CAMINO PORTUGUÉS – Day 8: Tuesday 2 June 2026 – TUI to PORRIÑO (17 [+6] kilometres)
This landmark appears to be the ‘cut-out’ from the granite statue I shot yesterday in Tui
It was certainly good to get back on the trail this morning, after my ‘Rest Day’ in Tui, for the relatively short rural section of the Camino Portugués up to Porriño. I walked most of the way with Sebastian and Lisa from Bristol, who I met just after leaving Tui, and we had a pleasant straightforward day’s walk over a rolling landscape of woods and vineyards to the ‘granite town’.
North of the border now (shown by the yellow line), and into Spain
We followed the main Camino route (orange dotted line) out of Tui, then diverted onto the scenic route (green dots), in order to avoid the large industrial zone south of Porriño
Although my highlights of this section of the journey show plenty of greenery, today’s destination has been all about granite. I am writing this piece from my room in the industrial town of Porriño, where we arrived rather abruptly around lunchtime – the centre’s livelihood, and indeed its very being, is based around mining the quarries to the south-east of the town and in the intense activities involved in the finishing of granite for the construction industry. And, as the later pictures show, it is clear that the locals have more of the stone than they know what to do with.
Looking back up into Tui, as I left the town’s empty streets this morning . . . . . . with a reminder of the remaining distance to SantiagoIt was somewhat reassuring to see that I was not alone . . .. . . as the path left the town . . .. . . and passed the medieval Ponte de Veiga over the Rio LouroThen ensued a short section of senda (a designated track alongside a main road), that was a dreaded feature on parts of last year’s Camino FrancésAway from the traffic and into the woods nowThe Cruz de San Telmo (aka the Bridge of Fevers) is where St Telmo fell sick and died of a fever on his return from a Santiago pilgrimage in 1251 . . .. . . and where this stone cross still commemorates his passingThere are many of these horreos in the gardens and smallholdings hereabouts – rat-proofed elevated grain stores that come in quite a variety of designs and materials (including granite)The five stone crosses at A Fonte . . .. . . and crossing another ancient footbridgeArriving at Orbenlle with Sebastian and Lisa – like most others we elected to take the slightly longer scenic route to Porriño . . .. . . that took us past this makeshift shrine. . . and back into the woods . . .. . . before once more crossing the Rio LouroA ford this time . . .. . . successfully negotiated Far-off hills to the east . . .. . . as we reached the southern outskirts of PorriñoA distant glimpse of the granite quarries, producing the stone for which Porriño is renowned . . .. . . in its houses . . .. . . and chapels . . .. . . street furniture . . .. . . and civic buildings . . .. . . as well as roadside storage . . .. . . garden jenga . . .. . . and even granite fly-tippingInto the city centre . . .. . . to the town square, where surely the authorities should stretch to a granite scallop shell!
Tomorrow we have a more hilly day in prospect, as the Camino Portugués heads northward once more towards Redondela. The scheduled walking days are a little shorter now, the forecast weather is cooler, and the path is busier with the new pilgrims joining the trail from Tui (a pleasant start-point that makes for a convenient one-week trek to Santiago). Certainly tonight in Porriño there is a party atmosphere amongst those from the many countries undertaking the Camino Portugués. I predict a riot!
Dinner tonight for five peregrinos, from five proud nations
I think I might be right in thinking that of my 300-plus Blogs over the last five years I have yet to have an ELO song title as my heading. So today I can right that, with ‘Turn to Stone’; a number that the Birmingham-based progressive pop and rock band Electric Light Orchestra released in 1977 as the opening track on their ‘Out of the Blue’ double album. ELO’s multi-faceted sound fused pop and classical elements with futuristic iconography, all under the direction of multi-instrumentalist, lead vocalist and producer Jeff Lynne. The band formed in 1970 and had a long string of hits up to their break-up in 1986.
And whilst we are are on the subject of stones . . .
Walking for Fun, Challenge and Charity! 