Inland Portuguese Way of St James

The Inland Portuguese Way of St James is the Jacobean route that crosses the northern interior of Portugal, linking Viseu to the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, in Galicia. It is set apart from the coastal routes by climbing through the highlands of the Beira Alta and Trás-os-Montes, crossing the Douro valley, on a more mountainous and less crowded course. It forms part of the set of Portuguese Ways of St James, alongside the Central Portuguese Way and the Coastal Portuguese Way.

Route and stages

The route departs from Viseu and unfolds across eight Portuguese municipalities — Viseu, Castro Daire, Lamego, Peso da Régua, Santa Marta de Penaguião, Vila Real, Vila Pouca de Aguiar and Chaves — until it reaches the border at Vilarelho da Raia. On Portuguese soil, the way covers around 205 to 214 kilometres, usually divided into nine stages linking Viseu, Mões, Magueija, São Gonçalo de Lobrigos, Vila Real, Zimão, Oura and Chaves before the frontier.

Once the border is crossed, the route enters Galicia through Verín and merges with the Vía de la Plata, also known as the Camino Sanabrés, continuing for about 180 kilometres to Compostela. In all, the journey between Viseu and Santiago comes to around 385 to 390 kilometres, crossing mountain landscapes, the vineyards of the Douro and ancient roads of Roman origin.

Historical roots and heritage

The way makes use of very old movement corridors, partly following routes of Roman origin that connected the centre of the territory to the Trás-os-Montes lands and to Galicia. The passage through Chaves — the Roman Aquae Flaviae — underlines this legacy, visible in the bridge over the river Tâmega and in the density of milestones across the region. Along the route there follow in succession churches, chapels, wayside crosses and bridges that bear witness to the continuity of Jacobean devotion in the Portuguese interior.

Viseu, the starting point, offers a remarkable monumental ensemble headed by its cathedral and its historic core, while Lamego, Vila Real and Chaves punctuate the way with sanctuaries, manor houses and old town centres. This interplay between pilgrimage route and built heritage reinforces the cultural value of the itinerary.

Recognition and significance

For a long time used mainly at a local level, the Inland Way has, in recent decades, been the object of a programme of restoration, waymarking and promotion led by municipalities and pilgrims’ associations. This effort culminated in its official certification by Ordinance no. 457/2021, which formally recognised it as a variant of the Ways of St James in Portugal.

The itinerary is also part of the set of Portuguese Jacobean ways put forward for international recognition, within the framework of enhancing the pilgrimage routes to Compostela. More than a sporting trail, the Inland Portuguese Way asserts itself as an axis of territorial and cultural cohesion, giving visibility to an interior rich in natural, religious and historical heritage.