Coastal Way

The Portuguese Way of Saint James - Coastal Way, in the north of Portugal, is the one where the sympathy of communities ennobles the historic places and beautifies the natural landscapes. Each step is accompanied by a gentle smell of sea air that gives strength to the mind, testing the body, towards the goal set. Each day offers moments to be savored and appreciated, where the immensity of the ocean contrasts with the mountains that delimit the Way, creating a mixture of emotions to hold your breath. An easy-to-walk route, it also includes mountains of singular beauty that cross the valleys and reflect the brightness of the rivers, thus refreshing the footsteps of those who pass through. It is only on this Way that you can appreciate the relationship between the calm beaches and the strong waves of the Atlantic. The sea breeze, with its characteristic smell of sargassum drying on the sands, which the sea brings and takes away, composes a perfect picture. In the historic centers we hear stories about those who passed, shared by the people who receive them. The cult of Saint James is present in the essence of the ten municipalities that cross the Coastal Way, involving different landscapes in a single route that attracts serenity. The Portuguese Way of Santiago – Coastal Way, starting at Cais da Ribeira, in Porto, covers a total of 138 km to the cross-border bridge over the River Minho in Valença.

The identification of the Way in 9 stages, with different distances from each other, according to the points of interest in the territories crossed, is a suggestion, giving the possibility to the pilgrim to do them, day by day, or grouping more than one stage per day. This Way is for those who are looking for new sensations, which go beyond the body and clarify the mind, through a journey in which the spiritual is completed with cultural interest and breathtaking landscapes.