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Avoiding Porto's industrial area on the Camino - starting point recommendations

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SandyJean

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Time of past OR future Camino
September 2023 (First Camino)
What a wealth of information on this forum! I'm ever so much more prepared and packed than I would have been without all of you. Even though I've been training with 10-mile hikes, have purchased a water bottle carrier that enables me to have a drink without taking off my pack, have pared down my wardrobe to two colors and downloaded Wise Pilgrim---there are still questions.

Our (daughter and I) first Camino begins in Porto next month (September). If we wanted to avoid Porto's "long and uninteresting" industrial area does taking the Metro to Matosin accomplish that or should we go further north before we begin trekking? We are thinking about taking the Littoral Sentra as a "warm up and then cut inland at Villa do Conte to Argos and continue on the Central Route. Our option would be to take the Central Route all the way. In that case, suggested places to begin the trek would be what? Paddrao de Legia? Mosteiro? Vilarinho?

Can you recommend places to stay (no sleeping bags, no albergues) in any of these (or other) places?
 
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You can avoid it by walking the Senda Litoral. Start at the cathedral, walk down to the river, turn right and walk along to the river to the sea. Another right turn and walk along the ocean. When you get to Vila do Conde there is a connection to the Central Route.
 
Start in Vilar do Pinheiro. It’s the perfect place to start. I don’t know about taking the metro there but Rome2Rio can help.
 
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lovelyshell said:
Start in Vilar do Pinheiro. It’s the perfect place to start. I don’t know about taking the metro there but Rome2Rio can help.
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Thank you, Lovely Shell. Any additional details as to WHY it is the perfect start?
Thank you. Any recommendations did places to stay for the night?
 
I walked the central from the cathedral in Porto. I didn’t mind the city walk and, in fact, enjoyed seeing the neighborhoods and places where porto folks live and work. It was solitary and quiet in a good way that reminded me I’m capable of walking alone with my pack and my thoughts. I took the alternative route to the monastery Meia de Balio, which was lovely. I saw almost no pilgrims most of the day, which ended at Mosteiro de Varaio.
 
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I walked the central route from Porto a few weeks ago. I didn’t mind walking out of Porto, but if walking the central again, I would skip that bit - I’d walk from Porto airport to Mosteiro and stay at Casa dos Caminhos and start my camino from there.
 
Have you tried walking along the river and the coast? It's lovely.
 
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Anyone who going to spend time in Matosinhos, you should consider a trip to the Sardine Factory. It is one of the only one left in Portugal where all the work is done by hand. The tour is GREAT! See this thread if interested. Where else will you see a beautiful old spiral staircase in the shape of a sardine?!

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I went to this factory last year when I was in Porto for non-camino reasons. We took the bus directly from a stop between the cathedral and the train station (construction going on makes it likely that these stops will be moved from time to time) and had a short walk to the factory from our stop in Matosinhos. On the return, we walked along the water back to Porto for a couple of hours and then hopped on the bus.
 
If you are planning the Littoral I would suggest following the river out of downtown then north along the coast. https://www.relive.cc/view/vevWQ4Dmoy6
 
Additionally to the above you could take the Metro to Matosinhos then walk the coastal route to Vila do Conde overnight here and in the morning take the link route to the Central Caminho.
 
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Marcus-UK said:
Additionally to the above you could take the Metro to Matosinhos then walk the coastal route to Vila do Conde overnight here and in the morning take the link route to the Central Caminho.
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You can, but I absolutely loved walking from the cathedral along the river to the sea, then walking alongside the beach.
 
Or, if you walk the central, stay at the Hotel Aeroporto and start walking from there.. You can easily walk to train station to visit Porto and the cathedral, get your stamp and tour the town.
The hotel serves a nice breakfast.
John Brieley's guide will give you the route pass the airport which swings over to the Camino passing the Vilar do Pinheiro train station. The albergue in Rates is an easy day from there!
 
I’m starting my hike from Porto in mid September along the coastal route, and everything I’ve read says to walk down from the cathedral to the river and follow it to the ocean to start my journey.
That’s my plan!
 
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I found the metro on porto to be very easy to use snf takes you everywhere you want. There is a metro stop right outside the airport. You can take ot to within a couple hundred meters of thr cathedral. You can take it to Matosinhos, and then back past the airport to Vila de Conde! Not sure where you are staying but the walk to Matosinhos is very scenic.
Enjoy
 
SandyJean said:
If we wanted to avoid Porto's "long and uninteresting" industrial area
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Didn't really see much of that sort except South of Porto ; walking out it was pretty much just ordinary suburbia, and a little patch of semi-rural, until the airport.

Of course, there are multiple routes out of Porto, some worse, some better ; but anyway, it's walking out of a major city, which is rarely enjoyable.
 
SandyJean said:
Thank you, Lovely Shell. Any additional details as to WHY it is the perfect start?
Click to expand...
It was where I “restarted” my Camino. I left from Porto and got sick with food poisioning on day one. I made it to Moreira before going to a hospital. From the hospital I took an Uber to Vilar do Pinheiro because it was basically the next town marked in my guidebook (Village to Village). But it was a great place to restart because you start the day walking through some nice little villages which was great after walking out of Porto the day before and drudging sick through part of the industrial zone.
 
