Route on The Portuguese Way to St. James - Camino Real

While researching the many different Jacobean routes, I  found the Portuguese way  to Santiago or camino portugues has claimed a singular and intimate connection  to the life and ministry of St. James, as well as, to his death and burial.  It was along this route that sant lago first preached Christ's message and would also be the way in which his body made its last journey to Libredon which is now known as Santiago de Compostela. 

It has been said that to walk the Portuguese Way is to travel back in time while going forward into a new era of spiritual renewal.

Caminho Portugues

The Confraternity of St. James published the first English language guide to the Camino Portugues prepared by Francis Davey and Rod Pascoe.  To date, there have been changes in the route and a new edition was prepared to describe these edits inclusive of road closures and new edifices. The new edition follows this trail to the Camino Real de Lima from Porto, through Ponte de Lima to Valenca and then across the border into Spain at Tui and on to Santiago.  Our humble team has not yet discussed the course therefore we are not yet certain of our exact point of departure.  However, the overall plans might be:

Porto, Portugal

Plan A 

Day	Start	Distance
1	Porto – Vilarinho (or Vila do Conde)	27 kms
2	Vilarinho – Barcelos	27kms
3	Barcelos – Ponte de Lima	33.5kms
4	Ponte de Lima – Rubiães	20.5
5	Rubiães –  Valença or Tui	20 kms
6	Valença or Tui – Redondela	30kms
7	Redondela – Pontevedra	20.5kms
8	Pontevedra – Caldas de Reis	21.1kms
9	Caldas de Reis – Padrón	17 kms
10	Padrón – Santiago	23.9 Total: 240.5kms

Ponte de Lima, Portugal

Plan B 

Day	Start	Distance
1	Ponte de Lima – Rubiães	20.5kms
2	Rubiães –  Valença or Tui	20 kms
3	Valença or Tui – Redondela	30kms
4	Redondela – Pontevedra	20.5kms
5	Pontevedra – Caldas de Reis	21.1kms
6	Caldas de Reis – Padrón	17 kms
7	Padrón – Santiago	23.9 Total: 153 kms

I venture to say that plan B may be the most viable due to time constraints, but I would love to add four more days and end up at Muxia and or Fisterra after Santiago and see what was once known as the end of the world. 

Muxia, Spain - el fin del mundo

I only went out for a walk...and finally concluded to stay out till sundown, 
for going out , I found was really going in. John Muir


Buen Camino!