Backwards from Valenca to Caminha/A Guarda

[auburnfive]

Hello, I am thinking of rejoining the Portuguese Coastal after Valenca. There is a train, but it looks like a nice walk alongside the Minho. It looks like you could cross the Minho by bridge near Vila Nova de Cerveira and walk on the north side of the river, avoiding the need for the ferry. Has anyone on the forum done this? Any advice welcomed. Thank you.

 

[Anthony Rocco]

Hello, I am thinking of rejoining the Portuguese Coastal after Valenca. There is a train, but it looks like a nice walk alongside the Minho. It looks like you could cross the Minho by bridge near Vila Nova de Cerveira and walk on the north side of the river, avoiding the need for the ferry. Has anyone on the forum done this? Any advice welcomed. Thank you.

Yes! Highly, highly recommended. We kept going after we reached Valenca, stopped for lunch and a walkaround of Tui, then back over the bridge to Valenca, enjoying the walled hilltop town before spending the night there, which I highly recommend. Tui is crowded with walkers starting there.

The walk along the Minho the following day was pure joy. No other walkers, nice stops along the way, gorgeous views as you are always walking next to the river. It was, in our view, our most enjoyable day walking of any stages on the Portugues.

It's well marked. You start on the Portuguese side and then cross at the first bridge. Cool signs on both sides of the bridge which we simply had to take photos standing near.

And when you reach the waterfront in A Guarda, you feel like you are on the Amalfi Coast. It's that good.

 

[ElCee]

Yes! Highly, highly recommended. We kept going after we reached Valenca, stopped for lunch and a walkaround of Tui, then back over the bridge to Valenca, enjoying the walled hilltop town before spending the night there, which I highly recommend. Tui is crowded with walkers starting there.

The walk along the Minho the following day was pure joy. No other walkers, nice stops along the way, gorgeous views as you are always walking next to the river. It was, in our view, our most enjoyable day walking of any stages on the Portugues.

It's well marked. You start on the Portuguese side and then cross at the first bridge. Cool signs on both sides of the bridge which we simply had to take photos standing near.

And when you reach the waterfront in A Guarda, you feel like you are on the Amalfi Coast. It's that good.

Wow, inspiring words! Now I want to do a Portuguese Camino loop: Porto > Valenca/Tui via Central then along the Minho and back to Porto on the Coastal!

 

[jungleboy]

Wow, inspiring words! Now I want to do a Portuguese Camino loop: Porto > Valenca/Tui via Central then along the Minho and back to Porto on the Coastal!

This was actually somewhat popular among UK pilgrims in late 2020 when the Covid quarantine rules between UK/Portugal were more relaxed than UK/Spain. We met several people who were looping around the CP to avoid Spain. IIRC, at Casa Fernanda we were the only two pilgrims walking the ‘right’ way (i.e. north).

 

[katie@camino]

Yes! Highly, highly recommended. We kept going after we reached Valenca, stopped for lunch and a walkaround of Tui, then back over the bridge to Valenca, enjoying the walled hilltop town before spending the night there, which I highly recommend. Tui is crowded with walkers starting there.

The walk along the Minho the following day was pure joy. No other walkers, nice stops along the way, gorgeous views as you are always walking next to the river. It was, in our view, our most enjoyable day walking of any stages on the Portugues.

It's well marked. You start on the Portuguese side and then cross at the first bridge. Cool signs on both sides of the bridge which we simply had to take photos standing near.

And when you reach the waterfront in A Guarda, you feel like you are on the Amalfi Coast. It's that good.

This is great info, thankyou. I want to do the same thing about 10 days time. How did you get from Tui to A Guarda? How many kms was it?

 

[Anthony Rocco]

We walked on the Valenca side of the river till the bridge to cross to the Spanish side. We took our time. So peaceful compared to our other days with so many other walkers. We encountered zero. The distance was about 29 kms and we made it to our albergue in about 7 hours. We started a bit before 8am, arriving around 3pm.

 

[Anthony Rocco]

We walked on the Valenca side of the river till the bridge to cross to the Spanish side. We took our time. So peaceful compared to our other days with so many other walkers. We encountered zero. The distance was about 29 kms and we made it to our albergue in about 7 hours. We started a bit before 8am, arriving around 3pm.

I should have added that it is all flat. No hills. And there are places to stop for a rest or refreshment.

 

[auburnfive]

We are doing this in early October but staying overnight in Vilanova de Cerveira. Looking forward to a couple of peaceful easy days.

 

[katie@camino]

We walked on the Valenca side of the river till the bridge to cross to the Spanish side. We took our time. So peaceful compared to our other days with so many other walkers. We encountered zero. The distance was about 29 kms and we made it to our albergue in about 7 hours. We started a bit before 8am, arriving around 3pm.

It sounds like a really lovely day. Thankyou!

Once you crossed to the Spanish side, was it relatively easy to find your way to A Guarda? I notice on Wise Pilgrim that there's no distinct trail marked on that side of the river to A Guarda.

 

[katie@camino]

I should have added that it is all flat. No hills. And there are places to stop for a rest or refreshment.

Are these places in Vilanova de Cerveira or other places as well? Any you would recommend?