Portuguese Coastal Way ‧ Stage 4

Information

About this stage

Distance and elevation

Stage profile

Km 0 ‧ Esposende

From Esposende Town Centre we continue straight on along Av. Dr. Henrique Barros Lima until we reach the Hospital Valentim Ribeiro, in an elegant historic building, where we turn left along Av. Rocha Gonçalves to return to the estuary of the Cádavo River. After 800 metres we pass the fort of São João Baptista, behind which stands a small lighthouse; we follow Av. dos Banhos parallel to the sea, although it soon turns inland. It is now time to turn left into Rua da Agrela, with trees and fields on both sides, which eventually brings us to the village of Marinhas. Turn right into Rua da Praia and cross the N-13 road, on the other side of which is the São Sebastião Chapel and the Red Cross building.

Km 4,3 ‧ Marinhas

We follow the street to the church of São Miguel, and turn right. After the Environmental Education Centre we turn left into Rua de São João, and soon pass the chapel of São João do Monte. Via Rua da Ponte Nova, Rua da Estrada Velha and Estrada Real we arrive at the building of the Centro Cívico de Mar.

Km 7 ‧ Mar (Esposende)

We continue in the same direction, following the arrows through the streets of the town. Once on Rua Padre Almeida we pass by a school where there is a wall painting that greets pilgrims, and we arrive at the church of Belinho, with a cruceiro (stone cross).

Km 8,2 ‧ Belinho

We continue straight on along the same Rua Padre Almeida, and pass the Quinta do Paraíso residential estate, which we go round to the left. The cobbled Rua Barão de Maracaná becomes a dirt track, with stone walls on both sides, along which we reach a road where there is a chapel; we follow its pavement to the left for 200 metres, passing a stone cross, and leave it on the right. We are now in the parish of Antas.

Km 5,8 ‧ Antas

We soon reach the junction with the EN-13 road, cross it and continue straight on along the narrow Rua da Carvalha, between houses and stone walls; this continues along a downhill dirt track that enters the forest. After passing a crossroads with a large Jacobean monolith in stone, a narrow and beautiful path begins on the left that descends to the Neiva river bed, next to the old Guilheta mill or azenha de Guilheta. The river, which is usually quite fast-flowing, is crossed by a pontella or platform of granite tiles without a handrail. Once on the other side, we continue to the right along a strongly ascending cobbled track, passing between the houses of the Rua da Cima neighbourhood, until we reach the Chapel of N. S. de Guadalupe. We continue to the right until we reach the junction with the EN-13-3 road; this is where the Travessa de Santiago starts, a paved shortcut with a steep climb that will lead us to the church of São Tiago.

Km 13 ‧ Castelo do Neiva

Our route continues in the direction of a car park area; once there, we turn right and take a dirt track that starts a sharp climb, bordering the cemetery; this is the start of another very beautiful stretch through the forest, with a succession of dirt tracks and some cobbled climbs. We pass the houses in the Monte neighbourhood, which belongs to the parish of Neiva, and once again enter the forest until we reach the baroque church of the monastery of São Romão de Neiva. We pass the church and its cemetery and continue along the road that leads off to the left, going slightly uphill. In just a few minutes we enter the village of Chafé.

Km 17,6 ‧ Chafé

When we reach the cemetery, we turn left and follow a string of cobbled streets until we enter the parish of Vila Nova de Anha. We arrive in front of the parish church of São Tiago and, in front of it, there is a small neoclassical chapel where we can stamp our credentials.

Km 19,9 ‧ Anha

After crossing the town we take a paved road through fields and woods, which takes us to an industrial park; after a segment of downhill sandy road we arrive at Darque, very close to Viana do Castelo.

Km 22,6 ‧ Darque

We continue along the pavement of the N-13 road until we reach a roundabout, after which we continue straight ahead to cross the great Eiffel Bridge over the River Lima, which has two levels: the upper deck for cars and pedestrians, and the lower one for the railways. Once on the other side of the river we can continue to the left, towards the historic centre of Viana do Castelo until we reach the Praça da República.

Km 25,1 ‧ Viana do Castelo