Porto developed around the hill above the Douro where the medieval city and its cathedral took shape. The name Portucale, used for Porto and the surrounding territory in the early Middle Ages, eventually gave its name to Portugal.
Its position at the lowest practical crossing of the Douro made Porto a gateway between northern and southern Portugal. For pilgrims arriving from the south, the route climbed from the river through the medieval city before continuing north towards Santiago de Compostela.
Today Porto is one of the main starting points for both the Caminho Português Central and the Caminho Português da Costa.
If you are starting your Camino in Porto, you can obtain a credencial at the Sé or at the Oficina do Peregrino, close to the cathedral.
Both the Caminho Português Central and Caminho Português da Costa leave the Sé northwards and follow the same route for the first 6.5 km to Padrão da Légua. The routes split there, with the Central Way remaining inland and the Coastal Way turning towards the coast.
Qué ver en Porto
Sé
Porto's cathedral has a direct historical connection with Santiago de Compostela. In 1110, Hugo, a cleric from Compostela, became bishop of Porto and promoted the construction of the Romanesque cathedral.
The building was altered repeatedly, and much of its present medieval appearance reflects a major 20th-century restoration.
Igreja do Carmo
The 18th-century Igreja do Carmo stands beside the Igreja dos Carmelitas, separated by the Casa Escondida, a house only about 1.5 metres wide.
The popular story that it was built to keep monks and nuns apart is unsupported, and its original purpose remains uncertain. The large azulejo panel on the church's side façade was added in 1912.
Torre dos Clérigos
Nicolau Nasoni designed the Igreja dos Clérigos for a brotherhood whose work included supporting clergy during sickness, poverty and death. Construction began in 1732, and the adjoining bell tower was completed in 1763.
The church was the first in Portugal built with an oval plan. Nasoni became a member of the brotherhood himself and was buried at Clérigos after his death in 1773.
Ponte Dom Luís I
The double-deck Ponte de D. Luís opened in 1886 and was designed by Théophile Seyrig, a former business partner of Gustave Eiffel. It replaced the Ponte Pênsil, whose surviving stone pylons can still be seen beside the river.
An earlier crossing, the Ponte das Barcas, collapsed on 29 March 1809 as people fled across the Douro during the French invasion of Porto. The Alminhas da Ponte memorial near the Ribeira commemorates those who died in the disaster.
Estação de São Bento
São Bento station opened in 1916 on the site of the former Convento de São Bento de Avé-Maria, from which it takes its name.
Its entrance hall is covered by more than 20,000 azulejos. The panels combine episodes from Portuguese history with scenes of rural life, while the coloured frieze above traces the development of transport.
Dónde alojarse en Porto
Albergue de peregrinos
Porto Lounge Hostel
The Passenger Hostel
Wine Hostel
Lost Inn Porto Hostel
Best Guest Porto Hostel
