LIVE from the Camino Coastal Route June 2022

[Lillie]

Hello all! After a few days stranded in airports and a couple days exploring beautiful Porto we are now at our first albergue in Labruge.
25 km day and absolutely stunning scenery on the senda litoral. Tomorrow will be a shorter day then we will alternate. There were not nearly as many pilgrims throughout the day as my French Camino but once we arrived to the albergue the spirit was all the same!
We will need to bus at some point to catch up due to all of the trouble with our flights but we are just enjoying ourselves for now!

 

[Lillie]

Day 2
Labruge- Povoa de Varzim 15 km
We stayed at the Junqueira 76 guesthouse which was great and had an evening at the beach. I know it’s not everyone’s style on here, but we’ve decided to stay in mostly private rooms this time. For two girls we just feel more comfortable and we do not feel rushed during the day to make sure we have a bed each night!

Day 3
Povoa- Fão 18 km
We have a room at Hostel do Alto and the two girls running it are our age and the sweetest. A lot of cobblestone and traffic today. I am definitely not used to how fast they drive here down tiny cobblestone streets, even in Spain they were not so fast and close to the edge. We will be back on the senda litoral tomorrow.

Tomorrow we will walk as far as we can then taxi/train to Caminha (again we need to makeup for our flight delay). We are staying in one of the beachfront camping cabins there.

It is quite different from a Camino with albergue bunks but I am absolutely in love with this trip!

 

[mwendt]

Walking Porto - Santiago in September. Excited to hear of your adventures and enjoy "learning". Thank you.

 

[Jay_Walker]

We are leaving for Porto next week and hopeful our flights will work. Lots of problems here in Canada at the moment. We are taking the Central route until Valenca and then going to the coast, so looking forward to your reports from A Guarda onward.

 

[Lillie]

We are leaving for Porto next week and hopeful our flights will work. Lots of problems here in Canada at the moment. We are taking the Central route until Valenca and then going to the coast, so looking forward to your reports from A Guarda onward.

Yes especially be careful if traveling through UK they’re cancelling tons every day. Happy prepping!

 

[Traveller44]

We are leaving for Porto next week and hopeful our flights will work. Lots of problems here in Canada at the moment. We are taking the Central route until Valenca and then going to the coast, so looking forward to your reports from A Guarda onward.

I am heading there from Canada in the fall, let me know how you make out pls

 

[Ultreia et Suseia!]

Hi Johnny,
I hope you make it all right!
What problems are you encountering from Canada? We're leaving also from Canada to do the O Porto camino.
Many thanks,

Ultreia!

 

[Corned Beef]

Yes especially be careful if traveling through UK they’re cancelling tons every day. Happy prepping!

Plus 1. Avoid routing through London for the foreseeable future and fly direct if you can.

Seems the issue is not enough security staff to handle the surge in numbers. Even in earlier in the year (March) they were cancelling when there was only a slight surge. Seems a lot of people have decided to become "economically inactive" a.k.a. going on a Camino.

 

[Former member 22438]

We are leaving for Porto next week and hopeful our flights will work. Lots of problems here in Canada at the moment. We are taking the Central route until Valenca and then going to the coast, so looking forward to your reports from A Guarda onward.

That’s a new variant Johnny. Going the Central to Valença a than a bit backwards in southwestern direction to A Guarda.
There is a nice track along the Minho River , the ecopista , anyway along the south bank to Caminha where you have to cross the river with the new water taxi service . Btw in Vila Nova do Cerveiro ,halfway you can cross the international bridge between Portugal and Spain. On the north bank you follow a busy road to AGuarda not very nice.
bom caminho

 

[Former member 22438]

Plus 1. Avoid routing through London for the foreseeable future and fly direct if you can.

Seems the issue is not enough security staff to handle the surge in numbers. Even in earlier in the year (March) they were cancelling when there was only a slight surge. Seems a lot of people have decided to become "economically inactive" a.k.a. going on a Camino.

