How many days does it take, Camino Portugues?

[mona malika]

Hello everyone.

I am thinking of doing the camino de potugese very soon. I was wondering if any of u could tell me how many days it might take to get to Santiago de compostella?

Mona

 

[mikevasey]

Hi Mona there is no set days on completing the Portugues route from either Lisbon or Porto, it depends on your walking ability and the time you have allowed yourself. However some guides break the route into stages and these usually give a 23/24 day itinerary for starting from Lisbon and 10/11 from Porto. The route can be very tough in places but also very beautiful as well.

Good luck

Mike

 

[mona malika]

Thank u so much. But i have been on hikes and stuff in germany, austria, switzerland and Norway. But never on such long walks and never alone. But now i have a 2 week holiday that was abit rather suddenly imposed on me. So i looked at tickets to Porto so i can start from there on tuesday. Is there a tourist info desk in porto? Do alot of people do it aswell?

 

[Diogo92]

Hello @mona malika , and welcome to the Forum.

Has @mikevasey told, there isn't a specific time count for you to end the Caminho. It depends usually from where you depart. The average number of days, departing from Lisbon is 25 and the average days starting from Porto are around 9/10.

It really depends on your walking skills, and the amount of km that you do per day. This year I've done it in 8 days, but with very long trams.

You have a tourist office in Porto, on the right side of the Cathedral, where you can find information’s about the Caminho and Porto. The Caminho Português it's the 2nd most walked Caminho per year, from the multiple St. James Ways.

If you need something, you can mail me to metalmelitia666@gmail.com

Best Regards
Diogo

 

[mikevasey]

Hi Mona there is another option from Porto, the coastal route, it heads off to the coast pretty much from the cathedral in central Porto. There is pilgrim accomodation all the way up to either Valenca on the central route or if you stay on the coast after Caminha then up and along to Redondela back on the central route again. At the moment it sounds like a solitary route but that is changing. If you keep in mind that the coast is on your left then there is more options for going wandering from the waymarked course without getting seriously off course. This link can help you with both the central and coastal route www.caminador.es There is some updates that need to go on the site but that is the steady opening of Albergue de peregrinos on both routes.

Mike

 

[VascoH]

Hi Mono,
I walked the Camino Portuguese starting at Porto earlier this year. We did it in ten days, with the exception of a couple of people, everyone we came across on the camino was looking to finish in 10 days. This was with only over night stop overs and not taking the time to explore the villages and towns along the way. Hope this helps.
Bon Camino
Vasco

 

[camino-david]

Hi mona malika, I walked in June this year from Porto to Santiago, and took 12 days, but I had plenty of time to spare and just ambled along. I thought there was only one tough day, from Ponte de Lima to Rubiaes which although only 18 kms, involves a STEEP climb of about 400 metres. I highly recommend the albergue at Lugar do Corgo, between Barcelos and Ponte de Lima. It is like no other albergue, with real beds (not bunks) with linen, dinner, breakfast and plenty wine and port, and wonderful hosts Fernando and Jacinto, and all donitivo.

 

[mona malika]

Thanks all for the nice response. I was also wondering how many hours a day do u guys walk? or how many hours a day is it ideal?

 

[MendiWalker]

Unless you are pressed for time I recommend to take it easy and enjoy the Camino.
As well when you get to a fork on the road to go towards Padron or Hebron I suggest take the way to the right and sleep at Hebron.
The monastery there is worthwhile.

Buen Camino!

 

[mona malika]

u mean not the costal way but the other one? that goes towards a little inland?

 

[MendiWalker]

u mean not the costal way but the other one? that goes towards a little inland?

The Camino Portugues del la Costa and the Camino Portugues del Interior join at Redondela and carry on from there.

Buen Camino!

 

[gamblerqza]

Hello guys,

I consider to walk Camino Portugues next year starting from Porto, cuz I've got only 2 weeks available. I'm wondering, which is the best time on year to go and what is a weather in Portugal? Is the climate soft and warm or rather is windy and not so pleasant because of the Ocean?

