Camino Portugues costal with crossover at Viana do Castelo

[debigetsout]

Hi there,

we are planning to do the Camino Portuguese this spring with two of our best friends. We ourselves have done a few 'walkabouts' but we look forward introducing our friends to the magic we keep finding again and again.
Because of my partner issues with her feet we want to avoid tarmac as much as possible and stay of those narrow streets with stone walls at both sides.

So with the help of some information i found on this site, making maximum use of alternative routes over dirt roads, I designed a route based on the coastal and inland route with a [new ?] crossover at Viana do Castelo to Ponte de Lima.
The crossover will take a day (aprox 27 km) but is along a river away from villages. I think as a result this route in real will be a nice compromise with fewer tarmac and fewer narrow roads.

I thought it would be interesting to share with others who are interested in the same.

I attached the GPS route (a combination of coastal, alternatives and interior route) and some screenshots to have a look at.
Maybe there are some walkers who already did [part] of this route and might even suggest better stretches but maybe that is too much to ask.
If it helps, it helps, if not... well we are going to do it end of April anyway and can give our findings when we come back.

All the best wishes for you on the Camino, when and where ever.

regards Gerard (under the account of my partner Debi).

 

[jsalt]

Hi Gerard, you might find Post Number 5 in this thread by @edumad helpful:
https://www.caminodesantiago.me/com...een-viana-do-castelo-and-ponte-de-lima.35898/

By the way, I can't see your detailed crossover day, as I can't open your two .gpx files - perhaps someone could advise me how I do that. Thanks!
Jill

 

[debigetsout]

Jill

this is a link to google maps with the whole route from Porto to Santiago
https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?hl=nl&mid=1jEwa9h1JKIapY9HqsULMKKSJmzb7wgQb&ll=42.247333952633625,-9.236417881396505&z=9
i think i might need to authorise you for it, but give it a try ... and let me now if you need autorization for it.

if it works you need no other apps or tools ... and you can have a look
and thanks for your link, it mentions a peregrino walking south of the river, my route however is north of the Lima.

grtz G

 

[Former member 22438]

What I did once and will do next month is walk the caminho Português pela costa,the coastal route from Porto to Viana do Castelo, then take the bus from there to the village of Balugães(it is the busline Viana to Braga) and walk from there 4 kms on the central caminho to Vitorino dos Piães where is situated the famous albergue Casa da Fernanda. The next day it is 14 kms to Ponte de Lima, all on the waymarked central route.so it takes you one day from Viana to Ponte de Lima but with a stay over night at Casa da Fernanda.

 

[debigetsout]

Interesting Albertinho, so it took you a day to cross. The thing is that the day before Castelo is a long day planned, so going end of day to the central and do another 4km. Enlight me please, as I am unware of what the famous albergue is famous for. It makes me curious and plans can be changed.
And simular as my partner Debi and I walked various caminos already, and we are very keen in staying at Albergues specialemente... communal dinners, the gems on the route... Can you mention more places where we should stay? We would certainly take that into our plans.
I do understand you depart next month to walk again, we wish you all the best, joy and peace of mind on your camino. Grtz Gerard and Debi.

 

[Rob the Slob]

Hi Gerard, I don't know whether this information is still useful, but last spring I walked from Ponte de Lima to Viana, as part of a walk down the Rio Lima. It was a beautiful and easy walk. We left the river at Passagem, but from what I can tell the path continues along the south bank. It's definitely doable in one day.

 

[Former member 22438]

Interesting Albertinho, so it took you a day to cross. The thing is that the day before Castelo is a long day planned, so going end of day to the central and do another 4km. Enlight me please, as I am unware of what the famous albergue is famous for. It makes me curious and plans can be changed.
And simular as my partner Debi and I walked various caminos already, and we are very keen in staying at Albergues specialemente... communal dinners, the gems on the route... Can you mention more places where we should stay? We would certainly take that into our plans.
I do understand you depart next month to walk again, we wish you all the best, joy and peace of mind on your camino. Grtz Gerard and Debi.

