Santarém →– Golegã

Route of the Santarém – Golegã stage (30.7 km)

You leave Santarém through the São Tiago gate in the wall and descend to the Tagus plain, among vines and maize fields, through Vale de Figueira and Azinhaga. The last kilometres run along a road with little shoulder to Golegã, the town of the Lusitano horse. If there has been a lot of rain, the Portuguese Camino Central Route offers a variant via Pombalinho.

Santarém – Golegã: stage guide

Stage profile

Distance: 30.7 km (19.1 miles). Estimated time: 7 h 45 min. Difficulty: medium to high. Total elevation: 72 m of climbing and 160 m of descent.

Warnings for this stage

• The last 7 km along the EN-365, a dangerous road with no shoulder: consider the alternative via Estrada dos Lázaros.
• Level crossing over the railway at the Ribeira de Santarém.
• The descent from the São Tiago gate is narrow and stony; it is slippery in the rain (a walking stick helps).
• The middle stretch across the lezíria (floodplain) has hardly any shade; in summer it is extremely hot. Set off early with plenty of water.
• The official route beside the Tagus crosses an area that can flood; in the rain, go via Reguengo de Alviela.
• Pay close attention to the arrows at the farm junctions (turn at Freixo Grande and pole no. 9).
• Be careful: some drivers stop to offer you a lift to Golegã in order to win customers for their accommodation.

Variants and alternatives

• Via Reguengo de Alviela and Pombalinho: It was the official route until early 2019. Recommended only in heavy rain or if the bank of the Tagus is flooded. Pombalinho has bars and shops.
• Unofficial alternative to the EN-365: After Brôa, turn left onto Estrada dos Lázaros and continue straight on a tarmac track to Golegã, avoiding much of the national road.

What to see

• Igreja Matriz da Golegã: Church from the first half of the 16th century, one of the best-preserved Manueline examples, with a very prominent portal; the royal coat of arms and armillary sphere of Manuel I appear in several places. National Monument since 1910.
• Casa-Estúdio Carlos Relvas (Golegã): Workshop of the photographer Carlos Relvas (1838–1894), restored and opened as a museum on 20 April 2007; Property of Public Interest.
• Feira Nacional do Cavalo: Held every November in Golegã (also called the St Martin’s fair); in 2025 its candidacy for the national inventory of intangible heritage was submitted.
• Statue of José Saramago (Azinhaga): The 1998 Nobel Prize winner for Literature was born in Azinhaga on 16 November 1922; his statue shows him reading on a bench in the square.
• Vale de Figueira: It lies at the mouth of the Alviela on the Tagus; it keeps the ruins of the Franciscan convent of Nossa Senhora de Jesus.

A bit of history

Santarém and Fátima: the two routes part company here; the blue arrows stop coinciding with the yellow ones. The oldest document of Azinhaga is the foral (charter) of Sancho II; the name is linked to the Arabic az-zanqa, ‘narrow path’. After the crisis of 1383–1385, John I gave João das Regras the Paul do Boquilobo, at the gates of Azinhaga. Pombalinho was called Santa Cruz do Pombal and changed its name in the 18th century; in 2013 it passed from the municipality of Santarém to that of Golegã.

Food and drink

In Golegã the Adega Ribatejana is highly recommended, a typical wine tavern with bullfighting photos and a home-cooked menu.

Practical guide to the Portuguese Camino

• Luggage Transfer on the Portuguese Camino
• Cycling the Portuguese Camino: Stages by Bike
• The Compostela Certificate on the Portuguese Camino
• Pilgrim Credential (Pilgrim Passport) for the Portuguese Camino
• How Long Is the Portuguese Camino? Distance, Days & Itineraries
• Best Time to Walk the Portuguese Camino (Weather by Month)
• The Portuguese Camino with Kids
• Guided & Self-Guided Portuguese Camino Tours