The Spanish section of the Central Portuguese Way, from Tui to Santiago de Compostela.
Stages(7)
Tui → O Porriño
The first stage of the Portuguese Way on Spanish soil. You cross the International Bridge over the Miño river from Valença (Portugal) to Tui, a Galician episcopal city with an impressive 12th-century cathedral-fortress. The stage is mostly flat, crossing the Louro valley along rural paths through riverside forests, vineyards, and villages with granite granaries. O Porriño is a service town where pilgrims find everything they need to rest and resupply.
O Porriño → Redondela
A stage with moderate elevation changes crossing the Galiñeiro mountains through a forested trail. The climb to Alto de Lomba offers wide views of the valley and the Vigo estuary. Pay attention to waymarks in the industrial zone leaving O Porriño. The descent to Redondela is rewarding: the San Simón inlet opens before you with its mussel rafts and the Rande bridges in the background. Redondela welcomes you with its stone railway viaducts and an old town full of tapas bars.
Redondela → Pontevedra
A rolling stage with two possible variants. The inland variant passes through Arcade and its celebrated Romanesque bridge over the Verdugo river — one of the most photographed on the Portuguese Way. The coastal variant goes through Cesantes, skirting the San Simón inlet with gorgeous views. Both converge in Pontevedra, one of Galicia most pleasant cities. Its historic center, fully pedestrianized, invites you to wander among granite squares, churches, and terraces. Do not miss the Church of La Peregrina, with its scallop shell-shaped floor plan.
Pontevedra → Caldas de Reis
A flat and pleasant stage following the Lérez river valley. You leave Pontevedra via the Burgo bridge, of Roman origin, and walk along shaded paths through riverside forests and vineyards. The trail passes through Alba, where remains of a medieval tower survive, and through Barro with its stone crosses. Caldas de Reis is a spa town with natural hot water springs bubbling up beside the Umia river. Pilgrims can soak their tired feet in the free thermal pools — a relief after the walk.
Caldas de Reis → Padrón
A peaceful and flat stage between two towns with deep Jacobean tradition. The path runs through carballeiras (oak groves) and rural trails, crossing the Umia river and passing through Valga and Pontecesures — where tradition says the boat carrying the remains of the Apostle James landed. Padrón is the town of peppers (the ones that sometimes are hot and sometimes are not) and of RosalÃa de Castro. Beneath the main altar of the Santiago church, the pedrón is preserved — the stone to which the apostolic boat was supposedly moored.
Padrón → Santiago de Compostela
The grand final stage of the Portuguese Way. You leave Padrón with the thrill of knowing Santiago is within reach. The path climbs through wooded hills, passing through Teo and A Picaraña, among eucalyptus and oak trees. The last kilometers enter Santiago urban area through O Milladoiro and Conxo. Arriving at the Plaza del Obradoiro and seeing the Cathedral is a moment of pure emotion that every pilgrim remembers forever. Do not forget to embrace the Apostle and collect your Compostela at the Pilgrim Office.
Alternative: Tui → Mos
An alternative variant that avoids the classic route through O Porriño, taking a more mountainous and inland path through Mos. This option is less traveled and offers greater contact with Galician nature: chestnut forests, nearly depopulated stone villages, and solitary trails through ferns. It passes through the municipality of Mos and the parish of Louredo, with its Romanesque church. A good choice for pilgrims seeking tranquility who do not mind the extra climbs. It reconnects with the main route in Redondela.