See your answer right now. Sorry
No. From Viana do Castelo to Balugães by bus is half an hour Walking to Casa Fernanda is 30 kms from Viana do Castelo .

Casa Fernanda is a one of a kind albergue. It is not an albergue like 100.000 others.
You stay at a family who open their house for pilgrims , occurred many years ago that a lonesome hungry and thirsty pilgrim knocked on the doors in the hamlet but nobody wanted to help exceptt for Fernanda.since then they open their house for about 20 pilgrims a night. They feed them, give them drinks among others their self made wine, A clean bed, toilet, hot shower and in thecmorning a breakfast.
During dinertime they entertain you as well with songs from Portugal and they hope you will sing a song of your country. So with 20 all together around the big table in their kitchen you can imagine what it will be like.
And very unique. During the meal no moblie phones, texting and apping. Fernanda wants you to talk wth the ones next and opposite you instead of looking at the magic screen all the time.
Wifi yes but only in the dorm.
My wife and I helped them many times as hospitaleiros and we will do again soon.

 

[Former member 22438]

Interesting Albertinho, so it took you a day to cross. The thing is that the day before Castelo is a long day planned, so going end of day to the central and do another 4km. Enlight me please, as I am unware of what the famous albergue is famous for. It makes me curious and plans can be changed.
And simular as my partner Debi and I walked various caminos already, and we are very keen in staying at Albergues specialemente... communal dinners, the gems on the route... Can you mention more places where we should stay? We would certainly take that into our plans.
I do understand you depart next month to walk again, we wish you all the best, joy and peace of mind on your camino. Grtz Gerard and Debi.

Communal diners you only find at the albergue Hílario in Mealhada on the part from Lisbon to Porto,at Fernanda's and at a Quinta Estrada Romana nearby Valença do Minho.
Another nice place to stay is o Refúxio de la Jérezana , 3 kms past Redondela in Galicia . forget the municipal in Redondela and walk 3 kms further .

 

[Kr42]

Hi there,

we are planning to do the Camino Portuguese this spring with two of our best friends. We ourselves have done a few 'walkabouts' but we look forward introducing our friends to the magic we keep finding again and again.
Because of my partner issues with her feet we want to avoid tarmac as much as possible and stay of those narrow streets with stone walls at both sides.

So with the help of some information i found on this site, making maximum use of alternative routes over dirt roads, I designed a route based on the coastal and inland route with a [new ?] crossover at Viana do Castelo to Ponte de Lima.
The crossover will take a day (aprox 27 km) but is along a river away from villages. I think as a result this route in real will be a nice compromise with fewer tarmac and fewer narrow roads.

I thought it would be interesting to share with others who are interested in the same.

I attached the GPS route (a combination of coastal, alternatives and interior route) and some screenshots to have a look at.
Maybe there are some walkers who already did [part] of this route and might even suggest better stretches but maybe that is too much to ask.
If it helps, it helps, if not... well we are going to do it end of April anyway and can give our findings when we come back.

All the best wishes for you on the Camino, when and where ever.

regards Gerard (under the account of my partner Debi).

Hi how was the walk from Viana do Castelo to Ponte de Lima? I am thinking of doing that myself.

 

[debigetsout]

hallo,
i am sorry to tell that we have not walked the Portuguese camino as planned this spring, due to family circumstances. We will go back, however when we are not sure yet. if you want to have access to the GPX file just let me know.
happy walking, Debi and Gerard

 

[dfunghi]

I am trying to revive older threads rather than clutter with new threads about similar queries.

The more I read and learn I seem to be leaning towards the Coastal from Porto with a "cut over" somewhere (marked and known) in order to reach Barcelos. I have been to much of that area before on our honeymoon 30 years ago, but not on foot.

The files in this thread are all locked to me so no idea what info is contained within.

