Portugal

[BillyBudd]

Hi everyone

Me and my friend are planing to walk in Portugal this easter. But we have problems deciding where to go. we have 8 days. Should we walk from porto towards Santiago or should we walk from Lisbon to porto? We want to walk thru beautiful nature and small villages.
We do not want to walk on mai roads, but prefer to be as fare away from traffic that's possible.
We be very happy to hear what you guys think.

Than you!

 

[David Manzo]

It’s too quick a pace to get from Porto to Santiago in 8 days. 10 works fine.

Maybe consider Tui to Santiago.

 

[BillyBudd]

Thank you.. we know that. The goal is the walk, not to get there if you know what I mean?
Where is the best place to walk?

 

[John Sikora]

The walk from Lisbon to Porto is largely urban. While nice it doesn't stand out as a "great" walk. But if you like visiting towns there are some nice cities (Coimbra, Fatima (a bit off the track), Tomar (really nice), etc.

The coastal walk from Porto to Santiago along the cost is really great (if fog doesn't get in the way). Lots of nice small towns and places to stop. And it's mostly flat.

The interior walk (which I have not done) seems to be a bit more rural and hilly.

So it just depends on what you want to have your walk become. Also, this walk has a number of train or bus options so that you could skip something that doesn't look all that great.

 

[Terry Callery]

Do the "Spiritual Variant" on the Portuguese Route as your start. Then it is two days from Padron to Santiago to finish.

This is from "Portuguese Camino - In Search of the Infinite Moment"

"My ride to the restaurant came at the appointed hour of 7:00 p.m., and I was driven away in an old black Mercedes by one of the restaurant cooks, a jovial Spaniard with out-of-control hair who drove like a New York cabbie. He took me to a fancy parrillada, or barbeque restaurant, that was directly on the N-550 highway. Restaurante San Martiño was a sizable operation that also did catering and large functions, but tonight only the bar area was open, and as I was escorted into the room, I recognized a fellow pilgrim. Gerhardt was a
German financier whom I had met a couple of times on the Camino but never spent any time with. Waving his hand in circular loops, he invited me to join him, so I plopped myself into the chair across the table from the burly, mustachioed fellow pilgrim, who was perhaps ten years my junior.
“Buen Camino. I just sat down, so we can eat together,” he said. “Here is a copy of this menu. The waiter said they have thick veal chops cooked on the grill, so that is what I ordered. It’s Gerhardt, and I think I remember your name is Terry?”
“Thanks, Gerhardt. When was the last time I saw you? Was it at that little café? I think you were with a couple of other pilgrims, including Katja, when I stopped to talk with you. So, how’s it going?” I asked.
“I’m good. I joined with a couple of Spanish pilgrims, and we all took the “Spiritual Variant” route that heads off northeast toward the coast a kilometer after the medieval bridge in Pontevedra. Do you know about the route?” Gerhardt asked.
“Yes,” I said. “I read about it in the guidebook and saw the posters for the company that provides the boat ride. It’s the route that Saint James’s followers would have taken from the sea to where they landed in Padrón. So how cool was it?” I asked him.
“It was lyrical, like a poem. As you travel along, you’re always near the water, so you get stunning viewpoints across the expansive estuaries. It’s called the ‘way of stone and water,’ and everything is full of magic and history. It’s the most Celtic part of Galicia. There are some very old churches and some romantic fortresses. The boat is a small passenger ferry that takes you from Vilanova de Arousa to Pontecesures, just outside of Padrón. Some remains of stone mills, some beautiful vineyards, but the best part was walking along the water on ancient stone pathways, so peaceful and serene.”

 

[BillyBudd]

The walk from Lisbon to Porto is largely urban. While nice it doesn't stand out as a "great" walk. But if you like visiting towns there are some nice cities (Coimbra, Fatima (a bit off the track), Tomar (really nice), etc.

The coastal walk from Porto to Santiago along the cost is really great (if fog doesn't get in the way). Lots of nice small towns and places to stop. And it's mostly flat.

The interior walk (which I have not done) seems to be a bit more rural and hilly.

So it just depends on what you want to have your walk become. Also, this walk has a number of train or bus options so that you could skip something that doesn't look all that great.

Thank you very much! This was much help! Do you have any reccomandation on where we should stat? we have only 5 days of walking and is not importent for us to reach Santiago.

