Advice Request: Long Stages for the Coastal with Espiritual Variant

[Sara_Dhooma]

Hello my Camino friends!

I will be arriving in Porto the morning of Tuesday July 2nd to walk the Coastal Route. I want to also complete the Espiritual Variant.

However,. I need to arrive in Santiago on Wednesday July 10th.

I’m in Mongolia right now and internet is very sloooooooow..

I’m struggling to figure out how many kilometres it is from Porto to SDC including the variant. I want to figure out how many kms I should be walking each day to meet my goal.

I’m in pretty good walking shape, as I’ve recently completed the Kohechi Kumano Kodo in Japan, Jeju Olle in South Korea, climbed a handful of Taiwan peaks, and solo backpacked in the Mongolian wilderness.

Thank you!

 

[auburnfive]

Hmmm.. it looks like there is an 8:00 boat from Vilanova on July 10, so you could likely make it that day to Santiago. ( 27k). Working backwards, from Armentiera to Vilanova on the 9 th.(26k) From Porto to Armentiera is approximately 200k - from the 2-8 works out to just under 30k per day.

Depending on when you get started out of Porto, many folks take the metro to Matosinhos and start walking from there, which cuts out about 14k.
PS. There is very limited beds in Armentiera, booking ahead is suggested.

 

[jsalt]

I walked Porto to Santiago on the Coastal route via the Espiritual Variante and it was about 295kms.

Over 9 days that’s about 33kms per day on average.

You could bus or train from Porto up the coast a bit to reduce the daily distances . . .

 

[Grousedoctor]

As you’ve seen the distance numbers above, Porto to SdC including the VE is a pretty good stretch of the legs. We did it two years ago, but in a more standard timeframe of 12 days.

We each walk our own Camino, but I’ve left behind me the 30 km days one after another. Conditioning aside, one can go too fast missing a great deal along The Way. For me, choosing quality over quantity has many more rewards. I’d rather cover fewer kilometers on a Camino and try to get the very most out of every step I talk. As I weigh the pros and cons of my Camino stages, I want to make sure I take time to smell the roses.

My suggestion is similar to that offered by @jsalt, start farther up the coast. My recommendation would be to get up to Viana do Castelo the day you arrive in Portugal and then begin walking the next morning. With that first section cut off, you have a much more reasonable Camino to enjoy. Bom Caminho!

 

[Flog]

Hi Sarah,
it's a tall order to do 300 km in eight days for most of us, but I know from your videos, you have the stamina and will cover it easily. Giving yourself the day off in Porto will leave you with about 38 km a day, less if you set out from Porto on day one. It's mostly flat, easy walking but there is little shade so the usual precautions..

 

[Sara_Dhooma]

Thank you for all the replies, Camino friends!

I am running on very little sleep, thanks to my long flight from Mongolia with a layover in Germany. I should have spent my German layover resting, but it was my first time in the country. I had to go out and try some local food and drink - resulting in 3-4 sleep hours.

I just started walking along the river from the cathedral. It is nice and breezy. I’ll see how things go today. I am fuelled with coffee and pastries!