Camino Protocols on th CP

[Paintboy2]

After altering our plans to avoid the extreme heat on the Lisbon- Porto leg, we will be leaving Porto tomorrow in the comfort of reasonable temperature for the foreseeable future. As for Covid protocols you will find them very similar to other parts of the world. Not intrusive, just common sense and polite. Mask wearing indoors is mandatory unless eating or drinking. Mask wearing outdoors is not mandatory if you are social distancing. I wear my mask anytime anyone else is around and I can tell they are more at ease. You will need an EU Vaccination passport if you are from one of the EU or Shengen countries, otherwise you will need legible copies of you vaccination record to check into most hostels or hotels. If you don't have that, you will have to get tested every three days at a pharmacy and I'm pretty sure they don't give those tests away.
All of that aside, Portugal is anxious to get going economically again and you will be welcomed as never before. The Albergue prices seem to have gone up a bit as has food and wine cost but thats life. You're going to have a great Camino. Take precautions and enjoy as never before.

 

[Alvin T]

After altering our plans to avoid the extreme heat on the Lisbon- Porto leg, we will be leaving Porto tomorrow in the comfort of reasonable temperature for the foreseeable future. As for Covid protocols you will find them very similar to other parts of the world. Not intrusive, just common sense and polite. Mask wearing indoors is mandatory unless eating or drinking. Mask wearing outdoors is not mandatory if you are social distancing. I wear my mask anytime anyone else is around and I can tell they are more at ease. You will need an EU Vaccination passport if you are from one of the EU or Shengen countries, otherwise you will need legible copies of you vaccination record to check into most hostels or hotels. If you don't have that, you will have to get tested every three days at a pharmacy and I'm pretty sure they don't give those tests away.
All of that aside, Portugal is anxious to get going economically again and you will be welcomed as never before. The Albergue prices seem to have gone up a bit as has food and wine cost but thats life. You're going to have a great Camino. Take precautions and enjoy as never before.

Keep us informed about anything unusual re: COVID-19 issues you see. I want to walk that route in September but I have not purchased an airline ticket yet. Thanks!

 

[Paintboy2]

Keep us informed about anything unusual re: COVID-19 issues you see. I want to walk that route in September but I have not purchased an airline ticket yet. Thanks!

Buy your ticket Alvin. The Covid protocols in place are very good and are very well observed by the public. You will have a good trip with no hastles unless you are not fully vaccinated. Have fun. I'll leave a little wine behind for you.

 

[peregrina2000]

After altering our plans to avoid the extreme heat on the Lisbon- Porto leg, we will be leaving Porto tomorrow in the comfort of reasonable temperature for the foreseeable future. As for Covid protocols you will find them very similar to other parts of the world. Not intrusive, just common sense and polite. Mask wearing indoors is mandatory unless eating or drinking. Mask wearing outdoors is not mandatory if you are social distancing. I wear my mask anytime anyone else is around and I can tell they are more at ease. You will need an EU Vaccination passport if you are from one of the EU or Shengen countries, otherwise you will need legible copies of you vaccination record to check into most hostels or hotels. If you don't have that, you will have to get tested every three days at a pharmacy and I'm pretty sure they don't give those tests away.
All of that aside, Portugal is anxious to get going economically again and you will be welcomed as never before. The Albergue prices seem to have gone up a bit as has food and wine cost but thats life. You're going to have a great Camino. Take precautions and enjoy as never before.

Thanks for the update. I know the rules change frequently, but it’s good to have someone on the ground with real time info.

@Paintboy, I am wondering what the rules were for you to enter Portugal.

According to the State Department website, all US travelers must have proof of a negative covid test within 72 hours. No mention of proof of vaccine.

COVID-19 Information

Last updated: January 24, 2023 The CDC’s Order requiring proof of vaccination for non-U.S. citizen nonimmigrants to travel to the United States is still

pt.usembassy.gov

Non-essential (i.e. tourist travel) from the United States to mainland Portugal is currently permitted for travelers with proof of a negative COVID-19 test. This measure will be reviewed every two weeks and currently expires midnight on July 25 unless renewed. Except for children under 12 years old, every passenger must submit a negative SARSCoV-2 lab result of a nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT), for example a PCR test, performed in the last 72 hours or a rapid antigen test (TRAg), performed within 48 hours of boarding.

 

[Paintboy2]

Thanks for the update. I know the rules change frequently, but it’s good to have someone on the ground with real time info.

@Paintboy, I am wondering what the rules were for you to enter Portugal.

According to the State Department website, all US travelers must have proof of a negative covid test within 72 hours. No mention of proof of vaccine.

