Camino de Torres in the paper today

[ivar]

La ruta Camino de Torres, por Portugal, se prepara para ser oficial para el Xacobeo 21-22

Parte de Salamanca, atraviesa el Douro vinatero y confluye con el Camino Central

www.lavozdegalicia.es

 

[jungleboy]

Thanks for the link, it’s always nice to see lesser-known caminos receiving some publicity.

As indicated in the article, there’s been some promotion of the Torres lately to coincide with the International Congress held recently. There seems to be an overarching Portuguese authority driving this, possibly at the expense of the University of Salamanca, which seemed to previously claim ‘ownership’ of this camino. There are also local authorities involved (e.g. the concelho of Amarante, which has its own signage). @Isca-camigo might be able to shed more light on the various authorities involved with the Torres.

Hasta hace unas semanas, pocas personas conocían la existencia de una cuarta ruta de peregrinación histórica a Compostela al sur del Miño, el Camino de Torres, que se suma al Camino Central portugués, al de la Costa y al del Alentejo-Ribatejo, escogidos por el 25 % de los peregrinos que llegan a Compostela.

Leaving aside the idea that this Congress resulted in everyone suddenly knowing about the Torres now, this is saying that there are only four Portuguese caminos: central, coastal, Torres and Alentejo-Ribatejo. I don’t know how the article is classifying caminos but in any case it doesn’t take into account that there are three Alentejo-Ribatejo caminos (Nascente, Raia, Central Faro-Santarém) and it leaves out the CPI, Geira e dos Arrieiros, Minhoto Ribeiro and the Zamorano Português (and possibly more?).

Están totalmente señalizados, hay albergues y alojamientos y lugares de apoyo para los peregrinos, siguiendo las directrices del Xacobeo», explica el investigador luso.

The thing about the Torres is that it’s hard to make generalisations like this because there are different aspects to the route. The first eight stages from Salamanca to Trancoso (which we didn’t walk) are said to be very rural and there are albergues, but I think the signage is not great. The part we walked (Trancoso-Braga) is more urban with no albergues and the signage is good after a bridge which is mentioned in the article. Then at Ponte de Lima it connects with the CP central and suddenly there is a lot of pilgrim infrastructure and it’s a whole different beast.

 

[Friend from Barquinha]

Leaving aside the idea that this Congress resulted in everyone suddenly knowing about the Torres now, this is saying that there are only four Portuguese caminos: central, coastal, Torres and Alentejo-Ribatejo. I don’t know how the article is classifying caminos but in any case it doesn’t take into account that there are three Alentejo-Ribatejo caminos (Nascente, Raia, Central Faro-Santarém) and it leaves out the CPI, Geira e dos Arrieiros, Minhoto Ribeiro and the Zamorano Português (and possibly more?).

My impression, after numerous chats with various Portuguese friends, is that this kind of hair-splitting about "who's in charge" is entirely typical of any large, public Portuguese enterprise. And of course now, there is a lot of funding for tourist endeavours everywhere outside the Algarve and the big cities (Lisboa/Porto)--with a fair proportion of it coming as transfers from the EU. So every municipality, every county, every region, is suddenly claiming jurisdiction, as then they get to control the money and where the paths are marked (ideally as much as possible through towns, right?)

I think this will go on for years. I get the impression, from some of the Spanish camino threads, that it went on (less perhaps the EU funding) for ages in Spain, as well; thus some questionable routing.

So I guess the question is...is it better to have the support, and try to ignore the wrangling, or to not get the support at all? Kind of a shame for the long-term volunteers like Albertinho Rodrigo whose work made this all get off the ground in the first place! They seem to have been shoved aside, to some degree, by the bureaucracy.

[edit: Led others astray by referring to A when I meant R in the last paragraph. I'm thinking about the group of Portuguese volunteers who did so much to get the main Portuguese caminho north of Lisboa up and running!]

 

[Sirage]

I have added this to my options for my intended via de la Plata starting March next year. Perhaps I toss a coin when I get to Salamanca.

