Points of interest from Tui to Santiago

[Peregrina Emily]

Hi everyone!

These forums have been an amazing resource - they helped prepare my boyfriend and me for walking the Primitivo in 2018. Our pictures and reports along the way have inspired my parents to walk the Camino as well. We're planning to accompany them wherever they decide, as we're super excited to go back!

They still have time to plan (they will want to do a September camino in 2021 or 2022), but right now they're most interested in the Portugues from Tui. Being from the United States (like me), they're really interested in any potential ruins, points of history, or anything else along the way that we don't really have here with our much shorter history. On the Primitivo, my boyfriend and I had a phenomenal day for the Hospitales, and we took every detour for monasteries, for a Roman temple, some ruins before Lugo, et cetera...

Would there be similar points of interest we can try to look for leaving from Tui, either on the route itself or through following short detours (~5km tops off the path)? Any potential guides or resources that might list these points if there are any?

Thank you so much!

 

[jefferyonthecamino]

Hi everyone!

These forums have been an amazing resource - they helped prepare my boyfriend and me for walking the Primitivo in 2018. Our pictures and reports along the way have inspired my parents to walk the Camino as well. We're planning to accompany them wherever they decide, as we're super excited to go back!

They still have time to plan (they will want to do a September camino in 2021 or 2022), but right now they're most interested in the Portugues from Tui. Being from the United States (like me), they're really interested in any potential ruins, points of history, or anything else along the way that we don't really have here with our much shorter history. On the Primitivo, my boyfriend and I had a phenomenal day for the Hospitales, and we took every detour for monasteries, for a Roman temple, some ruins before Lugo, et cetera...

Would there be similar points of interest we can try to look for leaving from Tui, either on the route itself or through following short detours (~5km tops off the path)? Any potential guides or resources that might list these points if there are any?

Thank you so much!

Don't miss Santiaguiño in Padrón (up on the hill) and Monte Aloia in Tui. There are many other places near the Camino, but not within 5 kms.

 

[Anamya]

Consider starting 1 or 2 km before, so you see Valença (on the oprtuguese side). The fortress at the border between both countries is very beautiful. The Old city in Tui is quite special as well, with a beautiful cathedral.

Further ahead, in Pontevedra, the church of the pilgrim virgin - with its statues of Mary in pilgrim attire - was super cute, with round walls. The entire city centre was so pleasant to go through.

And the food. AAAHHH, so good Try Pimientos de Padrón if you see them around the menus.

 

[t2andreo]

Yes, Valenca is highly worth the earlier start. Plus, walking across the Gustav Eiffel designed girder bridge from Portugal into Spain, while changing time zones is also a singular experience.

Consider flying into Lisbon, take a train to Porto. Spend a couple days there. Porto is marvelous. Then take a train to Valenca. There are many trains daily. Spend a night at Valenca then start walking the next morning.

From Santiago, you can fly home via Madrid. In the airline trade, this is called an "Open Jaw." You fly into one place, use alternative transportation to arrive at another airport, then fly home from there.

If you tell us your starting place, I can give you a better idea of a routing that will work. This is because different airlines fly into different places. You want to remain on the same air carrier if at all possible. Open Jaws work best this way. They cost nil extra.

You can add a lot of value to the trip doing this.

 

[Pelegrin]

House of Galician poetess Rosalia de Castro in Padron

 

[Peregrina Emily]

Thank you all so much for all the ideas and names of places! This is all fantastic to look at and know. I'm very excited about getting my family overseas and I'll definitely encourage them to set a destination a little bit before Tui to start...it definitely sounds worthwhile and something they would love to experience and see.

@t2andreo Most likely we will be flying out of either Milwaukee or Chicago. My SO and I typically fly out of Chicago for getting to Spain, but I haven't looked into whether either airport has anything direct to Portugal? We live nearest to Minneapolis ourselves and typically need to connect in a different airport when we leave closer to home, but my parents are in the Milwaukee/Chicago area.

 

[t2andreo]

TAP Air Portugal is the UA codeshare partner. This makes getting to Lisbon (LIS) easy. But returning from Santiago (SCQ) or Madrid (MAD) is more difficult. I had to take a train from Santiago to A Coruna, and a taxi to the A Coruna airport to return to Lisbon on TAP.

Instead, consider AA or Iberia (codeshare partner) direct from Chicago (ORD) to Lisbon (LIS) via Madrid (MAD). The you can easily fly Santiago (SCQ) to ORD via MAD. I just checked on the IB website. This routing IS possible:

ORD > MAD > OPO (Connections are in the same terminal, after clearing passport control, proceed to your domestic departure gate, You have to go through aviation security once more, but it is easy and quick.)

SCQ > MAD > ORD

Your checked luggage is not claimed until your FINAL destination. In this case, Porto going over, and Chicago on the return.

I have come to really enjoy the Iberia flights. IMHO, service and food is better than anything in the US, and the cabin crews are far more friendly. Teh Airbus A330 planes are more comfortable than comparable Boeing airplanes, the seats are wider. Plus, the Spanish experience starts as soon as you get abroad.

Hope this helps.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

Tom, my flight from Chicago this spring will be on TAP to Lisbon, with a short layover. They are only just starting to add ORD to their flights. I must have the open jaw option because I fly back out of Santiago, through Lisbon, then back to the states, avoiding Madrid, all on one ticket. Hope it goes smoothly!

 

[t2andreo]

Does TAP fly from SCQ to Lisbon? When I came that way in 2017, I had to take a train to A Coruña and fly to LIS from there.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

Does TAP fly from SCQ to Lisbon? When I came that way in 2017, I had to take a train to A Coruña and fly to LIS from there.

Tom, I made a mistake. I am actually flying Norwegian from Chicago to Lisbon, then from Santiago back to Lisbon on EasyJet, then Norwegian back to Chicago. It was booked as "one booking" though.

I got confused because in October we fly TAP to Barcelona round trip. That is the new TAP flight out of ORD. It has a short layover in Lisbon both ways. I hadn't looked at either of those bookings for quite awhile and got confused when I replied to you...as usual, you are "one sharp guy" and caught my poopah.

 

[t2andreo]

Thanks for clarifying. Be mindful, careful, and alert about seating and baggage policies on EasyJet. They have a spotty performance record.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

Thanks for clarifying. Be mindful, careful, and alert about seating and baggage policies on EasyJet. They have a spotty performance record.

I know, and I hear Norwegian isn't the greatest as they gouge for everthing, but the price was too reasonable to pass up.☺

 

[t2andreo]

As I always say, you get what you pay for. Right now, I am looking at a $530 r/t from MIA to SCQ on Iberia (via MAD), in economy, at the beginning of May. I usually try upgrading to Premium Economy at check-in. It can be cheaper.

 

[Pelegrin]

and we took every detour for monasteries, for a Roman temple, some ruins before Lugo, et cetera...
Thank you so much!

Camino Portugués follows part of the Roman road VIA XIX and there are a few Miliariaum (2 or 3) on the way, which are indicated.

 

[mylifeonvacation]

For a really nice rest between Pontevedra and Caldas de Reís (closer to Caldas) the waterfall at Barosa is unique along the Camino. It’s 1km off of the Camino, but a really relaxing spot where you can dip your feet into the cool waters, if you like. Or, if you are more daring, and even slip and slide down the gently sloping waterfall yourself! There is a restaurant in the first mill, and some picnic tables set up for taking a load off.

To see the location, enter “Muiñada de Barosa, Pontevedra” into Google Maps. The Camino goes right along the N-550 highway right there. It’s about 16 km north of Pontevedra.