Any new information on Lisbon to Porto Route

[camino07]

Leaving in 11days to walk from Lisbon to Santiago and must admit to some trepidation along with excitement. Wondered if there was any new advice on the first part from Lisbon. Also Iwould I need to take a mattress? I would prefer not to add to my load. Hopefully I won't have to stay with the Bomberios. Would love to hear from anyone who has recently walked that way.
An avid follower of this wonderful forum.
Heather

 

[peregrina2000]

Hi, Heather,
Have you seen the online guide (written by me ) at the British Confraternity of St. James website? You can download it in booklet format, and they ask for a donation to keep the volunteer-run site up and running. Here's the link: http://www.csj.org.uk/guides-online.htm

There are six guides online now and we try to keep them up to date based on users' suggestions, so if you use it, please let us know how it went. I also have some updated information that I will post on this thread in a few minutes.

The route continues to have very few pilgrims and seems to be almost completely unknown by the locals, all the way from Lisbon to Porto. In my experience, though I know the old adage is to listen to the locals, in this case I don't recommend it. For the most part they know nothing about the route and will send you to walk along the highway on the most direct way between points A and B. The path is for the most part very well marked (I describe a few exceptions to that in my guide) and goes through some really nice towns in Portugal. Although it's pretty solitary, I walked alone (female, aged 60) and never had any problem. But I do speak a fair amount of Portuguese, and that helped me in a number of situations.

If private accommodations are ok with you, you will not need a sleeping pad. All of the towns where I stopped had at least one "residencial" or "pensao", the terms for small private places.

Bom caminho. Laurie

 

[peregrina2000]

Here is a report written by someone who walked a few weeks ago from Lisbon to Porto. And as I said in my earlier post, I walked alone as a single woman and was did not find this route scary -- isolated, maybe, but never scary. I'm happy to answer any questions, Heather. Bom caminho, Laurie



We travelled to Lisboa on June 28th and stayed overnight at Pensao Sao Joao de Praca (highly recommended at Euro 35 inc breakfast at a nearby cafe). Wonderful city on the waterfront. The walk out of Lisboa needs concentration as sometime the arrows are hard to see but once clear of the buildings the walk is delightful along the river frontage past the Expo 98 complex. We were tempted to take the cable car but our conscience would not allow this!.

The walking is easy but in temperatures in the 30's and with 30+Kms between accommodation stops this is not a route for the faint hearted. Nor would we recommend for the single traveller. We met one French lady just outside Lisboa and one French man just before Santarem but no one else. We often worried about the French lady because some of the pathways could be very scary for the lone walker.

We were very lucky to find the last room at Alojamentos Particulares (euro 25 without bath) and even luckier to enjoy an inexpensive meal in the company of the nearby restaurant to watch the Spain-Portugal match in the World Cup. Unrepeatable entertainment as neither of us love or care about football but to be there was somehow magic.

The temperature rose and the walking got more lonely. We never want to see another industrial estate again but have to say that some of the workers restaurants were excellent. The main problem with this walk is that nobody appeared to know anything about pilgrims (unlike the French route we walked from St Jean-Santiago in 2008) so there was a feeling of detached ambivalence. Couple this with the lack of accommodation and 30+Km distances between stops made it hard work.

The man at the very welcome aerodrome cafe just north of Azambuja was incredibly welcoming. He understood pilgrims and insisted that we fill our water bottles with his own bottled water rather that drink the tap water. His coffee was good too.

And as we walked out just after dawn on Sunday 4th August from Vila Nova Barquina, the temperature started to become unbearable. A cafe was shown at Grou in John Brierleys guide but there was no evidence and a local told us that we would need to walk further. We eventually found a restaurant at Asseiceira.

Heading out into the mid-day sun, probably in late 30's, we experience the disorientation of the eucalyptus forest - or rather the barren earth with 1000's of small tree plantings - no shade and no directions. Early on we did witness two sones painted yellow and later saw what we thought was an arrow made up of stones. There was also the confusion of yellow strips of plastic tape tied to trees and we didn't know if this was Camino marking or a route for a mountain bike ride. JB had also experienced problems here but we too the advice from Laurie's online guide and followed the electricity wires. A steep and precarious walk but we did eventually emerge. Our thoughts were still with lone walks (like the French lady) who might not have received the same advice.

Arriving at Tomar late on Sunday afternoon we took comfort in an evangelical church and enjoyed the blessing of listening to a 40 minute sermon in Portuguese in an air conditioned chapel. We did talk with the pastor after the service and returned the following day to have our credentials stamped.

We booked into the Residential Sinagogo and stayed there for 3 days while we watched and felt the temperature rise to 44C. Too hot to walk so emailed JB from the very helpful (English speaking) Tourist Office for advice. We decided to abandon the walk as the prospect of 30+ Kms in those temperatures drinking tepid water was considered unwise and unsafe. This early part of the rout before Porto is not for the fainthearted - I was starting to struggle at 66.

