10-Nights Portugal & Spain El Camino Portugues Hiking

Santiago de Compostela

Santiago de Compostela is now considered by UNESCO to be a World Heritage Site and attracts visitors from all over the world thanks to its fantastic monuments. The town is named after the Apostle Saint James ("Santiago"), who is buried here. In 2000 Santiago de Compostela was given the title of European Cultural Capital. Santiago is certainly one of Spain's most monumental towns, with a particular architectonical style all of its own. But it is as well a town plenty of life, with one of the most famous Universities and a large number of students who guarantee youthful ambience inbetween the historical walls. The region's cuisine is of great reputation, and it is said that nowhere has better seafood than Santiago.

Pontevedra

Pontevedra was named after an old Roman bridge that connected the Spanish town to the Lerez River. The word itself translates to "old bridge" and remains in place today. Located in the north-west of the Iberian Peninsula, the town is centered in the Rias Baixas, four estuarine inlets off the coast of Galicia. 

Ponte de Lima

The oldest village in Portugal has a long medieval bridge that passes over the Limia River and runs besides the town. Ponte de Lima is a charming floral village with handful of gardens, fancy mansions, historical buildings and timeless views of the river bank. When the Romans came across Limia River, they were so awed by its beauty that crossing the bridge would have wiped out their memories - so they believed. Their captain crossed the river and called out their name to ensure this enchantment was false. A bridge known as the “Roman road from Braga” was built. Today, Ponte de Lima hosts the annual International Garden Festival from May to October with exhibits of themed gardens and examples of garden fashion. Visitors can explore the marketplaces, stroll or bike through the riverside paths, or take snapshots with numerous statues.

Porto (Oporto)

Porto (Oporto), Portugal's second largest city, is full of interest, and the district it heads offers the visitor plenty to see. Along the coast, there are resorts like the cosmopolitan beach of Espinho, busy ports like Matosinhos, with splendid seafood, or traditional fishing towns like Póvoa de Varzim, and there is also an animated casino. Charming Amarante has 17th century mansions overlooking the river and is famous for a sweet egg pastries called "papos de anjo" (angel bellies). In Vila Nova de Gaia, there are lodges where Port wine is blended and aged and where tasting are offered, or visitors may take a river cruise along the Douro. The whole district is filled with prosperous towns, but there are also many calm roads with wonderful views over the river and a rugged and still unspoilt coastline.

Coimbra

Coimbra is one of the most romantically beautiful cities in Portugal, and it's ancient and ornate buildings are rich in historical and cultural importance. Also, being a university town the city is inevitably dotted with cafe's, and lively night clubs. Beyond the university, Coimbra has much else to offer the visitor not least an array of medieval churches, ancient Roman archaeological sites, and Portugal's largest national park, the Serra da Estrela, a popular destination with all visitors.

Tomar

The hillside centerpiece of the small town of Tomar, Portugal, is the 12th-century castle built by the crusading Order of the Knights Templar and the later monastery built around it. The entire complex is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

The Charola, a 16-sided structure surrounding a gilt octagon, served as the knights' oratory. Several cloisters were added to the complex at different stages, most of them reflecting the power and prestige of the Order of Christ (successor to the Knights Templar order) and its role during the age of exploration.

Also worth seeing in Tomar is one of the oldest synagogues in Portugal, dating back to 1430 but last used as a place of worship in 1496, when the Jews were expelled from the country by Manuel I. It now houses a small Jewish museum.

On a lighter note, the largest collection of matchboxes in Europe can be seen at the Museu dos Fosforos.

Lisbon

Portugal’s capital is an 18th-century city - elegant, open to the sea and carefully planned. Most places of interest are within easy walking distance. Rossio Square, the heart of Lisbon since medieval times, is an ideal place to start exploring. Many rebuilt houses with original façades provide stores and restaurants with modern interiors. High above Baixa is Bairro Alto - with its teeming nightlife. There are many monuments and museums, such as San Jeronimos Monastery, Royal Coach Museum and Gulbenkian Museum. Two well-known landmarks are the Monument to the Discoveries and the Tower of Belem. A statue of Christ looms above Europe’s longest suspension bridge. Madragoa, Bica and Bairro Alto, Lisbon’s older sections, offer a variety of sights: the Church of Sao Roque, with its beautiful tiles; St. George Castle, which offers a splendid view from its location above the Alfama quarter; the botanical gardens, featuring an unusual, cold greenhouse; and the cathedral, stunning with its Moorish design. Renowned Gulbenkian Museum is the cultural center of Portugal.