Hiking Bilbao to Porto: El Camino Trails, Mountain Hamlets, and Douro Vineyards
Spain to Portugal Private Journey
Overview
Hike the legendary pilgrim trails of El Camino de Santiago, stay in historic paradors, and soak up the atmosphere of some of northern Spain and Portugal's most historic towns and villages. With your private guide, you'll begin in Bilbao, capital of Spain's Basque country, then head to the pilgrim town of Burgos. As you hike from Burgos to León, crossing thousand-year-old pilgrim trails dotted with Romanesque churches and fields of sunflowers, you'll be immersed in the lore of El Camino, then enter medieval León on foot, as did pilgrims of yore. As you move into Spain's remote Sanabria region and closer to Portugal, your hikes bring you through lakeside chestnut forests in a nature reserve. You'll enter Portugal the WT way—on a hike across the border and into a national park, then by way of the Via Nova, a stone-paved Roman road still marked by many of its original Roman milestones. Cap off your adventure in the coastal city of Porto to enjoy its famous Port wine, cobbled-street charm, and dazzling architecture.
Arrive: Bilbao, Spain
Depart: Porto, Portugal
Highlights
- Walk some of the best sections of the legendary El Camino de Santiago from Burgos to León
- Explore nature trails in Spain’s Lake Sanabria Natural Park and Portugal’s Parque Nacional da Peneda-Gerês
- Hike high above the famed vineyards of the Douro River Valley, one of Europe’s oldest wine regions
- Discover the engaging cities of Burgos, León, and Braga, visit the wine cellars of Porto
- Go tapas-tasting at local tavernas, sample Spain and Portugal’s regional cuisines
Itinerary
After exploring Bilbao on the Basque coast, head to the plains of the Castilian Plateau to hike classic pilgrim trails laced with history. Your route leads through farmlands between the medieval city of Burgos and stunning León, with plenty of art and architecture to be seen along the way. Overnights are in charming Burgos, capital of Old Castile for 500 years, Carrión de los Condes, with its 12th century Romanesque churches, and the engaging pilgrim city of Leon, whose towering Gothic cathedral is one of the finest in Europe.
Near Spain’s remote border with Portugal, hike in the mountain landscape of Sanabria Lake Natural Park and along the shores of crystal-clear Lago de Sanabria, the largest glacial lake in Spain. Overnights are at a parador in the hilltop village of Puebla de Sanabria, overlooking the Tera River Valley.
Hike into Portugal on a trail into Parque Nacional da Peneda-Gerês, Portugal’s only national park, and along the remarkable Via Nova, a stone-paved Roman road. After an overnight in the elegant city of Braga, walk in the idyllic Douro River vineyards, with wine-tasting and lunch at a traditional quinta en route to the lovely town of Pinhão. To get from Pinhão to Porto, take a boat ride along the Douro River. In Porto on the coast, enjoy walking tour of highlights and hidden gems, and depart on Day 11.
Accommodations
Scroll through our signature accommodations for this trip below. Although it is highly unlikely, we may make substitutions when necessary.
What the Trip is Like
This trip is rated a Level 2-3 (Easy to Moderate) according to our trip grading system, with hikes of 5-8 miles on most days. Although you'll carry just a light daypack on the trail, you should be fully prepared for the hikes and accustomed to walking in sturdy hiking boots.
Review Trip Level Details
Most of the walks are on dirt roads, rural trails, and loose gravel paths. The trails are well maintained and have little to no exposure.
For your own enjoyment of travel, we recommend you make a special effort to be in good physical condition. Daily brisk walking and/or regular hiking (or using a stair-climbing machine at your gym) are excellent preparatory exercises.
The weather is likely to be changeable! In general, we expect warm and balmy conditions, with cooling breezes and occasional showers. We should encounter warm and dry weather in Castile, with always a chance for showers in Bilbao and Porto.
Overnights are in top quality hotels, most of them located in historic buildings such as monasteries or castles, with three nights in paradors.
You’ll encounter an incredible variety of the best regional cuisines, from a Michelin-starred restaurant in Bilbao to the delicious daily selection of tapas in lively tavernas to the sumptuous seafood in Portugal, the country of a thousand fish recipes. Meals are washed down with some of the most famous wines in the world including Rioja, Ribera del Duero, Mencia, and Port.
Most of the lunches are picnics, with city lunches in restaurants and cafes. In the Douro Valley, you'll enjoy lunch in a quinta, or family winery. In Spain and Portugal, people don't usually convene for lunches until around 1:00 pm. Please note that in Spain, the dinner hour is considerably later than what it is in the US.
All transfers are by minivan with a private guide/driver. Driving times on most days range from 1 or 2 hours to 3.5 total.
Client Testimonials
"We loved the guide and driver. They were excellent in taking care of us, making sure we were happy and safe, and the guide had excellent knowledge of the culture and history of the area."
Marianna S.
Saratoga, CA
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Itinerary
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Trip Levels
With more than 200 different adventures to choose from, we want to help you find the trip that’s right for you. Our Trip Level system ranks each trip in two ways: a number rating from 1 to 6 according to the activity, and general travel rigors. 1 is the easiest and 6+ the most difficult.