Buen Camino to everybody!

 

[Diogo92]

Hello @gamblerqza .

I think that the best time of the year would be between April and June, when the spring it's installed in the country. And because off course it means that you will not catch a lot of people on the Albergues making you having a "calm" Caminho (I only started catching a lot of people after Valença or Tuy).

In that time of the year, you will still catch rain, bit also sun and probably cold and heat. Weather in Portugal really follows the 4 seasons: Spring and autumn are transitions season, which means that you will caught a little bit of everything. Summers tend to be hot and dry, and winters are cold and rainy.

I've done it for the first time this year in May, and I caught both heat and rain. Northern Portugal it's a little bit colder than the center and the south Portugal.

So now you just have to choose it

Best Regards
Diogo

 

[Former member 22438]

My wife and I walked in may and june this year. May is beautiful with all the fresh green and flowers.
This year springtime was rather cold so at most of our pictures show us wearing fleecevests. We had a great and unforgetable time.
We had all the time to walk and and stayed at an interesting place for another day if we liked it.
So we took a couple of days extra to enjoy of all the good that especially Portugal offered us.

Bom caminho

 

[rickster]

Highly recommend the coastal route; can easily make it from Porto to Santiago in 10-12 days. If you get pressed for time there are plenty of buses going North.

 

[gamblerqza]

Hello fellows!

Thank you very much for your comprehensive answers! I appreciate your advice, and probably I'll planning the second week of June.. As Diogo said, it will be more enjoyable if pilgrims are rare. I love the silence moments among the nature. @Albertinho, It is a great idea to have an extra days to look at the lovely landscapes and attractive villages, I heard there are plenty of them. @rickster I consider to run through exactly that route, I went through Camino Frances this year and my end point was Finisterre, that part of the route was really adorable - I love to walk close to coast! I heard that the food in Portugal is very tasty, what is your experience about it guys?

Thanks!

BR,
V.

 

[Diogo92]

@gamblerqza , on the second week of June you will start to catch the large amount of people. Or not, it deppends from the year. Hope you will have a enjoyable Caminho though

About the food, what can I say, I'm Portuguese and I know it The food it's very tasty, and it's really good, and for what the majority of the foreign people talk, it's very cheap for the quality that it has (I know that abroad, eating at restaurants can be very expensive).

Best Regards
Diogo

 

[Former member 22438]

@gamblerqza , on the second week of June you will start to catch the large amount of people. Or not, it deppends from the year. Hope you will have a enjoyable Caminho though

About the food, what can I say, I'm Portuguese and I know it The food it's very tasty, and it's really good, and for what the majority of the foreign people talk, it's very cheap for the quality that it has (I know that abroad, eating at restaurants can be very expensive).

Best Regards
Diogo

Diogo ! We paid for the bacalhão dishes for us two an average of 20 euro in Portugal.
Here in Rotterdam we have a Portugese restaurant -the owner comes from the Douro area and we paid about 25 € each for a same dish.
We like the Brasilean fejao - we were several times in Brasil- a local restaurant here we pay about 25 € each. In Porto in the towncenter we paid 12,50 € each however and I wrote about it in another thread today on this forum- it was not eatable with all the organic meat in it. Yaggg. We prefer the Brasilean version .how lucky we are to be invited often by Brasilean friends for this plate.

 

[Diogo92]

@Albertinho , in Lisbon I know restaurants where you can eat cod fish for two and pay 15€ (drinks included)

It also depends if you search for restaurant's that serve day menus, or if they only serve à lá carte. First time I went to Porto, I've eaten half charcoal grilled chicken with fried potatoes, rice and salad, an natural Orange juice and a coffee, and I've paid 4€ for everything!

Food it's most of the times cheaper, for example my father lives in France, and he says that eating in restaurant’s it's too expensive for the quality of the dishes, and that it's impossible for 3 people to eat for 25 or 30€. And trust me, that guy it’s not picky with the food!

