Caminho Portuguese From Lisbon to Santiago

[Freewalker]

Hello Fellow Peregrinos
Will anyone be walking from Lisbon around Sept 15 ish as would welcome the company ! This will be my first caminho although have backpacked many a wilderness trail in mountains and coast lines for extensive periods of time. I adore the natural world but have been craving the history/culture of the old world as lived in Europe several years ago for 12 years. I have been reading and researching for months and am still undecided as to whether I should walk the Coastal to Sintra or the Central through Tomar northward to Porto ? From Porto there are other variants, by the coast through Viana do Castelo or through Braga. I hear from Porto the peregrinos quadruple in numbers and is becoming as busy as the Frances. I was hoping to experience a quieter caminho hence not walking Frances. If the intense heat continues into mid Sept, perhaps the Coastal would be a better option from Lisbon but would hate to miss the gems of the Central...Any suggestions or thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Mike Savage]

Bom Caminho Freewalker! I will be starting about the same time in Porto.

 

[Freewalker]

I too have hiked many kilometers with a backpack.

The camino is not a hike; its a walk in the countryside. Get your head around that concept before you go.

Oh dear me .... I had a feeling someone would be very critical of what I shared......isn't kindness all part of being a "Veteran Member" ?

 

[Freewalker]

Bom Caminho Freewalker! I will be starting about the same time in Porto.

Have a wonderful time !!

 

[Stripey Socks]

Hello Freewalker.
I walked from Lisbon to Santiago in May/June this year. A lovely walk but lots of hard surfaces so I hope you have very comfy footwear.

The Lisbon-Porto leg was quite quiet but I met up with enough walkers of all nationalities to make it interesting. No problem getting a bed even if there weren't purpose-built albergues.

I then took the coastal route from Porto up to Caminha and then up the river to Valenca/Tui. The coastal route is very picturesque with few pilgrims during the day but always someone to talk to at night time. I start walking early each day so I am not surprised when I don't meet someone on the way.

The change in pilgrim numbers from Tui onwards was quite a culture shock. Back to the ol' scramble for a bed even when I did start at 530am!!
Anyway, it is all part of the fun!

I have included some basic information and other bits and pieces in my blog if that would be of use:
https://melsonebigadventure.wordpress.com/category/two-feet-walking/

Enjoy your caminho. It is a beauty!
Mel

 

[Freewalker]

No Offense Intended. The statement is what it is. The camino is not a hike ... its a mistake to approach it as if it were so.

Thank you - yet judgemental nevertheless and unhelpful for a first timer ! Where is your heart ? Do you walk your caminos with your feet only ? I have heard that there are crusty narrow minded pilgrims on this site who can be quite unhelpful. Perhaps I have made a mistake by reaching out here....

 

[Freewalker]

Hello Freewalker.
I walked from Lisbon to Santiago in May/June this year. A lovely walk but lots of hard surfaces so I hope you have very comfy footwear.

The Lisbon-Porto leg was quite quiet but I met up with enough walkers of all nationalities to make it interesting. No problem getting a bed even if there weren't purpose-built albergues.

I then took the coastal route from Porto up to Caminha and then up the river to Valenca/Tui. The coastal route is very picturesque with few pilgrims during the day but always someone to talk to at night time. I start walking early each day so I am not surprised when I don't meet someone on the way.

The change in pilgrim numbers from Tui onwards was quite a culture shock. Back to the ol' scramble for a bed even when I did start at 530am!!
Anyway, it is all part of the fun!

I have included some basic information and other bits and pieces in my blog if that would be of use:
https://melsonebigadventure.wordpress.com/category/two-feet-walking/

Enjoy your caminho. It is a beauty!
Mel

Thank you very much Mel for your time and tips. So appreciated !

 

[peregrina2000]

Hello Fellow Peregrinos
Will anyone be walking from Lisbon around Sept 15 ish as would welcome the company ! This will be my first caminho although have backpacked many a wilderness trail in mountains and coast lines for extensive periods of time. I adore the natural world but have been craving the history/culture of the old world as lived in Europe several years ago for 12 years. I have been reading and researching for months and am still undecided as to whether I should walk the Coastal to Sintra or the Central through Tomar northward to Porto ? From Porto there are other variants, by the coast through Viana do Castelo or through Braga. I hear from Porto the peregrinos quadruple in numbers and is becoming as busy as the Frances. I was hoping to experience a quieter caminho hence not walking Frances. If the intense heat continues into mid Sept, perhaps the Coastal would be a better option from Lisbon but would hate to miss the gems of the Central...Any suggestions or thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

Hi, Freewalker,

Welcome to the forum!

