Walking the Portuguese Camino: Esposende to Viana do Castelo

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Those of you who have been reading my blog for a while (ok, since at least 2016!) will know that I have walked the Camino de Santiago from St Jean Pied-de-Port in France to Santiago de Compostela in Spain, over the course of 5 summers (but 7 years thanks to C*vid) and those who know me in real life will know that I have nothing but AMAZING things to say about this experience. So much so that, when a group of us finished the final leg in the summer of 2022, we all immediately started looking at different routes to walk. We completed a stage of the Camino del Norte in July 2024 (San Sebastián to Bilbao), in 2025 we walked from Bayonne to San Sebastián along the Atlantic Coast in France and Spain, and in the summer of 2026, we started the Portuguese Camino, walking from Porto (Portugal) to Baiona (Spain) over the course of 7 days. This is Day 3 of the walk!

Day 3: Esposende > Viana do Castelo 25.8km

Wooden boardwalk extending to a sandy beach under a clear blue sky, with a yellow Esposende sign and a heart logo in the distance.

After the previous day’s epic distance (28km!) we thought “it’s only downhill (not literally though) from here” and well, it kind of was – not that much less distance but somehow it seemed like because we had made it through that very hard day, we could do anything!

Since our hotel was on the far side of town (NOT great the day before!), it was easy to find the path out of town that morning…

Three hikers walk along a cobblestone path beside a field and a line of trees under a clear blue sky. Two hikers walk along a sunlit cobblestone path through a dense forest; a concrete post with a yellow arrow points forward behind them.

Could that be… shade? Yes, there was some shade today, thankfully!

Good waymarking, for the most part too…

Blue square waymark with a left-pointing arrow and a shell on a curved stone wall beside a cobblestone street.

And a lot of locals leaving pilgrims tasty snacks…

Yellow basket filled with ripe red plums beside a railing, with a note about plums left for passing pilgrims.Crate of yellow and red plums offered for free to walkers on the Camino de Santiago, with a sign advertising free fruit.

Today’s route left the coast proper (senda littoral) and took the Caminho da Costa which the book described as “quiet country lanes interspersed with stretches of woodland paths and river crossings in the hills parallel to the coast” – so it was less windy and there was more shelter from the sun which made for a more pleasant (but still long) day…

Early on in the day we passed through Marinhas…

Passed by some typical Camino sights…

Wooden cabinet in a stone doorway with signs 'Bom Caminho', 'Buen Camino', 'Good Way' and a blue arrow, surrounded by notes and trinkets. Blue wooden signpost with yellow and blue arrows listing distances to towns (e.g., Santiago 208 kms) in a sunny field with trees and a village in the background.Two muddy hiking boots, blue and yellow, rest on a concrete ledge above gravel with a suburban backdrop.

Stopped in Antas for some refuelling before starting our climb…

Orange Fanta bottle leaning on a desk with a blue textbook in the background.

This climb (up to 140m) was a bit of a shock to the system after the previous days’ flat terrain, but at least it was shaded for the most part and had lots to look at…

Dirt woodland path winding through a rocky embankment with tall pine trees and a blue sky above; sunlit, with ferns along the slope.

What made this day feel more do-able was the difference in where we were walking – shady paths, little villages – there was always something to look at…Hikers walking along a sunlit cobblestone street beside a tall ivy-covered stone wall, with utility poles and wires overhead. Dark green wall densely covered with colorful stickers and logos outdoors, with trees above.

There were points on this day when you definitely had to have your eyes down to avoid tripping…

Hiker with backpack and hat walking along a rocky forest trail lined with tall trees. Forest trail with a sticker-covered wooden post along a sunlit path.

And a whole lotta ascent…

Hiker with backpack walking along a sunny path beside a blue sign and a painted stone marker.

Finally, up and over the “Alto”, we started descending… arrived at the charming Igreja Santiago de Castelo do Neiva…

Front view of a white church with a bell tower and clock, set in a sunny cobblestone plaza with trees nearby Stone statue of an elderly man with a walking staff standing in a cobblestone plaza beside a white church, with a tree and a plaque nearby.

It felt like surely we were close to somewhere for lunch…. WRONG. There was a bit more walking to do…

Hiker walking down a dirt trail into a green forest, with a cobblestone foreground and a concrete wall with plants on the right under a blue sky Cobblestone pedestrian path flanked by stone walls, with a tall utility pole bearing a yellow arrow and people walking in the distance under a clear blue sky.

And a little bit more up and down…

Stone-paved forest path with a small group of hikers walking uphill among tall trees on a sunny day. Rock with blue and yellow trail markers painted on it in a forest, with a thinking-face emoji resting on the rock.

