Day 6: Rubiaes to Tui, Spain

Published Saturday, September 19, 2026

Data: 12.67 miles, 5:15 hours moving time, elevation 1,168 feet

Six pilgrims crowd into a morning selfie on a gravel path, one waving.

A narrow old stone bridge over a stream, overgrown at the edges, two walkers crossing at the far end.

Three pilgrims with poles walking toward the camera on a shaded lane through tall trees.

A local woman with a rope leading a line of goats along a road beside a stone wall.

A white church with a stone bell tower and a flight of steps, against a deep blue sky.

A pilgrim with poles standing before a white wall painted with a Camino route map from Porto to Santiago.

A cobbled street in Valença lined with shops selling linens and towels under wrought-iron balconies.

A cobbled lane climbing beside a high, mossy stone wall.

Three pilgrims standing in the dark arched gateway of the old fortress walls.

A corner watchtower on the fortress wall, mountains across the valley below.

The fortress wall in silhouette against a bright sun, cobbles in the foreground.

A gate under the steel bridge painted with the word Portugal and its coat of arms, a European Union sign beside it.

Green road signs reading Comunidad de Galicia and Provincia de Pontevedra beside Spanish speed-limit signs.

Two pilgrims in sun hats on the walkway of a steel bridge, the railing hung with ribbons, a river and hills behind.

Four friends in an evening selfie at the foot of the cathedral steps in Tui.

Today was a smorgasbord of hiking surfaces—stones, cobblestones, forest floor. The morning stroll through grape vines and winding paths was pleasant, quiet, and peaceful. A goat herd led by a local herder cheerfully passed by us. Then the heat poured over us in the afternoon and the rural path turned into industrial roadway with small chapels along the way. The dust kicked up and the 12.1 mile hike was the longest day. Longest day until we hit Valenca—a town within medieval castle walls. So picturesque!

The grassy moats and angled stone ramparts of the Valença fortress, green hills beyond.

After a late lunch the Camino took us over the bridge to Tui Spain! I did not enjoy the walk over the bridge due to my vertigo, but with the support of my friends I persisted.

The narrow pedestrian walkway of the old iron bridge over the Minho river, a pilgrim far ahead.

Three pilgrims smiling beneath a blue España border sign covered in stickers.

We visited the beautiful Tui Cathedral, made friends with teachers of the disabled (their professional title), and ended the day with vino verde and tapas while overlooking the mountains of Portugal. Our hotel is four star and overlooks the city of Tui. Our room is spacious, clean, and a little swanky for pilgrims—but we’re so comfy and happy!

The carved Gothic doorway of Tui Cathedral, rows of stone figures around a pointed arch.

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