Póvoa de Varzim – Esposende

ong>The third stage of this Portuguese Coastal Way starts in Povoa de Varzim and will take us to Esposende. We cover about 20 kilometers close to the sea in the first part of the stage and then deviate slightly inland to reach Fao.
Like the previous days, the stage hardly presents great difficulties, although this time it will be necessary to combine wooden walkways and promenades with dirt trails and more than one sidewalk.
We start in ong>Póvoa de Varzim, specifically on its promenade. We head north along its coastal walk to neighboring A-Ver-o-Mar. These initial 3 kilometers by the sea will take us again to wooden walkways that cross the great Portuguese beaches.
The Camino to ong>Aguçadoura is not to be missed. We just have to follow the catwalks and have the constant company of the sea on our left. After these first 7km walking along the coast, it is time to change the landscape and the road surface.
In Aguçadoura we must take the M-501, which we will walk along its shoulder and take several detours following the indications of the yellow arrows until we reach Apúlia. After passing in front of the church and its historic center, the Camino heads up to a dirt and wooded path that after a couple of kilometers will take us to ong>Fão.

In Fão we can take a break to get to know this beautiful town and discover the church-sanctuary of Bom Jesus or enjoy its old town. After this brief pause, we must cross the Cádavo river through the D. Luís Felipe bridge, a metallic infrastructure dating from 1892.
We continue our way through paved area until we reach ong>Esposende, the end of this third stage. Esposende is a town where you will find numerous services, both for lodging and shops, bars and restaurants. Tourist destination par excellence, especially in summer, it is a quiet place to relax after three days touring the Portuguese coast.
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Alternative stage. Póvoa de Varzim - Marinhas. 24.5km. Many pilgrims decide to extend the stage to the town of Marinhas. It is only 4 more kilometers, which will make the fourth stage lighter, which will reach Viana do Castelo. Marinhas has a pilgrims' hostel and, just 1km from it, in the Cepaes beach area you will find some bars and restaurants, although the services are less than in Esposende.