A Day in Braga
Traveling from Vigo, Spain to Porto, Portugal | Spending a Day in Braga, Portugal | June 2026
When it came time to leave Vigo and continue heading further South, we packed our bags and made our way through the city and back to the mall that was also a train and bus station. Our next plan was to spend another 2 nights in Porto before going on to Lisbon. While trains are definitely our preferred method of travel across Europe, there was a closure on the tracks between Vigo and Valença that meant we would either need to take a bus to Valença and a train to Porto, or just take a bus. We chose the bus, but in order to make the most of the trip, we would get off in Braga, spend the day there, then take one of the hourly commuter trains back to Porto later that afternoon (We had already seen enough of Valença while walking through it on the Camino).
It was a very foggy morning in Vigo, and as it turned out, that fog continued through the entire drive and all the way into Braga. We were thankful it wasn’t hot, but missed seeing the surrounding views on the way. The drive was about an hour and a half, and when we arrived we went into the bus station to purchase some day passes for the Braga area buses. We really wanted to visit the Bom Jesus cathedral while here, as well as another church on another hilltop, and there were buses that went right to both of these sights that were just too far to reach from the city center by foot.
But first we wandered through the old part of town on our way to our first bus stop. We passed by many churches and cathedrals, including the Braga Cathedral. Portions of this cathedral date back to the 11th century, and it is one of the oldest buildings in Portugal. Were it not for nearby Santiago, it would be one of the most important churches on the Iberian peninsula.
While we passed through the heart of town, it was very clear that they were setting up for yet another festival – the Festa de São Pão do Porto. While we wouldn’t have the opportunity to see these festivities, the banners and decorations were still something…it was very colorful, with a lot of rubber hammers.
We hopped on a bus, which took us to the base of the mountain that was the highlight of today’s walking. Here began the steps up to the Santuraio do Bom Jesus do Monte. While much newer than the Braga Cathedral (parts of the Sanctuary weren’t completed until the 19th century) the stairs and architecture here were much grander in our opinion. The ground was made up of black and white mosaic tiles, like we remembered seeing all around Porto, and each stretch of the walk had different patterns. We followed the long staircase to the top, stopping frequently to take in the views through the fog of both Braga and the church. The inside of the Church was equally beautiful.
From here we continued behind the church and through some gardens and a tourist village before following forest roads further up the mountain. You may think, with so many churches in the city proper, and one on the mountain, certainly there are no more churches. But you would be wrong. At the top of the mountain we came upon the Sanctuary of Our Lady Sameiro. There was a service going on inside so we didn’t get to see much there, but the outside of the building was still beautiful. Unfortunately, the main reason we had come up here was the view across Braga, but the dreary clouds had settled in, and even though we stuck around to eat our lunch and wait for our return bus, they were persistent and never cleared.
From here we grabbed the bus going down the mountain and back to the town center we walked around a bit more. When we had accomplished everything we wanted to do here, we walked back to the bus station where we returned the bus passes for a small refund, and then walked over to the train station. We purchased tickets for the next train to Porto, and then boarded it when it was time. It was another hour and a half ride back to Porto, but by now all the fog from the day had worn off so we had better views for our ride into the city.
Returning to Porto felt like returning to a familiar place that we know and love. We already basically knew our way around the downtown area, it just took a little navigating to find our new hotel for the next 2 nights. This time we were staying at a hotel closer to the cathedral, which turned out to be a very eccentric hotel. It was very modern and trendy with a lot of odd decor…including neon signs, mirrored walls and ceilings, and… a carousel horse in our room? Definitely the most interesting place we’ve stayed! That night, we went to a Chinese restaurant near the bridge which called itself the oldest Chinese restaurant in Portugal, and then ended our day with a walk across the bridge.
We had one more full day in Porto, and just like every other day we had spent in the city before the Camino, we spent the majority of today walking about 10 miles. Walking is just the easiest way for us to get to see a place and feel somewhat productive, and not have to constantly ask “what do you want to do next?” For today’s walk, we crossed the bridge to the South side of the Duoro River, walked down to the river side and all the wine houses (though we did not partake), and walked the river all the way to the ocean. It was a fun way to sort of relive our first day in Portugal, which we barely remembered now because of how jet lagged we were that day and because of all the walking we’d done since then. We enjoyed seeing a new perspective on vaguely familiar sights and remembering a now unfamiliar version of ourselves, people who were experiencing their first moments in Portugal and taking the beginning steps of their Camino.
Our walk to the ocean was pretty quiet, with not many people out in the city or on the sidewalks. Much like our first day on the Camino, the surroundings went from city of Porto, to more residential, to beach town. We passed by a large coastal nature preserve before finally arriving at the coast. Here we sat on rocks and watched the waves, and tried to make out anything we remembered on the North side. We ate our lunch, then turned around and walked back. It was busier now, especially back towards the bridge in Porto where vendors were now set up and taking over the sidewalks. We crossed the Duoro river, this time on the bottom tier of the bridge, then made the steep walk back up the streets on the North side back to our hotel. After resting for a few hours, we went out for one more walk around the city, trying to walk down some streets we hadn’t seen yet while also looking for familiar landmarks, and ended our walk the way any walk should end, with gelato.
