Figuring out the many routes of the Portuguese Camino de Santiago might be confusing for first-time pilgrims. Over the recent years I’ve walked all the route many of them more than once and have a lot of knowledge about them. In this post I explain the main routes of the Portuguese Camino, compare them, and give my opinion on each of them.
How many routes does the Portuguese Camino have?
The Lisbon to Porto part of the Camino has one route. It goes inland from Lisbon through Santarem and Coimbra, and to Porto.
The Camino from Porto has 3 routes; Central, Coastal, and Litoral.
There is an alternative route on the Portuguese Camino from Pontevedra to Padron, it’s called the Spiritual Variant.
As you can see, the part of the Camino from Porto to Santiago has many route options.
We have detailed posts with PDF and GPX files of the main routes of the Portuguese Camino.
What is the best route of the Portuguese Camino?
It depends on your preferences. For me, the Litoral Way is the best route because I enjoy walking along the coast. Another bonus of this route is that it’s flat. It has barely any hills. If you don’t like ups and downs, the Litoral Way is definitely the best route. 80% of the route is next to the sea. Another good thing about the Senda Litoral is that it doesn’t go along busy roads or industrial areas.
For historical towns I’d say the Central Route is the winner. I liked the towns on this route the most. The forest part is nice too. You get to see rural areas, forests, and fields. This route offers the best cultural experience. Many sources refer to it as to the original route of the Portuguese Camino.
I have mixed feelings about the Coastal Route. Despite the name the majority of it is inland. Only 30% of the route is next to the coast. Which is not what you expect when you decide to walk the coastal route. This route is something between the Central and Litoral Way. It goes along the coast but at the same time you walk through forest and over the hills.
You can combine the routes to decide which one you like the most.
As for the Lisbon to Porto part of the Camino it’s more challenging that the Porto to Santiago part. That part has few albergues, longer distances, and goes through more isolated areas. The scenery on the Lisbon route is beautiful especially in spring time but it’s 100% rural (mostly fields), no coast or mountains.
Comparing the Portuguese Camino routes
Distance from Porto to Santiago
Central Route – 243,5 km/151 mi
Coastal Route – 274 km/170 mi
Litoral Way – 280 km/173 mi
Number of days (stages)
Central Route – 10-13 days
Coastal Route – 12-15 days
Litoral Way – 12-15 days
Total ascent/descent
Central Route – 4045 m/3820 m
Coastal Route – 3990 m/3716 m
Litoral Way – 2975 m/2705 m
Number of pilgrims
Central Route – 63% of pilgrims on the Portuguese Camino
Coastal Route – 37% of pilgrims
Litoral Way – there is no data for the Litoral Way because it coincides with the Coastal Route. A small part of 37% from the Coastal Route walks the Litoral Way.
Walking surface
Central Route – 42 km/26 mi – cobbled; 143 km/89 mi – tar road/asphalt; 57 km/35,4 mi – footpath/gravel road.
Coastal Route – 29 km/18 mi – cobbled; 155 km/96 mi – tar road/asphalt; 65 km/40,3 mi – footpath/gravel road; 24 km/15 mi – boardwalks; 1 km/0,6 mi – beach.
Litoral Way – 19 km/11,8 mi – cobbled; 167 km/103 mi – tar road/asphalt; 53,5 km/33,2 mi – footpath/gravel road; 35 km/21,7 mi – boardwalks; 5,5 km/3,4 mi – beach.
Route marking
Central Route – well-marked from the start to the end
Coastal Route – well-marked except for the Vigo part
Litoral Way – mostly not marked
We have two detailed posts comparing the Central Route and Coastal Route and the Litoral Way and Coastal Route.
How to combine the Camino routes?
You can combine all 4 routes of the Portuguese Camino.
The easiest way is to start on the Litoral Way from Porto to Vila do Conde.
Then continue on the Litoral Way or Coastal Route (both routes merge and split all the time) to Caminha.
From Caminha walk to Valença and from there continue on the Central Route to Pontevedra.
From Pontevedra you follow the Spiritual Variant to Padron. And from Padron continue again on the Central Route to Santiago.
What is the most scenic route?
In my opinion (which might be different from yours) the Litoral Way is the most scenic route. You get to see many spectacular unspoiled beaches and the picturesque wild coast with old windmills, small fishermen villages, and lighthouses.
The Coastal Route has similar scenery but you walk next to the sea a lot less than on the Litoral Way.
The Central Route is beautiful too. In my opinion it has the most interesting historical towns.
Here I want to mention the Spiritual Variant too. A walk through the beautiful forest around Armenteira and a boat ride from Vilanova de Arousa to Pontecesures is a unique and very special experience.
What is the shortest route?
The Central Route of the Portuguese Camino is the shortest one. The total distance from Porto to Santiago is 243,5 km/151 mi. It takes between 10 and 13 days on average to complete it.
If you want to walk a shorter route and still get your Compostela certificate you can walk the last 100 km on the Portuguese Camino from Tui (Central Route) or Vigo (Coastal/Litoral Route).
Which Portuguese route has less cobblestones?
The Litoral Way has the least walking on cobblestones. 19 km out of 280 km are on cobblestones. You get cobbled streets in the Portuguese part of the route. In Spain you sometimes get them in historical centers.
The route with the most historical towns
The Central Route has the most interesting historical towns. Some of the best towns on the route are Barcelos, Ponte de Lima, Valenca, Tui, Caldas de Reis, Redondela, Pontevedra, Padron.
You do get beautiful towns on the Coastal and Litoral Way. Some of my favorites are Viana do Castelo, Caminha, Baiona, and Vigo. The last one is a big city with a busy port but the historical center is beautiful.
Which Camino is the best for first-time pilgrims?
I’d say the Central Route is the most straightforward and easy to follow. It’s well-marked from the start to the end. It has the most pilgrims and best infrastructure.
The Coastal Route is marked too and has enough places to stay. Some parts of the route might be a bit confusing. I mostly refer to the walk to and from Vigo. It has enough albergues though fewer than the Central Route.
As for the Litoral Way it might be more challenging for first-time pilgrims who are not used to walking with navigation. Most of this route is not marked. It’s easy to follow as it goes along the coast but in some places you have to use navigation e.g. to get across the river.
The Spiritual route of the Portuguese Camino
The Spiritual Variant is another route of the Portuguese Camino from Vilanova de Arousa to Pontecesures. This route is a unique one because it involves a boat ride. The boat trip (Traslatio) from Pontecesures to Padron ( is believed to repeat the route that was used to bring the remains of St.James (Santiago) from Jerusalem to Santiago de Compostela.
The route is spectacular and the boat ride adds a special touch to the Camino experience. The Spiritual Variant has fewer pilgrims than the main Portuguese route so if you walk in the peak season and want to skip the crowds it’s a good alternative.
The pretty half of Stingy Nomads, responsible for all our land adventures (hiking, climbing, walking the Camino) and following them write-ups. Alya loves walking since she was a child, she prefers to walk 1000 km with a backpack rather than to do a 10 000 km road trip (actually any road trip). Alya is a big fan of Latin America, the Spanish language, and dancing. Every time we go away she desperately misses our dog Chile.