Same is Amsterdam Airport now. Totally chaotic. Mismanagement, no groundstaff , no luggage handling , criminal behavior ( they robbed things out of my suitcase when I flew by KLM to Porto the other day ) etc
I never fly again by KLM, Transavia or Air France) no hotels or very expensive ones to stay when you can’tgo on and have to stay at the airport. Stay away from Amsterdam I never fly again from Amsterdam airport.never again !

 

[Lillie]

Day 5: We crossed into Spain via water taxi this morning after staying in a little mobile home on the river. Today we also had to take a short bus then we will be caught up to only walk the rest of the days. We stop in Baiona tonight.

Now a bit controversial maybe: I’ll preface by saying I know there are no “good” or “bad” groups of people or towns or regions, only individuals. However, my friend experienced a fair amount of discrimination throughout Portugal even though she speaks fluent Portuguese, so we were overjoyed to find the Galicians to be just as friendly as I remembered. I know most of it is just culture shock and differences in Portuguese habits (less greeting each other when you enter a place or pass on the street) but either way it’s nice to feel welcome in Galicia.

 

[K3Lee]

Thanks @Lillie - I will be travelling from Australia to walk the Portuguese Coastal Camino in September - my first camino - so I'm keen to hear about your experiences.

Bom Caminho!

 

[Lillie]

Thanks @Lillie - I will be travelling from Australia to walk the Portuguese Coastal Camino in September - my first camino - so I'm keen to hear about your experiences.

Bom Caminho!

Let me know if you have questions! We have been taking the senda litoral most of the way but I can help with most things

 

[Former member 22438]

Day 5: We crossed into Spain via water taxi this morning after staying in a little mobile home on the river. Today we also had to take a short bus then we will be caught up to only walk the rest of the days. We stop in Baiona tonight.

Now a bit controversial maybe: I’ll preface by saying I know there are no “good” or “bad” groups of people or towns or regions, only individuals. However, my friend experienced a fair amount of discrimination throughout Portugal even though she speaks fluent Portuguese, so we were overjoyed to find the Galicians to be just as friendly as I remembered. I know most of it is just culture shock and differences in Portuguese habits (less greeting each other when you enter a place or pass on the street) but either way it’s nice to feel welcome in Galicia.

I am curious about your experiences with discrimination in Portugal.
what happened ? I do not have this experiences I come to Portugal since 1977 and speak the language fluently to but recognize nothing from what you write .
tell us please

 

[naplesdon]

We are leaving for Porto next week and hopeful our flights will work. Lots of problems here in Canada at the moment. We are taking the Central route until Valenca and then going to the coast, so looking forward to your reports from A Guarda onward.

Are there now 2 Johnnie Walkers?

 

[Jay_Walker]

That’s a new variant Johnny. Going the Central to Valença a than a bit backwards in southwestern direction to A Guarda.
There is a nice track along the Minho River , the ecopista , anyway along the south bank to Caminha where you have to cross the river with the new water taxi service . Btw in Vila Nova do Cerveiro ,halfway you can cross the international bridge between Portugal and Spain. On the north bank you follow a busy road to AGuarda not very nice.
bom caminho

If I'm not mistaken, there is a train between Valenca and A Guarda, which we plan to take and treat as a rest day.

 

[Jay_Walker]

Are there now 2 Johnnie Walkers?

I hadn't noticed there was already a Johnnie Walker, when I chose my moniker (Johnny Walker). I think he too, hails from Canada. Perhaps I should change it to Jean Walker, although I have no French Heritage.

OK, I've requested a change to Jay_Walker to avoid confusion.

 

[Former member 22438]

If I'm not mistaken, there is a train between Valenca and A Guarda, which we plan to take and treat as a rest day.

There is a train to Caminha from Valença do Minho
in Caminha you have to take the watertaxi to A Guarda or leave the train in Vila Nova do Cerveiro where you can enter Spain by a bridge and walk 15 kms on the Spanish side of the river Minho to A Guarda. But this is “ carriying coles to Newcastle” or as we say in Dutch “ water brengen naar de zee” to carry water to the sea”
this route is most uncommon as most hikers first walk the coastal and change to the central in Caminha to Valença. But as the Dutch expression says” If everybody is jumping into the river, I don’t jump

 

[Former member 22438]

Are there now 2 Johnnie Walkers?

