Caminho Português Interior de Santiago

It crosses the border in Vilarelho da Raia, covering about 182 km of Via da Prata, in Spanish territory, until reaching Santiago de Compostela.

The Interior Portuguese Way of Santiago resulted from the joint commitment of the eight municipalities crossed, and differs from other pilgrimage routes already marked, in Portugal, by several factors:
Strict criteria for recognizing and marking the path;

The patrimonial, iconographic and toponymic wealth associated with Santiago and the Way;
The natural and rural environment;
The double meaning, allowing the use of the pilgrimage path to Santiago and Fátima
The Pilgrim travels about 385km between Viseu and Santiago de Compostela: Viseu (35.5km), Castro Daire (36.6km), Lamego (28.8km), Peso da Régua (3.7km), Santa Marta de Penaguião (15 , 3km), Vila Real (22.9km), Vila Pouca de Aguiar (24.8km) and Chaves (38.2km). For support from the Pilgrim, who is still guided by the yellow arrows, 10 hostels have already been marked, of which six are definitive. Their capacity ranges from 10 to 60 people and has rooms, bathroom, showers, laundry and other benefits.

The itinerary is based on the publication of “Portuguese Paths of Pilgrimage to Compostela - Portuguese itineraries”, by the author Arlindo Cunha, divided into nine journeys along traditional paths: Viseu / Almargem; Almargem / Mões; Mões / Magueija; Magueija / S. Gonçalo de Lobrigos; S. Gonçalo de Lobrigos / Vila Real; Vila Real / Zimão; Zimão / Oura; Oura / Chaves; Chaves / Frontier.

Expanding the international network of Caminhos de Santiago and increasing visitors to the Interior are some of the objectives of this intermunicipal project to mark and boost the Portuguese Interior Way of Santiago. The outlined route is close to the original route, in which the safety and comfort of the Pilgrims was not neglected, associated with a proactive rurality in valuing contact with people and the surrounding heritage, such as churches, alminhas, bridges and ancestral routes, among other identity elements.

The Interior Portuguese Way of Santiago's mission is to make known the ancient medieval path of the interior of Portugal, in its fullness, contributing to the preservation and safeguarding of the historical and cultural memory of the tradition of Portuguese pilgrimages to Santiago de Compostela.

https://www.chaves.pt/