The Camino de Santiago from Coimbra
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126 km
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8 days / 7 nights
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The Camino de Santiago (The Way of St. James) from Coimbra to Porto is part of the Camino Portugues (The Portuguese Way): The third section of the Camino Portugues, from Coimbra to Porto, begins in the city of Coimbra, and is famous for its University that has been classified as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
Our route will continue towards the north of the Atlantic coast until reaching the city of Porto.
We will walk through vineyards and quiet forests, along river valleys and ancient Roman roads, passing through a variety of small towns and villages.
We will finish our tour in the centre of Porto, an impressive city that has been listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Porto is also famous for its fine wine.
Coimbra is a city with lots of energy and was previously the capital of Portugal. Coimbra has a very well preserved Gothic cathedral and is home to the University of Coimbra dating back to the 13th century, one of the oldest universities in the world.
The University of Coimbra was included on the list of World Heritage Sites by UNESCO in 2013. In Coimbra we can enjoy a multitude of cultural events.
Overnight: Coimbra
Once we leave Coimbra, our route will continue along rivers following a relatively flat path, after which we will make our way up to Cioga do Monte. Along this route we will be able to see remains from the ancient Roman road.
We will spend the night in Mealhada, an area famous for its vineyards.
Length: 23 km
Overnight: Mealhada
This part of the route is easy and we will get the chance to see some of the most beautiful vineyards. During today’s route we will arrive in the town of of Avelas de Caminho, whose history is closely tied to the Camino de Santiago. We will spend the night in Agueda, on the banks of the River Certima.
Length: 25 km
Overnight: Agueda
Today’s route will be relatively easy and short. We will follow the old Roman road, the Vía Romana XVI, through eucalyptus and pine forests. Then we will cross a Roman bridge over the River Marnel before arriving at Albergaria-a-Velha.
Length: 17 km
Overnight: Albergaria A Velha
Once we leave Albergaria-a-Velha, we will continue our route through forests until reaching more urban areas in the northern part of the Beira coast.
We will pass through the historic town of Oliveira de Azemeis, where we recommend visiting the Main Church of Sao Miguel. Once we leave Oliveira, we will continue to follow the trail up and down small hills until arriving at Sao Joao da Madeira.
Length: 29 km
Overnight: Sao Joao da Madeira
Today’s route takes place in urban areas, however we will still be following the original route of the old Roman road. We will pass through the town of Arrifana with its beautiful blue church.
The last part of the route will gradually take us downhill to the Monastery of Sao Salvador de Grijo that dates back to the 13th century.
Length: 16 km
Overnight: Grijo
Along this route we can enjoy the refreshing breeze coming from the Atlantic Ocean on our way to Porto. Porto is famous for being the capital of Port wine.
We will follow our route towards Vila Nova de Gaia, crossing the fantastic bridge known as Ponte Luiz I in Porto to reach the city’s old quarter. Porto has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
Length: 16 km
Overnight: Porto
Porto’s old town has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1996. You will love visiting Porto. We’ll have the chance to enjoy the colourful banks of the River Duero with its vintage boats, the local atmosphere and its exquisite cuisine.
End of our services.
All the rooms you book with Santiago Ways to do the Camino de Santiago have a private bathroom and all the necessary services to ensure your best comfort.
Our team checks on site the quality of all the accommodation offered in order for pilgrims to have a comfortable and unforgettable experience on the Camino de Santiago.
When working with quality accommodation with limited capacity, the exact name of the accommodation will be provided 30 days before the start of the Camino.
All accommodation on the Camino de Santiago is subject to availability. In case we can’t offer any of them due to lack of capacity, we’ll accommodate you in one of equal or better quality.
Single rooms are subject to availability. Reservations must be made in advance and come at an additional cost.
All our accommodation has been selected to ensure tranquillity, rest and enjoyment during your Camino de Santiago:
Accommodation in Hotels and Country Cottages.
Rooms with private bathroom.
Meal plan of your choice.
Baggage transfer between stages.
24 hours Telephone assistance on route.
Travel navigation app made for each traveler.
Complete route itinerary.
Assistance vehicle in case of emergency.
Information pack for the Camino de Santiago.
VAT.
Additional single room
Extra night in Porto
Transfer from Porto to Coimbra: consult for pricing.
Travel assistance insurance
Cancellation insurance
In order to resolve pilgrims’ doubts, here we answer the questions that are most frequently asked when we receive your enquiries.
If you have any other questions, you can contact us and we will be happy to help you resolve all your queries.
The Camino de Santiago can be started on any day of the year, always taking into account the weather and the season in which you want to travel, so that your clothes are the right ones.
