Barcelos joins cross-border project to enhance the Caminos de Santiago

The municipality of Barcelos has joined the Caminho Vertical – Operação de Importância Estratégica (Vertical Route – Operation of Strategic Importance), a cross-border initiative supported by the Interreg VI-A Spain–Portugal (POCTEP) 2021–2027 programme. The project aims to enhance and promote lesser-known Santiago routes across the Iberian Peninsula. Barcelos’ participation was formalised during a public event held in Badajoz, with councillor Elisa Braga, responsible for Culture and Tourism, in attendance.

With this commitment, Barcelos becomes the only Portuguese municipality included in the project, which brings together institutions from various Spanish regions — such as Badajoz, Cáceres, Cádiz, Córdoba, Huelva, Seville, Ourense, Zamora and Extremadura — along with Portuguese bodies like the Alentejo Regional Tourism Board and Turismo Centro de Portugal.

The Caminho Vertical project promotes a sustainable approach to the development of lesser-travelled pilgrimage routes, focusing on safety, signage, conservation and visibility. Barcelos secured funding of around €139,000, which will support multiple interventions throughout its territory.

Planned actions include the marking of local Camino variants (notably through Franqueira and Abade de Neiva), the installation of shaded rest areas, removal of dangerous points along the route, placement of informational panels, production of promotional videos, participation in tourism fairs, and the creation of merchandising materials.

Through this initiative, Barcelos strengthens its commitment to the preservation and promotion of Jacobean heritage and affirms its role as a strategic point in the network of routes leading to Santiago de Compostela.

Source: Município de Barcelos