 

[surya8]

It depends if you want some company for the way or you are comfortable to walk on your own. For the solo travellers I'd recommend Portugues Interior from Viseu, it took us 8 days from Viseu to reach Spanish Verin on Sanabres/Via de la Plata. Portugues Interior is my favourite way in Portugal so far, very picturesque, unspoiled, hilly and truly off the beaten tracks. I posted about it here, we continued from Verin then all the way to Santiago: https://www.caminodesantiago.me/com...rtugues-interior-june-2018.56758/#post-698485
If you decide to walk the more popular routes between Lisbon and Santiago then the stretch between Santarem and Coimbra has the wildest feel about it, not much tourism there and plenty of nature, quiet country roads, fields and forests. Lovely small villages and towns on the way, I loved Santarem, Golega, Tomar, Coimbra, then there is artsy Agueda if you walk further north, but after that there is a more suburban feel to it.
If you decide to walk between Porto and Santiago I'd go for the Coastal way, I'd definitely recommend Espiritual. People usually walk 2 days there and then take a boat almost to Padron but there is also an option to walk day 3, along the river, we did it in Jan, also a lovely walk.
Anyway, there are almost no walking on main roads in Portugal, you may cross over some of them from time to time but almost never you walk on them/along then for a stretch of time, not like on the Norte as far as I know. There are plenty of roads that go through villages, forests, fields. some cobblestones. Bom Camino!

 

[robproct]

Last October I walked the CP from Lisbon including the inland route from Porto. I can't comment on the coastal route but found that the inland route through the forests and hills was the most enjoyable part of the whole walk. I don't recommend walking from Lisbon as its mostly flat country with less variation and interest. I would suggest starting at Valenca/Tui where there are more pilgrims although its not crowded. Starting from Lisbon I did not come across another pilgrim for seven days and loved the solitude. If you decide to walk from Porto take the coastal route for the first day and then head inland.

 

[WalkingJane]

Thank you.. we know that. The goal is the walk, not to get there if you know what I mean?
Where is the best place to walk?

How about the coastal route?

 

[ShaunKevin]

Hi everyone

Me and my friend are planing to walk in Portugal this easter. But we have problems deciding where to go. we have 8 days. Should we walk from porto towards Santiago or should we walk from Lisbon to porto? We want to walk thru beautiful nature and small villages.
We do not want to walk on mai roads, but prefer to be as fare away from traffic that's possible.
We be very happy to hear what you guys think.

Than you!

Mate, def don’t walk for 8 days out of Lisbon. Roads, roads, roads and highways.

Go from Porto and enjoy.

 

[BillyBudd]

Thank you guys! I really appreciate your reply!
I will now sit down and google to find the best stage to walk based on your information

 

[BillyBudd]

Mate, def don’t walk for 8 days out of Lisbon. Roads, roads, roads and highways.

Go from Porto and enjoy.

If we go from porto, is there small villages on the way where we can eat? Should we start in porto or from a town near by? Thank you

 

[David Tallan]

If we go from porto, is there small villages on the way where we can eat? Should we start in porto or from a town near by? Thank you

You won't have trouble finding places to eat. I walked from Porto Cathedral down to the river and along the river to the ocean. Then, I walked along up the shoreline to Vila do Conde then over to the Central joining it at Arcos and up the Central. Some nice shoreline on the boardwalks and lots of nice villages, towns and vineyards on the Central.

If I am going to walk from Porto, I prefer to start at the cathedral rather than starting with transit to some other town. I know that a lot of people do that from Porto but the river walk is quite nice.

 

[timr]

You won't have trouble finding places to eat. I walked from Porto Cathedral down to the river and along the river to the ocean. Then, I walked along up the shoreline to Vila do Conde then over to the Central joining it at Arcos and up the Central. Some nice shoreline on the boardwalks and lots of nice villages, towns and vineyards on the Central.

If I am going to walk from Porto, I prefer to start at the cathedral rather than starting with transit to some other town. I know that a lot of people do that from Porto but the river walk is quite nice.

Another vote for the river walk!!!

 

[BillyBudd]

Has anyone walked the fisherman's trail? Is that somthing you can recomand?

Thank you

 

[Pilger99]

Portuguese pilgrimage ways haven't been too far away from traffic, but I can't aggree with only roads, roads,..highways leaving Lisbon. That first part is flat, but not just endless roads. In Spring it's green and quite nice. For a different landscape it is good to walk to Fatima (hilly) and maybe finally to Tomar. 8 days is not that much.

