Porto → Santiago de Compostela On an e-bike

the Camino we rode before recommending it

The goal was simple: to live the Camino exactly as we would like to recommend it.

We didn’t want to build a Santiago experience from a nice idea, a perfect map, or a set of photographs.
We wanted to feel the route in our bodies, understand the decisions that matter, test the bikes on real terrain, and return to Porto with the calm confidence to say: we rode the Camino, we learned from it, and we know how to help other people do it better.

With the right bike, seamless logistics, curated accommodation, time to stop, room for challenge, and the peace of mind of arriving at the end of the day to a warm shower, good food, recovery, and the small ritual that became part of the journey: the 7 pm gin and tonic.

Our setup: premium, but still a real Camino

Between 27 March and 1 April, we left our shop, heading towards Santiago de Compostela.
There were five of us: three from CICLO and two friends.
We took two Riese & Müller Nevo touring bikes that are now part of our rental fleet, one Tern Orox S12 cargo e-bike, one Riese & Müller Superdelite rohloff, and one Riese & Müller Delite rohloff.

This was not a trip to prove that electric assistance removes effort. Quite the opposite.
The Camino still asks for body, attention, patience, resilience, and humility.
The difference is that an excellent e-bike makes that effort sustainable. It helps on climbs, in headwinds, on long days, and when fatigue starts to build. It does not take away the achievement. It protects the experience.

We rode from Porto to Santiago over five cycling days, with 4-star+ accommodation, luggage transfer between stages, 2x20L Ortlieb panniers, and one extra day in Santiago to explore the city, collect the Compostela, and take a private van excursion to Muxia and Finisterra.

For anyone considering the Camino by electric bike, this may be the most important message: comfort is not the opposite of adventure. Comfort is what allows you to enjoy the adventure for several days in a row.

Day 1 | the river, the sea and a lesson about stairs

We gathered around 9 am at our shop, finishing the last details: tyre pressure, batteries, panniers, cameras, layers, credentials, and that particular group energy that exists just before an adventure begins.

The departure felt special. We crossed the Luis I Bridge towards Porto Cathedral to collect our credentials and our first stamps. The Cathedral became our kilometre zero. From there, we dropped down towards the river mouth and followed the coast, stopping to film, breathe, and realise that we were already inside the journey.

Along the way, we followed the pilgrim signs and ended up on a boardwalk variant with stairs.
We knew this could happen, but when you are carrying loaded bikes, even excellent bikes, theory becomes heavier. The solution was simple and very Camino-like: teamwork, good humour, and an immediate product decision: a premium experience should not leave this kind of surprise to chance.

The first day felt intense, not because of the distance or the ride itself, but because we were still settling into the journey. A peaceful lunch in Vila do Conde, overlooking the river, gave us the time we needed to slow down, adjust and find our rhythm.

When we reached our first accommodation, the value of recovery became clear: spa, pool, sauna for some, gin and tonic for others, and a level of hospitality that made us feel genuinely cared for.
The bikes charged overnight. So did we.

Day 2 | Off-road, basilica and a sunset worth keeping

We woke up to a magnificent continental breakfast. Everything was good, almost too good, when there were still kilometres ahead. After checking the bikes and checking out, we returned to the route.

On this day, we chose a more off-road variant to avoid some cobblestones and urban sections, aiming also to test our bikes on a more challenging terrain. It became one of the best decisions of the trip. The route felt quieter, more natural, and more ours. The bikes confirmed exactly what we wanted to test: comfort, stability, and confidence when the terrain stops being perfect.

We stopped in Viana do Castelo for lunch. The restaurant did not become one of the memories of the trip, but that is also part of the Camino: not every decision is the best one.

We had hoped to try a famous local pastry shop, but the queue was huge. So we climbed to the Santa Luzia Basilica without a pastry in our stomachs, but with electric assistance available. The view paid for everything.

What followed was one of the most beautiful and technical stretches of the whole journey: a narrow coastal path, challenging and alive, with the sunset turning the landscape a deep orange. It was a long day, partly because we were still learning the value of early starts.

That night, our accommodation surprised us with an old wine cellar converted into a bar and lounge.
It was after hours, but perfect for our 7 pm ritual.

