Camino Portuguese Stage 2 – Travel Solo But Not Alone

Departs: Sep 11th

Arrive in Tui

Hotel Stay: Tui

*Airport Transfer Included: Coach transfer departs Santiago Airport at 17.30pm

Tui – Private transport to Porrnino – Redondela (16 Km)

You will have a private transfer from Tui to Porrnino where you can then walk to Redondela. In this stage you will pass through different villages with their chapels, many of them in Romanesque style, such as the chapel of Santa Maria, Santa Eulalia de Mos or Santiaguiño de Antas.  Before arriving in Redondela we have a nice view of the coast and the bridge, Puente de Rande that was built to cross the estuary of Vigo.  This area is well-known for its tasty oysters and seafood.

Your accommodation will be in Redondela or Cesantes.

From Redondela to Pontevedra (20 Km) 

Today you have a very beautiful stage before us because we’ll see the sea.  Before leaving Redondela you can visit the church of Santiago, which dates back to the 20th century and was restored in the 16th century.  In Pontesampaio you’ll cross a bridge that gives the place its name and where many battles took place during the French occupation.  There you can visit the church of Santa Maria, a fine example of Romanesque architecture in the region.  Free time in the afternoon to visit the beautiful town of Pontevedra.  Most important are the churches of  La Peregrina, where there is a statue of the Virgin Mary dressed as a pilgrim, the church of Santa Maria and the Alameda park.

Pontevedra – Caldas de Reis (23 Km)

You leave Pontevedra and our camino runs mainly through eucalyptus and pine forests as the last days. Along today’s stage you´ll see many “cruceros”, a very typical Galician monument related to the “Santa Compaña” which is a deep-rooted mythical belief in rural Galicia that denotes the presence of the dead in the world of the living, you must remember that Galicia is a land of “Meigas” (Meiga means witch in Galician)

You’ll go through villages like Santa María de Alba and Agudelo, where you can visit the church of San Martín, dated to the 13th century. Free time in the afternoon to have a walk around Caldas de Reis.

Caldas de Reis -Padrón  (19 Km)

Before leaving Caldas you can visit the church of Santa María de Caldas, with influence of Maestro Mateo, author of the Romanesque masterpiece “El Pórtico de la Gloria” in the Cathedral of Santiago.  In the village of Santa Marina de Carracedo you see the church, the parish house and the “hórreos”, typical granaries from Galicia built in wood or stone, raised from the ground by pillars that are mainly used to store potatoes, corn, cereal and to dry meat.

Upon reaching Padrón you have the opportunity to visit this beautiful city, very important in the Camino de Santiago.  According to legend, the stone boat carrying the body of St.James arrived at the port of Padrón and from there the remains were transferred by his disciples to its present location, Santiago de Compostela.

Today this region is also well known for the Padrón peppers which grow from May to October.  They are small peppers fried in olive oil and the interesting thing about them is that some are spicy and some others not.

Padrón – Santiago (24 Km)

This is our last stage before reaching our destination.  First we’ll pass by Iria Flavia, ancient episcopal see.  You can visit the church.  Here was born the Nobel laureate Camilo José Cela.

We pass through the villages of A Escravitude, Faramello and Milladoiro before reaching Santiago.

Upon arrival in Santiago, you’ll visit the city, especially the Cathedral and the old town.  In the city there are also interesting museums such as the Cathedral Museum, the Pilgrim Museum or you can visit the roof of the Cathedral.

Now you can rest in Santiago for 2 nights after a weeks walking.

Free day to explore Santiago de Compostela.

Free morning in Santiago before your transfer to the airport. Coach transfer will depart your Santiago hotel at approximately 1.30pm to service the Aer Lingus flight departure.

Transfer Included: Coach transfer at approx 1.30pm

For those requiring a later transfer, taxi and public transport is readily available from Santiago. See links below.