But then… Could it be a little town?

Grey metal utility cabinet with a bright yellow sunburst logo and white text reading 'Apoio ao Peregrino' and 'Pilgrim Health Care' outdoors. Used as signage for pilgrim health services. Baroque-style church with ornate facade and twin bell towers under a clear blue sky in a sunny plaza.

And, wait…

Mobile snack bar truck serving ice cream and drinks, with cones displayed and a customer at the counter.

Not exactly the café we had imagined but the best sight!

Serving the best meal!

Cross‑section of a crusty pork sandwich with melted yellow cheese oozing from the bun, held in a hand.

(and um, yes… the realisation that we were not even halfway there … with ANOTHER ascent to go…)

Group of seven hikers resting on large rocks along a forest trail, wearing hats and backpacks on a sunny day.

Happy bellies made for a good group shot though!

That afternoon, there was ANOTHER climb included in the 14km we still had to walk…

Two hikers walking away down a sunlit narrow gravel street between stone houses with red-tiled roofs on either side. Curved rural road with greenery on both sides under a clear blue sky; a spiky palm is on the right foreground. People walking down a sunny cobblestone alley between white buildings with a glass-fronted balcony on the right and power lines overhead.

A lot of this was through small villages so it didn’t *feel* like we were climbing back up to 110m but our legs would disagree the next day…

Nest with four storks perched on a utility pole against a clear blue sky, with power lines radiating outward

We were happy to see some more “pilgrim amenities” (this was right in the middle of a steep bit and of course it was a good excuse to stop!)

Two black glass-door refrigerators on a wooden counter outdoors, with snacks in a basket and a blue canopy overhead.

This is an “honesty” box – that you see all along the Caminos. Basically, enterprising locals put out snacks and drinks for walkers and you make a donation. This was one of the fancier ones with not one but two fridges and a myriad of snacks…

Finally, our destination (Viana do Castel0) was in sight…

Two hikers with backpacks and sun hats walk a winding road along a hillside, with a distant town and water under a clear blue sky.

Looks so close, doesn’t it?

Sunlit sidewalk beside a two-lane road, leaning streetlight, and green trees with hills in the distance.

Oh, look, we *just* have to cross this bridge to get to the town…

Riverside scene with marshy inlets, a stone bollard in the foreground, a bridge in the distance, and hills under a clear blue sky.

Ok, yeah that bridge… It’s actually the Ponte Eiffel crossing the River Lima. yes, THAT Eiffel! I have to laugh at someone’s Trip Advisor review (! of a bridge!) that says:

unfortunately not wide enough that you can pass a person or bike without stepping onto the road. Be very careful if you’re crossing it.

Yeah, ok, so, understatement of the year…

Man in an orange shirt, beige shorts, hat, and backpack walks away on a bridge walkway beside water, with a white card containing a long anecdote about crossing the bridge on the left side.

That is Colin who heard me losing it behins him for like 15 minutes :O

Doesn’t look so bad but omg, this was ENDLESS and BUSY!

Pedestrians walk along a turquoise metal footbridge with teal railing, over a grassy park and a river with hills in the distance on a sunny day.

Look how there’s no rail between the traffic and the pedestrians (our crew!).

Finally we made it!

Whimsical sculpture of two stylized figures in red and black forming a heart, with a brown sign reading 'CUÑA'. Garmin smartwatch on the wrist displaying running metrics: 25.81 km, time 6:47:04, pace 15:46/km.

Ouf!

Viana do Castelo is a gorgeous little town but after 3 punishing days walking (22, 28 and now 26km), I didn’t spend any time wandering around except to go to dinner and back to the hotel :O

Baroque church façade with ornate stonework, tall window, dark green doors, and a cross atop the pediment, under a bright blue sky. Historic stone building with a crenellated roofline, arched entrance, and small balcony with flowers on a sunny plaza. Square with a tiered stone fountain on the right and colorful ribbons radiating from a central point above the plaza.

There is a shorter day coming … Stay tuned to see how we fared the next day…

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Disclosure: I researched Camino tour operators independently and chose the Camino Travel Center based on a number of features such as flexibility to accommodate a couple of “splits” in some of the longer days, price, and customer service. They were, in fact, the first company I came across in my very first Google search and the one I ended up booking with. From the initial inquiry to the actual trips, they have been a pleasure to deal with and we have been very impressed with the service provided (bag transportation) and the accommodation choices. I was not compensated to write about this trip in any way but I love sharing companies and products I believe in with my readers. I couldn’t recommend the Camino Travel Center more highly. 

Read more about the Camino de Santiago

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