The Way of St. James BikeTour - More than a Pilgrimage and Christian Site

Santiago de Compostela, in the Northwest of Spain, province of Corunha, is internationally known as one of the destinations of Christian pilgrimage. The typical markets are an excellent location to explore delicious Galician products and traditional arts.

During our bicycle tour you will discover ancient medieval roads and paths formerly used during the Portuguese pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela. This path was walked by kings and queens, nowadays considered one of UNESCO’s World Heritage cultural and historical routes.

Tour description: Moderated

Estimated Km: 243 km com 4435m (1.89%) with cumulated ascents

Day 1: Porto – Barcelos (49 km)
Day 2: Barcelos – Ponte de Lima (31 km)
Day 3: Ponte de Lima – Valença (38 km)
Day 4: Valença – Pontevedra (53 km)
Day 5: Pontevedra – Padrón (43 km)
Day 6: Padrón – Santiago de Compostela (28 km)
Day 7: Transfer train to Porto

Details:

Day 1: Porto – Barcelos (49 km). We begin our journey from Porto’s Cathedral to Rates and go through the municipality of Vila do Conde. From there we will travel to Barcelos, territory linked to legend of the famous rooster, through lined forest trails. Accommodation in Barcelos we will be expecting us.

Day 2: Barcelos – Ponte de Lima (31 km)
Ponte de Lima, land of rural houses and its sone bridge above the
river. The land is well-known for being one of the oldest villages in Portugal, whose history is imbued with its heritage, environment and tradition. Nevertheless, it is also recognized for being a place of passage and pilgrimage to Santiago Compostela, current concentration of religious tourism.

Day 3: Ponte de Lima – Valença (38 km). We cross Labruja, watching the famous Dead Man’s Cross and following a green pathway to Minho.
Between Portugal and Galicia, Valença contains good road and rail access, proximity to ports and airports and less than an hour from major cities such as Porto, Braga and Vigo. Historic city and symbol of cross-border relations between Portugal and Spain, today is a multicultural space where the imposing Square-Fort is one of the largest and best preserved military structures of Europe.

Day 4: Valença – Pontevedra (53 km). Combining urban and pedestrian environments, Pontevedra’s squares are lined with buildings of classical and popular architecture guild names, acting as one of the most beautiful and best preserved historic areas of Galicia.
In recent times it became a pedestrian city for long walks, relax in the green parks and enjoy a lid, a coffee or a drink at any of its terraces. We will also cross Arcade, land of the delicious oysters.

Day 5: Pontevedra – Padrón (41 km). We cycle to the hot springs Caldas del Rey.
Padrón is a region that belongs to the province of Coruña. This cozy village leads to Santiago, where, according to tradition, the Apostle Santiago preached in life, and where he returned again after his martyrdom a stone ship that docked at «Pedrón" – Stone (hence the origin of the name), kept under the altar of the church of Santiago.

Day 6: Padrón – Santiago de Compostela (26 km). After Padrón, we will cycle until we finally reach the Obradoiro square and the Cathedral where the remains of the apostle Tiago lie in his tomb.

Day 7: Transfer to Porto’s airport