How many days

[scubajunky]

So I have booked to arrive in Porto on the 4th of April. I think I should probably spend a full day in Porto on the 5th and then leave on the 6th. How many days should it take to walk to Santiago ? I will then walk to Muxia and then bus back to Santiago to leave. How many days should I take ?
Can anyone recommend an alberge in Porto please and can I get the Pilgrim Passport there also ?
Thanks in advance to anyone who can help me.

 

[lonestarmatt]

I walked Porto to Santiago this past October. First, the easy answer - you can purchase a Pilgrim Passport at the Cathedral. I did not spend a lot of time at the Cathedral and unfortunately did not visit the second floor where there is a 16th Century statute of St James - this is mentioned in the Brierley guide.

Spending a little extra time in Porto is worthwhile. I walked from the Cathedral and along the river to get a sense of the area. Evenings on the river enjoying fresh seafood, listening to music and sipping wine makes it extra nice.

I stayed at Hotel Peninsular near the Cathedral - nothing fancy, but very comfortable with easy access to the Metro or to walk to the river. I used my extra time in Porto to learn to navigate the Metro and went exploring in Matosinhos. Since I walked the Cathedral and along the river, I decided to avoid some of the urban walking and began my Camino from Matosinhos so that I could walk the coastline to Vila do Conde. I believe this was one of my best choices for my pilgrimage. Unlike Camino Frances, spending a day walking next to the ocean was very pleasant. I did not see very many pilgrims, but the walk along the water made is worth it.

From Vilo do Conde, I walked inland to Rates - this is the oldest albergue on the Portuguese route and it has the famous two-color stamp for your passport. I met several pilgrims that I would continue to see the rest of my journey.

Whenever anyone asks about time and scheduling, there are an infinite amount of answers. Everyone walks their own Camino. I believe the Pilgrims with the most freedom are those without an end date. Since I was walking Camino Portugues solo and had many extra days allotted, I would generally walk 10k to 20k per day - a few times more and some days less. The only reservation I made was to stay at Casa Fernanda. And, I stayed the night inside the fortress in Valenca and near the Cathedral in Tui. Also, I paused for the night in Teo to allow for a fresh walk into Santiago.

For me, leaving on 1 October and arriving on 14 October was a nice, relaxed pace. I'm sure many other pilgrims are a bit quicker - it's not a race.

I have yet to walk to Muxia and I've talked to pilgrims that do it in 3 or 4 days. Looking at the guidebook and the elevation, I'll probably take 5 days. Muxia and Finisterre are both worth the trip.

Have a Good Journey!

Bom Caminho!

 

[musicman]

Depends which Camino you are taking. The internal , as described above, or along the coast, all the way.
I have walked both in the past four years.
Enjoyed them both, but would probably plump for the Coastal.
Either way, get metro to Matodinhos Mercardo, as described above, for a pleasant walk out of Porto.
www.airportohostel.com › eng - great place, one stop from airport.

 

[HeidiL]

We walked the Internal route, from our hotel in downtown Porto, in 10 leisurely days, including one rest day because it was raining so much. Lovely route, planning to walk it again some year.

 

[scubajunky]

is the coastal route pretty much the same duration as the interior then ? I assume it is !

 

[Former member 22438]

Depends which Camino you are taking. The internal , as described above, or along the coast, all the way.
I have walked both in the past four years.
Enjoyed them both, but would probably plump for the Coastal.
Either way, get metro to Matodinhos Mercardo, as described above, for a pleasant walk out of Porto.
www.airportohostel.com › eng - great place, one stop from airport.

There is a misunderstanding here. The interior route is a different route leading from nearby Coimbra at the east side of Portugal and connects the Via de A Plata in Ourense.
You are talking about the central Portuguese caminho which leads from Lisbon to Porto and Porto to Tui , Pontevedra and Padrón to Santiago.

Why this correction ? Because there are many subforums here on the caminho Portugues and people who are looking for specific information of the particular caminhos it is better to keep one separated from the other.
We are talking about the central route, the coastal and the internal route. All three lead through another part of Portugal.
The coastal and the central come together in Redondela.
The internal never hits one of the two others except at the finish in Santiago de Compostela.

 

[HeidiL]

In that case, I think we must have walked the Central...

 

[Former member 22438]

In that case, I think we must have walked the Central...

And the answer on your question is yes. The duration and distance is about the same
Directly in Porto you can choose for the central or coastal. You also can walk the first or/and second day leaving Porto for one stage along the coast to Vila do Conde and there head inland on the central route or continue the coastal.
In Caminha in the utmost northern town at the coastal you can go inland again to Valença do Minho , cross the border to Spain and continue on the Central route.
And you can also continue the coastal to Vigo and Redondela and hit there the central route to Santiago.
A other option is to walk the central route as far as Casa da Fernanda in Vitorino de Piaës ,18 kms past Barcelos, and go by public transport to Viana do Castelo and walk from there the coastal as mentioned above to Caminha or Vigo and Redondela.
Bom caminho

 

[scubajunky]

Thanks for peoples responses. So what are the differences between walking the camino on the coastal or the central apart from walking by the sea ? how is the scenery different ? is the central much busier than the coastal ? are there more accommodation options on the central or the coastal ? are there more alberges on the central or the coastal ?
which would be the best place to join the coastal ? at villa de conde or further ahead ?

 

[Catahoula19]

Thanks for peoples responses. So what are the differences between walking the camino on the coastal or the central apart from walking by the sea ? how is the scenery different ? is the central much busier than the coastal ? are there more accommodation options on the central or the coastal ? are there more alberges on the central or the coastal ?
which would be the best place to join the coastal ? at villa de conde or further ahead ?

Coastal is....coastal. Central leads inland. More hills, roads, eucalyptus trees, small Portuguese villages. Most people who walk up the coast only do so to Vila de Conde then walk inland to Rates and Barcelos. If you are seeking interaction with other pilgrims then you won't get that as much on the coastal. We just finished to central route described above. Few pilgrims at all until Ponte Lima but still far fewer than on the Camino Frances. Hope this helped, Bom Caminho!

 

[Probus888]

Hi - I'm not sure if this is the right place as I'm not good with social media and the like so sorry if I've got it wrong. Anyway, I am doing my first Camino this September and thought I'd do the Portugues from Porto as (from my brief research) it seems a pleasant route. I am nervous but looking forward to it. I thought I'd do the Coastal route - is it well signposted or are there any maps I can buy? And can anybody recommend any alberges?

Thanks in advance.