If I was to cut over near Ofir (a place my wife and I loved when first visited but again that was 30+ years ago) would I find markings and a known path? Would I do "best" (surest way to arrive at correct place) using a bit of public transport? I do not mind adding days if need be. I plan to arrive Barcelos Weds and leave Friday (I think the Market Day in Barcelos is a European must for all and I was there in the 1990's) using it as a rest stop, catch my breath so to speak and also be a tourist for a day or two. I plan to stay http://www.hoteldoterco.com for a good rest after my first few days on Camino. I am guessing four days from Porto to V D C so maybe one day short of that to Ofir area? I suppose I could forgo Ofir and cut over somewhere better marked?

I thought I found a thread talking about best way to mix coastal and interior but can not find it again. It looks like V D C to P D Lima is the "typical" walk. Both places I have visited but not as a walker, in fact it was P D Lima where we met pilgrims and learned of the "way" long, long ago.

TIA,
D

 

[jsalt]

I thought I found a thread talking about best way to mix coastal and interior but can not find it again.

Hi, was it this one:
https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/coast-to-interior-connections.56107/
Jill

 

[dfunghi]

Thanks Jill,
I saw that one but had thought I read another about crossing further south (maybe by bus?) to add casa Fernanda to their Camino. After studying maps and local transport web sites (until my eyes wore out) it seems public transport may be in order. Either for cutting over further south or to cut over later on known paths and then head SOUTH (this part by bus) again to Barcelos. Perhaps if I thought I had it in me I would walk the backtracking portion and then walk it again north but I figure it will take all I have to give to complete the CP on my first attempt.

D

 

[David Tallan]

Most of the guides and apps I've seen recommend cutting over from Vila do Conde on the coast (Senda Litoral) to Rates and then Barcelos on the Central if you want to start walking out of Porto by the river and on the beaches and then switch over to the Central. That's my plan for early October.

 

[dfunghi]

I am hoping to see Ofir again, a town we loved 30 years ago. From there I may take a bus back to Barcelos. I see the cut over you spoke of. It looks a bit further south then I hoped for. I suppose being fluid and open to what comes will dictate much of my decision making along the way as well. That 17 K cut over to Rates looks like a great plan too. If possible I would like to walk every K and not use busses but I also know there is no shame in busses if I do. Perhaps convenience and the ability to rejoin the pathway after a detour to Ofir can make a bus seem sensible. Also wanting to see both Ofir and Barcelos may cause map difficulties too easily over come by a 30 minute bus ride. As I say it is all quite fluid and who knows what decisions will be made on particular days due to weather, tired, distance and many other factors. That said, I have dreamt for 30 + years of eating Sardines at a tiny little place on the beach in Ofir again . A memory that has stayed with me a very long time now.

 

[David Tallan]

I am hoping to see Ofir again, a town we loved 30 years ago. From there I may take a bus back to Barcelos. I see the cut over you spoke of. It looks a bit further south then I hoped for. I suppose being fluid and open to what comes will dictate much of my decision making along the way as well. That 17 K cut over to Rates looks like a great plan too. If possible I would like to walk every K and not use busses but I also know there is no shame in busses if I do. Perhaps convenience and the ability to rejoin the pathway after a detour to Ofir can make a bus seem sensible. Also wanting to see both Ofir and Barcelos may cause map difficulties too easily over come by a 30 minute bus ride. As I say it is all quite fluid and who knows what decisions will be made on particular days due to weather, tired, distance and many other factors. That said, I have dreamt for 30 + years of eating Sardines at a tiny little place on the beach in Ofir again . A memory that has stayed with me a very long time now.

If it were me, and I wanted to walk every km of the Camino and also see Ofir, I would walk to Barcelos (either on the Central or on the Litoral/Central with a cutover via Rates). The I would take a bus (or even a taxi, depending on budget and bus schedules) from Barcelos to Ofir and later back again, and resume walking from Barcelos. I wouldn't consider the bus/taxi "cheating", as I'm still walking all of the Camino. The trip to and from Ofir is just an off-Camino side-trip.

A word of warning, however, after recently going back to Madrid and the Camino after an absence of almost 30 years. There is no going home again. The Ofir you find won't be the Ofir you left. Don't let your memory become an expectation.