Day 3 - no boat and choosing the Ecovia do Minho

The third day began with history. The owner of the property gave us a short tour, clearly showing us something she was deeply proud of. It reminded us that, when well chosen, accommodation is not just a place to sleep. It becomes part of the Camino story.

Once on the road, we noticed another practical detail: Spain is one hour ahead, and we were late (again).
The original plan included crossing from Caminha to A Guarda by boat. But when we reached the boats, we understood that this was not the right option for our bikes. The size of the boats, the way the bikes would be handled, and the risk of a knock to a derailleur or key component did not give us enough confidence.

So… we decided not to take the boat. And today, we would recommend the same caution.
A journey like this depends on many things, but the bike is the foundation.
A small mechanical issue can compromise a day or even the whole trip.

Instead, we followed the Ecovia do Minho. It was, without doubt, one of the best riverside cycling stretches we experienced: excellent infrastructure, nature all around, and a surface where the bikes rolled almost as if on asphalt.

We crossed at Cerveira, had lunch on the Spanish side with a view back towards Caminha, and continued along EuroVelo 1, the Atlantic Coast Route. In Oia, we stopped for another stamp and were welcomed by a christian/gospel musicconcert inside the monastery. One of those moments no one plans, but everyone remembers.

Later, we reached the Baiona area, where the accommodation was, for some of us, the most unexpected and memorable of the trip. Our well-deserved gin & tonic tasted even better with such a privileged view over the ocean.

Day 4 | pilgrims, wind and an unexpected mission

From this day onwards, it became clear that the Camino gains intensity as you approach Santiago.
There are more pilgrims, more backpacks, more signs, and more shared small decisions. It helps navigation. It also makes the spirit of the Camino more visible.

We finally got up early. The cool morning breeze and the northern wind reminded us, once again, how valuable windproof jackets are. On the Portuguese side, especially near the coast, the wind is a constant presence. Thankfully, we had no rain.

There was still time for filming on the beach, where the wide tyres of the Tern Orox shone on the sand, and Filipe captured footage he would probably describe as Hollywood-level. With drones in the air, as had become common for documenting the route, we continued towards Pontevedra.

This was also the day of the most unusual, and perhaps most beautiful, story of the trip. We met a family: a mother, two children, and a friend. They were riding electric bikes, but the tricycle carrying the two children had run out of battery. It was heavy, not very confidence-inspiring, and stuck on a rough section with holes, stones, and constant changes in gradient. João entered the scene with the cargo e-bike, towing the tricycle uphill, while Bernardo drove it without a battery or even reasonable brakes on the descents. It was almost comic, but also very serious. Our presence helped that family reach Arcade, where they were staying that night. Just before arriving, another family saw the heroic operation and wanted to keep the tricycle. And so it went. Epic, human, and very Camino.

That evening in Pontevedra, in between laughs about the epic mission we’d successfully fulfilled, we had one of the best dinners of the trip. The scallops were out of this world.

The historic centre, the people who welcomed us, and the tiredness turned into laughter all helped us understand something simple: on the Camino, sometimes we are helped; other times, we are the ones who need to help.

Day 5 | Santiago and the value of a truly good e-bike

The last day on the bike was, for all of us, the heaviest. Almost as heavy as the log truck that blocked our way for nearly 30 minutes after breaking down right in front of our path.

We left early - very early - to have enough time to arrive late if needed (eheh). Our legs were asking for rest, not because of one extreme effort, but because of the accumulation of days, kilometres, stops, filming, detours, and emotions.

This was when a conversation we had already been having became obvious: for an even more premium experience, it makes sense to add another riding day or include a recovery pause during the journey. Five days are possible. Six days, or seven days with a carefully designed pause, can turn a good experience into an exceptional one.

We chose a quicker lunch, without the long meals we had allowed ourselves earlier in the journey, and continued surrounded by pilgrims. We were grateful to be on bikes. But above all, we were grateful that the bikes had had no issues. Climbs, descents, cobbles, gravel, off-road sections, sand, Roman roads, asphalt - everything passed beneath them with a naturalness that confirmed what we had set out to test.

In Santiago, the arrival includes a steep climb. After several days on the Camino, however, a steep climb is just another street. When we arrived, each of us took our own time. To look, to breathe, to be grateful, and to understand that something that had felt distant only hours or days before was now right in front of us.

