Rubiães to Tui. Day Seven on the Camino Portugués Central Route

Day seven on the Camino Portugués took me from Rubiães to Tui. Not only would I pass the halfway point of my journey from Porto, but I’d also cross the border from Portugal and be back on Spanish soil.  

Day Seven: Rubiães to Tui
Date: Wednesday 27 April 2022
Start Point: Casa das Lages, Rubiães
End Point: Hotel a Torre do Xudeu, Tui
Distance Walked: 13.23 miles (21.29 kms)
Time Taken: 5 hours 30 minutes (including rest stops)
Weather: Mostly cloudy

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I woke to some rain but, luckily, by the time I was up and ready to leave the sun had started to come out so, unlike yesterday, it looked set to be a day of decent walking weather.

Leaving Rubiães

Casa das Lages is right on the Camino so today it was a case of simply walking out of the gate and turning left (after a coffee of course!). Sofia had left some pre-packaged breakfast items last night (mini croissants and cake) so I popped a few in my backpack for snacks on the way and was on the road just before 8.30am.

I’d planned to stop at Café São Sebastião across the road from the municipal albergue for breakfast. I’d seen it in passing when I went for dinner the previous evening at Bom Retiro and it looked like a great place to fuel up for the day ahead. Unfortunately, it wasn’t open so plans scuppered, I kept walking!

Although my day started on the main N201 the road soon doubled back and I was walking on the cobbles again.

Crossing the Ponte Romana de Rubiães over the Rio Coura I soon reached a small café, Ponte Nova, where I bumped into the Californians once more. We had a good catch up about our Camino journeys so far and, when they set off, I sat outside and enjoyed the peace and quiet of the morning while I re-caffeinated for the day ahead.

The road continues straight past the café and was a pleasant walk alongside streams, through farmland and along forest paths.

At São Bento da Porta I stopped for a look around the Santuario de São Bento before hitting the cobbles again.

The rest of the morning was spent walking on a mixture of cobbles and forest paths through small towns and villages, each with a small chapel or other wayside shrine.

Passing Albergue Quinta Estrada Romana I spotted a sign – I was officially halfway between Porto and Santiago de Compostela. 135kms done, 135kms to go (or, as I prefer, roughly 84 miles done, 84 miles to go!).

Over another medieval bridge, Ponte da Pedreira, and more walking on quiet country paths with barely another pilgrim in sight. At one point, I stopped to talk to an elderly man standing at the front of his house – he spoke a little English and, after telling him where I’m originally from, we had an animated chat (with lots of mime involved) about the Isle of Man TT Races. As I walked on, he started talking to another pilgrim who was following behind me – I wonder if that’s how he fills his days?

The way started to get busier the closer I got to Valença, and it wasn’t long before the peace and tranquility of the countryside gave way to the hustle and bustle of city life as I reached the outskirts of my last stop in Portugal.

Valença, the last town in Portugal

Valenca is a walled town sitting on top of a hill overlooking the Rio Minho which separates Portugal from Spain.

The fortress dates back to the 17^th century when the town walls were transformed as protection from Spanish, and later French, invasion.

Following the yellow arrows up the hill I could see the fortress ahead of me. The Camino actually passes right through the fortress and, walking through the thick stone walls, I found myself in a mini metropolis. I don’t think I’d seen so many other people since leaving Porto a week ago.

The narrow streets are lined with souvenir shops and busy with tourists. I actually felt a bit out of place in my walking gear and backpack.

I had a brief look around, making sure to stop at the Tourist Information Office to collect a sello for my credencial, before attempting to make my way out at which point I realised I’d lost the yellow arrows! Luckily a lovely English couple, Kevin and Liz, pointed me in the right direction and we had a good chat as we walked. They had just arrived that morning and were going to be walking from Tui to Santiago.

In order to be eligible for the Compostela, pilgrims have to walk a minimum distance of 100 kms. Tui is just under 120 kms from Santiago, which means that many pilgrims choose to start the Camino here. This post explains more about walking the last 100 kms of the Camino Portugués whether you do so from Tui or from Vigo on the Coastal route.

The way out of the fortress is down a dark tunnel and, once back in daylight, I could see Tui, my destination for the day.

Crossing the border to Spain

Leaving the fortress I said goodbye to Kevin and Liz and stopped to take a few photos of the fortress walls, before I reached Ponte Internacional, the bridge which spans the Rio Minho.

The centre of the bridge is for cars, there’s an upper deck for trains, while pedestrians can use either of the two walkways each side of the bridge.

I opted to walk on the right-hand side so that I’d get a better view of Tui, with its hilltop cathedral.

As is the norm within the EU, there’s no checkpoint or border control, so there’s no need to show your passport (or, in my case given the time that I’d walked, my Covid certificate). Simply walk across from one country to another.

