Accommodation Suggestions Camino Coastal fr: Porto to Santiago

[UtahHikingGal]

Hi All - I'm a first time pilgrim planning an April 2025 walk starting in Porto via Senda Litoral via Spiritual Variant to Santiago. I'm looking for private rooms in aubergues or hostels. I'd be very grateful for suggestions on websites or other "how to's" as I'm feeling overwhelmed on where to start looking. Many thanks!

 

[woody66]

Hi! The website below is a great resource it's in Spanish but Google Chrome browser translates to English ; very easy to use and understand! Move through the stages and for example stage one click on Matasinhos and it will open a list of relevant places to stay in that location and so on along the path to Santiago it also shows the Senda Litoral. You can set your own distances and stays depending how far you want to walk the stages on Gronze are just recommendations.

Camino Portugués de la Costa | Gronze.com

El Camino Portugués de la Costa sigue el litoral atlántico desde Porto, pasando por Viana do Castelo, A Guarda y Vigo, hasta unirse al Camino Portugués Central en Redondela. Utilizado desde el siglo XVI por los peregrinos, este camino está creciendo de forma imparable. Motivos no le faltan...

www.gronze.com

It has links to the Albergue Hostel or Hotel reviews prices and contact details and their websites ,plus booking.com if that property uses Booking .com (great because booking.com has free cancellation up to a few days before you arrive so can change plans if you need to)
Get the Wise Pilgrim app Michael is a forum member ; has so much info and is easy to follow and use!
These two are all you really need to walk the Coastal and Espiritual (you will love the Spiritual it's really great and the best bit of the walk in my opinion)

If you have time stay a couple of days in Porto i think it has such a great atmosphere plus so much to see and do!
If you do want a guide book download it to your phone (saves weight) others will recommend hard back ?paperback but i just listen to my books apps on audio!
Walk out of Porto along the river(should be on your left) to the sea and your on your way!
Have a wonderful walk
Buen Camino
Woody

 

[Volha]

Hi! I’ll be hiking for the first time in April too, and I totally understand the feeling!

 

[Roland49]

I'd be very grateful for suggestions on websites or other "how to's" as I'm feeling overwhelmed on where to start looking. Many thanks!

The journalist from NYC I got to know there was very happy with her private room at the Sleep and Go in Esposende.

That's the only time I talked about or experienced a private room on my CP.

 

[wisepilgrim]

Can I recommend checking out the Online Guides in the menu above.

They just turned into a planner and you can fiddle endlessly with different stages and accommodations.

The planner part is less than a week old, and will get a bug fix update tomorrow.

 

[UtahHikingGal]

The journalist from NYC I got to know there was very happy with her private room at the Sleep and Go in Esposende.

That's the only time I talked about or experienced a private room on my CP.

Thank you so much!

 

[UtahHikingGal]

The journalist from NYC I got to know there was very happy with her private room at the Sleep and Go in Esposende.

That's the only time I talked about or experienced a private room on my CP.

Thank you, Roland49! How was your Portuguese Camino? How many days did you take? Thanks for sharing.

 

[JacquelineA]

Well, it depends on how much you’ll walk, but if you stay in Vila do Conde Laranjal is an excellent choice. we had a private room , which was one of 4 double rooms in the apartment, including use of laundrymachine, tea/coffee and simple breakfast.
In Caminha we had a private room (double) in hostel Bom Caminha, also a great place. Had a nice garden. Use of laundry facilities, drinks and a communal diner for extra charges. The dormitories weren’t that big (6-8 or 10 beds each?) and would’ve been a good choice too though.

Bom Caminho!

 

[UtahHikingGal]

Hi! The website below is a great resource it's in Spanish but Google Chrome browser translates to English ; very easy to use and understand! Move through the stages and for example stage one click on Matasinhos and it will open a list of relevant places to stay in that location and so on along the path to Santiago it also shows the Senda Litoral. You can set your own distances and stays depending how far you want to walk the stages on Gronze are just recommendations.

Camino Portugués de la Costa | Gronze.com

El Camino Portugués de la Costa sigue el litoral atlántico desde Porto, pasando por Viana do Castelo, A Guarda y Vigo, hasta unirse al Camino Portugués Central en Redondela. Utilizado desde el siglo XVI por los peregrinos, este camino está creciendo de forma imparable. Motivos no le faltan...

www.gronze.com

It has links to the Albergue Hostel or Hotel reviews prices and contact details and their websites ,plus booking.com if that property uses Booking .com (great because booking.com has free cancellation up to a few days before you arrive so can change plans if you need to)
Get the Wise Pilgrim app Michael is a forum member ; has so much info and is easy to follow and use!
These two are all you really need to walk the Coastal and Espiritual (you will love the Spiritual it's really great and the best bit of the walk in my opinion)

If you have time stay a couple of days in Porto i think it has such a great atmosphere plus so much to see and do!
If you do want a guide book download it to your phone (saves weight) others will recommend hard back ?paperback but i just listen to my books apps on audio!
Walk out of Porto along the river(should be on your left) to the sea and your on your way!
Have a wonderful walk
Buen Camino
Woody

Wow, Woody, thank you so much for the generous sharing of information! I'm already feeling the Buen Camino vibe from you and others who are replying to my (needy) request! AND, you're clearly another dog-lover! Cheers!

