Isca-camigo
Veteran Member
- Time of past OR future Camino
- Various ones.
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Thanks for showing the Camino da Geira e dos Arrieiros!
@Suevo you did the caminho that many Suevos probably also did in 6th century from Braga (the capital) to North to control the Gallaecia kingdom.Hi,.
When we did the Camino, it wasn't all marked with the traditional yellow arrows, some parts are still missing (I think they are marking it at this moment) so a GPS track it's very advisable and there aren't albergues along the Camino, the first one it's planned to open this month at Caldelas, but you'll find nice small hostels and hotels at those nice villages with lovely people. From our stages, the more challenge ones were Os Baños Riocaldo - Castro Laboreiro and Berán- Soutelo de Montes, but you can plan different stages according to your pace.
I'll try to update my blog with more detailed information about each stage in the following weeks. You can also find usefull information at this site debragaasantiago.com, I highly suggest also the book From Braga to Santiago by the “Geira Arrieiros’ Way” (Jeira-Ribeiro-Minhoto): Pilgrim's Guide To The Camino from Carlos da Barreira and Henrique Malheiro it was our precious guide along the Camino.
This is an amazing Camino, and I'm sure you'll love it. There is a lot of wonderful mountain hiking along this Camino, if you plan to do it in the Winter keep in mind that it will be even more challenging.
Bom Caminho
That's true Pelegrin@Suevo you did the caminho that many Suevos probably also did in 6th century from Braga (the capital) to North to control the Gallaecia kingdom.
I'm sure that some of those Suevo Kings have walked at least part of this routeHermerico,Requila, Requiario, Maldra......
Since the previous posts in this thread, I have walked this route and shared some info and highlights. Here are some threads/links:I have just signed up to do my 4th Portuguese - this looks fabulous
Hopefully I can do it in the future
Since becoming an official route in 2021, how has the infrastructure improved; signage, cafes, hostels etc? It appears from the older posts that there are significant gaps.Caminho Xacobeo da Geira e dos Arrieiros
Hi there has been a push over recent years to get this route recognized as an official route for 2021. This started in 2009 but only in the last 2-3 years has the infrastructure, signage and places to stay started to improve on both sides of the border.. I saw a figure that 300 people walked it last year,they expect 500 this year. An albergue de peregrinos is expected to open in two months in Caldelas. The Spanish side has patchy marking and the Portuguese side you will need GPS but that could change soon. A really good website is www.debragaasantiago.com
If you go to notices on the website and look at the entry for 20/5/2019 at the moment 4 videos are downloaded for the 1st 4 etapas, there will probably be more over the next few months.
I walked this route in 2022 and would not have wanted to walk it without a GPS. There are a few stretches that qualify as “remote,” and you are right that the marking does have some gaps. I mostly stayed in small hotels and casas rurales, and never had to scramble for a place to stay. But there isn’t really any pilgrim infrastructure. There is one pilgrim albergue in Caldelas, about 19 km from Braga, but I was lured into a small hotel at the entrance to town where there was a small shaded garden with tables. There is a very active group that has been promoting the route, but I don’t think traffic is growing much. It is a very beautiful caminho, through some parts of Portugal’s only national park. You can see my blog here.Since becoming an official route in 2021, how has the infrastructure improved; signage, cafes, hostels etc? It appears from the older posts that there are significant gaps.
Thank you. That’s very helpful.I walked this route in 2022 and would not have wanted to walk it without a GPS. There are a few stretches that qualify as “remote,” and you are right that the marking does have some gaps. I mostly stayed in small hotels and casas rurales, and never had to scramble for a place to stay. But there isn’t really any pilgrim infrastructure. There is one pilgrim albergue in Caldelas, about 19 km from Braga, but I was lured into a small hotel at the entrance to town where there was a small shaded garden with tables. There is a very active group that has been promoting the route, but I don’t think traffic is growing much. It is a very beautiful caminho, through some parts of Portugal’s only national park. You can see my blog here.
I never saw another pilgrim, though I did run into an organized group from the UK walking from village to village, though not on the Geira. If you’ve got the time, think about combining it with the Camino Torres from Salamanca to Braga. It is really a very wonderful walk, through lots of interesting towns and beautiful countryside. Crossing the Douro after Lamego was a highlight.
Last week we finished the Caminho de Santiago da Geira e dos Arrieiros through 9 stages from Braga to Santiago de Compostela:
Going through ancestral routes, we followed the Geira (ancient Roman military road from Braga to Astorga), crossed the heart of the Peneda-Gerês National Park, bathed in natural hot spring waters, walk through a "lunar landscape" framed by mountain peaks around us, crossed multiple forests, streams, lagoons and waterfalls of crystalline waters, we continued through idyllic landscapes along the banks of the River Minho, enjoyed the small mountain villages full of history until we reached Santiago de Compostela.
- Braga -Terras de Bouro
- Terras de Bouro - Os Baños Riocaldo
- Os Baños Riocaldo - Castro Laboreiro
- Castro Laboreiro - Cortegada
- Cortegada - Berán
- Berán- Soutelo de Montes
- Soutelo de Montes - Codeseda
- Codeseda - Pontevea
- Pontevea- Santiago de Compostela
The beauty of the landscape along all the way is overwhelming, being only surpassed by the extreme sympathy of the people that we met. This path is probably the purest and most genuine of all the Caminos de Santiago that defies and challenges physically and spiritually the pilgrim from the very beginning of his journey, making it a unique and unforgettable experience.
Here is a video with some photos of every stage of our Camino:
In my blog I’ll put more detailed information about it.
To all those who have made this ancient and historic Camino a reality, my congratulations and sincere thanks.
Hi, @Flashman101, welcome to the forum. You should check out this current planning thread. @Charrito is currently walking and is posting there regularly.Hi,
I would really like to do this walk. Do you have details of the routes taken? Would it be suitable for a lone trekker?
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