CAMINO PORTUGUÉS – Day 4: Thursday 28 May 2026 – BARCELOS to PONTE de LIMA (35 [+7] kilometres)
A brutal rural scene re-enacted in Ponte de Lima
This part of Portugal is just fabulous walking country: verdant valleys, clear streams, forests of pine and eucalyptus, vines and maize, and sleepy villages presided upon by ancient chapels: with every turn of the path a new vista opens. The area is rural but not isolated, quiet but not empty, and beautiful without being twee, with interest that extends beyond the natural environment to the agrarian human landscape. A walker’s paradise, and the finest day yet on this Camino Portugués. Let us now get straight on with the maps and the highlights.
My progress report, with Day 4 in pink highlight . . .
. . . and further details of my day’s hike for those interested (follow the orange dots – as I tried, in vain at times, to do earlier)
Dawn in Barcelos and somehow, overnight and without a soul around, this stage has sprung up in the main square- I feel as though I am about to miss a party . . .. . . in favour of a 194-kilometre hike!Barcelos FC – with a population of around 25,000, the town seems to be punching above its weight . . .. . . whilst the nearby Abade de Neiva in the Vila Boa suburb is rather more modest, but goes back a few more centuriesChapels now at every mile – and with chimes ringing on the hour there was no need for a watch or phone for timekeeping todayAt Portela the the trail reaches my high point for today, of just under 200 metres, as I left the catchment of the Rio Cávado for the Neiva ValleyCrossing the watershed the architectural style changes somewhat . . .. . . and, at last, the way diverged from the granite cobblestones – a welcome rest for the feetAt 9-ish, and with 12 kilometres already in the clock, my breakfast – of coffee, water, ham & cheese bap, and bun – cost just 4 Euros (less than the coffee alone in most UK cafés) . . .. . . and then, as the Neiva Valley opened up, we were into some delightful open countryThe Rio Neiva is the smallest of the five main rivers that the way crosses between Porto and the Spanish border: the Ponte de Tábuas bridge has been closed for decades, or maybe centuries, to anything but pedestrians, but the medieval stone structure is nonetheless a present-day emblem of the Camino PortuguésAnother chapel, the 12th Century São Martinho in Beluâes . . .. . . and then the path leads back into the woodsMaize fields . . .. . . and vineyards . . .. . . became the theme of the day . . .. . . with intermittent woodland pathsGranite props for the vines . . .. . . and some more welcome shadeDescending into the Rio Lima Valley – another watershed crossed . . .. . . and another medieval bridge to cross, at Ponte de Barros . . .. . . with its bandstand by the riversideThe path then reaches the banks of the mighty Rio Lima . . .. . . for the final stretch . . .. . . before my glorious arrival in Ponte de LimaOne of the two remaining stone columns that guard this strategic crossing point . . .. . . whilst in the main square refreshment awaits . . .. . . with views of the river and the ancient bridge that lends its name to the town
I was walking by 6.15 am this morning, fearful of the impending mid-day heat on what was scheduled to be the longest walking day of my trek – 35 kilometres on the path itself plus, as it turned out (after a couple of diversions and a fair trek out of the town centre to my evening accommodation) another seven! I think that distance just about qualifies as a marathon. But I need not have worried too much about the weather, as the day started gloomy and the sun failed to burn through the early cloud until around 11.00 am – by which time I was over halfway to my destination. A soft breeze also made for more pleasant activity than the earlier sections, and this day of walking paradise will last long in the memory – so high spirits all round tonight, as I rested up with a couple of fellow pelegrinos, ahead of some shorter stretches of path over the next two days.
Oh crikes! I got in with the Irish this evening, and food was definitely not on the menu! Thanks Connor and Owen for a great night
As my Blog heading today I could easily have selected The Human League’s ‘Things That Dreams Are Made Of’ but, on balance, I have instead gone with US country rock artist Johnny Rivers’ version of ‘Green Green’. A friend introduced me to Rivers recently, and his fine vocals and upbeat easy-listening style (including covers of many 60s classics) certainly work for me in my present mindset. ‘Green Green’ was written and first recorded in 1963 by American folk ensemble The New Christie Minstrels, becoming their first hit. The song was later covered by a wide range of other artists from Glen Campbell to our own (Sir) Cliff Richard, during the 1960s and beyond.
The Ponte de Lima looks equally stunning after nightfall
Walking for Fun, Challenge and Charity! 