 

[Walkingat70]

Hi All - I'm a first time pilgrim planning an April 2025 walk starting in Porto via Senda Litoral via Spiritual Variant to Santiago. I'm looking for private rooms in aubergues or hostels. I'd be very grateful for suggestions on websites or other "how to's" as I'm feeling overwhelmed on where to start looking. Many thanks!

UtahHikingGal
Welcome to the Camino family. A word of caution. When you have done your first Camino you will want to do another and another.
I have done the French Route and then the Portuguese Route from Porto this April. I plan another Portuguese in April 2025.
Planning a Portuguese is a little complex due to the options.
The protocol I recommend:
Make up your mind about the distance you want to walk each day.
Look at Google maps and generally plan staging, i.e Porto to Vila Cha. Next Vila Cha to XYZ and so on.
I find Booking.com a good research tool though use Gronze too.
Call (WhatsApp) or email various establishments and work onwards towards your destination.
On Booking.com when you put in a location it will throw up options near and far. Look them up on the map before booking as some will be off route or far away.

The coastal route is the holiday destination with not too many hotels. I have stayed in apartments or private house with a room to myself or sharing the house with other. Never been a problem.

I am doing the Camino from Proto along the coast then turning inland to TUI after which I do the Central. I have booked my stops all though with a rest day at TUI.

Book on Booking.com or directly with owners. You pay on arrival or a few days in advance so you can juggle things

 

[CObluebird]

You'll find this one in many previous posts: Casa Da Fernanda (the night following Barcelos) +351 914 589 521 or fernandarodrigues1970@hotmail.com. It's not private, but please don't miss it. Reserve in advance.
I also loved Albergue Convento in Tui. https://conventodelcamino.com/albergue-tui-st-james-way/
On the Spiritual route, we stopped in Combarro and really liked Casa Noelmar, and in Armenteira we stayed at Carballo de Prado 1990.
Stopped for a night between Padron and Santiago at this wonderful place: Casa Rural Vella da Rivera.
(We were two senior women traveling.)

 

[JacquelineA]

You'll find this one in many previous posts: Casa Da Fernanda (the night following Barcelos) +351 914 589 521 or fernandarodrigues1970@hotmail.com. It's not private, but please don't miss it. Reserve in advance.
I also loved Albergue Convento in Tui. https://conventodelcamino.com/albergue-tui-st-james-way/
On the Spiritual route, we stopped in Combarro and really liked Casa Noelmar, and in Armenteira we stayed at Carballo de Prado 1990.
Stopped for a night between Padron and Santiago at this wonderful place: Casa Rural Vella da Rivera.
(We were two senior women traveling.)

casa Fernanda is on the central, not the littoral or spiritual. Heard much about it

 

[JacquelineA]

In Carrera On the coastal/spiritual, you find casa do veranda. A big house with a few double rooms, beautifull veranda looking out on the ocean (sunset) Huge breakfast included.
Not cheap, but a great place

https://www.booking.com/hotel/pt/casa-da-varanda-carreco-viana-do-castelo.nl.html

 

[Roland49]

Thank you, Roland49! How was your Portuguese Camino? How many days did you take? Thanks for sharing.

Have fun planning!
I walked just 9 days , but anything from 6 to 14 days is normal.

I stayed in SdC for 1,5 more days to suck in the vibe, bussed to Muxia and Finisterre but didn't make it into the cathedral (too many pilgrims) and after that I returned to Porto for a few days vacation.

Had to alter my plans walking the coastal and the VE, most albergues were booked out.
A week after I entered SdC the catholic youth gathering with Pope Francis was held in Lisbon. I wondered the whole time why there were so many bigger groups of juvenile pilgrims.
I walked the Miño upstream from Caminha to Tui, most rural and calm sunday morning walk with churchgoers and bellringing across the valley. Best experience!

As résumé: a really good and short way to reflect!
The sights and sounds of the coastal are totally different to the francés. The infrastructure is good, but not as good as on the francés. The hospitality is almost perfect. Portuguese are very friendly towards pilgrims and the food is phenomenal!

Hope you will enjoy it, too!

 

[ElCee]

Search this board for reports from this April to gauge the availability of accommodation. I don’t think it’s necessary to worry about finding rooms at that time of year. Plus, a lot of places won’t take reservations this far in advance.
I walked almost exactly the route you are planning last fall. Only difference was we did a 3 day stint on the central route between Rates and Ponte da Lima. We booked most of our accommodations 1 or 2 in advance. I definitely recommend staying in Baiona, Oia, Combarra. Figure out the key places you want to stay and then try and massage your itinerary to fit.
The most important thing to do at this point is to get your gear together and start walking to try it out!
Bom Camino!

 

[woody66]

I definitely recommend staying in Baiona, Oia, Combarra

Stayed in all three; three days in Baiona cos i had a dodgy foot but loved the place!! All of them were good