Pilgrimages and Portuguese Camino itinerary

Portugal is a country deeply marked by faith, and for centuries it has been crossed by pilgrims. Every year millions of people come to Fátima, where in 1917 three shepherd children said they had seen the Virgin Mary, and thousands walk the Portuguese Way of St James, the second most popular route to the apostle's tomb after the French Way. Along the road are Baroque sanctuaries atop monumental staircases, Romanesque cathedrals, medieval bridges and villages that have welcomed pilgrims for a thousand years.

This seven-day itinerary joins the two great pilgrimages: it leaves Lisbon for Fátima, heads up to Porto, the starting point of the Camino, visits Braga, "the Rome of Portugal", with the sanctuary of Bom Jesus, then walks a stage of the Camino from Ponte de Lima, the country's oldest town, to the fortress of Valença and the bridge over the Minho into Spain, ending at Santiago de Compostela. You can make it in a religious spirit or simply to walk, discover and meet other travellers.

Two pilgrimages

The Portuguese Way to Santiago de Compostela, in Galicia, has been walked since the Middle Ages: kings, queens and thousands of the faithful made it, among them Saint Queen Isabel, who made the pilgrimage in 1325. The main route starts in Lisbon or Porto and climbs through the Minho to the Spanish border; a variant follows the coast. Pilgrims carry a credencial, a booklet stamped at each stage, and those who walk at least the last hundred kilometres receive the Compostela, the pilgrimage certificate, in Santiago. Fátima, by contrast, is a modern pilgrimage: between 13 May and 13 October 1917 three children, Lúcia, Francisco and Jacinta, reported six apparitions of the Virgin in a hollow in the countryside, the Cova da Iria; the last was accompanied by what those present called the "miracle of the sun". See the Portuguese Camino and religion in Portugal.

Day 1: from Lisbon to Fátima

From Lisbon you reach Fátima in about an hour and a half by car or bus. The sanctuary is a huge esplanade, larger than St Peter's Square, with the Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary, where the three shepherd children are buried, at one end and the modern Basilica of the Most Holy Trinity, one of the largest churches in the world, at the other. In the middle, the small Capelinha das Aparições stands on the site of the apparitions; many pilgrims cross the long marble path leading to it on their knees. In the evening join the candlelight procession, held every night from spring to autumn: thousands of small flames move through the dark as the rosary is recited in many languages. See Fátima.

Where to stay: in Fátima.

Day 2: Aljustrel and on to Porto

In the morning walk to Aljustrel (a quarter of an hour on foot), the shepherd children's village, to visit their family homes, simple farmhouses, and follow the Valinhos path, with the Stations of the Cross among the olive trees, to the site of one of the apparitions. If you have time, detour to the monastery of Batalha or the convent at Tomar, half an hour away.

In the afternoon drive up to Porto (about two hours). Visit the Sé, the Romanesque and Gothic cathedral on the hill, where Camino pilgrims collect their credencial and receive their first stamp; from its terrace you can see the whole old town. In the evening go down to the Ribeira. See Porto.

Where to stay: in Porto.

Day 3: Braga and Bom Jesus

Braga (about an hour by train) is Portugal's most religious city, known as the "Portuguese Rome" for its dozens of churches. The Sé, consecrated at the end of the 11th century, is the country's oldest cathedral, with a treasury of sacred art and Gothic chapels. During Holy Week Braga holds Portugal's most famous processions.

In the afternoon go up to the sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Monte, a UNESCO World Heritage Site on the hill east of the city: a zigzagging Baroque staircase, with allegorical fountains of the five senses and the virtues and chapels showing scenes of the Passion, climbs more than a hundred metres to the church. Pilgrims climb it on foot, sometimes on their knees; others can take the 1882 funicular, powered by a water counterweight and the oldest of its kind still in service in the world. A little higher is the Sameiro sanctuary, with an immense view over the Minho. See Braga.

Where to stay: in Braga.

