If you’re walking the Camino Português to Santiago de Compostela and wondering whether the Camino Espiritual is worth adding, I’d say yes – if you have the extra time and don’t mind two fairly demanding walking days.
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Also known as the Variante Espiritual or Spiritual Variant, this route leaves the main Portuguese Camino just after Pontevedra and rejoins it near Padrón. It adds an extra day to your Camino but gives you woodland, monasteries, fishing villages, coastal scenery and the boat journey along the only maritime-fluvial Way of the Cross.
I can honestly say it ended up being one of my favourite parts of the Portuguese Camino.
This works well if you want a more scenic and slightly quieter alternative to the standard Pontevedra to Padrón section.
Less so if you’re already stretched for time, worried about longer walking days, or want to keep your logistics as simple as possible.
Planning note:
Most people walk the Camino Espiritual in 3 days, although some extend it to 4 or 5 shorter stages.
The standard breakdown, as you can see in the image below, is:
Pontevedra to Armenteira
Armenteira to Vilanova de Arousa
Boat to Pontecesures then walk to Padrón
Why is it called the Spiritual Variant?
According to legend, the boat carrying the body of the Apostle James the Greater travelled through the Ria de Arousa and up the Ulla River before landing at Iria Flávia, now Padrón.
The Camino Espiritual follows this connection with the water. The boat journey from Vilanova de Arousa to Pontecesures retraces part of this route and passes the stone crosses that form the maritime Way of the Cross.
That’s what makes this variant different from the standard Portuguese Camino. You still walk through villages, vineyards and woodland, but the water is a much bigger part of the experience.
If you’re still working out whether to add the Camino Espiritual to your Portuguese Camino, my free guide will help you think through route, timing, pace and logistics before you start booking anything:
If you’d rather have the accommodation, luggage transfers, boat timing and route notes arranged for you, I can connect you with a trusted local specialist who organises self-guided Portuguese Caminos.
Here’s my experience, using the services of said local tour operator to take care of accommodation, luggage transfers and information.
Stage 1: Pontevedra to Armenteira
Stage summary:
Distance: approx. 21.5 km / 13.4 miles
Difficulty: Moderate to challenging, especially with the climb after Combarro
Highlights: Poio Monastery, Combarro, views over the Ria de Pontevedra, Armenteira Monastery
Watch out for: busy start out of Pontevedra, long day, climb after lunch
We joined the hordes of pilgrims leaving Pontevedra in September, which is one of the busiest Camino months, but the mood changed quickly once the route split.
The main Portuguese Camino goes right. The Variante Espiritual goes left, and almost immediately we were alone in the countryside, following dirt paths past chestnut groves, fields and vineyards.
The waymarkers for this route have a beautiful cross and scallop symbol, as well as the usual yellow arrows.
I was pleased to spot a petroglyph in the small outdoor gym area at Lugar de Campaño. This Bronze Age engraving of concentric circles had been moved from its original location on a stone road to prevent damage and to allow it to be appreciated by more people.
We were also delighted to stop for a coffee at Hotel Campaniola’s very pleasant outdoor terrace.
A little further on, at around 8 km, is the imposing Benedictine San Xoán de Poio Monastery, which dates back to the 7th century and is well worth the small entrance fee. Two cloisters host amazing artwork including marble sculptures and mosaics made of local stone.
The second cloister is lined with a mosaic mural that depicts the French Camino, with motifs and imagery that represent the Spanish cities and traditions that the route crosses.
Poio is also the first place where you get a glimpse of the Ria de Pontevedra. From here, we headed down the hill and followed the path along the water’s edge to reach the small fishing town of Combarro.
As well as charming stone cottages with overhanging balconies that face the water, this village is known for its waterfront grain stores, aka horreos, some of which now have cafés beneath them.
A wander through the historical centre is well worth taking. As well as the old stone houses and waterfront grain stores, you’ll see plenty of shops selling lurid coloured liqueurs and witch souvenirs.
The witches surprised me, so I looked into it later. Combarro has seven stone calvaries, which were often placed in areas where pagan practices and witchcraft were believed to have had a strong influence. That seems to explain the souvenirs.
We had lunch at O Peirão, the first of several restaurants overlooking the water, with open air grills and amazing seafood.
The climb up the hill towards Armenteira was not as bad as we feared. It started off with a few steep sections but it’s worth stopping to look back at the views anyway so breathers serve a dual purpose.
Most of the climb is fairly gradual and as you get higher, especially after the Miradouro do Loureiro viewing platform, there’s plenty of shade as you walk through the forest on wide, easy tracks.
The stage ends at the 12th century monastery in A Armenteira, which is still in operation and free to enter the cloisters. You can also attend a pilgrim mass here. The gift shop is manned by the resident nuns and sells soaps and other biologically produced cosmetics that they make.
Accommodation in Armenteira is more limited than on the main Portuguese Camino so, if you’re walking in spring or autumn, I’d book ahead rather than assume something will be available when you arrive. I stayed at the peaceful Pousada de Armenteira, right beside the monastery.