The phrase "Bom Caminho" may end, but the spirit does not. At the hotel, the spa made complete sense.
The warm thermal waters helped the body. The spirit had already been restored. That evening, we stayed at the hotel restaurant, then close to the fireplace, with enough time and quiet to let everything settle.

Day 6 | Muxia, Finisterra, and the journey home

For our final day, we had planned an excursion along the Costa da Morte to Muxia and Finisterra.

The guide picked us up early by van at the hotel.
We were still sleepy and tired, but it made sense to move our legs gently and explore the region around Santiago.

In Muxia, we heard stories about Santiago, Galicia, and pilgrimage, exploring in depth Santiago's footsteps.
In Finisterra, we visited the lighthouse and stopped for lunch in a fishing village. There were viewpoints, a vast coastline, small stops, and a few inevitable naps along the way.

Back in Santiago, we collected the Compostela. Looking at the credentials, stamp by stamp, was almost like replaying the entire journey in a few minutes: Porto Cathedral, the Basilica, the best sunset of our lives, our mission with the towing bikes, Oia christian/gospel music concert, the accommodations, the cafes, the small detours, the right decisions, and the decisions that taught us something.

We closed the trip with tapas, stories, and small gifts for the people we love.
Lola came to collect us by van, heard all the stories, and brought us back to Porto. On the way home, one thing was very clear: the luggage transfer between stages had been flawless, and the bikes behaved exactly as we expected from a premium product.

In the end, everyone completed their own Camino.
David had his first long-distance electric bike experience.
Luis added the e-bike to the many times he had already done the Camino.
João put his cargo bike and the many precautionary tools he carried to good use.
Filipe and I confirmed that we have an excellent product and that we can turn this adventure into something safe, comfortable, and memorable for anyone who wants to ride their own Camino with us.

What we learned about designing the experience

Riding the Camino before recommending it gave us something no briefing can give: judgement.

We now know which sections we want to avoid, where it is worth stopping, when it is better to start early, what kind of recovery makes a difference, and which small details can completely change the feeling of safety.

The biggest lesson was this: a premium experience is not just about choosing good hotels and good bikes.
It is about removing friction without removing meaning. It allows the person to feel that they did the Camino themselves, while never feeling abandoned to chance.

For our clients, this means better designed stages, bikes prepared for real days, appropriate luggage, luggage transfer options, accommodation that helps the body recover, and support from a team that is not selling a promise. It is sharing an experience it has lived.

Is this the right experience for you?

This way of doing the Camino is ideal for people who want a meaningful journey but also value comfort, safety and curation.

It works beautifully for couples, groups of friends, people with different fitness levels, and travellers who want to ride several hours a day without turning the trip into an endurance test.

You do not need to be an experienced cyclist. You do need to feel comfortable on a bike, be in generally good physical condition, and accept that the Camino, even by e-bike, still asks for presence.

There will be wind, climbs, long days, and tired moments. The difference is that the right bike, the right logistics, and the right accommodation make everything more fluid.

If you are looking for the cheapest possible option, this may not be the right experience.
If you are looking for a way to ride to Santiago with challenge, beauty, comfort, and confidence, this is exactly where CICLO can help.

Our final recommendation

For most people, seven days or more will be the sweet spot.
Still challenging enough to feel meaningful, but with enough time to ride with presence, enjoy the landscapes, recover properly, and experience the journey as something more than a physical effort.

We completed the journey from Porto to Santiago in five days, so we know it can be done. But we also know this: five days is intense. We would only recommend it to riders in excellent physical condition, already used to long-distance cycling with luggage and comfortable with repeated climbs, mixed terrain, and consecutive days on the bike.

For anyone looking for a more pleasurable experience, especially with time for photos, good lunches, pauses, visits, and recovery, we recommend considering one or two extra riding days or a strategic rest moment during the journey.

We also recommend not compromising on the bike.
The Camino changes surface and rhythm constantly: asphalt, cobblestones, gravel, forest tracks, climbs, descents, and coastal wind. A good e-bike is not a luxury. It is what makes the journey safer, smoother, and more predictable.

When the bike performs so well that you stop thinking about it, you can focus on what really matters: the landscape, the people beside you, and the experience itself.

That is what we felt. That is what we will now offer for our riders.