Stage 7: Tui, Spain to Porrino, Spain

Published Sunday, September 20, 2026

Data: 11.29 miles, 4:13 hours moving time, elevation 1,237 feet.
Hotel: Alojamientos Central

Six pilgrims crowd into a selfie in front of a floodlit medieval cathedral before dawn, packs on and hats pushed back.

A hiker in the blue half light buying fruit from a man at a small folding stall under a tarp by the trail.

Wooded hills rolling away to a blue mountain ridge under a clear morning sky.

One hiker brushing another's hair as she sits in a plastic chair on a sunny terrace, mountains behind them.

Six friends around a restaurant table raising a selfie, wine glasses in front of them and a painted mural of a train behind.

A gnarled old olive tree growing from a curved stone stairway beside a granite church wall.

An ornate granite civic building with a battlemented tower and carved arched entrance, seen from the square below.

Our 7 am start in the dark walking into the sunrise made for a cool and vigorous start to an easy day. With the stars twinkling in the night sky over the ancient city, it was a breathtaking scene of pilgrims with headlamps lining the streets.

Three walkers seen from behind on a dirt track in the dark, headlamps and a red rear light picking them out against the trees.

Medieval bridges with embedded wagon ruts made us pause to imagine the pilgrims and local villagers who have shared our journey. Imprinted stones of over a thousand years still hold strong for the 44,368 pilgrims who’ve passed here since 2021. Our group of 6 is included in this figure. Empty stone buildings stand strong despite weeds and wild flowers creeping into their rooms. Birds call and heckle each other and the stream trickles and curls around creek beds. An occasional rooster announces the morning sun rising slowly and fiercely over the mountaintops.

A low medieval stone bridge, mossed over and humpbacked, crossing a still stream in a green wood.

At a cool—58*F in the forest this morning and my hands were nearly numb. But I didn’t worry as the forecast was for 91* by 1 pm. We stopped at a pilgrim cafe for coffee and treats. The pilgrim cafes are often filled with music, a little dancing, and grateful, hungry pilgrims eager for whatever is on the menu. Rows of backpacks in every hue are stacked against the wall and a rainbow of hiking poles make the place look like a ski lodge. After a brief recharge, we set off for the last 2.5 miles to Porrino.

A dozen backpacks and a thicket of trekking poles propped against a stone wall outside a cafe.

Our hotel is clean, comfy, directly on the Way, and includes a healthy and delicious restaurant, which is an added bonus. Pilgrims have big appetites!

My body is tired at the end of our hike today, but we will hydrate, eat well, and sleep hard tonight. Tomorrow is an unusually long and hard day—15 miles and lots of elevation with temperatures well into the nineties. We are setting alarms for 5 AM with a start time of 6AM. Buen Camino!

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