Day 4: Ponte de Lima

By bus or car you reach Ponte de Lima (about three quarters of an hour), Portugal's oldest town, with a long medieval and Roman bridge over the Lima river, crossed for centuries by pilgrims bound for Santiago. The riverside is shaded by plane trees, the squares are lined with noble houses, and every other Monday one of the country's oldest markets is held on the riverbank. Dine on sarrabulho, the Minho's typical pork dish, and vinho verde, the region's light, lightly sparkling wine. See Ponte de Lima.

Where to stay: in Ponte de Lima, in a pilgrim hostel or a manor house of the turismo de habitação.

Day 5: walking the Camino

Walk the Portuguese Camino from Ponte de Lima towards Rubiães (about 18 kilometres, six hours). It is one of the finest and most demanding stages: you cross the river by the bridge, walk among vinho verde vineyards, chestnut woods and small granite villages with espigueiros, stone granaries, and climb to the Portela Grande pass, with views over the valley, before descending to Rubiães and its Romanesque church. You meet pilgrims from all over the world, who greet each other with bom caminho. If you don't want to walk the whole stage, do part of it and arrange a taxi pick-up. In the evening reach Valença by taxi or bus (about half an hour).

Where to stay: in Valença, inside the fortress.

Day 6: Valença and Tui

Valença is a great 17th-century star fortress on the Minho river, with bastions, gates and streets full of shops selling textiles and linen to Spanish visitors. From the walls you see Spain on the far bank. Walk across the 19th-century iron international bridge into Galicia at Tui, dominated by its fortified cathedral on the hilltop. From here it is about 115 kilometres to Santiago, the minimum distance for earning the Compostela on foot. In the afternoon take the train or bus to Santiago de Compostela (about an hour and a half). See Valença.

Where to stay: in Santiago de Compostela.

Day 7: Santiago de Compostela

In the morning go to Praza do Obradoiro, in front of the Baroque façade of the cathedral, where weary, happy pilgrims arrive. Enter the cathedral to embrace the statue of the apostle and visit the crypt with his tomb, and attend the pilgrims' Mass at noon; on feast days the great botafumeiro, the silver censer, swings above the nave. Wander the UNESCO-listed old town and eat Galician octopus and tarta de Santiago. Fly home from Santiago airport or return to Porto by bus (about two and a half hours). See Porto Airport.

How much it costs

To save money: with a credencial you can sleep in pilgrim albergues for €8-15 a night in a dormitory; many restaurants offer a pilgrim menu for €10-12. The sanctuaries of Fátima and Bom Jesus are free to visit.

Practical information

• Fátima: on 12-13 May and 12-13 October hundreds of thousands of pilgrims arrive; book many months ahead or choose other dates.
• Credencial: available at Porto cathedral, from pilgrim associations or in albergues; it must be stamped at least twice a day over the last hundred kilometres.
• Walking: wear broken-in shoes and carry a light pack, water and sun protection; the route is marked with yellow arrows and scallop shells.
• Dress: cover shoulders and knees in the sanctuaries.
• Documents: EU citizens only need a valid identity card, including to cross into Spain. See getting to Portugal.

Variations

• The coastal Camino: from Porto along the ocean through Vila do Conde, Viana do Castelo and Caminha; see Viana do Castelo.
• The whole Camino: walking from Porto to Santiago takes about ten to twelve days; from Tui, five or six.
• Peneda-Gerês: the national park with its mountain sanctuaries, such as Peneda; see Gerês.
• Guimarães: the cradle of Portugal, half an hour from Braga; see Guimarães.

What to read before you go

A good guidebook to the Portuguese Camino with stages and maps; for the spirit of the journey, a pilgrim's memoir of the Camino de Santiago; for Fátima, a history of the apparitions. See also the Minho.

Final tips

• Pace: the walking stage is demanding; train with a few long walks before you go.
• Combinations: from Porto you can link up with the Douro itinerary; from Braga and Guimarães with the legends itinerary.
• A tip: on the Camino, greet everyone with bom caminho and stop for coffee in village bars: the pilgrims you meet are the best part of the journey.

See also our other itineraries in Portugal.

Minho on the map

Nearby