and the cathedral from Monte de Moas Abaixo.

Being back in Santiago de Compostela I do what I enjoy the most when I am here, by just being here. No need to make specific plans, just walking around in the old town and then the occasional visit to the square in front of the cathedral taking in the joy of pilgrims arriving. It is no different now, just fewer pilgrims.

Catedral de Santiago de Compostela from the Alameda park.

Camino de Santiago 2023: Camino Portugues Central

Camino Portugués Central
Porto - Santiago de Compostela, 14. october - 21. october 2023 (8 days), distance: 262.5km (1078.4km).

In 2018 I walked the Camino Portugués all the way from Lisbon, then deciding to do the coastal route (Portugués de la Costa) from Porto and the spiritual variant after Pontevedra. Curious about its inland counterpart, I decided to go that way after I finished my combination of several Camino de Santiago routes.

Porto, a wonderful starting point for a Camino de Santiago, making it hard to actually start walking.

The bus ride from Santiago de Compostela carried all the promises of the weather that was to come, with dark clouds racing in competition with the bus on both sides. Starting from Porto is a little paradox in its own. As the city is wonderful and worth spending a couple of nights in, but on the other hand the urge to start walking is a big one.

Ponte Dom Zaeiro.

In São Pedro de Rates.

In the afternoon and evening, Porto is hit by both sunlight and heavy rain. After having looked at the cathedral in the evening, there is a heavy deluge and I seek shelter underneath a minor outcrop on the way down through the narrow streets. The rain is horizontal due to the wind and the cobblestones soon turned into a river of water. A lady living in one of the apartments is loudly cursing the weather as she tries to get in without getting all of the rain into her entryway at the same time.

View from Santuário de Nossa Senhora da Franqueira.

Castro do Monte da Franqueira.

Much has already been written about the walk out of Porto, and even more has been written about the walk out of Lisbon, but of the two I have to say that I prefer the latter walk. That is, if you do not choose to take the Senda Litoral to Vila do Conde instead, I would recommend doing that even if you want to do the central route. From Vila do Conde you can go back to the central route by an alternative route.

Igreja do Senhor da Cruz in Barcelos.

It is a little bit ironic that I had the worst weather on the Camino Primitivo on its best stage, but have the best weather on the Camino Portugués on its worst stage. Given the wonderful weather, and the upcoming inclement weather, I walk further than intended. To São Miguel de Arcos providing me with a nice view of the two old bridges one crosses over on the way, Ponte de Zameiro and Ponte de São Miguel dos Arcos.

Ponte das Tabuas.

Santuário de Nossa Senhora da Aparecida.

On the second day, the sky is a monotonous grey with rain on and off, as promised. São Pedro de Rates is all quiet, but underneath this sky it contains a serene mood that catches my eye. I might have walked here yesterday, if it had not been for my wish to walk to Barcelos on this day, which would have left me with an all too short day. The highlight of the walk is the alternative route after Pedra Furada going up to the Santuário de Nossa Senhora da Franqueira. It is a shame that this is not the official route. Even in this weather, the views from the small chapel at the top is great, with even the sea visible. If going this way, do not miss out on the old remains of the Castro do Monte da Franqueira on the way down again too.

Ponte de Lima.

Ponte Nosse Senhora da Guia, Ponte de Lima.

On this Camino, it was mostly the places I was going to visit that I had the most expectations of. Such as Barcelos, Ponte de Lima, Valença do Minho and Tui if I exclude the places I had seen before. I arrive in Barcelos just in time to visit the old castle and archeological museum before they close. The round church of Templo do Senhor Bom Jesus da Cruz is also definitely worth a visit, given the rainy day the façade is reflected in the water on the square outside.

View through the rain from just below Alto Portela Grande de Labruja.

Fortaleza de Valença do Minho.

Ponte de Lima, however, sails up as my favourite town on the Portuguese Way, Pontevedra set aside. Walking into the town underneath the alley of chestnut trees after another mostly rainy day is just marvellous. As in Barcelos, I spend some time before locating my accommodation. Statues of Roman soldiers reflected in water pools next to the river, the old Roman bridge, and the otherwise beautiful old town. In the evening, when darkness has fallen, it is wonderful walking around the town with the lights on the bridge being lit.

View of Tui from Valença do Minho.

Catedral de Santa Maria de Tui.

The highest point on the central route is the Alto da Portela Grande de Labruja at about 400m. On the way up, I walk together with a Portuguese girl, and we feel the same way, if we would get to the top or over before it starts raining again, we would be happy. It hits us just before the top. Climbing up to a small crest off the route provides some dramatic views of the landscape, before being hit by a bucket full of rain when emerging out of the trees. The rest of the walk to Valença do Minho is a long and wet walk, with the café at Rubiães a welcoming stop.