The best way to get to the starting point of your Camino de Santiago is to arrive at the airport, train station or bus station nearest to the town from where you will start walking.
Once you confirm your Camino, you will send us the arrival information for your flight, train or bus and, from there, we organize a private transfer to the town where you should start your Camino.
Yes, you can. All the routes on the Camino de Santiago are suitable for pilgrims to travel solo.
Also, whether you are travelling alone, or travelling accompanied but want to sleep in a single room, Santiago Ways offer this option to you.
We can book all your nights of accommodation in single rooms at an additional cost. We suggest you book well in advance since they are usually in high demand.
On the Camino de Santiago, you will find hundreds of pilgrims walking on their own. Many of them may have come to the Camino alone; others have probably moved away from their fellow travellers for a few hours because of the difference in speed when walking.
In any case, all the routes on the Camino are very well signposted, so you will have no problem if you go on your own.
Most routes on the Camino de Santiago are done in a self-guided mode. Thus, each traveller has the opportunity to advance on their own and at their own pace along the routes marked on the complete itinerary of the route, which is sent one month before starting the Camino.
The complete route itinerary of the route is a guide that we prepare for you with information about the maps, route profiles and places of interest, kilometre by kilometre on each of the stages that you will go through on the Camino de Santiago.
The travel distances and travel times indicated for each route on both the website and the itinerary we send you are based on reference values. It depends on each pilgrim exactly how they carry out these times and distances, according to the speed at which they progress.
You will receive it by email one month before starting your Camino along with all the documentation for the trip: accommodation reservations, baggage transfers, among others.
In Santiago Ways, we adapt each stage to the needs of our pilgrims, so that they can travel according to their physical capability and the number of days available.
On average, a stage of the Camino de Santiago has 15 to 20 km. On most routes, however, we can organize your Camino so that you walk fewer kilometres, dividing some stages into two parts, depending on what is most comfortable for you.
Here, in Santiago Ways we want to talk about one of the most attractive routes that exist among the alternatives on the Camino de Santiago. In particular, we refer to the stage from Coimbra to Porto, which is part of the so-called Camino Portugues. We want to talk about what are the most important reasons to do it, as well as all the information necessary for any pilgrim. We hope that it helps.
First of all, we want to talk about some of the reasons why we do this Camino route. Each of the possible routes has its particular charm. So, we want to show you some of the attractions that this particular one has:
1.-The city of Coimbra: One of the most interesting points of this route and, in general, of all the possible things we can do on the Camino de Santiago is visit the city of Coimbra. It was the scene of many wars, especially during the Middle Ages, and is, in fact, one of the most important and strategic points in Portuguese history and what came to be called the Kingdom of Galicia during the Middle Ages. Today it is a city named as a World Heritage site by UNESCO.
2.-Nature: One of the great incentives that the Camino Portugues, and especially the stretch between Coimbra and Porto has, is the great beauty of the whole environment. In fact, we will travel through one of the greenest areas of Portugal , a country that itself is very beautiful due to the influence of the Atlantic Ocean which gives it such a distinctive climate. You can enjoy beautiful meadows, beautiful forests and pleasant walks on the shores of tranquil rivers.
3.- Infrastructure: One of the advantages that the Camino Portugues has acquired in recent years has to do with the infrastructure and the endowment for the Pilgrim that is being implemented lately.
Indeed, although before the dominion in this direction of the Camino Frances was indisputable, in recent times the Camino Portugues is catching up and is becoming by itself a great alternative to that especially for those who want to take on this adventure for the first time.
It has good signposting, and well-eqipped to be able to supply everything you need along the way and, in general, everything that any pilgrim may need in an accessible and affordable way.
4.-Less saturation: The main reason why more and more pilgrims are encouraged to do the Camino Portugues and especially the route from Coimbra to Porto, is that this alternative does not have as many pilgrims as the well-known Camino Frances. That means that along the route we can enjoy more tranquillity and, consequently, a more conducive experience to enjoy the nature that will surround us and the wonderful heritage of the route.
5.-History: Although before we talked about the historical importance of the city of Coimbra , the Camino Portugues to Santiago from Coimbra to Porto has a huge cultural heritage ready to surprise us. Indeed, this route connects with the deepest aspects of Portuguese history and traces its origins back to the Middle Ages.
For this reason, throughout the tour, we will be able to enjoy the great artistic, historical and cultural heritage of some of the most beautiful places of the neighbouring country. For example, the first stage, from Coímbra to Mealhada, is one that we will be able to walk on our way along a Roman road or later visit the incredible Villa de Oliveira de Azemeis.
