Portuguese Camino from Lisbon

[OldCuban]

I will be walking the Portuguese Camino from Lisbon beginning June 8. I previously walked the full French Way and I would like to know how the terrain on the Portuguese Camino compares. Also I have heard that the walk out of Lisbon is very industrial. Finally walking shoes or boots?

 

[Texas Walker]

I will be walking the Portuguese Camino from Lisbon beginning June 8. I previously walked the full French Way and I would like to know how the terrain on the Portuguese Camino compares. Also I have heard that the walk out of Lisbon is very industrial. Finally walking shoes or boots?

We walked in 2015. It was a very hot year. (Took a bus from Santarem to Fatima because first 3 days were so wearing. Walked the rest.) I wore my Merrells.
It was not easy to find food, drinks, restrooms along the way the first 3 days. I suspect that if we had turned off the marked path, which runs along levees and river and train right of way, and gone into villages more often there would have been food. But the Portuguese seem to have a custom of opening late in the morning.
re the walk difficulty, terrain, etc: there are a few places where they have tried to give a little bit of "wildness". There were a couple of segments where we had to walk along the road. No sidewalk, no path off the pavement, and the gutter we had to walk in was sloped. They drive crazy there. In Gijon, the albergue is right at the edge of the street pavement, as the village basically has no sidewalks. If you turn right and are passing the cemetery, you have missed it, go back to the corner and about half a block back. There is a shell on the door. Lovely people there.
The talk about Santarem being tough is because the city is built on top of a mesa.
Almost none of the water fountains we saw were potable.
Re leaving Lisbon, we had visited the Tile Museum the day before we left, so we took the bus to the edge of town and started there. The Tile Museum is great, if you are giving yourself an adaptation day it is worth the visit.
Buen camino

 

[OldCuban]

We walked in 2015. It was a very hot year. (Took a bus from Santarem to Fatima because first 3 days were so wearing. Walked the rest.) I wore my Merrells.
It was not easy to find food, drinks, restrooms along the way the first 3 days. I suspect that if we had turned off the marked path, which runs along levees and river and train right of way, and gone into villages more often there would have been food. But the Portuguese seem to have a custom of opening late in the morning.
re the walk difficulty, terrain, etc: there are a few places where they have tried to give a little bit of "wildness". There were a couple of segments where we had to walk along the road. No sidewalk, no path off the pavement, and the gutter we had to walk in was sloped. They drive crazy there. In Gijon, the albergue is right at the edge of the street pavement, as the village basically has no sidewalks. If you turn right and are passing the cemetery, you have missed it, go back to the corner and about half a block back. There is a shell on the door. Lovely people there.
The talk about Santarem being tough is because the city is built on top of a mesa.
Almost none of the water fountains we saw were potable.
Re leaving Lisbon, we had visited the Tile Museum the day before we left, so we took the bus to the edge of town and started there. The Tile Museum is great, if you are giving yourself an adaptation day it is worth the visit.
Buen camino

Thank you for taking the time to share your experiences with mr

 

[Michelle G Daoust]

I will be walking the Portuguese Camino from Lisbon beginning June 8. I previously walked the full French Way and I would like to know how the terrain on the Portuguese Camino compares. Also I have heard that the walk out of Lisbon is very industrial. Finally walking shoes or boots?

Hi Old Cuban,
You are about to embark on a wonderful Journey! My husband and I did the Camino Portuguese in June, 2017, from Lisbon to Santiago. Enjoyed the people, the food, the places immensely. Four years prior, we did the Camino Frances, from St. Jean, so can compare from experience. The terrain on the Portuguese route is different, more roads and cobble stones, some skinny places; some short hilly sections; the route from Porto on is incredibly lovely. We loved the fact that we started in Lisbon despite the increase in pavement. I started in Salomon day hikers and by Santarem sent those packing and bought Air Nike Max shoes. The best decision ever and would buy high loft runners again. (We met many people changing from boots to shoes by this stop!!) All you need. And it was smoking hot so part of the problem was my sock choice to begin with. Do not use boots....your feet will not be . When the Camino from Lisbon began to be more popular there were posts about not many alburgues/places to stay. We never had a problem and that was probably because the interest has increased so much. We averaged 25-27 km a day, a few longer days, but very reasonable. We found coffee early, good breakfasts, excellent dinners everywhere. We found the Portuguese were some of the most beautiful people we have ever encounter on our travels. Enjoy, Michelle

 

[OldCuban]

Hi Old Cuban,
You are about to embark on a wonderful Journey! My husband and I did the Camino Portuguese in June, 2017, from Lisbon to Santiago. Enjoyed the people, the food, the places immensely. Four years prior, we did the Camino Frances, from St. Jean, so can compare from experience. The terrain on the Portuguese route is different, more roads and cobble stones, some skinny places; some short hilly sections; the route from Porto on is incredibly lovely. We loved the fact that we started in Lisbon despite the increase in pavement. I started in Salomon day hikers and by Santarem sent those packing and bought Air Nike Max shoes. The best decision ever and would buy high loft runners again. (We met many people changing from boots to shoes by this stop!!) All you need. And it was smoking hot so part of the problem was my sock choice to begin with. Do not use boots....your feet will not be . When the Camino from Lisbon began to be more popular there were posts about not many alburgues/places to stay. We never had a problem and that was probably because the interest has increased so much. We averaged 25-27 km a day, a few longer days, but very reasonable. We found coffee early, good breakfasts, excellent dinners everywhere. We found the Portuguese were some of the most beautiful people we have ever encounter on our travels. Enjoy, Michelle