About the feijoada (which is the name of the dish), I really don't like it. i think that it's to heavy :/ And yeah, the Portuguese version has more meat, than the Brazilian one.

Best Regards
Diogo

 

[rickster]

The food in Portugal is excellent. I especially enjoyed the seafood along the coastal villages. When the tide goes out, sea life is trapped in the pools formed by the rocks and it makes for "easy pickings" if you want to net your own. I recall checking into a small hotel in Oia and having hake that was caught just a couple of hours prior to dinner.

 

[gamblerqza]

Hi dudes,

Thanks for the useful information you give me. Probably I have to try some portuguese food and to decide about the taste, but I'm pretty sure I'll love it! @rickster it sounds really great, to have a dinner with fresh sea food caught from the Ocean, especially if you pick it up by yourself. @Albertinho you mean some kind of pilgrim menus, as you saying day menus, on the way in Spain there were a lot of restauratns that offers pilgrim menu for 10 euros icluded a rich choice of dishes (starter+base plate+dessert and bottle of wine). It's really worth to buy such kind of menu, it's even enough for 2 people. @Diogo you said you are Portuguese, so you know best, what is worth to try from your native kitchen. Should you recommend something traditional as "Pulpo" in Spain.
So thank you beforehand!
BR,
V.

 

[Former member 22438]

The menu do dia, anyway in Spain, introduced by the Spanish dictator Franco , is for workers to obtain a decent 3 plate hot meal , starter ,main dish and postre during the daytime in a restaurant close by their workplace. It costs about 10 € and almost every bar and restaurant serves it. When I worked in Catalunya these menus in restaurants at industrial estates were from good quality and served with efficiency because between 13h30 and 14h30 a lot of workers all together came to the same place to eat.
I think the Portugese adopted this idea but maybe my friend Diogo can explain how it works in Portugal.
A pilgrim menu is a different matter. But costs about the same as we found out.
We had a pilgrim menu at Hilario's albergue in Mealhada, later one in São Pedro de Rates in a restaurant and a common dish at casa Fernanda. Furthermost we ate in a la carte restaurants.
I think the pilgrim menu is more common at the French camino.

 

[Diogo92]

I will be very honest with you, and tell you that I don't know if the Portuguese adapted the idea from Spain or not, what I really know it's that the restaurant boom started in the 80's/90's. There were some restaurants, but not many has the numbers from today. We are the country in Europe with more restaurants/snack-bars per meter square. It could be great, if the VAT wasn't so high, and if there were enough costumers for everybody. Anyway, that’s not what this post it's about.

Usually, depending from the restaurant and the place, the day menu (Menu do Dia) can go from 4,50€ up to 10€. Cheap doesn't mean less quality or badly served, has expensive doesn't mean good food. I usually say, if you want to eat good abroad, try to see where all the locals go to eat. If it's a small place, then a small place it is! Pilgrim menu in Portugal, it's more common in the North, after Porto.

About Portuguese food, @gamblerqza, everybody talks about cod fish. I don't like it, but hey, give it a try. You can also try grilled fish (anything, from sword fish to salmon), grilled meat (on charcoal, like a barbecue), Cozido à Portuguesa (Portuguese Boiled, with chouriço, multiple types of meat, like pork and cow, potatoes, many vegetables, rice), game dish like Coelho à Caçador, I don't know, you have a lot of things!

The best thing for you, it's to come here and taste it!

Best Regards
Diogo

 

[Former member 22438]

We definitely come back for sure next year !
Funny was everybody knows ,anyway here in the Netherlands that famous Portugese dish Frango com piri piri. Chicken with a hot peppersauce. We ate it before in the Algarve in the south and once in Lisbon. During our caminho I liked to order it again in Lisbon but at the very last moment changed my mind and went for the bacalhao, thinking to eat it somewhere else during the caminho.
However strange enough never found it again on the menu of any restaurant we went. But as been said we got aquainted with the Francesinha dish and in Spain the pimientos de Padrón so we look forward coming back next year.