I always walk solo and enjoy the cafe and evening camaraderie of a Camino. Perhaps this route might be just too quiet for a few years - I will revisit this question next year.

Although it appears the people who live along this route would be particularly welcoming, although the Spanish and Portuguese I have met previously on other Caminos and elsewhere have made me feel welcome.

 

[pelerine]

Hello! I walked this camino in 2017 (aged 77), loved it and do not worry about it being classified/officially recognised. During the first stages I did not come across any other pilgrims/walkers. After that I walked with one of my daughters, so I did not notice who else was walking, but I think until Ponte de Lima we were walking alone.

But even then I noticed improvements in the accommodations compared to what I had read and worried about in previous “relatos” on the university of Salamanca website. So I think there are more improvements now.

I feel recognition is due to Luis Quintales (quoting the article):
“A finales de los años 80 del siglo pasado, el investigador de la Universidad de Salamanca Luis Antonio Miguel Quintales recorrió y renovó el itinerario que había seguido el poeta salmantino en el siglo XVIII. «Gracias a los textos de Diego de Torres, y al incansable trabajo de Quintales pudimos comenzar hace cuatro años a revitalizar este camino, modernizarlo y adaptarlo al peregrino del siglo XXI», afirma Paulo Almeida Fernandes.”

So anybody wanting to try this camino - google camino de torres, chose the usal (University of Salamanca) website and you will find loads of information and in “relatos” lots of experience of people who walked this camimo.

Buen camino, whichever you decide to walk after all!

 

[RodlaRob]

Nice post Pelerine!
Yes, special thanks to Luis Quintales!
I took up the Camino Torres in 2016 arriving from Australia, never having done an overnight walk before. Luis met with me in Salamanca & was fantastic. Helped me download offline maps & provided information to help me overcome some slight anxiety .
The camino before & after Ponte de Lima definitely 2 opposite zones when it comes to pilgrim traffic.
If i get back there one day, the Torres will definitely form part of my planned camino.
Cheers to all the Camino Torres volunteers.
Rodney.

 

[chinalil]

Thank you all for the detailed information on the CdeT.....I am intending starting on 25 April, so have been researching albergues. I shall commence my pilgrimage in Salamanca; I believe from the above, no problem with pilgrim hostels until Moimenta da Beira, with a new one having opened in Sernancelhe; Lamego has one in a sporting complex but I can't find one in Mesao Frio or Felgueras. I see Santiago 31 in Guimares, sounds like an albergue!! There is a new one in Braga on Rua do Carmo. And then....from Braga to Santiago no problem with pilgrim hostels. Am I far from the truth? Once again, I'm grateful for the posts.

 

[jungleboy]

You can stay with the firefighters in Mesão Frio - or at least you could 18 months ago.

 

[gracethepilgrim]

Thank you all for the detailed information on the CdeT.....I am intending starting on 25 April, so have been researching albergues. I shall commence my pilgrimage in Salamanca; I believe from the above, no problem with pilgrim hostels until Moimenta da Beira, with a new one having opened in Sernancelhe; Lamego has one in a sporting complex but I can't find one in Mesao Frio or Felgueras. I see Santiago 31 in Guimares, sounds like an albergue!! There is a new one in Braga on Rua do Carmo. And then....from Braga to Santiago no problem with pilgrim hostels. Am I far from the truth? Once again, I'm grateful for the posts.

Hi @chinalil, I may be following you by a week or two as I continue with my Caminho Nascente from Evoramonte and then the Torres (from Trancoso). I hope you’ll be posting any updates to route and accom as you go. How exciting. Bless

 

[jungleboy]

I can't find one in Mesao Frio

You can stay with the firefighters in Mesão Frio - or at least you could 18 months ago.

And then....from Braga to Santiago no problem with pilgrim hostels.

If you’re going to Ponte de Lima to join the CP, then yes. If you’re taking the Geira, there’s only one albergue.

 

[chinalil]

You can stay with the firefighters in Mesão Frio - or at least you could 18 months ago.

Wow, that’s a first tks