Camino Portugués Coastal Way: Stage 2

This is a great alternative to the main Camino Portugues route if you are looking for a quieter trail away from the crowds. Graded moderate, you will walk for between 13 and 26km a day on mostly flat terrain. Overnight stays are in small hotels and guesthouses or larger hotels in the big cities. This is the final stage of the walk from A Guarda to Santiago and will enable you to qualify for your Compostela certificate having walked the final 100km.

Pilgrimages | For those looking to follow a path of self-discovery. Our Pilgrimage and Camino routes take you on a journey through diverse landscapes and local flavours, while meeting like-minded adventurers along the way.

Inn to Inn Walking | Walk from place-to-place changing accommodations each night. Generally staying in B&Bs, inns, and guesthouses.

Solo Travellers, Families with Teens

The minimum age for this tour is: 12 Years

This walk is graded as easy-moderate overall and includes daily walks of between 13-31 km / 8-19 miles on mostly flat terrain. Some days are long, however the terrain is not challenging and there is very little ascent and descent. You will follow a mixture of coastal paths, wooden walkways, dirt tracks and some roads closer to the bigger cities and towns.

Accommodation is included in small rural hotels and hostels (a name which is used to describe a small Spanish hotel or guesthouse). You will always have a private room and en-suite bathroom. In the larger towns, you will stay in 3* hotels.

You can add extra nights at any point during your stay, and we particularly recommend extending your stay in Santiago.

Solo Walkers & Single Rooms

This trip is available to solo walkers for a supplement. Single rooms are also available for a supplement.

Meals

A local breakfast is included each morning which usually consists of a coffee and bread with jams. Lunch and dinner are not included as standard so you are free to choose from the available options.

The Camino is well signposted and relatively easy to follow. The route is marked with yellow painted arrows and a yellow shell on a blue background. However, you may find that the Camino Portugues Coastal Way still has some gaps in the signage. 

Navigation is straightforward using the Macs Adventure App which has maps, tracks and daily route info. Simply download the information and tracks for offline use and follow the route on your phone.

Keep in mind that certain stages or sections of the Camino de Santiago offer alternative paths, but don’t worry - our app has all the guidance you need to stay on route.

Alternative routes

On some days, you can choose between two routes: the Camino Portugués por la Costa and the Senda Litoral.

The Camino Portugués por la Costa is the official, well-signposted coastal route of the Way of St. James. Running slightly inland, it offers magnificent views of the Atlantic Ocean.
The Senda Litoral, on the other hand, runs even closer to the sea, passing along promenades and wooden walkways, and sometimes along sections of beach. This route offers a closer view of the coast, although it is less well signposted in places.

As the two routes often cross, you can choose whichever you prefer depending on the weather, your mood, and how you feel on the day.

You can start your walk anytime between the beginning of March and the end of October subject to availability.  July and August can get very hot so please bear this in mind if walking at this time of year.

Taxi-boat between Portugal and Spain

The taxi-boat between Caminha and A Guarda only takes 5-10 minutes and should be booked in advance. There are two companies which run it - Taxi-Mar who can be reached on +351 915 955 827 - and Xacobeo Transfer who can be reached on +34 613 011 226 or xacobeotransfer.com.

Spring (April to June) is a fantastic choice. Expect pleasant temperatures, blooming landscapes, and fewer crowds than summer. Be prepared for the potential of spring showers.

Summer (July and August) brings sweltering heat to much of Spain, but the northern regions remain refreshingly mild thanks to their coastal climates. If you're a social butterfly, this is your season! The trails are buzzing with fellow pilgrims, creating an unbeatable atmosphere for meeting people, local festivals, and sharing stories.

Autumn (September to early November) is another excellent time to go. You'll enjoy milder temperatures, stunning autumn colors, and quieter trails as the summer crowds dwindle. But, much like spring, there's still a chance of rain—because nature loves keeping us on our toes!

By Air: The closest airport to A Guarda, Spain, is Vigo, which you can reach by flights via Madrid. From here, you can then take the bus to A Guarda, Spain, (not to be confused with Guarda, Portugal). It involves 2 changes and takes just under 3 hours. Alternatively, we recommend taking a taxi straight from the airport or we can pre-book this for you at an additional cost. 

Alternatively, you can fly into Santiago de Compostela. From there, take the shuttle bus to the train station in Santiago, and from there travel by bus via Vigo to A Guarda, Spain (approx 3hrs). We recommend checking timetables in advance at the useful travel planning website www.rome2rio.com 

NOTE: "A Guarda" in Spain is sometimes confused with "Guarda" in Portugal. Be sure to select A Guarda (with the article) on the Spanish Galician coast when planning your journey.

By Air: If flying to the UK, low-cost airlines such as EasyJet and Ryanair offer direct flights to London Stansted and London Gatwick. For travelling to the rest of Europe or the US, you can fly from Santiago via Madrid with Iberia, via Frankfurt with Lufthansa or via Paris or Barcelona with Vueling. Other options are available and you can check Santiago Airports website for more information.

By Rail: It is also possible to take the train from Santiago to Madrid (approx 7hrs). Train timetables and fares can be viewed at RENFE.

PLEASE NOTE: Santiago Airport will be closed from 23rd April to 27 May 2026 due to runway renovation works. Other nearby airports include A Coruna and Vigo, and further away you also have Porto and Madrid. During this time bus connections between Santiago and other cities will be reinforced to make onward travel connections easier. Because of this we recommend you plan your travel in plenty of time and we can help should you require any additional private transfers.

Your bag will be collected from your accommodation each day and moved onto your next overnight accommodation. We ask you to limit your luggage to one bag of up to 20 kg / 44lbs per person.

At Macs Adventure, we work in partnership with many luggage transfer providers who set a limit on how many bags/suitcases they will transfer per person, and also the weight of the bag/suitcase.  Your booking includes transfer of 1 bag per person.  It is very important that you read the luggage information specific to your tour before departure. If you do not adhere to these limits, there is a great possibility that you will be charged locally both for extra bags or if they are too heavy. This limitation can be a challenge, especially as airlines generally have limits that are higher. However, our luggage providers have reasons for these limits (usually due to the Health and Safety of their employees), which we must respect.