Variante Espiritual

In short: Variante Espiritual: from Pontevedra to Padrón. Length: around 70 km, duration: 3 days. Best time: Spring to autumn.

Overview

The Variante Espiritual is a lovely detour from the Camino Portugués. It turns off in Pontevedra and leads to Armenteira Monastery, then along watercourses to the sea.

Its highlight is the boat trip across the Ría de Arousa and up the River Ulla, along the route by which, according to legend, the boat carrying the body of the Apostle James arrived.

The boat section does not count as distance walked, so check the rules for the Compostela. You can book the trip on site, and it depends on the tides.

Main stops: Pontevedra, Combarro, Armenteira Monastery, Vilanova de Arousa, Pontecesures, Padrón.

Three days with a monastery and a boat

The first day takes you to Combarro with its granaries by the water and up a steep climb to Armenteira. On the second day you follow the Ruta da Pedra e da Auga, a path along a stream with old mills, to Vilanova de Arousa.

On the third day you take the boat up the ría to Pontecesures. Departure times depend on the tides, so book the trip the day before.

When the variant is worth it

The variant takes around one day longer than the direct route to Padrón, and it is often much quieter. The boat does not run all year, so ask in advance outside the season.

Planning your stages

How long you need depends on your daily distance. The table works this out for 70 kilometres, with one rest day a week.

Who is this route for?

With some hiking experience this route is very manageable. Expect climbs and keep your days from getting too long.

What does the route cost?

With an albergue or simple guesthouse and one hot meal, 40 to 50 euros a day is usually enough. Over about 4 days that comes to roughly 150 to 200 euros, plus travel and gear. This is a guide figure.

You can find more routes under Pilgrimage routes in Europe, Pilgrimage in Spain, sorted by religion under Christian pilgrimage routes.