Halfway across the bridge there’s a painted sign on the ground to mark the border between countries. Naturally, I had to take a photo to show one foot in Portugal, one foot in Spain! The sign is very faded due, no doubt, to the many thousands of pilgrims, and everyday tourists, who cross the bridge.

Don’t forget that Spain is an hour ahead of Portugal so, once you cross Ponte Internacional, you’re in a new time zone. Just keep an eye on your electronics as my phone kept switching between Spanish and Portuguese time while I was in Tui!

Reaching Tui

I’d arrived in Spain! From the bridge it was a matter of following the yellow arrows uphill through the old streets of Tui.

The arrows took me past the Cathedral in Plaza de San Fernando and along some charming old laneways to my accommodation for the night, Hotel A Torre do Xudeu. I had a lovely room in this historic building with, for the first time on this trip, a bath as well as a shower in the bathroom! Just what my weary bones needed!

You can read about all my accommodation choices on the Central route of the Camino Portugués here.

Exploring Tui

After a rest it was time to explore my surroundings. From my bedroom window I had a view of the Capela de San Telmo which I was keen to visit but, first, I wanted to head back to the Cathedral.

Tui Cathedral

A visit to Tui Cathedral should definitely be on your radar when you’re in Tui, if only for the view from the ramparts of the Rio Minho and Valença on the other side.

When visiting the Cathedral be sure to show your credencial for a special discounted entry fee for pilgrims.

Inside the Cathedral there’s a small museum and, as with most cathedrals, an impressive altar not to mention the cloisters surrounding manicured gardens.

Once you’ve taken in everything in the Cathedral and strolled around the cloisters it’s time to climb the steps to the top of the building for unrivalled views of the surrounding area.

Capela de San Telmo

San Telmo is the patron saint of Tui (and of sailors) and this small chapel was built on the site of the house where he died in the 13th century (although it wasn’t built until several hundred years after his death).

It’s only a small chapel but with a lovely interior and worth a look as you’re exploring Tui.

Readers of a certain age I defy you not to now be singing a certain 80s song by John Parr!!

Convento de Santa Clara

I passed this building several times in Tui as it was just around the corner from my hotel. Although it was closed each time I passed I did notice that they sold a variety of home-made biscuits so vowed to pick some up before I left Tui. Stay tuned for my day eight update to see if I did!

Food in Tui

As ever, food was never far from my mind and here in Tui it was no different.

The culinary specialities of Tui are eel and lamprey but I was craving pizza. Trying to find a pizzeria that was open in the late afternoon was proving difficult so I took myself off to La Crepe da Pia on Rua Porta da Pia for a sweet treat of a banana and Nutella crepe instead – pizza could wait and would surely taste all the better for it later!

I did manage to grab a pizza later that evening at Pizzeria di Marco on Rua Seijas so, all in all, day seven on the Camino Portugués was a good day indeed!

Tui would make a perfect rest day on the Camino and I was sorry that I didn’t have more time here. It has a lovely riverside walk, plenty of historic buildings to discover, and I would love to have walked back to Portugal and spent some real time exploring the fortress at Valença without the burden of my backpack.

Today’s Credencial Sellos

Today was a busy day for collecting sellos with six new ones added to my credencial.

If you want to walk the Camino but don’t know where to begin I’ve written this Camino Portugués planning guide which tells you everything you need to know and outlines all the steps you need to take to get you on your way.

Highlights of Day Seven

Reaching Spain and knowing that I was now over halfway to Santiago was a highlight (albeit bittersweet as it means my journey is coming to an end). The weather was ideal, I met some lovely people (old and new), the walking wasn’t too difficult, and Tui was a beautiful little town to explore and spend some time.

Lowlights of Day Seven

I honestly can’t think of any lowlights today. If I had to be really picky I’d say that I would have preferred my pizza to be a thin crust but, when the pizza craving calls, beggars can’t be choosers!

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Bom Caminho/Buen Camino

Follow my Camino Portugués Central route adventure:
Day 1 – Porto to Vila Chã
Day 2 – Vila Chã to São Pedro de Rates
Day 3 – São Pedro de Rates to Barcelos
Day 4 – Barcelos to Balugães
Day 5 – Balugães to Ponte de Lima
Day 6 – Ponte de Lima to Rubiães
Day 7 – Rubiães to Tui
Day 8 – Tui to O Porriño
Day 9 – O Porriño to Redondela
Day 10 – Redondela to Pontevedra
Day 11 – Pontevedra to Armenteira
Day 12 – Armenteira to Vilanova de Arousa
Day 13 – Vilanova de Arousa to Cruces
Day 14 – Cruces to Santiago de Compostela

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