Over my two visits of mainland Portugal in August 2014 and July 2020, I visited some of the major monuments/villages along each of the 6 Routes of Santiago de Compostela in Portugal.

The highlight of my visit of the 5 Routes in Northern Portugal (apart from the already inscribed Coimbra) was undoubtedly Viana do Castelo at the mouth of the Lima river (excellent for birdwatching too!). Its port gained great importance as one of the entry points for Portuguese explorers and traders involved in the Portuguese discoveries. Many of the historical buildings originated during this period. You certainly shouldn't miss the Cathedral of Viana do Castelo as well as the Sanctuary of Santa Luzia (bottom photos).

This time round I gladly allowed time for a stopover in Tavira and (Luz de Tavira) along the Eastern Route (top photos) which was definitely worthwhile. Tavira is located on the eastern side of the Algarve, approximately 30 km east of Faro and 25 km west of the Spanish border. This region attracts fewer tourists than the central or western Algarve. The historic centre of Tavira with its Moorish/Almoad elements, bridge, cobbled streets and delightful tiled houses is worth visiting. Apart from a few yellow arrows on a few pavements, the Church of Santiago and the Santiago Bridge, I was surprised to find little information on the Way and on the other hand quite a lot of information of the Islamic/Moorish Route.

Ideally, the Routes in Portugal, in France and in Spain would make much more sense as one extended WHS than separate WHS. If I were to choose one of the 6 Routes in Portugal to walk/cycle to Santiago de Compostela, that would definitely be the coastal route from Viana do Castelo.