Camino Portuguese

On my fourth day, I aimed to reach Vila Praia de Âncora, a distance of 17.5 km. After three days of long stages ranging from 22 to 25 km, I had planned some lighter days with shorter walks to give myself a bit of rest.

I woke up early and, as usual, had bananas and yogurt for breakfast. It struck me that I hadn’t had coffee with breakfast for three days. I packed my backpack and set off. It felt wonderful to stroll through the peaceful, deserted streets of Viana do Castelo, enjoying the sight of churches glowing in the rays of the morning sun.

Igreja de São Domingos – Church of Saint Dominic (map). This is St. Dominic’s Church glowing in the morning sunlight. The warm rays highlight the intricate stone façade, creating a beautiful play of light and shadows against the clear blue sky. The peaceful square in front of the church adds to the serene atmosphere of early morning in Viana do Castelo.

St. Dominic’s Church bathed in the golden light of the morning sun in Viana do Castelo. — Igreja de São Domingos

Forte de Santiago da Barra glowing in the morning light.

As I made my way toward the ocean, I came across other pilgrims, some familiar faces from previous days. The muscle pain in my legs had eased considerably, but instead, my tendons had begun to ache.

Along the ocean shore, I came across pools like these.

I saw pools like this along the ocean shore.

The Promenade in Viana do Castelo

On my way, I encountered the Forte da Areosa (marked on the map), which is also known as Forte da Vinha. Four forts like this were constructed between Caminha and Viana do Castelo during the Portuguese War of Restoration from 1640 to 1668.

This structure is known as Moinho de Vento da Areosa — the Areosa windmill. It most likely had sails in the past.

The path ran as a tidy dirt trail along the ocean shore. This route is actually known as the Ecovia Litoral Norte.

Then I reached the wooden walkway, which I’d come to love. In this stretch, it was painted white, adding a touch of charm and making it even more scenic.

A distant view of the town.

A wooden boardwalk stretches along the Atlantic coast under a clear blue sky.

After that, the trail left the ocean behind and led through forests and fields.

Then the path turned away from the ocean into forests and fields.

I had to make an uphill climb, something I’m not very fond of. Whenever I face an ascent, I keep myself motivated by reminding myself that a descent will follow.

I had to climb uphill, which I don’t really like.

On that day, there were no churches or pilgrim cafés along the route. I had no opportunity to collect any stamps.

The path gradually ascended to greater heights.

Afterwards, the trail led back to the ocean and reached Forte de Paçô.(map)

Fishermen’s huts on the beach of Praia do Paçô.

After that, the trail once again veered away from the ocean, winding through fields and forests.

The trail passed through a caravan park.

Afterwards, the trail took me in the direction of the town of Afife.

Treading this stony path through the fields under the hot sun was uncomfortable—I wished to return to the ocean’s cool embrace.

After that, the trail veered toward the ocean, leading me through dense thickets.

And once again, the ocean appeared before me.

Ще один форт – Forte do Cão (map)

A sign by the Camarão restaurant (map) – I’m skeptical about the correctness of the distances shown.

My beloved wooden path has made a comeback.

The town appearing on the horizon is my goal for today: Vila Praia de Âncora.

But before that, I must cross the bridge spanning the river close to the town of Âncora.

Here stands the Ponte Rio Âncora bridge (see map). In fact, you could have walked along the beach, which also has a beautiful bridge. However, the signs directed me here.

The pass Passeio Francisco Sampaio (map) near Vila Praia de Âncora

A bench for pilgrims.

A bridge leading over the beach. Many pilgrims walked across it.

I reached Vila Praia de Âncora around noon, which was too early to check into my guesthouse. Therefore, I headed to Ruivo’s Vila café near the waterfront, where I enjoyed lunch and free Wi-Fi while waiting to check in. Many other pilgrims also stopped there to rest.

My burger and fries along with two beers came to €11. It’s a lovely café, and I highly recommend it.