Today the ocean sets the pace. You walk mostly along the coast, with the wind in your face and the smell of salt and pine in the air. The path alternates between sandy tracks, forest paths and stretches through small villages. Nowhere does it get really steep, but all those little climbs add up.
With around 7 hours on the move, a long break is no luxury. Take it halfway, when your legs ask for it. Towards the end the city comes into view, with the hill of Santa Luzia and its basilica above the rooftops. You walk into Viana do Castelo alongside the River Lima, and put your rucksack down. A café terrace is never far away.