The Route of the Camino Portugues from Coimbra to Oporto is one of the possible alternatives on the Camino Portugues. It is, in fact, its third section and begins in the emblematic city of Coimbra, whose university has been declared a World Heritage site by UNESCO. The route takes you to the north of the Atlantic coast until you reach the magnificent city of Porto.
Along this route, we can go through beautiful natural places of such beauty that, as we said previously, are an incentive to complete this Camino.
It Is a route of 110 kilometres in length, making it quite achievable for most pilgrims in terms of duration. As we have said before, it is well-endowed in terms of infrastructure (one of the most important points to consider if you are going to do the Camino de Santiago for the first time). It is not too crowded and, at the same time, it has mild temperatures throughout the year by crossing the Oceanic climate zone.
Now, we enclose the maps of the route of the Camino de Santiago Portugues. We do so with the intention that you can plan your own route better and at the same time visualize everything that awaits you ahead.
Coimbra – Mealhada
Stage map from Coimbra to Mealhada
Mealhada – Agueda
Stage map from Mealhada to Agueda
Agueda – Albergaria A Velha
Stage map from Agueda to Albergaria A Velha
Albergaria A Velha – Sao Joao da Madeira
Stage map from Albergaria a Velha to Sao Joao da Madeira
Sao Joao da Madeira – Grijo
Stage map from Sao Joao da Madeira to Grijo
Grijo – Porto
Stage map from Grijo to Porto
Here is the information regarding the profile of the Camino Portugues from Coimbra to Porto. With it, we want to make it easier to understand its difficulty and the relative toughness of its stages.
We can anticipate that on any of the variants of the Camino Portugues there is no route that has special difficulty in this way, on the contrary, specially indicated routes for beginners or for those who want to live the adventure regardless of age and state of fitness are recommended.
Coimbra – Mealhada
Stage profile from Coimbra to Mealhada
Mealhada – Águeda
Stage profile from Mealhada to Agueda
Agueda – Albergaria A Velha
Stage profile from Agueda to Albergaria A Velha
Albergaria A Velha – Sao Joao da Madeira
Stage profile from Albergaria a Velha to Sao Joao da Madeira
Sao Joao da Madeira – Grijo
Stage profile from Sao Joao da Madeira to Grijo
Grijo – Porto
Stage profile from Grijo to Porto
We also talk about what are the stages that we will travel in this Camino de Santiago from Coimbra to Porto. It is important to know this information in order to plan our route with as much detail as possible.
Stage from Coimbra to Mealhada
Stage from Mealhada to Agueda
Stage from Agueda to Albergaria A Velha
Stage from Albergaria A Velha to São João da Madeira
Stage from São João da Madeira to Grijo
Stage from Grijo to Oporto
As we have said previously, the length of the Camino Portugues from Coimbra to Porto is 110 kilometres. This distance can be travelled in a total of 8 stages with its corresponding 7 nights. Although later we will talk about what is the most suitable time of year to do the Camino Portugues from Coimbra to Porto, we must say that this duration is perfect to be able to undertake the route in any of the holiday periods that are presented throughout the year.
It is true that when choosing which is the best time to do the Camino de Santiago, in general, each person’s own taste should always prevail. However, although it is true that regardless of what we look for, every season of the year has some advantages that others do not have. That is why we want to talk about the advantages of each season to complete this section of the Camino de Santiago as well as the disadvantages.
We hope that it will help you to get an idea about when to start your own adventure.
In spring, climate instability can increase. Indeed, the risk of precipitation increases greatly, and we must, therefore, increase our planning. That is why we recommend carrying some clothing for the possible rain, even if temperatures will be still be mild.
In a way, in the oceanic climate, there are not many differences between seasons, so it is neither too hot nor too cold. Yes: one of the strengths is in the explosion of colour that awaits us thanks to the profuse vegetation spread throughout the route. With Santiago Ways it is possible to avoid the main problem of this time of year: lack of accommodation.
Summer is the most popular time among pilgrims. This is because it has mild temperatures and at the same time it is when we all have more time to plan any kind of route. Thus, it also increases the influx of pilgrims so doing your pilgrimage with Santiago Ways is a guarantee to enjoy the best accommodation and the best attention.
On the other hand, during the summer the temperatures are fresh on the Camino de Santiago from Coimbra to Porto: This is due to the great proximity of its terrain with the Atlantic Ocean. This is why it is a good time to escape warmer temperatures found in the rest of the Iberian Peninsula.