I have been in Portugal in holy easter week (semana santa = now) and all major cities have been packed with spaniards (= no inexpensive accomodation available). And so is the Caminho after Porto and Santiago. It becomes more relaxed in and after easter Monday, since it is not public holiday in Spain nor Portugal. Portuguese shops close on Easter Sunday (at least in the afternoon, e.g. Continente Valenca was opening till 2pm, instead of 9 or10 pm on other sundays).
Business on all iberian caminos really starts in the week before easter, as it is so typical to spend this week for vacation.

"river walk" in Porto: The river looks good from the cathedral, but this is some part that I would describe as road, road, road, highway bridge and flat. It gets better views when you reach the Atlantic. Walking the official Caminho is more challenging, since you have to look for the arrows and its up and down, but all city walk ("road") as well.
Taking the old tram along the river is one alternative, taking the metro to Mercado (Matosinhos bridge) another.

 

[aziletx]

We jut got home from walking the coastal route from Porto. It was truly beautiful and Portugal has spent a huge amount of money on boardwalks, so walking on the actual beach is not necessary. As for places to stay, our last night on the trail was at Casa Parada de Francos in Rúa de Francos. It is about 14 km from Santiago and right on the Camino. Lovely place if they have openings. Tell Pepe hi for us!

Also, we did not begin our walk from the Porto city center, but had a cab driver drop us by the lighthouse on the outskirts of town. It was a good beginning for us. We found many places to stop and eat. That was never a problem. Some beach dining spots on the trail were not open yet, but I assume they will be increasingly open as summer draws nearer.

Also, the ferry from Caminha to A Guarda was not running, so we had to take a water taxi to the Spanish side. I do not know when the ferry will be running again.

I heard from other Pilgrims that the hike from Lisbon involved several crowded highways, so I am glad we did not have to walk on those.

If you have any other questions, just ask.

 

[Arniece2022]

Portuguese pilgrimage ways haven't been too far away from traffic, but I can't aggree with only roads, roads,..highways leaving Lisbon. That first part is flat, but not just endless roads. In Spring it's green and quite nice. For a different landscape it is good to walk to Fatima (hilly) and maybe finally to Tomar. 8 days is not that much.

Is the route from Lisbon to Fatima a Camino route? With proper signage and albergues? I am new so not familiar.

 

[WalkingJane]

Fatima has a religious shrine. A pilgrimage route for Portuguese...

 

[Former member 22438]

Information about the caminho de Fátima

Lisboa – Fátima

Visite o artigo para mais informações.

umcaminhoparatodos.wordpress.com

 

[David Tallan]

Is the route from Lisbon to Fatima a Camino route? With proper signage and albergues? I am new so not familiar.

Is the route from Lisbon to Fatima a Camino route? It depends on how you define "Camino". Is the Via Fancigena from Canterbury to Rome a Camino route? It is a pilgrimage route with signage and pilgrims' hostels along the way. Many people walk it (although not that many compared to the Camino de Santiago). But it doesn't go to Santiago.

Camino just means "way". Plenty of routes are caminos, so long as they are ways to get somewhere. When I say "Camino" in a forum like this (especially capitalized), I'm referring to a Camino de Santiago, one of the routes to Santiago de Compostela. I tend not to use the word for routes like the Via Fancigena (mentioned above), the routes of St. Francis of Assisi in Italy, or the pilgrim routes in Japan, for a few other examples. I just call those "pilgrim routes".

The route to Fatima is a pilgrim route. It is marked, not just from Lisbon, but from many other places, with blue arrows. I know along the Camino Portugues in the north, you often see yellow arrows pointing north and blue arrows pointing south. I believe there are pilgrim's hostels (although I think that the Portuguese use a Portuguese word rather than the Spanish word albergue). I have also heard that the Associação de Amigos dos Caminhos de Fátima has their own credential (Pilgrim's passport). But if you are just going to Fatima, then it doesn't lead to Santiago, so I don't think it would generally counted as a Camino de Santiago. On the other hand, some people might take it as a detour from Santarem on their way from Lisbon to Santiago. For them it might be part of the Camino de Santiago.

What you call it is up to you.

You can find a lot more information about it in its own forum on this site.

