CAMINO DE SANTIAGO PORTUGUÉS: TUI

In the beautiful village of Tui we started our first long stage of El Camino de Santiago Portugués (The Portuguese Way of Saint James) which would take us to Santiago de Compostela. The previous day we made a short stage between Tui and Valença do Minho that allowed us to know the fortress of this city border between Portugal and Spain, and walk across the International Bridge. The views of Tui from the bridge are fantastic.

If you can, I advise you to spend a whole day in Tui to visit its impressive  cathedral, to walk around the quiet streets of the old town and along the riverside walk along the Minho river. From there you can enjoy a magnificent view of the city walls of Valença do Minho, where is the old town of this beautiful Portuguese city.

Tui from Valença do Minho

The International Bridge and Tui from Valença do Minho

Tui from the International Bridge

Tui from the International Bridge between Portugal and Spain

Walking along the International Bridge from Portugal to Spain

Tui and the Minho River from the International Bridge

Valença do Minho from Tui

From the promenade along the Minho river in Tui I enjoy a beautiful view of Valença do Minho

A closer view of the fortress of Valença do Minho from the riverwalk of Tui

Tui

Going along the riverwalk of Tui to the old city

The imposing and beautiful romanesque cathedral of Tui

Although the cathedral is romanesque, it has gothic details like this arch

The doorway of Tui cathedral is gothic too

Walking along a quiet street in the old city of Tui near the cathedral

A nice chapel in Tui near the cathedral

View of the Minho river and Portugal from El Camino hostel in Tui

San Telmo church in Tui is the only church in Galicia built in Portuguese baroque style

If you are interested in El Camino de Santiago (The Way of Saint James), you can see some pictures of El Camino de Santiago Francés in the regions of La Rioja and Navarra in Spain.

Finally, other beautiful places you can visit in Spain are:

- Catalonia

• Costa Brava in Catalonia
• Barcelona
• Girona

- Basque Country

• Bilbo - Bilbao
• Getaria, Zarautz and Hondarribia in San Sebastián

- Cantabria

• Cantabria
• Santander, Comillas and Santillana del Mar in Cantabria

- Granada

• La Alhambra, Albaicín and Sacromonte in Granada

- Sevilla, Córdoba, Cádiz and Costa de la Luz

• Sevilla
• Córdoba
• Cádiz and Costa de la Luz

- Toledo, Madrid, El Escorial and Segovia

• Toledo, Segovia, Monasterio del Escorial near Madrid

- Mallorca, Ibiza and Formentera

• Sóller, Port de Sóller, Deià and Valldemossa in Mallorca
• Palma de Mallorca

• Beaches and Las Dalias Market in Ibiza
• Ses Illetes beach in Formentera

- Galicia

• Santiago de Compostela in Galicia
• Costa da Morte
• Baiona, Islas Cíes and more Beaches in Galicia
• Tui and Camino de Santiago Portugués

- Zaragoza, La Rioja and Navarra

• Monasterio de Piedra near Zaragoza (Tapeo in Zaragoza)
• Haro in La Rioja
• Laguardia in La Rioja Alavesa
• Camino de Santiago Francés
• Estella and Los Arcos in Navarra
• Tarazona, Veruela Monastery and Sanctuary of Borja

- Alicante

• Alicante, Elche and Isla de Tabarca

PORTUGAL: VALENÇA DO MINHO

Last year I spent a few days in Portugal visiting Lisboa, Sintra and the Algarve. This year I have returned to this country to begin The Portuguese Way of Saint James (El Camino de Santiago Portugués). The border city of Valença do Minho has been the starting point of this fantastic adventure which finished just a few days later in Santiago de Compostela.

You can park for free outside the fortress and walk quietly to visit it. Although the restaurants are more expensive, is more pleasant to eat at the Fortress than in Valença. The place I would recommend to visit are:

• International Bridge
• The Minho river
• City walls of Valença do Minho and panoramic view of Tui
• Praça da República
• Bom Jesus's Military chapel
• Narrow cobbled streets and chapels in the old city of Valença do Minho

Fantastic view of Tui, the Minho river and the International Bridge from the fortress of Valença do Minho

After crossing the international bridge we were in Portugal

The Fortress of Valença do Minho. It can be seen the yellow arrow of The Way of Saint James too

  

Tui and Miño river from the city walls of Valença do Minho

Praça da República in Valença do Minho

Small chapel behind a nice garden in Valença do Minho

Bom Jesus's Military chapel and Saint Teotóni's Statue in Valença do Minho

Flower in Valença do Minho beside the snack bar where we had lunch near the Tourist Office

Shopping street in the old city of Valença do Minho, where you can buy sheets and towels 

Yellow arrow of  The Way of Saint James in Valença do Minho

Following the yellow arrows and crossing the International Bridge we went from Valença do Minho to Tui. In Tui would begin the first long stage of our journey which woud lead us to Santiago the Compostela.