 

[dfunghi]

Yes David I have looked into the $20 taxi to or from Barcelos and the coast. I am leaning towards cutting over towards Rates (from Litoral) and once in Barcelos (where I expect to take a bit of a rest for a day or two and see the market again) I may just hire a car to take me out to see what is there and if I can stomach the changes. If I recognize an area (or perhaps a restaurant for Sardines) I can get out and take a ride back later and if not just spend the money (always good to feed local economy) for a ride out and back to see it. As much as I think it was Ofir, looking at some pictures we took and web based pics now it may have been just south of Ofir beach where we were. It still looks OK there and not as built up (but built up for sure) as Ofir and Esposende. I had the best Sardines of my life there. Tiny place with maybe a dozen small tables and a grill. As soon as I had ordered all the "old men" watched to see if I actually knew how to eat a Sardine properly (I spoke zero Portuguese and was a very typical American tourist by appearance). My wife still loves to tell that story of how the men all watched me and then nodded with approval as I dug in. Yes, I knew how to eat a Sardine. This was not as long ago as I thought, my wife reminded me it was 1992 or 93 at the oldest.

 

[betade3]

Hi there,

we are planning to do the Camino Portuguese this spring with two of our best friends. We ourselves have done a few 'walkabouts' but we look forward introducing our friends to the magic we keep finding again and again.
Because of my partner issues with her feet we want to avoid tarmac as much as possible and stay of those narrow streets with stone walls at both sides.

So with the help of some information i found on this site, making maximum use of alternative routes over dirt roads, I designed a route based on the coastal and inland route with a [new ?] crossover at Viana do Castelo to Ponte de Lima.
The crossover will take a day (aprox 27 km) but is along a river away from villages. I think as a result this route in real will be a nice compromise with fewer tarmac and fewer narrow roads.

I thought it would be interesting to share with others who are interested in the same.

I attached the GPS route (a combination of coastal, alternatives and interior route) and some screenshots to have a look at.
Maybe there are some walkers who already did [part] of this route and might even suggest better stretches but maybe that is too much to ask.
If it helps, it helps, if not... well we are going to do it end of April anyway and can give our findings when we come back.

All the best wishes for you on the Camino, when and where ever.

regards Gerard (under the account of my partner Debi).

Hi there,

we are planning to do the Camino Portuguese this spring with two of our best friends. We ourselves have done a few 'walkabouts' but we look forward introducing our friends to the magic we keep finding again and again.
Because of my partner issues with her feet we want to avoid tarmac as much as possible and stay of those narrow streets with stone walls at both sides.

So with the help of some information i found on this site, making maximum use of alternative routes over dirt roads, I designed a route based on the coastal and inland route with a [new ?] crossover at Viana do Castelo to Ponte de Lima.
The crossover will take a day (aprox 27 km) but is along a river away from villages. I think as a result this route in real will be a nice compromise with fewer tarmac and fewer narrow roads.

I thought it would be interesting to share with others who are interested in the same.

I attached the GPS route (a combination of coastal, alternatives and interior route) and some screenshots to have a look at.
Maybe there are some walkers who already did [part] of this route and might even suggest better stretches but maybe that is too much to ask.
If it helps, it helps, if not... well we are going to do it end of April anyway and can give our findings when we come back.

All the best wishes for you on the Camino, when and where ever.

regards Gerard (under the account of my partner Debi).

Hello, I will be traveling with my mother and her friend in September. We also would like to avoid Tarmac. I would love to hear how your alternate route worked out. I am not able to open your gps attachments . .. . hopefully I'll figure it out on my own. If not, any advice you have would be wonderful.

Much appreciation,
Beverly

 

[debigetsout]

Hello, I will be traveling with my mother and her friend in September. We also would like to avoid Tarmac. I would love to hear how your alternate route worked out. I am not able to open your gps attachments . .. . hopefully I'll figure it out on my own. If not, any advice you have would be wonderful.