A scenic tiny bridge in the woods after Tui.

On the recommended alternative route to O Porriño.

At Valença do Minho, Portugal lies behind you and Spain ahead of you. Given the rain, I opt to spend the evening at the hotel I am staying at, possibly regretting not visiting the old town inside the fortress above. Instead, I go for a walk on the top of the wall and between the old buildings the morning after before crossing over the river Miño into Spain. There was a slight drizzle at the beginning, but as I walked on the top of the ramparts sunlight broke through the clouds and now the cathedral of Tui is a light beacon on the other side. Once in Tui I visit the hallowed halls and roof of the cathedral before navigating the narrow streets out of the town.

In O Porriño.

From Tui the Camino is a serene and wonderful walk through surprisingly pleasant woods most of the way until O Porriño, but be sure to take the alternative route going left in the junction just before Orbenlle. After O Porriño the route is less interesting. Rain engulfs me again on the last kilometres into Redondela, with the red lights from Vigo Airport blinking ominously at the top of the hill behind me. One of the most interesting features of Redondela are the viaducts crossing over the buildings of the town.

Pavilion, Redondela.

If Ponte de Lima was my favourite town on the Portuguese side of this Camino, Pontevedra is its counterpart on the Spanish side. Is Ponte a common denominator here? In that term one must not forget one of the highlights of the Portuguese Way, Ponte Medieval de Pontesampaio, where the best way to see it is not to follow the Camino but go down to the river before. Narrow and scenic streets, iconic old buildings, Pontevedra has it all. In the evening, the weather is fascinatingly alternating between being clear and having heavy deluges prompting one to seek shelter underneath an old arch or in a cosy bar in the old town. Like the last time, I have a wonderful time in this splendid city.

Ponte Sampaio.

Previously having done the spiritual variant after Pontevedra, I now join the majority of the pilgrims, going in line on the central route. It should have been the other way around. There is no Ruta de la Piedra y del Agua on this route, but the nice waterfall at Fervenzas do Barosa is a small substitute. Caldas de Reis is where most pilgrims stop after Pontevedra, I am surprisingly alone afterwards on the way to Padrón.

Convento de San Francisco, Pontevedra.

Igrexa da Virxe Peregrina in Pontevedra.

The last day of the Camino Portugués lies ahead of me at Padrón. I start it by climbing up to the Santiaguiño del Monte in the morning, being rewarded by a wonderful sunrise through the morning mist and a chapel shrouded in mystic by the same mist.

The Camino Portugués Central offer some walking through enchanted woods on the way, here from after Pontevedra.

A short detour of the route leads one to the Fervenzas de Barosa.

Like most of the routes, the last stage is one of the least interesting. I opt for the alternative route at the entrance to Santiago de Compostela, the Camino complementario Conxo Santa Marta. This takes the pilgrims past the Parroquia de la Mercé de Conxo instead of the normal route through the outskirts of the city, joining at the Alameda Park, but there are few waymarks here and I am not altogether sure that I follow the route correctly.

Bosque de Bambu Negro in Caldas de Reis.

I find myself once again at the Praza do Obradoiro, still having that feel of amazement of arriving at the cathedral. When I finished my combination of Caminos about nine days ago, I was together with June, Terje, Margit and Petra, I am now alone. Of my own volition of course, I chose to do a more solitary Camino this time, but the echoes of the near past is still present. On the other hand, being embraced by pilgrims all around you it is difficult to feel alone. That is one of the things about Santiago de Compostela that I like the most. I have another great evening at the centre of hustle and bustle of pilgrim activity.

Sunrise above Padron.

Misty mysterious Santiaguiño del Monte in the morning.

Weather has been far from optimal in terms of giving the Camino a fair trial, I might have missed something that might give the route a better impression than it has. The places instead of the scenery has been what I remember best. Although, some of the sections going through the woods has been wonderful. In the end, despite not giving me the best impressions, and weather not being preferably, I still had a good time.

Another nice woodland section on the last stage of the Camino Portugués Central.

So, with a tally of having been on seven different Caminos (del Norte, Lebaniego, Vadiniense, Frances, San Salvador, Primitivo, Portugués) I should be satified, right? No, there is still a few days left in me (even more if not my work ethics would take hold of me). Back home, there has been some discussions in terms of recommending the Camino Inglés or not, I feel it is time to do a recap.

Catedral de Santiago de Compostela.