We too the train to Porto via Entroncamento and were very disappointed with the city. We booked into a small pension and headed for the cathedral but were amazed at the dereliction and depravation of the city. The centre of the city, cathedral, train station and (assume) main square was far from pleasant. There were beggars and people sleeping rough. The Tourist office were very helpful and gave us tickets to an organic concert that evening. The walk back from the church where this was held to our Pension at 10pm was very unpleasant with a very strange night culture emerging. We were not sad to leave this city the following morning on the brilliant Metro. It was the first time that we had felt really unsafe on both this and our previous Camino.

The Metro cost 2.5 Euros each for a 40 minute journey to Vila do Conde where we stayed for a few days before returning on the metro directly into the airport. At Vila do Conde we saw a handful of pilgrims and we are planning to return in September to walk some more of this route. But as time is limited we might only be able to manage the Tui-Santiago section.

 

[camino07]

Thanks for your advice Laurie. I certainly will be taking your guide with me.
I was going alone but luckily a Canadian friend I met on my first Camino has decided to come and we will meet in Lisbon. Occimo! (after a seven session course in Portuguese this one word has stuck in my head). Oh well!
The letter you included is a bit worrying but hopefully the weather will not be too hot in September.I feel really positive that all will be well.
Cheers
Heather

 

[peregrina2000]

Hi, Heather,
I hope you have a wonderful trip. Going with someone will make it a lot more cheerful. IMO, you shouldn't worry about anything. I was always alone and never felt threatened or nervous. There are just those two eucalyptus forests, I wish you well with them. And if you have the time afterwards, I'd really appreciate any updated tips or information on better (or worse) signage. I think that the new Lisbon friends group has tried to help out with those two forests, and I also think there may now be arrows in stones on the ground in those two places, so keep an eye out. The problem with signage in eucalyptus forests is that since those trees grow so darn fast and are harvested, there's no way to put permanent signs on the trees themselves (even though I did see one or two).

Looking back at this part of the Caminho Portugues, I would say that there are lots of really nice parts, even though there is a lot of road walking. I have pictures from 2009 posted here: http://picasaweb.google.com/laurie.reyn ... Dxipep3Vo#

Bom caminho, and I hope you have some time to explore Lisbon, it's a beautiful city! Laurie

 

[ioannisluca]

Hi Heather,

I walked from Lisbon to Porto in July, I think I'll post my caminho experiences next week...

Bye for now
Gianluca

 

[camino07]

Loved the pictures,Laurie. looking forward to seeing it through my own eyes soon.
Gianluca , I would love to read about your experiences ,hope you can post them before I start next Sunday??
I hope the temperature is not too high.
Cheers
Heather

 

[ioannisluca]

Hi Heather,

here’s my caminho portuguese, from Lisbon to Oporto (in these two cities I didn’t mention my accommodation because I booked the hotels from home…).
I arrived in Lisbon on the 30th of June, and followed one of Laurie’s options for the first day: I walked from the Parque das Naçoes to the cathedral, and the following day I started from there and arrived to Vila Franca de Xira. I had my flight back on the 16th of July, so I divided the last steps in another way, even because in this way my last walking day I could arrive in Oporto early. Talking about the climate, it was very very hot in the first week, while in the second part it was nice.
The credencial can be taken in St. Eugenio church in the Bairro do Encarnaçao, between the airport and Oriente Station. You must contact the person in charge, Gonçalo, at the following mail address: aej.lisboa@gmail.com
You can take carimbos (the stamps on the credential) in churches, residenciales, bombeiros, municipal buildings, tourism offices, museums, post offices, and even some bars and pastelarias.
With regard to accommodations and dinners (I usually didn’t have lunch, I ate fruit or sandwich along the way…) I write down the cost I remember, and a personal quality mark ( ● = not so good; ●● = ok; ●●● = good).
My guidebooks to the Caminho Português: Laurie’s guide – John Brierley “Camino Portugués” Caminoguides ed.
My photoes in my FB page (Gianluca Mengoni) following the link
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=18328&id=100001249449150&saved#!/album.php?aid=18328&id=100001249449150


Day I
Lisboa Parque das Naçoes – Sé
8 km

Along the way you can visit the Museu Nacional do Azulejo (I had already been there…)

Day II
Lisboa (Parque das Naçoes) – Vila Franca de Xira
30 km
Acc. Pensào Ribatejana (next to railway station) 19 € ●
Dinner: Restaurante Ribatejano below the Pensào ●●

First part leaving Lisbon and last kms entering Vila franca de Xira very pleasant along the river. The central part, as Laurie says, is not a very nice walk…

Day III
Vila Franca de Xira – Azambuja
20 km
Acc. Residencial Flor da Primavera 25 € ●●●
Dinner: bar-restaurant below 9 € ●●

The walk continues among industrial parks, power stations and busy national roads until Azambuja, a nice town.

