Just saying Hi

[mikeatspokes]

Hello everyone, although I joined this forum in September 2023 just before starting my first Camino, this is my first post and I just want to introduce myself.

So last Autumn I walked the route Francés between late September to early November, and along the way met some wonderful people, a great experience. Maybe some members here might recall me, a tall, gray haired British guy carrying a small blue rucksack, constantly getting navigation directions aloud from the phone in my pocket, and for much of the way walking with John from Canada and Niklas from Germany? If so I am happy to share memories.

Now I have decided to do my second Camino, this time walking the central Portugués route from Faro in the Algarve, at the end of March next year. I have only seen a few threads either here or elsewhere from people who have done this, so am expecting to spend the first part up to Lisbon largely alone. If anyone has done this, I would appreciate any advice or tips for this stretch. The route is now available on Camino Ninja, so I will be largely using that, though as last year, will also be importing the route into the navigation app on my phone.

Well that's my intro, so happy to finally make a post here, and look forward to conversing with many of you.

 

[jungleboy]

Now I have decided to do my second Camino, this time walking the central Portugués route from Faro in the Algarve, at the end of March next year. I have only seen a few threads either here or elsewhere from people who have done this, so am expecting to spend the first part up to Lisbon largely alone.

I haven't seen what Camino Ninja says but the route from Faro doesn't go through Lisbon. It joins the CP proper in Santarém. See our general thread here for some details:

Thread 'Caminho Central General Discussion (Faro-Santarém)'

Jul 9, 2021

The Caminho Central is one of the three caminos being developed by the Caminhos de Santiago Alentejo e Ribatejo, a government-tourism project (along with the Caminho Nascente and Caminho da Raia). It begins in Faro on the Algarve coast of Portugal and ends in Santarém (about 20 stages by the looks of it), where it joins onto the main route of the Caminho Português from Lisbon.

Resources:

Official Site - includes GPS tracks and a free downloadable guide. The guide only covers the stages in the Alentejo and Ribatejo, but this is almost all of the camino, missing out...

• jungleboy
• Replies: 15
• Camino de Santiago Forum: 🇵🇹 Other routes in Portugal

• 

 

[mikeatspokes]

I haven't seen what Camino Ninja says but the route from Faro doesn't go through Lisbon. It joins the CP proper in Santarém. See our general thread here for some details:

Thread 'Caminho Central General Discussion (Faro-Santarém)'

Jul 9, 2021

The Caminho Central is one of the three caminos being developed by the Caminhos de Santiago Alentejo e Ribatejo, a government-tourism project (along with the Caminho Nascente and Caminho da Raia). It begins in Faro on the Algarve coast of Portugal and ends in Santarém (about 20 stages by the looks of it), where it joins onto the main route of the Caminho Português from Lisbon.

Resources:

Official Site - includes GPS tracks and a free downloadable guide. The guide only covers the stages in the Alentejo and Ribatejo, but this is almost all of the camino, missing out...

• jungleboy
• Replies: 15
• Camino de Santiago Forum: 🇵🇹 Other routes in Portugal

• 

My reference to Lisbon wasn't meant to mean the route went through Lisbon, more an indication that the route from Faro meets the existing route near there for those unfamiliar with Santarém. I have seen on some maps, two routes from the Algarve, the Central and the Centro Sud both of which seem to mostly follow the same paths except in a few places. Do you know if both are marked?

 

[jungleboy]

The Central will be marked, I don't know what the Sud is. You can find most of what you would need for the Central, including a digital guidebook, at the official site:

Caminhos Santiago – Turismo do Alentejo

Turismo do Alentejo

www.caminhosdesantiagoalentejoribatejo.pt

 

[mikeatspokes]

The Central will be marked, I don't know what the Sud is. You can find most of what you would need for the Central, including a digital guidebook, at the official site:

Caminhos Santiago – Turismo do Alentejo

Turismo do Alentejo

www.caminhosdesantiagoalentejoribatejo.pt

Thanks jungleboy, I have the routes, and am reasonably happy with the suggested stages, just need to look into accommodation options some more. BTW that link doesn't open for me for some reason, likely the protections in my browser, though if I open the Portuguese site then switch to English it is fine! The links to download the .gpx files also don't seem to work for me.