Again, autumn is a season where precipitation instability increases. The temperatures are still mild, but we must take into account this factor for the rain. So that we don’t get caught off guard we simply have to increase our planning.
On the other hand, its main advantages are two-fold. First, the number of pilgrims who travel the Camino de Santiago Portugues from Coimbra decreases. Also, all its natural landscapes are highlighted with the beautiful shades of this beautiful season offering great delight for our senses.
Although winter could be categorized as the season for the more adventurous, it has been gaining prominence for several reasons in the case of the Camino de Santiago from Coimbra to Oporto. The first of them has to do with that on this route, temperatures are much milder than on other routes, such as for example that of the Camino Primitivo. In fact, by being close to the Atlantic Ocean contributes to milder temperatures.
On the other hand, the Christmas break means that many pilgrims are encouraged to enjoy an idyllic setting adorned with the beautiful lighting of these festivities. So, considering that this route can be done in 8 days, there are many reasons to enjoy its magic during the winter. And of course it must be added that during this period the level of occupation descends.
We want to talk to you now about what are the most interesting places along the route of the Camino Portugues from Coimbra to Porto. These places include not only those that have a special interest in heritage and art, but also we also wanted to include the best restaurants that you can find during the route as well as the accommodation where you can stay with Santiago Ways.
First, we will start talking about what are the most interesting points for those who want to visit sites of special charm. We Include some natural and also areas of historical heritage.
One of the most important attractions of the Camino de Santiago Portugues from Coimbra is in its green surroundings. In the case of the town of Mealhada, this is clearly seen: it is a locality where we can enjoy its spectacular vineyards and a bucolic and beautiful environment in its old quarter. You cannot miss it and in fact, if you take a while, we recommend you visit some of its wineries.
This beautiful town has one of the most beautiful coasts that can be visited throughout the Iberian Peninsula. It’s worth it, after the tour or even during it, spending some time for ourselves on it. We will be able to enjoy all the beauty of the Atlantic Ocean, and a refuge where we can enjoy all its splendour.
By far, this location is one of the most beautiful in Portugal. Regardless of if you have some gems among your heritage that we cannot miss, its streets and its architecture are by themselves a reason to enjoy it with a simple walk. The Don Luis I Bridge or the Clerics Tower (a magnificent building that perfectly mixes several of the most influential architectural styles in Portugal) are two indispensable stops on your route.
We want to show you now some of the accommodation where you can stay with Santiago Ways. This accommodation has been selected with the utmost care so you can enjoy all the attention you deserve.
We also give you some suggestions for the best places to eat during your route of the Camino de Santiago Portugues from Coimbra to Porto .
Rodrigues do Bacalhau
In Cioga Do Monte, one of the rural villas that which we pass through on our route, we can find this magnificent establishment specializing in fish and of course in cod, one of the Portuguese specialities. If you want an affordable place to enjoy it in the midst of a nice and cosy family atmosphere, don’t miss this place.
Taberna dos Mercadores
This cosy Establishment offers us some of the best gastronomic specialities in Vila Nova de Gaia (in the Porto region) with an informal atmosphere and a warm and very careful guest service. It is a good place to enjoy the specialities found in Portuguese cuisine.
All in Porto
This restaurant has an international vocation and is, in fact, one of those responsible for having made Porto one of the most outstanding gastronomic cities in Europe. We recommend that you to visit it and let yourself be surprised by its fresh, surprising menu.
After the fall of the Roman Empire, Europe went through, in general, a period of great instability. In the case of the Iberian Peninsula, it was also necessary to suffer the invasion of the so-called barbarous peoples (Swabians, Alans and Vandals) that left practically nothing standing of what was the Roman legacy. However, something that did survive was their roads. They were the starting point for the route of the Camino Portugues from Coimbra to Porto.
During the Middle Ages, the pilgrimage began to Santiago and Coimbra was a compulsory place to pass by being one of the most vibrant and safe cities of that time. It must be thought that the Camino de Santiago in general and especially the Camino de Santiago Portugues was not just a religious route: it was above all a commercial route that, to a large part, connected Portugal with its neighbours, Spain.
We also want to offer you the opinion of other users who have made with us the Camino Portugues from Coimbra to Porto. You may end up convincing yourself of everything that awaits you if you make your pilgrimage with the help of Santiago Ways.
Finally, we enclose some pictures and videos of the Camino de Santiago de Coimbra to Porto to give you an idea of everything that awaits you with Santiago Ways.
Here you can see all the stages of the Camino de Santiago.
In Santiago Ways, we will advise you on which route of the Camino de Santiago is the best fit for you.