Camino Portugués (Coastal)

Elle Bieling said:

Wear light hikers or trail runners - they will be enough for the Coastal/Senda Litoral. Make sure the foot is well cushioned as the Portuguese Camino has lots of cobblestone until you cross over into Spain. As for clothing, less is better. Wear lightweight, quick-drying clothes, of course. 50 liters seems like a huge pack! Don't fill it up or you will be carrying quite the load. 3 lightweight shirts should be enough. One to change during the day if needed and one for the evening. Layers are the key for cool mornings and warm afternoons, as well as perhaps lightweight convertible hiking shirts - one that you can roll up the sleeves as it gets warm. I have a packing list on my blog that may be helpful, Good luck and buen camino!

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surya8 said:

March is traditionally a rainy season in Portugal, not that it will stay that way considering climate change now but most likely you'll benefit from some rain gear, at least a jacket/poncho. Waterproof trousers are tricky as most pilgrims tend to sweat in them a lot. Make sure your walking clothes are not made from cotton as it dries forever, so wear synthetic instead for walking and have some clothes to change into in the albergue. Trail running shoes are ok for this route, it's mostly sandy on the coast, not so much mud or rocky paths. A light hat and gloves could be helpful sometimes (but not necessary) as it gets windy on the coast. Sleeping bag might be a necessilty if you are planning to stay in the municipal albergues, but if your budget allows for pensions then no need to bother with that. Ah, yes, I walked all my 4 caminos with a 45l bag, and even in winter it was not totally full, had a lot of empty space, though it got packed to the brims with gifts on the way back from Santiago Bom Caminho!

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camino.ninja said:

Hi Cristian,

Have a look at my pack list. It's less than 5 kilos:
https://camino.ninja/packlist

And I made a free app for the Caminho Português da Costa Senda Litoral as well:
https://camino.ninja/app

Buen Camino!
Andy

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HSkogerson said:

Hi Cristian,
How wonderful!!! ENJOY your Camino!
My family of four did a portion of the Camino Portuguese from late May into early June 2018 and crossed over into Spain in Tui. I love what others have contributed! Here are a few things that worked for us.
1.My boys,12 and 15, BOTH preferred their athletic shoes to the boots they had. The terrain was the boardwalk, often streets, some trails but nothing their shoes couldn’t handle. I wore my boots but other than them staying dry during the rain, I didn’t need them for the terrain. We walked about 100 miles.
2. Although you’re traveling at a different time of the year then us, we often wore hats due to the sun. The wind made it easier to not feel the heat of the sun and my younger son got sunburned along the left side of his face and his ear walking along the coastal boardwalk. From then on he wore a bandana wrapped around his forehead and ears which protected the sunburn and further burning. This would also help keep sweat out of your eyes!
3. We had some rain but had our ponchos that covered us and our packs and they worked great! Inexpensive, lightweight and easy to carry.
4. We stayed mostly in albergues and only took lightweight sleep-sacks rather than sleeping-bags and they worked out really well.
5. We ended up packing too much and had to ship some things home after our first couple of days so my suggestion is less is better!
6. We had a couple of collapsible walking sticks which came in handy at times but not necessary.
I hope this is helpful information! If I think of anything else I’ll reach out!
Have a WONDERFUL time! I’ve included a few of our coastal photos just for fun.
Warm regards,
Heather

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Mycroft said:

I am excited for you, Cristian! I walked the Camino Portugues Costal last September. I think it has been my favorite pilgrimage.
I agree about the cobblestones--I still feel a flash of panic when I even think of cobblestones! I used my good hiking shoes (not boots). Definitely have some footwear that you can wear at the end of the day. My pack weight without my liter of water was about 7kg. BTW, I had no difficulty finding places to refill my water bottle along the way.
The locals along the way kept saying they didn't know why we were walking in September because that month had been hotter than August for the previous 5 years. There were enough diversions along the coast that kept me cool most of the time, but I do not know what things are like in March.
If you are in a similar time zone as Spain and Portugal, then starting out right away may be fine--I am 7-8 hours later and with the long long flights and airport layovers, I like to take a day or two to get over jet lag. It also gives me time to hit the grocery store to get whatever I might need for food/snacks.
As to clothing, I follow the 2 shirts, 2 trousers rules--wash one set and while they dry, wear the other. I met someone from Ireland who had one Lycra running outfit that she washed each evening and donned the next day. And a night shirt. Not much else!
Many blessings!

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gypsy9 said:

Some great advice here, Dago.
Just my proverbial "two cents" in regards to the sweat factor. If you have body odour, go for merino wool. The wool serves to cool in summer months (t-shirt) and helps insulate and warm the body during the cold.
Natural fibres and I have found less likely to stink (as can be the case with synthetic fibre and some "wick-away").
But often it is trial and error and everyone has their unique preferences and likes and dislikes..
Buen Camino!

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