👉 See the Pousada de Armenteira
Stage 2: Armenteira to Vilanova de Arousa
Stage summary:
Distance: approx. 25 km / 15.5 miles
Difficulty: Challenging because of the distance
Highlights: Ruta da Pedra e da Água, old watermills, Aldea Labrega, Umia River, vineyards, first views of the Ria de Arousa
Watch out for: long distance, limited well-timed lunch stops, tiredness before Ponte Arnelas
Although it’s dauntingly long, this is probably the most beautiful stage of the Camino Português so give yourself plenty of time to take breaks and enjoy the journey.
The first part of the route is utterly delightful. You follow the local walking trail, known as the Ruta da Pedra e da Água (Route of Stone and Water), through captivating woodland alongside the A Armenteira Stream. Dotted along the waterway you’ll find old stone watermills in various states of ruin and an old sawmill.
Legend of Don Ero and the little bird
This idyllic woodland is linked to the legend of Don Ero, the founder of Armenteira Monastery.
According to the story, he went walking in the woods while troubled by doubts about paradise. He sat by the river and listened to a little bird singing so beautifully that he lost all sense of time.
When he returned to the monastery, nobody recognised him. What had felt like a few hours contemplating the glory of paradise in the company of the little bird had actually been 300 years!
Towards the end of the woodland section, a slight detour leads you to Aldea Labrega, a collection of stone sculptures that celebrate traditional Galician village life, some of which are cute and amusing. I particularly liked the piglets.
After this enchanting forest, the route follows the wider Umia River through vineyards, offering plenty of opportunities for birdwatching and fish spotting.
There are a few cafés on the first part of this stage, including one near the roundabout shortly after the picnic area in the woods (approx 5 km).
We aimed to have lunch at Ponte Arnelas, which worked, but it was further than expected and we were over-tired by the time we got there. If I did this again, I’d take an earlier break by the river and carry snacks with me.
After lunch, we climbed steadily through vineyards and villages to a high point at 110 metres then began our descent towards the Ria de Arousa.
From our first glimpse of blue through the trees, we became giddy with glee.
The tide was in and the weather perfect so we walked beside an idyllic expanse of blue dotted with small green islands and backed by small sandy beaches to reach the bridge into Vilanova de Arousa.
The first thing we did after arriving at our hotel was to grab our swim stuff and head back to the beach for a swim.
👉 Find accommodation in Vilanova de Arousa
Stage 3: Vilanova de Arousa to Padrón by boat and on foot
Stage summary:
Distance: boat to Pontecesures, then approx. 2 km / 1.2 miles on foot to Padrón
Difficulty: Easy physically, but tide-dependent
Highlights: boat journey, mussel beds, maritime Way of the Cross, arrival in Padrón, El Pedrón
Watch out for: early departures, tide times, possible boat disruption
The boat journey is one of the main reasons to choose the Camino Espiritual.
It runs from Vilanova de Arousa to Pontecesures and follows the route associated with the Traslatio, the legendary voyage of St. James’ body through the Ria de Arousa and up the Ulla River.
The practical catch is that boats depend on the tides, so departure times vary. Ours left at 7:45 am, which meant setting off in the dark, but watching the light gradually appear over the water ended up being part of the experience.
We were on one of the larger boats, which had an open upper deck and an enclosed lower deck although I spent most of the time up top, enjoying the views and fresh air.
And taking pictures of the stone crosses that make up the maritime Way of the Cross. There was commentary on board, in English and Spanish, although it was difficult to understand at times.
Pontecesures is not the most attractive place to end the boat trip as it’s dominated by an enormous factory. However, once you rejoin the main Camino, it’s only a short (2 km) walk into pretty Padrón.
This is a pretty small town and the legend of the boat voyage is strong here – you’ll see plenty of related imagery around town, especially at Fuente del Carmen, as well as in some shops.
Inside the Church of St. James, behind the altar, you’ll find El Pedrón, the stone mooring place where the boat carrying the body of Apostle Santiago made landfall.
Padrón also has plenty of small squares and eateries and a delightful botanical garden with some unusual trees like the twisty Judas tree, shaped like a crown of thorns.
Thinking about adding the Camino Espiritual?
If you’re walking the Portuguese Camino and want to include the Variante Espiritual, it’s worth building it into your itinerary from the start.
This route works beautifully if you have the extra time and want a more scenic final stretch before Padrón, or more time near the water. It’s less useful if your schedule is already tight or you don’t want to deal with tide-dependent boat logistics.
I can connect you with a trusted local operator who can include the Camino Espiritual in a self-guided Portuguese Camino itinerary, with accommodation, luggage transfers, route notes and boat arrangements handled for you.
If you’re still deciding whether it fits your plans, start with my free Portuguese Camino guide:
Nice chronicle of the Camino.
I would like to provide a correction.
Although both variants of the road share a start in Pontevedra and a end in Padrón, they are different. Father Sarmiento’s path runs through the entire coastal perimeter and requires more days.