Architectours - To live and to know Porto

St James Way: From the Cathedral to the Monastery
Hello all! There are many ways of leaving Porto. This time, we are going to take a rather old one.
We’ll meet in front of Porto Cathedral, right in the thick of one of the city's busiest, most tourist-riddled corners — and then simply walk away from it.

Not randomly, though. We’ll be following the old road north, along a route whose history stretches back to Roman times, when the road connected Portus Cale with Bracara Augusta — Porto and Braga today. Centuries later, pilgrims heading for Santiago would use much of the same corridor.
From the Cathedral, we’ll gradually leave the monumental centre behind and head north through the less visited parts of the city, following the old axis towards Leça do Balio.
And there is a very good reason why we are going there on this particular afternoon.

At the end of our road stands the extraordinary Monastery of Leça do Balio, for centuries associated with the Knights Hospitaller — the Order of St John of Jerusalem. They were warriors, certainly, but also guardians of roads and providers of shelter and assistance to travellers and pilgrims. Few destinations could therefore be more appropriate for a walk along the old Way.
Except that, when we arrive, the Middle Ages will have made something of a comeback.

Leça do Balio will be hosting its medieval festival and fair, this year with the Hospitallers themselves taking centre stage. Rather than our customary end-of-walk snack, your entrance to the medieval fair will be included in the tour.
And this is where the timing comes in.

We’ll set out in the afternoon, but as we approach Leça, the sun will be setting. The daylight fades, the fires are lit, the stalls come alive, food starts cooking, music and voices fill the monastery grounds — and what began amid the crowds around Porto Cathedral ends in a rather different world.
There will be no need to hurry home.

Once inside, the walk is over and the evening is yours: wander through the fair, eat, drink, watch the reenactments, investigate the stalls and enjoy the general medieval commotion for as long as you please.
From Roman road to pilgrim route; from Cathedral to monastery; from the bustle of contemporary Porto to fires burning beneath the walls of a medieval fortress-church.

Before days become forbidingly short, we're crossing the border one final time

Some journeys are measured in miles. Others are measured in centuries.
Join us as we leave Porto behind and travel north through a landscape where frontiers were drawn, kingdoms emerged, pilgrims found hope, and the Atlantic has shaped life for generations in a single culture set apart between two nations.

Our first stop is the mighty fortress of Valença, where colossal ramparts still stand watch over the River Minho. Here, we'll discover a city built not simply to be lived in, but to be defended—a masterpiece of military architecture and a reminder that peace is often written upon the foundations of conflict.

Beyond the river lies Galicia and one of Europe's most extraordinary destinations: Santiago de Compostela. More than the end of the Camino, Santiago is a city of stone, faith and imagination. Its cathedral, monasteries, hidden alleys and lively squares reveal a place where Romanesque, Gothic and Baroque architecture blend into a story that has inspired travellers for over a thousand years.

Leaving the pilgrim city behind, we head towards the Atlantic to discover Combarro, where granite houses, centuries-old hórreos and fishing boats seem suspended in time. Here, architecture belongs to the landscape, and every narrow lane leads towards the sea.

This is not simply a tour from one place to another. It is an invitation to slow down, to notice the details often overlooked, and to experience the landscapes of Portugal and Galicia through architecture, history and the stories that give them meaning.

Walk ancient streets. Cross forgotten frontiers. Follow the paths of pilgrims. Discover places where every stone has something to say. Come with us, and experience the true Sense of Place.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION (do not skip this section):
Price €120/ person (includes door-to-door transportation, drive to the location and back to your home, about 600km), guide fees and entrance to the cathedral.