Help With Planning / Credential

[Katies Dad]

Hi Everyone,

I hope you can assist me with my planning...

I have finally secured an 11 day “pass out” from work / wife in May and have set my heart on the CP starting from Porto. However I am really on a tight schedule and I must be in Santiago on Day 11 to meet up with my family.

The flights I have found see me arriving in Porto at 8am and I plan to set off directly from the Airport to save time rather than head into the City Centre to walk back out again. Note this is following a 1 hour flight from Madrid so fatigue will not be a problem.

Based upon information gained from experts on this forum, I have put together the following plan which will commence with a short taxi ride from the Airport to the coast at Praia da Memória.

Day 1 Praia da Memória - São Pedro de Rates (Via Vila do Conde) @ 28km

Day 2 São Pedro de Rates - Barcelos @ 18km

Day 3 Barcelos - Casa da Fernanda @ 16km

Day 4 Casa da Fernanda - Ponte de Lima @ 15km

Day 5 Ponte de Lima - Rubiaes @ 20km

Day 6 Rubiaes - Tui @ 20km

Day 7 Tui - Redondela @ 32km

Day 8 Redondela - Pontevedra @ 20km

Day 9 Pontevedra - Caldas de Reis @ 21km

Day 10 Caldas de Reis - Padron @ 18km

Day 11 Padron - Santiago @ 25km


Now the questions I have are,

1. If I don’t commence at Porto Cathedral where would I obtain my Passport / Credential and my first stamp?

2. Is my first day of walking of 28km excessive?
Although most people on this route stay in Villa do Conde this is only @ 10km from my starting point and with my tight schedule it does not seem I have that option. Is there another natural stopping point between Vila do Conde and Rates?

3. Is there a possible way to create a contingency day by increasing my distances?
The obvious days to increase are 2-5 but unlike Camino Frances where you can carry on walking each day to the next village if you feel up to it, I am unsure that the accommodation is available to do this on the Portuguese Way. Is this assumption correct?

Thanks in advance for any help you may have.
Katie's Dad

 

[Former member 22438]

Hi Everyone,

I hope you can assist me with my planning...

I have finally secured an 11 day “pass out” from work / wife in May and have set my heart on the CP starting from Porto. However I am really on a tight schedule and I must be in Santiago on Day 11 to meet up with my family.

The flights I have found see me arriving in Porto at 8am and I plan to set off directly from the Airport to save time rather than head into the City Centre to walk back out again. Note this is following a 1 hour flight from Madrid so fatigue will not be a problem.

Based upon information gained from experts on this forum, I have put together the following plan which will commence with a short taxi ride from the Airport to the coast at Praia da Memória.

Day 1 Praia da Memória - São Pedro de Rates (Via Vila do Conde) @ 28km

Day 2 São Pedro de Rates - Barcelos @ 18km

Day 3 Barcelos - Casa da Fernanda @ 16km

Day 4 Casa da Fernanda - Ponte de Lima @ 15km

Day 5 Ponte de Lima - Rubiaes @ 20km

Day 6 Rubiaes - Tui @ 20km

Day 7 Tui - Redondela @ 32km

Day 8 Redondela - Pontevedra @ 20km

Day 9 Pontevedra - Caldas de Reis @ 21km

Day 10 Caldas de Reis - Padron @ 18km

Day 11 Padron - Santiago @ 25km


Now the questions I have are,

1. If I don’t commence at Porto Cathedral where would I obtain my Passport / Credential and my first stamp?

2. Is my first day of walking of 28km excessive?
Although most people on this route stay in Villa do Conde this is only @ 10km from my starting point and with my tight schedule it does not seem I have that option. Is there another natural stopping point between Vila do Conde and Rates?

3. Is there a possible way to create a contingency day by increasing my distances?
The obvious days to increase are 2-5 but unlike Camino Frances where you can carry on walking each day to the next village if you feel up to it, I am unsure that the accommodation is available to do this on the Portuguese Way. Is this assumption correct?

Thanks in advance for any help you may have.
Katie's Dad

Question 1. You can order the credential here on this forum at Ivar's shop. If you order Brierley's guide Camino Português, you get the credential for free.

Question 2

If you are used to steady walks it is okay. But.. If you have bad luck with the weather it will be quite a challenge. You could go directly from the airport to The metrostop Forúm Maia or take a taxi and start walking there to Rates. About 21 kms.

Question 3 .....you can walk to Pedra Furada , 6 kms further than São Pedro decRates but reservation is a must. They only have 9 beds ! Phonenumber in Brierleys guide.+ 351 917 838 144

If you are an experienced walker you should walk from Pedra Furada to Fernanda but for me it is too far
Other option is walk to Tamel and next day to Ponte de Lima but then you will miss Fernanda so to me that is a bad thing !

Remark. I do not know when you walk but reserving at Casa Fernanda is to be advised ! Tel +351 914 589 521 call Fernanda on beforehand it can be busy.

I should not walk from Tui to Redondela It is far and you'll meet some nasty hills
I should walk as far as Mos where isn albergue
Next day you could walk to Pontevedra or 10 kms on to the albergue in San Amaro.
From there to Padrón and next day to Santiago.

Brierley's guide-some do not like it-but is very handy !

 

[Kiwi-family]

Alberthino's advice about Tamel-Ponte de Lima is spot on. Many people say Casa Fernanda must not be missed at any cost - I agree it is a lovely place to stay, but in your case I might be inclined to walk on.
Another option you might consider (although it would make for a longer day into Santiago) is to stop in Herbon instead of Padron. Fabulous monastery. Absolute favourite for us. If you've managed to make up time earlier you could Herbon - Teo and then it's a short hop into Santiago on the last day.

 

[Katies Dad]

Alberthino and Kiwi-family thank you very much for your advice.

 

[Dutch]

Looks like a good schedule. Nothing wrong with it.

Personally i would make day 1 a bit shorter (walk to vila do conde) and thus day 2 to Barcelos longer, followed by a nice short day 3, but thats personal.

 

[dcorrea951]

I have Brierley's guide, but if you decide on the coastal route, I would recommend ordering the Brierley maps since the coastal route is not clearly defined.

I wish you a Bom Caminho

 

[Katies Dad]

I have Brierley's guide, but if you decide on the coastal route, I would recommend ordering the Brierley maps since the coastal route is not clearly defined.

I wish you a Bom Caminho

Thank you dcorrea951.

Interestingly Brierley's Maps is available on ITunes but Brierley's Guide is not. I am tempted to just buy the maps.
In your opinion is the guide of any other use as there seems to be a lot of other information such as Albergues, town details etc. freely available on the Internet?