Other beautiful places I visited in Portugal the year before were:

• Lisboa
• Algarve beaches
• Sintra

Finally, If you like this fortress, you may be interested in other fortresses like:

• Montjuïc Castle in Barcelona
• Lucca city walls in Tuscany
• Bergamo city walls in Italy

SPAIN: RODAS BEACH IN CIES ISLANDS

This is a post in which my only goal is to try to show, if only minimally, the incredible beauty of the Rodas Beach in the Cíes Islands National Park in Galicia. It is a dream beach, almost heavenly, of turquoise clear water and white sand surrounded by a natural environment beautifully preserved.

Overview of Rodas beach in Cíes Islands, a National Park located in Galicia, Spain

Despite its beauty, Rodas beach is not crowded because access to Cíes Islands National Park is restricted

I really like the clear water of Rodas beach in Cíes Islands

Turquoise water of Rodas beach in Cíes Islands

Taking a bath on Rodas beach in Cíes Islands National Park

Clear water of Rodas beach in Cíes Islands

We were lucky because the afternoon in Rodas beach was lovely after a slightly cloudy morning

In summer, boats link Cíes Islands with the ports of Vigo, Baiona and Cangas. There is a camping area but permissions have to be reserved at the Vigo port.  There are no waste bins in the islands, so visitors are required to take their litter back to the mainland.

Natural park access is restricted to a number of visitors a day, hence the need to book boat tickets in advance, especially on weekends and in summer (with at least one month in advance). You can buy the tickets clicking on:

• www.mardeons.com
• www.piratasdenabia.com

More fantastic beaches in Galicia are:

• Figueiras beach in Cíes Islands
• Baiona - A Ribeira and Barbeira Beaches
• Cesantes Beach
• A Coruña - Riazor and As Lapas Beaches
• Large Beach in Miño near A Coruña (Playa Grande de Miño)
• Beach of Cathedrals in Lugo (Playa de las Catedrales)
• Beaches of A Guarda
• Beaches of Panxón in Rías Baixas near Baiona
• Sanxenxo Beach
• Vilagarcía de Arousa Beaches
• Beaches in Carnota, Corcubión, Muxía, Camariñas, Laxe in Costa da Morte

I enjoyed Rodas Beach in Cíes Islands during a trip in Galicia, where I visited more fantastic places like:

• El Camino de Santiago Portugués
• Valença do Minho
• Tui
• Santiago de Compostela

Other fantastic beaches I have visited in Spain and Portugal are:

• Costa Brava in Catalonia
• Beaches of Barcelona 
• Ibiza and Formentera
• Cádiz and Costa de la Luz
• Mallorca
• Basque Country - Guipúzcoa and San Sebastián
• Cantabria and Santander
• Alicante

• Beaches in Algarve

Finally, other beautiful places you can visit in Spain are:

• Girona
• Toledo
• Segovia
• Monasterio del Escorial
• Basque Country - Bilbao

• Granada and La Alhambra
• Sevilla
• Córdoba
• La Rioja, Navarra and Camino de Santiago
• Zaragoza (Tapeo in Zaragoza)

• Monasterio de Piedra

• Madrid

GALICIA: BAIONA

In 2012 I spent some wonderful days in Galicia where we enjoyed a very pleasant weather. We went to some of the fantastic beaches in Galicia, we visited beautiful villages and fantastic National Parks.

Without any doubt, the most beautiful experience was The Portuguese Way of Saint James because of the nice people we met, the contact with nature and the satisfaction of having walked more than 115km without any drawback.

One of the beautiful villages we visited was Baiona, with its long promenade and clear beaches. The views from the castle and from Virgen de la Roca were fantastic too.

In Baiona we visited:

• Castle of Baiona (Monterreal Fortress)
• Old Town
• A Ribeira beach
• Barbeira beach
• Parador of Baiona
• Views from Virgen de la Roca

Castle of Baiona (Monterreal Fortress)

A Ribeira beach and Castle of Baiona, a beautiful village in Galicia

Monterreal fortress in Baiona

Some sailboats from Monterreal fortress in Baiona 

Cíes Islands from the castle of Baiona in Galicia

Old Town of Baiona

Old town of Baiona in Galicia

A street of the old town of Baiona in Galicia

A Ribeira beach

A Ribeira beach in Baiona from the promenade

Another view of A Ribeira beach in Baiona

Barbeira beach

Barbeira beach in Baiona

Sailboats near Barbeira beach in Baiona

Parador of Baiona

Parador of Baiona in Galicia

Views from Virgen de la Roca

View from Virgen de la Roca in Baiona

Below you have the most important places we visited in Galicia:

