Difference in walking Litoral to Central route

[mvanert]

I have a bad knee and have to be very careful about walking both up and down hills, mostly down, would the Central route be much different than the Litoral route? Where is the last place to change over to the Central from the Litoral? I leave Canada on June 9th.

 

[Grousedoctor]

When we walked the Central Route, my wife had significant knee problems. However, it wasn’t due to the hills. The cause of her knee problems were the cobblestones. Walking many miles through Portugal on the cobbles caused a great deal of knee stress and discomfort. She did not have any knee problems prior to the Camino.

A couple years later, we walked the Coastal Route. A night and day different experience for her. Few cobbles; no knee problems. So, from our experiences, I’d think the Coastal Route might be the one I’d choose if I had a knee problem. Even with that said, both are great Camino routes!

We crossed over from the coast at Vigo.

 

[BombayBill]

We walked the Litoral / Coastal for many days and I remember mainly wooden boardwalks. When we did cross over there was no obvious route and so simply took the local bus. Can’t remember which town.

So to answer your questions I think you could stay on the flat coast as long as you want and cross when you wish. My memory is hazy. There are excellent guides and their professional advice is better than mine.

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/camino-guides/#camino-portugues

 

[Walkalong]

As noted, the Litoral/Coastal is flat until Castelo Do Neiva, and even after that there are only a few hills of about 100 meter elevation gain. If you stick to the Litoral you will even avoid a few of the 100 meter hills on the Coastal.

In February 2020, after Marinhas, I did not find the Litoral well marked and switched to the Coastal at Mar. Perhaps marking of the Litoral has improved.

The Coastal converges with the Central in Redondela. Switching over to the Central at Caminha would allow you to avoid the highest hill on the Central (400 meter elevation gain and drop).

You can see the elevations, and much more info, on Gronze.

Hope this helps.

 

[JabbaPapa]

The Coastal converges with the Central in Redondela. Switching over to the Central at Caminha would allow you to avoid the highest hill on the Central (400 meter elevation gain and drop).

Or you could just walk around that portion on tarmac, round the coast to Baiona. Either option is good.

 

[woody66]

I don't recall many cobbles on the coastal.
Walk out of Porto along the Douro to the coast and miss the urban sprawl.
Surfaces were good loved the boardwalks easy on the legs knees (they have a slight give on them)
I don't recall any real hills until after Redondela the memory fades after a couple of years!

 

[mvanert]

I don't recall many cobbles on the coastal.
Walk out of Porto along the Douro to the coast and miss the urban sprawl.
Surfaces were good loved the boardwalks easy on the legs knees (they have a slight give on them)
I don't recall any real hills until after Redondela the memory fades after a couple of years!

Thanks!

 

[Frankybaby66]

I don't recall many cobbles on the coastal.
Walk out of Porto along the Douro to the coast and miss the urban sprawl.
Surfaces were good loved the boardwalks easy on the legs knees (they have a slight give on them)
I don't recall any real hills until after Redondela the memory fades after a couple of years!

Boardwalks played havoc with my walking poles though.
One of my pole street feet is still under the boardwalk near Labruge.
If anyone finds it, give me a shout