Abracoes disso margem do Rio Mosa
Albertinho

 

[Macarena]

Porto - Compostela.

Two pilgrim. Two week. Two Countries. Two thousands dollars. The best pilgrimage.

 

[Diogo92]

Porto - Compostela.

Two pilgrim. Two week. Two Countries. Two thousands dollars. The best pilgrimage.

I'm sorry, but 2000$ including flights right?

Best Regards
Diogo

 

[Former member 22438]

Porto - Compostela.

Two pilgrim. Two week. Two Countries. Two thousands dollars. The best pilgrimage.

My wife and I experienced that the costs of living during the caminho Portuges were about 50€ per day together as an average
That means a hostal,albergue or residencia, a breakfast, a menu do dia and salad and fruits as well the necessairy coffees and water during the day.
The flights are not included in this average price .
The average hostal or residencia costed between 30 and 40 € for a double bed room
The privat albergues had moreless the same price but sometimes we slept in a municipal for 5€ each or sometimes hardly for nothing f.ex at the colégio de Jesuites in Cernache, the bombeiros Volontarios in Tomar or the nuns in Oliveira da Azemeís.
We found a great breakfast at local paderias (bakershops) for an average of 5 € both, coffee for 0,60 € a cup etc..
The costs of living were slightly higher in Galicia than in Portugal.

As a training we walked 250 kms here in the Netherlands, walking from one bed & breakfast to another during 14 days in 2012.
Average costs for living for us both were 100 € ; a double bed room between 45 and 60 € Including breakfast. A lunch 10 € and a diner in a restaurant between 30 and 50€. Coffee 2 to 3 € a cup !

 

[Diogo92]

@Albertinho , I was making that question, because I spent only 250€ with my Caminho, including transportations. And I could pay even less, if I choose to stay in the new Albergue in Barcelos, and if I didn't stayed one night plus in Santiago, and if I didn't buy almost 50€ in souvenirs

So that’s why I was asking how was it possible for a person to spend 2000$ on a Caminho of 2 weeks. That’s what usually the Turigrinos spend with their touristic programmatic Caminhos, staying in Hotels and with personal guide and support vehicle.

Best Regards
Diogo

 

[Former member 22438]

Maybe airttickets and hotels all the times make the 2000$ ?
How did you cope with 50€ of souvenirs in your backpack ?
We were looking in the shoppingmall in Moscavide and would lent my creditcard to my wife with the remark " you have to carry all the stuff you buy yourself ". Ha ha. So I had no charges at all on my creditcard bill. Lucky me.

 

[Macarena]

¡Hi! Albertinho. If you pay 30 or 40 euros for a double room, is imposible to do the way with 50 euros diary. My reply are for the "best pilgrimage". Rooms double for 40 euros, and nice restorants.
Macarena.

 

[Former member 22438]

¡Hi! Albertinho. If you pay 30 or 40 euros for a double room, is imposible to do the way with 50 euros diary. My reply are for the "best pilgrimage". Rooms double for 40 euros, and nice restorants.
Macarena.

It's an average Macarena ! One day we paid nothing for lodging, another day 5€ at an albergue , nothing at the bombeiros volontarios 6€ at the casa diocesana (nuns) for sleeping and a meal and so on. Sometimes we paid 20€ A few times "luxury " in a hotel so puttong it all together , divided by the number of days we walked ,it was about 50€ a day.

An extra remark. The time we stayed in Portugal was far cheaper than the prices in Galicia.
We started in Lisboa so the most days we payed less than the fortnight we were in Spain.
But compare it to the prices here in Holland. We pay 2,50 € for one cup of coffee. In Portugal we had a breakfast- 2 tea or coffee, croissants or panadillo for the same price.