Day IV
Azambuja – Santarém
32 km
Acc. Residencial Vitoria 20 € ●●
Dinner: Adega do Bacalhau centre of town ●●

A pleasant walk on the flood plains of Ribatejo. Santarèm is a charming city, lots of sights: Praça Sà da Bandeira, with Igreja do Seminario and N.S. da Piedade, and a Manueline window ; Igreja da Marvila; Igreja da Graça with a superb Manueline portal; Porta do Sol.

Day V
Santarém – Golegã
32 km
Acc. Bombeiros Voluntàrios behind the church, near the camping ●●
Dinner: Café Central in front of the church ●●●

A walking day similar to the previous day, along country lanes not far from the Rio Tejo. After Vale de Figueira (where Laurie met the man who showed her the “wrong way”…) I didn’t take the path marked with yellow X and after a while I found the arrow; but in Reguengo I lost the arrows and ended in a road before Pombalinho, so I had to pass through the village, too. Azinhaga is Saramago’s birthplace. In Golegã there was only a place to sleep in the camping (I didn’t have a tent so I should stay in an “apartment”), but it was too expensive so I stayed by the Bombeiros: it was good (even if it was hot and there were many mosquitos…), they had a room for the “guests”, with 3 beds, showers and a bathroom…and I was alone there.

Day VI
Golegã – Tomar
29 km
Acc. Residential Luz 19 € in the main street ●●
Dinner: Restaurante Bela Vista on the other side of the river ●●●

Along the way: the manor house Quinta da Cardiga, one of Portugal’s most famous “quintas”. In Tomar, there is the impressive Convento de Cristo (a must-see… I had visited it twice before!). After Atalaia there’s an eucalyptus forest where I got lost, too (like Laurie…); anyway, after about half an hour, there’s a wooden arrow on a tree, not so clear about the direction: take left, I think there are at least two paths that lead you out of the wood and to Grou (take Laurie’s advice and follow the direction of the high voltage transmission lines).

Day VII
Tomar – Alvaiàzere
32 km
Acc. + lunch + dinner: Residencial O Bràs 52 € ●●●

In Alvaiàzere there’s nothing but the Residencial O Bras; I arrived there early, so I had lunch, dinner and a room…

Day VIII
Alvaiàzere – Alvorge
26 km
Acc. Casa do Vale Florido + dinner 23 € ●●●

Once in Alvorge I took the road to Vale Florido, it’s about 2km off-route: but next day there’s no need to go back to Alvorge, there’s a road which takes you directly to Ribeira de Alcalamouque, on the caminho. The Hostal-Restaurante Vale Florido is good, they have rooms in a mansion, the “Quinta da Lapa”, with a swimming pool…and it costs only 15€…!

Day IX
Vale Florido – Condeixa a Nova
20 km
Acc. Residencial Avenida 15 € ●
Dinner: Restaurante Regional do Cabrito in the main square ●●●

In Rabaçal there’s a “villa romana” and its museum. In the museum they called the archaeoligists who work on the site and one of them waited for me and showed me round the area. Conimbriga is a well preserved Roman settlement and it’s worth a visit.

Day X
Condeixa a Nova – Coimbra
22 km
Acc. Residencial Domus 30 € (breakfast included) ●●
Dinner: Adega do Conte near the Residencial ●●●

Coimbra is a charming city worthy a “rest day”…

Day XI
Coimbra – Mealhada
22 km
Acc. + dinner Residencial Oasis (just out of town) 42 € ●●●

Mealhada is the home of the leitão, the roast sucking pig, and you can eat it in the Residencial Oasis.

Day XII
Mealhada – Águeda
25 km
Acc. Residencial Ribeirinho 20 € ●●
Dinner: in a fair near the river

Pleasant vineyards and mansions (it’s the “Rota do vinho da Bairrada”) before entering Águeda.

Day XIII
Águeda – Oliveira de Azeméis
38 km
Acc. Residencial La Salette 15 € in the main street ●
Dinner: Restaurante Camponés ●●●

An easy walking first half of the stage, with the roman-medieval bridge Ponte de Marnel. Second part with many main road & railway crossings

Day XIV
Oliveira de Azeméis – Grijò
Acc. Residencial Sobreiro Grosso 20 € ●●
Dinner: restaurant on the National Road ●●

Most of the walk is along the National road, part on the calçada romana… In Grijò the accommodation is a bit far from the caminho and not so easy to find.

Day XV
Grijò – Porto
15 km

It’s a short trip, but all over the main road, and Vila Nova de Gaia seems never ending… but Porto’s sight from Dom Luis bridge, and a dinner on the Ribeira are priceless…

LOVE & KISSES

Gianluca

Bom caminho!