Camino Portugues 2022. Which Book?

[Washie]

Which book should I buy for my Porto to Santiago Camino? I see on this site I can buy John Brierleys Guide, or The Wise Pilgrim Guide or The Village to Village Guide. I'll be reading it before going and using it enroute as I'm not a phone/internet person.

 

[MaineSally]

Which book should I buy for my Porto to Santiago Camino? I see on this site I can buy John Brierleys Guide, or The Wise Pilgrim Guide or The Village to Village Guide. I'll be reading it before going and using it enroute as I'm not a phone/internet person.

I don’t have a basis of comparison having only used Brierley’s, but I believe I would opt for the maps only version another time. Just a little more streamlined for my purposes.

 

[Vince Rollason]

Which book should I buy for my Porto to Santiago Camino? I see on this site I can buy John Brierleys Guide, or The Wise Pilgrim Guide or The Village to Village Guide. I'll be reading it before going and using it enroute as I'm not a phone/internet person.

Which book should I buy for my Porto to Santiago Camino? I see on this site I can buy John Brierleys Guide, or The Wise Pilgrim Guide or The Village to Village Guide. I'll be reading it before going and using it enroute as I'm not a phone/internet person.

Hi. I did Porto to Santiago in 2019 and used Brierley. However, make sure you have the latest edition as I found several differences when comparing notes with fellow pilgrims using older editions. I have also used Brierley for Camino Frances, Camino Ingles and Finisterre. All the information i have needed has been there. Buen Camino
Vince

 

[BethL]

We.are currently on the Portuguese Caminho from Lisbon. Walking into Vigo today. I asked the same question before we left. Chose to take the Brierley, as I wanted some pictures and a little history of what we're seeing each day. Happy with my choice of guide books. The path is very well marked, except for a very gew towns. I'm not a big App person, but have found CaminoNinja.com,, MAPS.ME, and Bookings.com invaluable for this walk. Bon Caminho!!

 

[Former member 22438]

The Brieley Maps does .The normal guide is excellent. The most of the information is okay but you can do without it during your caminho So it is the weight to avoid.
The Brieley Maps is small and light and handy.
On route you are following the yellow waymarkers so at that time you do not need a guide but it is handy to know how long your hike will be during the day or next day
it gives detours etc etc.
you can buy the booklet at Ivar’s shop here at the forum

apps on mobile phones is not my thing. it is small, it costs your battery life and there are more arguments not to use your handy.



bom caminho

 

[RJM]

I used the Brierley guidebook. Was perfect for me. If weights an issue get the maps only guidebook. I'm not too much of a digital device addict (I never want to be that pilgrim walking with my nose buried in a device ugh), so for me a small book is perfect and I just plain love books.

2022/2023 Camino Guidebooks

A collection of guide books written for the 2022 walking year.

www.santiagodecompostela.me

 

[C clearly]

I never want to be that pilgrim walking with my nose buried in a device ugh

Why cast aspersions on other pilgrims?

 

[RJM]

Why cast aspersions on other pilgrims?

Because I actually observed one fall down on the Camino trail on the way to Burgos. Literally staring at the device while walking, totally absorbed it seemed and fell down. Probably fifty metres in front of me. Fortunately he was young, rolled and got back up. Kind of shook it off after looking around and I swear walked off still looking at the device. Go figure.

 

[C clearly]

a small book is perfect and I just plain love books.

Because I actually observed one fall down on the Camino trail on the way to Burgos. Literally staring at the device while walking, totally absorbed it seemed and fell down.

Are you suggesting that it is safer to have your nose in a paper guidebook, than in a digital one? Since the OP's question was about which guidebook was best, do you think some guides are more engrossing than others and thus more dangerous in either digital or paper format? Gosh, it is so difficult when we are forced with trading off the fascination of a good guidebook against safety.

 

[RJM]

Are you suggesting that it is safer to have your nose in a paper guidebook, than in a digital one? Since the OP's question was about which guidebook was best, do you think some guides are more engrossing than others and thus more dangerous in either digital or paper format? Gosh, it is so difficult when we are forced with trading off the fascination of a good guidebook against safety.

Huh?

 

[David Tallan]

When I did the Portugues from Porto in 2018, I bought the Brierley in paper, as well as the Village to Village Guide as an e-book, and several apps including the Wise Pilgrim, Buen Camino, and Camino Ninja apps - all of which I used for planning. I left the Brierley behind when I left, but did get the Brierley Maps e-book.

 

[HumanistHiker]

Still pondering a Porto to Santiago walk for September-October this year.

Any update on the relative merits of Brierley book vs Brierley maps only vs Wise Pilgrim for 2023? If I get a paper book that covers Lisbon to Santiago, I'd slice it and just take the Porto onwards section to save weight.

I don't want to rely on apps/Google maps/internet for directions while walking, and prefer something paper that cannot crash/get a flat battery/have no phone reception at a crucial moment!

I'm more interested in "turn left after the postbox opposite the pharmacy" practical directions, and details of where there are loos, places to refill water bottles, buy lunch than spiritual musings or detailed descriptions of the interiors of historic churches in villages one walks through.

Do any of the guides have a few basic words of Portuguese? (I should be able to survive with my rusty GCSE Spanish north of the border, but I suspect one needs more Portuguese than "vinho verde" and "obrigado"!)