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I walked out of Porto in early December of 2022. I had started walking in Portugal from Lisbon mid November, and well, it was a wet walk. Not cold. But wet. So when I got to Porto and the weather was actually going to be amazing for a day or two, I jumped at the chance and took the Senda, by the river, to the sea. I then crossed back over to the central route at Vila do Conde. That day ranks in the top 5 of all days all time on the Camino for me. And, as you have already heard, highly recommended by others too.

Imagine a cafe, overlooking a stunning beach, bathed in sun, as you enjoy your 2nd or 3rd coffee.
 
Totally agree, A lovely walk out of Porto.
 
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Ideal sleeping bag liner whether we want to add a thermal plus to our bag, or if we want to use it alone to sleep in shelters or hostels. Thanks to its mummy shape, it adapts perfectly to our body.

€46,-
Thank you, Sarahchicago, Good to have your information.
 
Camino Chrissy said:
I walked the same stretch out of Porto as @trecile and it was quite nice. No need to walk through the industrial area of the city or take a bus, even if you plan to walk the central route as I did...easy peasy.
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Do I understand that you walked through neighborhoods without going through the industrial area? I didn't realize I had a choice.
 
SandyJean said:
Do I understand that you walked through neighborhoods without going through the industrial area? I didn't realize I had a choice.
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There were not really neighborhoods as the cathedral is located near the river.
Post #2 by @trecile gives these simple directions...
"Start at the cathedral, walk down to the river, turn right and walk along to the river to the sea. Another right turn and walk along the ocean."
 
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To answer your question, SandyJean, I'll share what I recently did in May. My friend & I started our CP in Porto after enjoying some sightseeing. Since our time was limited, we took an Uber that first morning from our Porto hotel to the start of the Senda Littoral boardwalk at the Capela Boa Nova on the northern side of Matosinhos. You can get your stamp at the little cafe by the chapel. We walked to the cute town of Vila do Conde the first day (19 km), most of it on the nice boardwalk with lovely ocean views.

I wanted to do the rest of our Camino Portuguese on the Central Route. So on morning of Day #2, we took another Uber (our last of the walk!) over to the town of San Pedro de Rates (cutting off ~14.5 km) where we started our walk to Barcelos (another delightful town!) that day for 18 km. Having done a couple other Caminos, I wanted to have a couple easy first days to get ourselves acclimated. And, this worked very well for us. I really liked the combo of a little Coastal (Senda Littoral) route with mostly the Central Route.
 
Planet Janet-- Your comments were right to the point and you did what we want to do. Our pace will be slower than what you have written but the idea is right on. Thank you!!
 
SandyJean said:
Planet Janet-- Your comments were right to the point and you did what we want to do. Our pace will be slower than what you have written but the idea is right on. Thank you!!
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Great, Sandy Jean. Glad that was very helpful! In case you might like to see it, I wrote a blog post about my Camino Portuguese with a detailed overview that might be helpful for a first timer. Buen Camino! https://www.planetjanettravels.com/walking-the-camino-portuguese-highlights-of-my-pilgrim-journey/
 
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@Planet Janet - thanks for the link to your blog - I've just enjoyed reading it. Apart from using taxis to Matosinhos and from Vila do Conde to Rates your camino is very much what I have planned for my September/October camino trip. I especially look forward to trying some of the food you mentioned. Normally I'd be put off by restaurants trying too hard (handing out leaflets etc) but O Encontro in Caldas de Reis sounds good.
 
You're most welcome! Glad the blog post was helpful and exciting that your Camino is coming up very soon! I wanted to share one more fun dinner that also came about due to good advertising. On our way to Barcelos, we passed this poster ad on a pole for Restaurant Bira dos Namorados and happened to take a photo of it (as just a curiosity). Once again that evening, we decided what the heck and went there for dinner and it was delightful! However we didn't have a hamburger but a delicious, healthy poke bowl. Buen Camino!
 

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SueFalls said:
I’m starting my hike from Porto in mid September along the coastal route, and everything I’ve read says to walk down from the cathedral to the river and follow it to the ocean to start my journey.
That’s my plan!
Click to expand...
I am starting late September and although my plan is to walk the central, sounds like following the river to the ocean and then weaving back inland is the way to go!
 
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Thanks for the further restaurant tip @Planet Janet - I like the look of the menu and the beers at Bira de Namorados.

Today was a 10 1/2 mile "shakedown" hike day in England in preparation for my Camino. The new La Sportiva Ultra Raptor II GTX shoes were comfortable . I carried a backpack with what I'd carry if I was going to transport my own luggage (weighing in at more than is fashionable/advisable on this forum). Doable, but I decided after 6 miles I'd probably enjoy my camino more if I was carrying less, so have booked transport with Pilbeo. That way I can spend more time in my evenings enjoying tasty food and beer in Portugal, and less time washing sweaty socks and T-shirts and fretting about whether they will be dry by the morning.

For those like me contemplating starting on the Portuguese Littoral and then switching to the Central, I found what looks like quite a good step by step comparison of the routes for cutting across from Vila do Conde to Rates on the stingynomads blog: https://stingynomads.com/vila-do-conde-to-rates-routes/
 
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