Spiritual Variant Beginning

The Spiritual Variant, known in Galician as the Variante Espiritual, is an alternative route of the Camino Portugués that begins in Pontevedra and follows the Lérez and Umia rivers before crossing the Ría de Arousa by boat to reach the Padrón area. The variant is associated with the legendary sea voyage of the body of Saint James from Jaffa to Galicia, and the water crossing of the ría is considered the symbolic heart of the route.

The departure point is in Pontevedra, where pilgrims following this variant leave the standard Camino Portugués and begin heading northwest toward the river estuaries. The route passes through coastal and estuarine landscapes distinct from the inland corridor of the main route, combining walking stages with the boat crossing of the Ría de Arousa.

The Spiritual Variant is increasingly popular for its maritime character and the mythological resonance of re-enacting the arrival of Saint James by sea.