COVID-19 Information

Last updated: January 24, 2023 The CDC’s Order requiring proof of vaccination for non-U.S. citizen nonimmigrants to travel to the United States is still

pt.usembassy.gov

Non-essential (i.e. tourist travel) from the United States to mainland Portugal is currently permitted for travelers with proof of a negative COVID-19 test. This measure will be reviewed every two weeks and currently expires midnight on July 25 unless renewed. Except for children under 12 years old, every passenger must submit a negative SARSCoV-2 lab result of a nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT), for example a PCR test, performed in the last 72 hours or a rapid antigen test (TRAg), performed within 48 hours of boarding.

The airlines require a negative covid test within 72 hours to board the plane. Portugal requires either a negative covid test within 72 hours or proof of vaccination, two shots. All of the hotels, hostels and some restaurant's require a 72 hour test or proof of vaccinations. None of this is difficult. Have a photocopy of your negative covid test as well as a photocopy of your vaccination record will make it easy.

 

[lt56ny]

Have lots of sunscreen also.

 

[Paintboy2]

No sunscreen this week. Rain tomorrow between Esposende and Vienna do Castelo.

 

[WanderingWilly]

Reading your each of your post as I'm leaving from Porto mid September. Will you take the Senda litoral or the traditional coastal route to Viana?

 

[Paintboy2]

We are on the literal today in Esposende. We plan on going north into Spain from Caminha but in the past we have traveled east from Camino to Valenca. Either way is a winner. You can't make a bad choice.

 

[kenwilltravel]

Reading your each of your post as I'm leaving from Porto mid September. Will you take the Senda litoral or the traditional coastal route to Viana?

If the weather is hot, the litoral tends to be cooler because of the breezes coming off the ocean, what my wife called "God's air conditioning." In our experience, gets hotter the further inland you go. And scenery usually better on litoral.

 

[WanderingWilly]

kenwilltravel....I see on Brierley's map the Litoral joins with the inland coastal way at Ponte. Did you then move back to the Litoral when you had the chance? I plan on doing this in two stages as I've got the time and this is my first Camino. 1st stage Esposende to Castelo do Neiva then on to Viana the next day. Just don't know whether to cut back to coast or continue on the inland coastal to Viana from Castelo do Neiva. I'm entertaining all opinions
Thanks WW

 

[kenwilltravel]

kenwilltravel....I see on Brierley's map the Litoral joins with the inland coastal way at Ponte. Did you then move back to the Litoral when you had the chance? I plan on doing this in two stages as I've got the time and this is my first Camino. 1st stage Esposende to Castelo do Neiva then on to Viana the next day. Just don't know whether to cut back to coast or continue on the inland coastal to Viana from Castelo do Neiva. I'm entertaining all opinions
Thanks WW

This is a complicated subject because it's easy to switch back and forth between the coastal and litoral routes. Also, on both our trips (2018 and 2019), we used the Wise app rather than Brierley, so there may be some differences between the two. In any case, there is, to my knowledge, only one trail from Esposende to Ponte do Sebastião, the one that goes through the villages of Marinhas and Belinho. The point of decision, as you noted, comes at Ponte (which is a very scenic site, by the way). Keep going straight and you follow the inland coastal through Castelo do Neiva, Mosteiro de São Romão de Neiva, Chafe and Anha before you cross the the Ponte Eiffel (yes, that Eiffel!) into Viana. That's the route we took in 2018. You can read the details, if you're interested, in my book about that trip.
The next year, we decided to change it up by veering left along the coastal, which took us along the beach and then through the beach town of Amorosa before veering inland to reach the Ponte Eiffel. I would say that for this particular stretch, the inland coastal wins over the litoral (which is emphatically not the case north of Viana, where the litoral is drop-dead gorgeous). The monastery at São Romão de Neiva offers some nice views from the mountain and the woodland paths are quite charming, with goat bells tinkling in the fields around you. The beach walk, by contrast, is kind of tacky-tacky, with trailer camps and then your standard family vacation beach at Amorosa.
It's all personal preference but that's our view.

 

[peregrina2000]

This is a complicated subject because it's easy to switch back and forth between the coastal and litoral routes.

This thread has a map that shows how the coastal and the littoral weave back and forth. You may have already seen it, but I thought I’d add a link just in case the map would help with your planning. Bom caminho!

 

[WanderingWilly]

That's very helpful. I will most likely continue on the inland coastal trail from Ponte to Castelo do Neiva and then on to Viana. Much appreciated.

 

[WanderingWilly]

This thread has a map that shows how the coastal and the littoral weave back and forth. You may have already seen it, but I thought I’d add a link just in case the map would help with your planning. Bom caminho!

Thanks Peregrina! everything helps!

 

[peregrina2000]

Thanks Peregrina! everything helps!

Actually, this is a link directly to the maps rather than to a thread talking about them.

http://www.caminador.es/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/RELIEVE-PORTO-REDONDELA-Impr.pdf