Esposende to Barcelos - Walking paths?

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CoquilleDC

New Member

Time of past OR future Camino

Astorga-SDC 2015

• Aug 30, 2017

• #1

I am interested in doing a couple of days on the Coastal Route (Porto to Vila do Conde then Vila do Conde to Esposende), then joining up with the Central Route by going from Esposende to Barcelos. Has anybody done this on foot? There are transport options, but I'd like to hike it if possible. Thanks in advance for your input!

 

jsalt

Jill

Time of past OR future Camino

Portugués, Francés, LePuy, Rota Vicentina, Norte, Madrid, C2C, Salvador, Primitivo, Aragonés, Inglés

• Aug 30, 2017

• #2

CoquilleDC said:

Has anybody done this on foot? There are transport options, but I'd like to hike it if possible.

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Hi, welcome to the forum! You could walk it, using MapsMe, but I wouldn’t risk it. Portuguese roads are narrow, have no sidewalks, and Portuguese drivers become maniacs behind the wheel of a car. For the cost of a few euros I’d take the bus.
Jill

 

C

CoquilleDC

New Member

Time of past OR future Camino

Astorga-SDC 2015

• Aug 30, 2017

• #3

jsalt said:

Hi, welcome to the forum! You could walk it, using MapsMe, but I wouldn’t risk it. Portuguese roads are narrow, have no sidewalks, and Portuguese drivers become maniacs behind the wheel of a car. For the cost of a few euros I’d take the bus.
Jill

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Thank you! I think you are probably very correct!

 

A

andycohn

Active Member

Donating Member

Time of past OR future Camino

See signature

• Aug 30, 2017

• #4

Agreed. We took the same route to Esposende, then easy 1/2 hour bus ride to Barcelos. That left us with a pleasant 19-20 k walk to Casa da Fernanda, a slice of heaven on the Camino.

 

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edumad

Active Member

Time of past OR future Camino

Português '12 '14 (Rates), '18 (Ponte de Lima)
Interior '15 (Vila Real)
Francês '16 (Ponferrada).

• Aug 30, 2017

• #5

I live in the Esposende area. There is no easy route from Esposende to Barcelos.
Both roads, either north or south of the river Cávado are fairly busy and in several points don't have much room for pedestrians.

There are tracks used to access the fields and forests by the river which can be used to hike, mostly off-road, up to Barcelos, these are used sometimes by mountain bikers.
Only from the bridge in Fão to the river beach in Fonte Boa (Barca do Lago) is there are straight forward path. Tis is being built to eventually run all the way from the mouth of Cávado River upstream into the Gerês National Park.

Because there are no markings, its a bit of hassle, so I'd recommend taking a bus and using the time to check out the towns.