Reasons to take Portuguese route

[tabbyCat]

I am trying to decide which route to take for my first walk. I am confused about how many Portuguese routes there are. I would like to do a route that takes approximately 30 days (maybe a little less). What do you like about the full Portuguese route? Compared to others?

 

[Mike Savage]

I would suggest the Camino Francés from Pamplona as a wonderful first walk with a 30 day timeframe.

Buen Camino!

 

[AJ]

I wasn't thrilled by the first half of the Portuguese route, starting Lisbon, (though some of the towns are well worth a visit) but the second half from Porto was excellent.

My first was the Mozarabe/VdlP/Sanabres which was outstanding, but much more than 30 days.

I would suggest the Frances for your first. If you are fit you can do the whole lot in 30 days. If you want something more leisurely, start from Pamplona or somewhere closer to SdC.

 

[Addicted]

I concur, Porto to Santiago is a beautiful walk, not to many large hills, lots of cobble that can be hard on the feet. Still well worth it
Buen Camino

 

[laineylainey]

I suppose it depends what you hope to experience or even want from your first Camino and when you are going? I am glad I did the Frances first (but I didn't do it all in one go) because I had NO idea what to expect and the first day from walking out of SJPDP with quite a few others to Roncesvalles over the Pyrenees was one of the most amazing and exciting experiences of my life up to that point. After doing the Frances and getting into my stride I also realised that the part of the Frances I enjoyed the most was the coastal part of the Santiago - Finisterre - Muxia as I really love being close to the sea. So I did the coastal Portuguese Porto to Santiago last year for that same experience and I did enjoy the less crowded paths as well. A very different experience to the Frances but just as wonderful.
So if you fancy lots of company, great cities combined with great variations in a walking route, maybe consider the Frances first. There are 3 Portuguese routes , if you like the idea of walking along boardwalks, by the coast, lovely towns (and cities), perhaps fewer people, then the Coastal walk from Porto to Santiago?
With 30 days you have lots of options you lucky thing!

 

[jefferyonthecamino]

I am trying to decide which route to take for my first walk. I am confused about how many Portuguese routes there are. I would like to do a route that takes approximately 30 days (maybe a little less). What do you like about the full Portuguese route? Compared to others?

first camino? do the french way

and yes, the portuguese can be confusing, especially when it comes to the coastal route(s) after porto. if you were to do the coastal, i would definitely converge with the interior route at valença/tui as the whole idea of crossing galici'a largest city once in spain sounds appalling, in my book at least.

 

[tabbyCat]

first camino? do the french way

and yes, the portuguese can be confusing, especially when it comes to the coastal route(s) after porto. if you were to do the coastal, i would definitely converge with the interior route at valença/tui as the whole idea of crossing galici'a largest city once in spain sounds appalling, in my book at least.

thank you all!! I have decided to take the French way. I medium fit 60 yar old women with a lot of hiking experience. Is it realistic for me to plan the complete the French way in 30 days? I am trying to plan my flight in and out of Madrid.

 

[Mike Savage]

60 year old man with lots of hiking experience and a 10lb pack. I made it in 27 days. I would absolutely plan for longer as I would have liked to spend more time in Pamplona, Burgos, Leon, Santiago . . . . hence I will be back for my 5th camino in September. Some people think I went too fast, I know that I walked some longer days and got to smell the roses along the way.

Buen Camino!

 

[jefferyonthecamino]

thank you all!! I have decided to take the French way. I medium fit 60 yar old women with a lot of hiking experience. Is it realistic for me to plan the complete the French way in 30 days? I am trying to plan my flight in and out of Madrid.

olé!
hard to tell, take the miles and divide by 30, then consider... sometimes knocking off 3-5 miles every day and starting a bit closer to SdC can make all the difference.
Buen Camino!

 

[Aurigny]

Agree with MS. Also did the Francés in 27 days (and am no spring chicken, alas), carrying an 8 kg pack. Had I really been pushing it, I could have trimmed that down to, say, 24. But what's theoretically possible and what's desirable are two different things. Needing to meet an inflexible deadline is not conducive to the larger object of the exercise, and in retrospect I consider even a 27-day Francés to be more pressured than I'd like. The full month gives you the option of a couple of rest days or holidays, but that'll still mean 30-km legs every day that you do walk.

If you can possibly scrounge up four or five more days from somewhere, that would put an unhurried Francés, starting at St Jean, very much in the frame. And like others, I think it would be a great pity to miss that first day over the Pyrenees to Roncesvalles (or, in my case, Espinal), which is one of the highlights of the whole thing.

 

[tabbyCat]

thank you all for your responses. I have decided to do the Frances for many of the reasons that you have discussed!! YAY! Now I jsut need to get a plane ticket