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News > June 04, 2025

Walk connects Neiva to Viana in celebration of the jacobean heritage


Around 60 participants walked last Saturday the 13-kilometre route between the Church of Santiago in Castelo do Neiva and the Cathedral of Viana do Castelo, along the Portuguese Coastal Camino. The initiative, part of “Baluartes do Caminho” (Bulwarks of the Camino), was organised by Amigos do Convento (Friends of the Convent), in collaboration with the AAPCC – Associação de Apoio ao Peregrino Caminho da Costa (Association for the Support of Pilgrims on the Coastal Camino).

The walk symbolically linked two sites of historical importance in the jacobean tradition: the church in Castelo do Neiva, believed to be the oldest temple dedicated to the Apostle outside of Spain, and the main church of Viana do Castelo. More than a gesture, the event aimed to highlight the presence of the coastal route in the region and to reinforce the need to preserve and promote its heritage.

Beyond the 18,000 or so steps separating both points, the participants activated with their walking an ancient memory that weaves together communities, geography, and devotion. For some it was a first encounter; for others, a return to a familiar path. In both cases, the experience was marked by a renewed awareness of the historical and cultural depth of the Camino.

Among the walkers was Mário Martins, a sculptor from Marinhas, who drew from the journey the inspiration for a new artistic piece to be developed within the project. The work, conceived in a contemporary and abstract language, is intended to evoke the spiritual and historical resonance of both sites and contribute to the symbolic and cultural visibility of the route.

Supported by the Municipality of Viana do Castelo, the initiative forms part of a broader effort to promote the heritage of the Portuguese

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