 

[Diogo92]

Maybe airttickets and hotels all the times make the 2000$ ?
How did you cope with 50€ of souvenirs in your backpack ?
We were looking in the shoppingmall in Moscavide and would lent my creditcard to my wife with the remark " you have to carry all the stuff you buy yourself ". Ha ha. So I had no charges at all on my creditcard bill. Lucky me.

One female Santiago doll to one person that I liked: 13€. One Santiago statue for my grandmother: another 10€. Santiago de Compostela Celtic t-shirt: 10€. Wooden staff, very well made: 12€. One interesting tool, including small blade, bottle opener and led lantern: 3€. Plus some things, there you have the 50€. That’s how I managed to have 50€ of souvenirs on my backpack

For the Hotel in Barcelos we paid 22, 50€ each, without breakfast included. We stayed in Seminario Menor, and paid 30€ for the two nights in Single Rooms with shared bathrooms. Next time will stay on the shared rooms.

Best Regards
Diogo

 

[Former member 22438]

One female Santiago doll to one person that I liked: 13€. One Santiago statue for my grandmother: another 10€. Santiago de Compostela Celtic t-shirt: 10€. Wooden staff, very well made: 12€. One interesting tool, including small blade, bottle opener and led lantern: 3€. Plus some things, there you have the 50€. That’s how I managed to have 50€ of souvenirs on my backpack

For the Hotel in Barcelos we paid 22, 50€ each, without breakfast included. We stayed in Seminario Menor, and paid 30€ for the two nights in Single Rooms with shared bathrooms. Next time will stay on the shared rooms.

Best Regards
Diogo

Olá my good friend Diogo !
I was more curious about the weight of the presents ! I remember you have a 35liter backpack , pois não ?

A shared room proxima vez ? Não olvide levar "earplugs "
Tudo os homens roncados .
Have a nice day my friend !

 

[stevenjarvis]

Albertinho , Diogo92, GREAT THREAD ! Thank you and everyone for fueling and informing my next C P plans .

 

[Diogo92]

@Albertinho , I have a 40L backpack. Went with 7,2kg counting with water, but I will manage to save some weight next year

Earplugs? What is that? I sleep like a rock

@stevenjarvis , you're welcome

Best Regards
Diogo

 

[Former member 22438]

@Albertinho , I have a 40L backpack. Went with 7,2kg counting with water, but I will manage to save some weight next year

Earplugs? What is that? I sleep like a rock

@stevenjarvis , you're welcome

Best Regards
Diogo

Pois bastante lugar para levar otros presentes

 

[vicrev]

Albertinho , Diogo92, GREAT THREAD ! Thank you and everyone for fueling and informing my next C P plans .

I agree ,steven..........love the patter between Albertino & Diogo,thanks fellas & also the invaluable info for my next walk in Europe.....................keep smiling(I don't need to say that to either of you).....Vicrev

 

[Former member 22438]

You are welcome. Muito prazer !

If there are questions, please do not hesitate to contact either my friend Diogo.. He is Portugese and the local expert. . Or me.. We set our first and most difficult step in Lisbon and copied this step about 1 million times to reach Santiago in about one month. In the meantime we experienced an unforgetable caminho Portuges and now after about half a year we are still busy with it so it made a deep impression to us. And infected by the caminho virus we are preparing the next one in 2014.


You always can send a personal message.

Best regards
Albertinho
Rotterdam The Netherlands

 

[frdaz]

Hello everyone.

I am thinking of doing the camino de potugese very soon. I was wondering if any of u could tell me how many days it might take to get to Santiago de compostella?

Mona

We did the CP from Porto. 10 days of walking, with a day off halfway in Vigo (nice city), plus an extra day in Santiago. We also took a day beforehand to visit Fatima. Buen camino...

 

[piogaw]

Thank you diogo92 and albertinho for all the info about the caminho portugues. I am planing to walk alone this february from lisboa via fatima to santiago. Any other info from lisboa to porto will be highly appreciated.