There's a good little bunch of us who have walked from Lisbon and loved it. Of course there are others who didn't like it so much. I can't give you an opinion on the Coastal vs. Central from Lisbon since I have only walked the Central route. But if you look through the Caminho Portugues section, you will see posts in the "Coastal Camino from Lisbon" sub-forum with info and opinions. Look especially at this thread: https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/coastal-camino-from-lisbon.38157/.
I actually think the name "Caminho do Mar" is a misnomer, because very little of it is along the ocean. Aurelio listed the main towns as:
Estoril-Sintra-Mafra-Torres Vedras-Bombarral-Caldas da Rainha-Alcobaça-Fatima-Tomar. The only one on the ocean is Estoril!

I would also recommend Maggie's blog, which is here. https://magwood.me/camino-portuguese/

And if you haven't seen it, the forum guide in Resources is a pretty good introduction -- it's updated every year by members who walk from Lisbon.
https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/resources/categories/camino-portugues.40/

The one big update is the recently opened albergue in Alpriate, just 20 km from the Lisbon cathedral and a great place for the first stop. It is run by volunteers from the via Lusitana, the Lisbon Camino Association.

Happy to answer any specific questions! Bom Caminho, Laurie

 

[Freewalker]

Oh thank you so very much Laurie ! So very helpful indeed ! I am especially happy to hear about the Albergue in Alpriate as was dreading the 33k to Alhambra on the first day ! Cheers Mary

 

[amsimoes]

Hi
If you do not like crowds I propose you to do the central way to Coimbra, then go by bus to Viseu and does the Portuguese Way of the Interior (CPI) to Chaves border, which joins the Sanabrês Way in Verin.
Currently Katherine is walking the CPI (3rd day).
See:
http://www.cpisantiago.pt/
http://blogdibruno.blogspot.pt/2015/06/caminho-portugues-interior-de-santiago.html (Coimbra - Chaves)
http://www.caminador.es/?page_id=117

 

[Former member 22438]

Oh thank you so very much Laurie ! So very helpful indeed ! I am especially happy to hear about the Albergue in Alpriate as was dreading the 33k to Alhambra on the first day ! Cheers Mary

Other option is a slow start From Lisbon Sé cathedral to Moscavide where is the pousada da juventude for the night and you can enjoy the parque das Nações.only 8 kms but a warm up for what is to come.
Then you could walk up to Alpriate .
My wife and I skipped the stage Alverca do Ribatejo to Azambuja because by then in 2013 was no alternative other than follow a nasty busy road..
From Azambuja you follow the Tagus (Tejo) river all away to Santarém .
We loved the Lisbon to Porto part very much.
From Porto the first time we walked the central path via Barcelos ,Ponte de Lima and Valença do Minho to Redondela.
The second time we walked the central path as far as casa Fernanda between Barcelos and Ponte de Lima and moved from there to the coast in Viana do Castelo and followed the coast included the crossing of the Minho river to A Guarda ,Baiona and Vigo before reaching the centraL route in Redondela again.
On the same caminho we walked the Variante Espiritual from Pontevedra to Vilanova de Arousa and the boattour to Padrón.
So lots of choises to make. The caminho Português is a very interesting caminho.
Bom caminho

 

[Freewalker]

Thank you Albertinho for the tips and your time !

 

[Freewalker]

Hi
If you do not like crowds I propose you to do the central way to Coimbra, then go by bus to Viseu and does the Portuguese Way of the Interior (CPI) to Chaves border, which joins the Sanabrês Way in Verin.
Currently Katherine is walking the CPI (3rd day).
See:
http://www.cpisantiago.pt/
http://blogdibruno.blogspot.pt/2015/06/caminho-portugues-interior-de-santiago.html (Coimbra - Chaves)
http://www.caminador.es/?page_id=117

You are right - I don't like crowds and thank you for ideas and links. The links are in Portugese which I find difficult to navigate although the ofcourse the names of towns are the same. Who is Katherine ? Thanks.

 

[amsimoes]

Hi Freewalker

See the forum, where there are a lot of information:
Camino Portugues interior Route

In the resource section Gracethepilgrim posted some notes of the CPI way.
https://www.caminodesantiago.me/com...se-interior-route-notes.441/update?update=373

Some updates:
There exists a new albergue in Bigorne (5 €).

The Penude hostel albergue is closed, but in Lamego there are two places where you can sleep:
Casa de Retiros de S. José (5 €).
and
Casa Kolping

Catherine (canadian woman) told me that there is already a café in Ribolhos: "I forgot to update you on Ribolhos. There is a cafe there. My meal was home made & delicious!!"

Bruno is italian pilgrim.

AMSimoes

 

[Freewalker]

Thank you for the updates and all the info AMSimoes ! Very helpful indeed !