 

[Arniece2022]

Is the route from Lisbon to Fatima a Camino route? It depends on how you define "Camino". Is the Via Fancigena from Canterbury to Rome a Camino route? It is a pilgrimage route with signage and pilgrims' hostels along the way. Many people walk it (although not that many compared to the Camino de Santiago). But it doesn't go to Santiago.

Camino just means "way". Plenty of routes are caminos, so long as they are ways to get somewhere. When I say "Camino" in a forum like this (especially capitalized), I'm referring to a Camino de Santiago, one of the routes to Santiago de Compostela. I tend not to use the word for routes like the Via Fancigena (mentioned above), the routes of St. Francis of Assisi in Italy, or the pilgrim routes in Japan, for a few other examples. I just call those "pilgrim routes".

The route to Fatima is a pilgrim route. It is marked, not just from Lisbon, but from many other places, with blue arrows. I know along the Camino Portugues in the north, you often see yellow arrows pointing north and blue arrows pointing south. I believe there are pilgrim's hostels (although I think that the Portuguese use a Portuguese word rather than the Spanish word albergue). I have also heard that the Associação de Amigos dos Caminhos de Fátima has their own credential (Pilgrim's passport). But if you are just going to Fatima, then it doesn't lead to Santiago, so I don't think it would generally counted as a Camino de Santiago. On the other hand, some people might take it as a detour from Santarem on their way from Lisbon to Santiago. For them it might be part of the Camino de Santiago.

What you call it is up to you.

You can find a lot more information about it in its own forum on this site.

Thank you for taking the time to respond. I understand I can walk whatever route is my Way, but since this is my first time and my first time in Portugal I would like to walk a defined route. I will definitely follow your link. Thank you for that. I have been using the search tool to read up on the CP which took me to this thread and Pilger99's comment about Fatima. I should, however, have been more specific with my question. I see there are several ways to travel from Lisbon to Fatima beginning through Vila Franca de Xira as opposed to walking up the coast. That is where my question about services came from.

 

[David Tallan]

Thank you for taking the time to respond. I understand I can walk whatever route is my Way, but since this is my first time and my first time in Portugal I would like to walk a defined route. I will definitely follow your link. Thank you for that. I have been using the search tool to read up on the CP which took me to this thread and Pilger99's comment about Fatima. I should, however, have been more specific with my question. I see there are several ways to travel from Lisbon to Fatima beginning through Vila Franca de Xira as opposed to walking up the coast. That is where my question about services came from.

You might find this Google Map of routes helpful. There may be differences in the routes, since there seems to have been differences of opinion on the best route between the association and the tourism authorities on which path to mark. In the end, the association seems to have given up the fight, being unable to match the resources of the authorities.

This other Google Map of albergues, published by the Associação de Amigos dos Caminhos de Fátima, may also be helpful, although I should note that it seems to have been last updated in June 2020 and, what with Covid, things may certainly have changed since then.

You may also find apps helpful in finding the path and supporting infrastructure. For example, Camino Ninja shows a route from Tomar to Fatima, so you could walk the Camino Portugues from Lisbon to Tomar (using the app, or another, or any Camino Portugues guide book, or just following the arrows) and then follow the Caminho Nascente e Poente from Tomar to Fatima using the app.

 

[Arniece2022]

You might find this Google Map of routes helpful. There may be differences in the routes, since there seems to have been differences of opinion on the best route between the association and the tourism authorities on which path to mark. In the end, the association seems to have given up the fight, being unable to match the resources of the authorities.

This other Google Map of albergues, published by the Associação de Amigos dos Caminhos de Fátima, may also be helpful, although I should note that it seems to have been last updated in June 2020 and, what with Covid, things may certainly have changed since then.

You may also find apps helpful in finding the path and supporting infrastructure. For example, Camino Ninja shows a route from Tomar to Fatima, so you could walk the Camino Portugues from Lisbon to Tomar (using the app, or another, or any Camino Portugues guide book, or just following the arrows) and then follow the Caminho Nascente e Poente from Tomar to Fatima using the app.

Thank you for all of this information. It is very helpful. I appreciate it!

 

[Arniece2022]

Information about the caminho de Fátima

Lisboa – Fátima

Visite o artigo para mais informações.

umcaminhoparatodos.wordpress.com

Thank you for this. Very helpful.