Alto Minho is crossed by two centuries-old routes of the Portuguese Way of Santiago de Compostela, one inland and the other along the seafront, which offer very interesting travelling experiences in terms of cultural, natural and religious heritage.
The inland route runs from Ponte de Lima to Valença, a total of 38 kilometres that make up the royal road (Porto-Barcelos-Ponte de Lima-Valença), considered the backbone of the Portuguese Way of Santiago de Compostela, where almost all the other routes converge. From at least the beginning of the 14th century, anonymous crowds of walkers, travellers, merchants and pilgrims passed through here, as well as nobles, clergy and kings such as King Afonso II, Queen Santa Isabel and King Manuel I. The Roman/medieval bridge at Ponte de Lima is an obligatory crossing point and a national symbol of the Portuguese Way.
The Portuguese Way of the Coast is a variant of the Central Way, which connects the city of Porto to other coastal municipalities on the North Coast, with the alternative of connecting to Galicia by crossing the River Miño at La Guardia (opposite Caminha), Goian (through Vila Nova de Cerveira) or even Tui (via Valença do Minho). Its route only became more important from the 18th century onwards, being used by coastal populations and those disembarking at sea ports.
