HOW TO TAKE THE PILGRIM FERRY FROM CAMINHA TO A GUARDA: A SHORT GUIDE.
If you’re walking the Camino Portuguese Coastal Route, sooner or later you’ll reach the Minho River at Caminha and face a simple question: how do I get across to Spain? The answer, for most pilgrims, is the small tidal ferry that runs between Caminha and A Guarda.
It’s a short trip, inexpensive, and one of the most practical (and memorable) parts of the stage.
Here’s everything you need to know in our short guide to the pilgrim ferry.
Do you have to take the ferry?
Yes, if you want to stay on the Coastal Camino route. There’s no pedestrian bridge across the Minho at Caminha, so a boat is the only way to continue along the shoreline toward A Guarda.
What other options are there?
If you don’t fancy the ferry for one reason or another, you have a few options.
Option one, if you intend to continue on the Camino Coastal route, would be to take a taxi to A Guarda. This will take approximately 30 minutes and will be more expensive than the boat.
Option two, is to take the opportunity to join the Camino Portuguese Central Route at Valenca.
To get to Valenca, you can walk – there’s a Camino route which would take 6-7 hours. An alternative is to take a bus to Valenca – regular bus services run between Caminha and Valenca, taking about 50 minutes.
There’s also a boat service between Caminha and Valenca – it normally requires a minimum of 5 people, costing €25 each person.
Which ferry company should you use?
There are two companies operating regular ferries between Caminha and A Guarda.
The first is Taxi Boat Perigrinos and the second is Xacobeo Transfers. The price for passengers is the same on both, but Taxi Boat Perigrinos is €1 cheaper for cyclists.
You can can book with both operators in advance if you want to and they tend to be flexible with changes to your bookings, if you contact them in advance.
Ferry times
Times vary, but in general, you can expect Taxi Boat Perigrinos services to run every 30 minutes between 07:00 and 17:00.
Xacobeo Transfers are less frequent – usually once an hour between 07:30 and 15:30.
This is for peak season – April to October. Outside of these times, you can expect a reduced service (more on that below).
It’s best to double-check the timetable the day before, but these are the standard hours for most of the year.
Tip – Boats operate on Portuguese time and not Spanish time. Spain is one hour ahead of Portugal, so a 10:30 boat from Caminha gets you into Spain at around 11:40 Spanish time (even though it takes 10 minutes.)
Price and Tickets
The crossing is €6 per person, or €8 if you have a bike (or €7 on Taxi Boat Peregrinos.)
You can buy tickets on the spot, but booking in advance is smart, especially in busy months, because sometimes the boat is a small speedboat with space for only about six passengers.
If you arrive without a reservation and the boat is full, you’ll have to wait for the next one, which might impact your walking schedule.
Can cyclists use the ferry?
Yes. Bikes can be taken on board, though space is limited, so cyclists should arrive early.
Where to actually board the boat
There’s no formal ferry terminal. You simply follow the Camino arrows to the Minho River.
You’ll see a small dock next to a cafe, and usually a handful of pilgrims waiting around looking slightly unsure – which is a good sign that you’re in the right place. Sometimes the boat drivers will come up to find passengers. Generally – this is a good place to wait (Xacobeo Transfers pin on google maps.)
On the Spanish side, you arrive at a dock in A Pasaxe, a short, flat walk from A Guarda.
What to expect on the crossing
The ride takes about 10 minutes. It’s quick, scenic in a low-key way, and usually very calm. Depending on the day, you might get a tiny speedboat or a larger vessel.
You’ll be given a life jacket – safety first. And there’s usually plenty of space to keep your bag at your feet.
Is the boat seasonal?
Yes. The service typically runs from spring through autumn, with the most reliable months being April to October. Outside these months, crossings are less frequent and more easily cancelled by weather.
That said, it is possible to cross. Xacobeo Transfers operates one or two services in the morning, whilst Taxi Boat Perigrinos services are more frequent off season.
Where to stay the night before crossing?
Honestly, it really depends on your stage planning. Many pilgrims choose to stay in Caminha – a pretty town. Staying in Caminha means you can get the early ferries out and be in Spain to start walking in the morning (remembering that clocks go forward as soon as you land in Spain!)
Alternatively, there are some lovely places to stay before Caminha. For example, the small beach town of Vila Praia de Âncora is around 8km before Caminha. You could leave a hostel or hotel in that town and plan to take a boat at around 10:00.
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Written by Emma
Wine Lover. Yogi. Hiker. Writer.
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