HORSEBACK ROUTE – 9 STAGES
Horseback Route Porto → Santiago
Horseback Route from Porto – 9 Stages
The Portuguese Way has a great historical tradition. Numerous documents attest to pilgrimages to Santiago de Compostela dating back to the 11th century.
Our Horseback Route from Porto to Santiago de Compostela covers 219 kilometres over 9 stages.
The Portuguese route runs from south to north across the country, entering Galicia via the international bridge over the Miño River that connects both nations. It is a route with moderate difficulty and many populated areas that make supply and rest easy for the pilgrim.
At The Pilgrim Horse we offer you the chance to ride the Portuguese Way on horseback starting in Porto, so you can enjoy a ten-day pilgrimage through the unique territory that unites Galicia and Portugal.
9 Stages on Horseback from Porto
Camino de Santiago on Horseback from Porto
We will arrive in Porto and meet at the agreed point with the participants. The first thing is to make sure our watch is set to Portuguese time (one hour behind Spain).
If you use the metro, be sure to get the blue card before boarding or you will be fined. Near the Cathedral there is a tourist information office.
Portuguese Way from Porto
We begin our pilgrimage to Santiago on horseback following the route of the Portuguese Way from Porto, a great metropolis full of monuments built on the banks of the Douro River.
It is the city of bridges par excellence, each from a different era and style: from the Ponte das Barcas (the first over the Douro) to the Ponte Pênsil (replaced by the Luis I Bridge), passing through the Ponte Maria Pia and the Ponte da Arrábida.
Porto – Santo Tirso
We leave Porto, where we can visit São Bento Station, the Stock Exchange Palace, the Church of São Francisco or the Bolhão Market, which has been active since 1914.
From this point the remaining 240 km begin that our horses will help us cover to reach Santiago de Compostela.
We finish the stage in Santo Tirso before continuing the next day toward Galician lands.
Santo Tirso – Barcelos
Second stage of our pilgrimage from Porto. We leave Santo Tirso at dawn heading to Barcelos.
Barcelos is a town of over 20,000 inhabitants on the banks of the Cávado River. Upon arrival we can see the ruins of the Palace of the Counts of Barcelos and the famous Rooster of Barcelos cross, linked to the “miracle of the hanged man” that made the rooster a symbol of Portugal.
Barcelos – Ponte de Lima
Today we leave the municipality of Barcelos behind and ride toward Ponte de Lima, considered the oldest town in Portugal and the end of this stage.
We will ride through Portela de Tamel, Balugães, Casa de Fernanda and Vitorino dos Piaes.
Ponte de Lima – Fontoura
At dawn we mount our horses to cross the Romanesque-Gothic bridge over the Lima River and head toward the dirt and stone paths leading to Fontoura.
We will pass through Mouro, Salgueiro and Codeçal (where we can see the chapel of Nossa Senhora das Neves), then climb to Agualonga and Rubiães before reaching Fontoura for the night.
Fontoura – O Porriño
A special stage: at the end of the day we will glimpse the lands of Galicia across the Miño River for the first time.
We will cross villages such as São Bento da Porta Aberta, Fontoura and Pedreira, leaving Rubiães behind.
In Valença do Minho we will cross the international bridge into Tui, the first Galician town on our route and one of the seven ancient capitals of the Kingdom of Galicia.
O Porriño – Pontevedra
After leaving O Porriño and visiting Redondela, we enjoy a stunning panoramic view of the Vigo estuary, with the islands of San Simón and San Antón in the distance and the mussel rafts near the Rande suspension bridge.
We ride through Cesantes, Arcade and Pontesampaio before reaching Pontevedra, where we spend the night.
Pontevedra – As Cernadas
We leave Pontevedra after visiting the Church of the Pilgrim Virgin and ride through forests and streams toward the thermal town of Caldas de Reis, ending the stage in As Cernadas.
As Cernadas – O Milladoiro
We leave early from As Cernadas and change provinces (from Pontevedra to A Coruña), accompanied part of the way by the Ulla River.
We reach Padrón, famous for its peppers, and visit Iria Flavia, A Escravitude and finally O Milladoiro (Teo municipality), the last stop before Santiago.
O Milladoiro – Santiago de Compostela
We enter the monumental area of Santiago de Compostela through Porta Faxeira, the gate that has welcomed pilgrims from Portugal for centuries. We arrive at the Cathedral – our pilgrimage is complete!
Book Now: Horseback Route from Porto – 9 Stages
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