A Dutch Expression is saying “ er zijn meer honden die Fikkie heten”. There are more dogs with the name Archie “

 

[kenwilltravel]

If I'm not mistaken, there is a train between Valenca and A Guarda, which we plan to take and treat as a rest day.

In 2019 we took a bus from Tui on the Spanish side to A Guarda but I cannot remember the name of the company.

 

[Jay_Walker]

In 2019 we took a bus from Tui on the Spanish side to A Guarda but I cannot remember the name of the company.

I don't want to hijack this thread. I'm going to start my own thread on "Live from the Camino". Carry on Lillie.

 

[Introibo]

Lovely photos Lillie. Brings back happy memories

Buen Camino

 

[Lillie]

Days 6-8:

Baiona- Vigo- Redondela- Pontevedra
We now join the main Portuguese route and it is lovey to see more pilgrims, yellow arrows, roadside stand, and dirt paths. The dirt is so much nice on our feet than the cobblestone and boardwalks! I have loved every town on this route and especially loved each of our accommodations. For reference if you will also be using private rooms:

Labruge: S. Tiago Pilgrims Hostel (albergue style)
Póvoa de Varzim: Junqueira76 Guesthouse
Fão: Hostel do Alto
Caminha: Parque de Campismo Orbitur Caminha
Baiona: Carabela la Pinta
Vigo: Motel Caribe (only one I wouldn’t really recommend)
Arcade (N. of Redondela): Hotel Isape
Tonight in Pontevedra : MORC house share

We had a couple rainy days and when we stopped for a beer and dry off they brought us some hot paella. Everywhere we have stopped so far for beer has brought us hot fresh tapas for free to warm us up, everyone has been so sweet.

We did get lost leaving Vigo and had to take a taxi to get back to the path as we were stuck on the highway with no sidewalk in the sun and hadn’t found food all day

I’m a very unorganized write but that’s all for now!

 

[Ultreia et Suseia!]

Hot paella yum yum

 

[pa’delante]

Day 2
Labruge- Povoa de Varzim 15 km
We stayed at the Junqueira 76 guesthouse which was great and had an evening at the beach. I know it’s not everyone’s style on here, but we’ve decided to stay in mostly private rooms this time. For two girls we just feel more comfortable and we do not feel rushed during the day to make sure we have a bed each night!

Day 3
Povoa- Fão 18 km
We have a room at Hostel do Alto and the two girls running it are our age and the sweetest. A lot of cobblestone and traffic today. I am definitely not used to how fast they drive here down tiny cobblestone streets, even in Spain they were not so fast and close to the edge. We will be back on the senda litoral tomorrow.

Tomorrow we will walk as far as we can then taxi/train to Caminha (again we need to makeup for our flight delay). We are staying in one of the beachfront camping cabins there.

It is quite different from a Camino with albergue bunks but I am absolutely in love with this trip!

La Cala at Oía between A guarda and Bayona was a treat. If you can book there you can get a room with two beds. Buen Camino. I am a few stops ahead of you.

 

[Ultreia et Suseia!]

Let me know if you have questions! We have been taking the senda litoral most of the way but I can help with most things

Dear @Lillie, is it still the case that the Senda Litoral from Esposende to Viana do Castelo is for experienced hikers only?

I ask because my guidebook (Brierley, 2015) says that you need to back-track in some portions but for a person with asthma, the offer of a flat route is heaven compared to climbing.

Many thanks,

Ultreia!

 

[Former member 22438]

Dear Lillie, is it still the case that the Senda Litoral from Esposende to Viana do Castelo is for experienced hikers only?

I ask because my guidebook (Brierley, 2015) says that you need to back-track in some portions but for a person with asthma, the offer of a flat route is heaven compared to climbing.

Many thanks,

Ultreia!

I can’t remember back to 2019 that this stage was difficult to walk
it is fairly flat.