Much appreciation,
Beverly

Hallo Beverly.
We managed to do this walk in december last year. The cross over at Viana do Castelo to Ponte de Lima ( the north side of the river) was a beautifull walk. As it had been raining very much that month, we were not able to do the last 12 km of the walk along the river as it was heavily flooded. We can recommend this route, much is over natural path. The GPS files in an earlier post (look above) will give you the route we walked. If you try to open them, i will get a request from google to give you access, which i will grant. Hope this works out for you.
Grtz Gerard

 

[betade3]

Hallo Beverly.
We managed to do this walk in december last year. The cross over at Viana do Castelo to Ponte de Lima ( the north side of the river) was a beautifull walk. As it had been raining very much that month, we were not able to do the last 12 km of the walk along the river as it was heavily flooded. We can recommend this route, much is over natural path. The GPS files in an earlier post (look above) will give you the route we walked. If you try to open them, i will get a request from google to give you access, which i will grant. Hope this works out for you.
Grtz Gerard

Hello Gerard, I have tried to open them. My computer just says Safari can not open these??? Do you have any suggestions for me? Thank you

 

[betade3]

Hi there,

we are planning to do the Camino Portuguese this spring with two of our best friends. We ourselves have done a few 'walkabouts' but we look forward introducing our friends to the magic we keep finding again and again.
Because of my partner issues with her feet we want to avoid tarmac as much as possible and stay of those narrow streets with stone walls at both sides.

So with the help of some information i found on this site, making maximum use of alternative routes over dirt roads, I designed a route based on the coastal and inland route with a [new ?] crossover at Viana do Castelo to Ponte de Lima.
The crossover will take a day (aprox 27 km) but is along a river away from villages. I think as a result this route in real will be a nice compromise with fewer tarmac and fewer narrow roads.

I thought it would be interesting to share with others who are interested in the same.

I attached the GPS route (a combination of coastal, alternatives and interior route) and some screenshots to have a look at.
Maybe there are some walkers who already did [part] of this route and might even suggest better stretches but maybe that is too much to ask.
If it helps, it helps, if not... well we are going to do it end of April anyway and can give our findings when we come back.

All the best wishes for you on the Camino, when and where ever.

regards Gerard (under the account of my partner Debi).

Hello Gerard and Debi, I was able to open the cross over file, however Google maps was unable to read the total camino file. . . .. if you have interest in checking this out, I would be very grateful If not, it is understandable.

Thank you, Beverly

 

[uncletim]

I was able to open the crossover .gpx file in Google Earth Pro.

saved it as .kmz file and it opened in maps.me

we may try this crossover next week on our walk.

 

[Lizremedy]

Hi how was the walk from Viana do Castelo to Ponte de Lima? I am thinking of doing that myself.

I would like to know too

 

[Lizremedy]

Hi there,

we are planning to do the Camino Portuguese this spring with two of our best friends. We ourselves have done a few 'walkabouts' but we look forward introducing our friends to the magic we keep finding again and again.
Because of my partner issues with her feet we want to avoid tarmac as much as possible and stay of those narrow streets with stone walls at both sides.

So with the help of some information i found on this site, making maximum use of alternative routes over dirt roads, I designed a route based on the coastal and inland route with a [new ?] crossover at Viana do Castelo to Ponte de Lima.
The crossover will take a day (aprox 27 km) but is along a river away from villages. I think as a result this route in real will be a nice compromise with fewer tarmac and fewer narrow roads.

I thought it would be interesting to share with others who are interested in the same.

I attached the GPS route (a combination of coastal, alternatives and interior route) and some screenshots to have a look at.
Maybe there are some walkers who already did [part] of this route and might even suggest better stretches but maybe that is too much to ask.
If it helps, it helps, if not... well we are going to do it end of April anyway and can give our findings when we come back.

All the best wishes for you on the Camino, when and where ever.

regards Gerard (under the account of my partner Debi).

Hi Debi
I would love to know how this route was for you as I am thinking of doing exactly this route? Is it marked? Are there places to get water and food? How difficult was the terrain? Thanks for your info.
Liz