• Santiago de Compostela

• Costa da Morte (Muros, Finisterre, Muxía, Carnota)
• Islas Cíes National Park (Rodas Beach)
• Tui and Valença do Minho
• Camino de Santiago Portugués (6 stages and 115km)

1. Valença do Minho - Tui
2. O Porriño - Cesantes 
3. Cesantes - Pontevedra
4. Pontevedra - Caldas do Reis
5. Caldas do Reis - Padrón
6. Padrón - Santiago de Compostela

• Santiago de Compostela
• A Coruña

Finally, other beautiful places you can visit in Spain are:



- Catalonia

• Costa Brava in Catalonia
• Barcelona
• Girona

- Basque Country

• Bilbo - Bilbao
• Getaria, Zarautz and Hondarribia in San Sebastián

- Cantabria

• Cantabria
• Santander, Comillas and Santillana del Mar in Cantabria

- Granada

• La Alhambra, Albaicín and Sacromonte in Granada

- Sevilla, Córdoba, Cádiz and Costa de la Luz

• Sevilla
• Córdoba
• Cádiz and Costa de la Luz

- Toledo, Madrid, El Escorial and Segovia

• Toledo, Segovia, Monasterio del Escorial near Madrid

- Mallorca, Ibiza and Formentera

• Sóller, Port de Sóller, Deià and Valldemossa in Mallorca
• Palma de Mallorca

• Beaches and Las Dalias Market in Ibiza
• Ses Illetes beach in Formentera

- Zaragoza, La Rioja and Navarra

• Monasterio de Piedra near Zaragoza (Tapeo in Zaragoza)
• Haro in La Rioja
• Laguardia in La Rioja Alavesa
• Camino de Santiago Francés
• Estella and Los Arcos in Navarra
• Tarazona, Veruela Monastery and Sanctuary of Borja

- Alicante

• Alicante, Elche and Isla de Tabarca

GALICIA: COSTA DA MORTE AND FINISTERRE

After spending our first day in Galicia visiting Santiago de Compostela, during our second day we were going to take a trip to Costa de Morte. 

On this tour we visited:

• Ponte Maceira
• Muros
• Carnota
• Fisterra
• Muxía

Ponte Maceira

Ponte Maceira in Galicia

The Way of Saint James in Galicia runs through the village of Ponte Maceira

Overview of the medieval bridge of Ponte Maceira in Galicia

The environment in Ponte Maceira is quite beautiful

Muros

Promenade of Muros in Galicia

The village of Muros is at the end of this nice promenade

The village of Muros in Galicia

Carnota

Hórreo de Carnota in Galicia

The Hórreo of Carnota is the largest one in Galicia

Finisterre

Lighthouse in Finisterre, where the Way of Saint James ends

A closer view of the Lighthouse of Finisterre

Fishing boat in Finisterre

Muxía

Sanctuary of Muxia and, on the right, memorial to the sinking of the tanker Prestige, which caused an ecological disaster in Costa da Morte in Galicia

Costa de Morte in Muxía

Strong waves in Costa de Morte in Muxía

These strong waves in Costa da Morte in Muxía are quite dangerous

Other cities and places we visited during this trip in Galicia were:

• Santiago de Compostela
• Camino de Santiago Portugués
• Baiona
• Tui
• Islas Cíes (Cíes Islands)
• Beaches of Galicia

Finally, other beautiful places you can visit in Spain are:



- Catalonia

• Costa Brava in Catalonia
• Barcelona
• Girona

- Basque Country

• Bilbo - Bilbao
• Getaria, Zarautz and Hondarribia in San Sebastián

- Cantabria

• Cantabria
• Santander, Comillas and Santillana del Mar in Cantabria

- Granada

• La Alhambra, Albaicín and Sacromonte in Granada

- Sevilla, Córdoba, Cádiz and Costa de la Luz

• Sevilla
• Córdoba
• Cádiz and Costa de la Luz

- Toledo, Madrid, El Escorial and Segovia

• Toledo, Segovia, Monasterio del Escorial near Madrid

- Mallorca, Ibiza and Formentera

• Sóller, Port de Sóller, Deià and Valldemossa in Mallorca
• Palma de Mallorca

• Beaches and Las Dalias Market in Ibiza
• Ses Illetes beach in Formentera

- Zaragoza, La Rioja and Navarra

• Monasterio de Piedra near Zaragoza (Tapeo in Zaragoza)
• Haro in La Rioja
• Laguardia in La Rioja Alavesa
• Camino de Santiago Francés
• Estella and Los Arcos in Navarra
• Tarazona, Veruela Monastery and Sanctuary of Borja

- Alicante

• Alicante, Elche and Isla de Tabarca