 

[gamblerqza]

@piogaw Isn't cold at this time of year to run the Camino, even in Portugal? Although I saw forecast for last 10 days - it is about 15-17 degree...

BR,

V.

 

[piogaw]

Yes, it is cold, but you get used to it. In my vdlp walk, i layered my clothing in the morning when i walked out the albergue-a short sleeve t-shirt, a light weight fleece, and a light polyester rain jacket. If it is too cold, a merino jumper in between. But from experience after 5-10 minutes of walking, i normally take off my rain jacket, the merino jumper, and even the fleece as it gets too warm and hot from the perspiration. Then i will just walked with the t- shirt and a summer convertible pant with no long john.

When it started to rain or snowed, i just walked the same way. I do have waterproof jacket and waterproofed outerpant, i stopped using them because you will sweat like a pig. So i just covered myself with a lightweight poncho.

The weather in lisboa will be more or less similar to sevilla on the vdlp, actually quite warm and sunny at the beginning. It will and did get colder as you headed up north with heavy wind, rain and snow on the way.

The caminho portugues, like the vdlp, at this time of the year will not have many peregrinos and will also give me plenty of time for reflection and prayers.

 

[Deleted member 12253]

It's an average Macarena ! One day we paid nothing for lodging, another day 5€ at an albergue , nothing at the bombeiros volontarios 6€ at the casa diocesana (nuns) for sleeping and a meal and so on. Sometimes we paid 20€ A few times "luxury " in a hotel so puttong it all together , divided by the number of days we walked ,it was about 50€ a day.

An extra remark. The time we stayed in Portugal was far cheaper than the prices in Galicia.
We started in Lisboa so the most days we payed less than the fortnight we were in Spain.
But compare it to the prices here in Holland. We pay 2,50 € for one cup of coffee. In Portugal we had a breakfast- 2 tea or coffee, croissants of panadillo for the same price.

No donation, paid nothing and a few times " luxury" , how sad

 

[gamblerqza]

I got you, we used the same layers model when was cold early in the morning on our Camino Frances this year. I agree with you, 10 minutes walking with all this clothes and wind proof jacket lead to sweating. I prefer to enjoy of warm sun in the middle of the year or September, it's lovely month as well. I really appreciate benefits if you start at beginning of year - calmness and silence and very few pilgrims. It's definitely worth! My plans changed and I should run my Camino portugues at September, I can't wait...

Byt he way what does vdlp means?

BR,

V.

 

[piogaw]

Vdlp - via de la plata, the camino from sevilla in southern spain, through caceres, merida, salamanca, zamora, ourense to santiago.

 

[gamblerqza]

I see, it seems like the most longest route to Santiago, I have to try this way someday...

Thanks.

BR,
V.

 

[peregrina2000]

Thank you diogo92 and albertinho for all the info about the caminho portugues. I am planing to walk alone this february from lisboa via fatima to santiago. Any other info from lisboa to porto will be highly appreciated.

Hi, Piogaw, I can send you the revisions to the CSJ guide from Lisbon to Porto if you send me an email address via PM. It doesn't have information on the detour to Fátima, though, so you´ll have to figure that part out. (Or if you wanted to, you could take notes and I could then add the detour information upon your return. )

I am supposed to get started on the Porto-Santiago guide but am still at the point of collecting information. I walked the route so long ago, that I will not have any first hand information, but I´m hoping to find lots of comments from forum members that will be helpful. In any event, if you took the two CSJ guides with you (Lisbon to Porto, Dec. 2013; and Porto-Santiago, Oct. 2009 revised ed), it would be hugely helpful if you wanted to annotate and comment!

Thanks, buen camino, Laurie

 

[Former member 22438]

No donation, paid nothing and a few times " luxury" , how sad

Your reply is sad ! I think you 've never walked the CP by giving this kind of remarks ! You can sleep in a school in Cernache if you know where that is ( I don't think you know !) and the people there did not accept any donation at all in spite of I offered them several times. So please refrain from giving negative answers !
nobody is waiting for that.