Michelle

Thank you so much for your insightful comments. I am really looking forward to this my second Camino. I will take your advise and skip the boots
Old Cuban

 

[CanuckPaul]

Walking shoes would be perfect I mirror previous comments Portugal and its people are wonderful as is the food, be prepared for good amounts of road walking, spend some time in lisboa museums are fantastic so much history. All Caminos are good enjoy and safe travels.

 

[Via2010]

Walking shoes are sufficient.

Until Santarém the camino touches the railway (Connections between Lisbon and Santarém every hour or even every 30 minutes) frequently. So do not worry about accomodation/food. I can remember having had a very delicious "bifana"-Sandwich at Granja - somewhere in the middle of nowhere - before Alpriarte and excellent "moelhas" (chicken stomachs in a spicy sauce) at the Galp-Petrol-Station before Azambuja.

The tile museum and the Fado museum in Lisbon are both worth a visit.

BC
Alexandra

 

[Elle Bieling]

Hello @OldCuban, I did not find the walk out of Lisbon to be industrial. Yes, you have to walk through the city on pavement, but large portions are along the river, and through the 1998 World Expo site. All of which I found to be enjoyable. If you'd like to see the photos of this days walk to decide for yourself, click here. Also, I have tried to make a synopsis of how the Portuguese Way differs, in this article, click here. The cobblestone is definitely to be reckoned with! I wish you a very successful Camino and happy planning!

 

[Bob from L.A. !]

Gijon, ???

I believe Gijon is in the north. Did you mean Grijo?

 

[mark camilli]

Having had a wonderful time walking the Portuguese coastal route last year , my wife and I fell in love with Portugal and decided to do the central route in reverse this year ending up in Fatima.

Obviously there is lots of info on this route, and we could walk to Tomar then cut across but there is a direct route from Rabacal. I am struggling to find any info about this, can any of you wonderful people make any recommendations about accomodation after Rabacal, are there albergues, is there an albergue in Fatima itself ?

thanks in advance

 

[surya8]

I walked from Santarem to Porto in late Oct 2017, there were sufficient accommodation options on the way there even out of season. The route is relatively easy, no big hills on the way, so your boots could be be a waste. I walked 4 Caminos in Portugal and found running shoes perfect for the terrain, especially considering the amount of cobblesones that you have to face. June should be hot but water situation should be ok, we found most of the water fonts working and ok to drink, tap water is also fine to drink everywhere, although there bars between Santarem and Coimbra could be a bit sparce, so take water with you and drink plenty when you see the font. The wilder nature and off the beaten roads are mostly before Coimbra, then it gets progressively more urban/suburban. L loved the hospitality if people there and my fav towns on the way are Santarem, Golega, Tomar, Coimbra and Agueda. Food is plentiful and tasty, and portions are huge, and Portuguese do tend to open up early for breakfast, at least in comparison to Spain. A friend of mine that I met on the way is helping to open a new albergue there on the way - it's in Branca, between Albergaria-a-Velha and Sao Joao da Madeira. Will be called Casa Catolico, donativo, will be open this April. They are waiting for pilgrims and would be glad to host you! The full comprehensive list is here: http://www.vialusitana.org/caminho-portugues/albergues/
Bom Caminho to you!

 

[peregrina2000]

I walked from Santarem to Porto in late Oct 2017, there were sufficient accommodation options on the way there even out of season. The route is relatively easy, no big hills on the way, so your boots could be be a waste. I walked 4 Caminos in Portugal and found running shoes perfect for the terrain, especially considering the amount of cobblesones that you have to face. June should be hot but water situation should be ok, we found most of the water fonts working and ok to drink, tap water is also fine to drink everywhere, although there bars between Santarem and Coimbra could be a bit sparce, so take water with you and drink plenty when you see the font. The wilder nature and off the beaten roads are mostly before Coimbra, then it gets progressively more urban/suburban. L loved the hospitality if people there and my fav towns on the way are Santarem, Golega, Tomar, Coimbra and Agueda. Food is plentiful and tasty, and portions are huge, and Portuguese do tend to open up early for breakfast, at least in comparison to Spain. A friend of mine that I met on the way is helping to open a new albergue there on the way - it's in Branca, between Albergaria-a-Velha and Sao Joao da Madeira. Will be called Casa Catolico, donativo, will be open this April. They are waiting for pilgrims and would be glad to host you! The full comprehensive list is here: http://www.vialusitana.org/caminho-portugues/albergues/
Bom Caminho to you!

I enthusiastically second @surya8 ‘s recommendation for running shoes. I started wearing trail runners on the camino last year, and they are fabulous. If you are new to trail runners, as I was, do a search on the forum, and keep an eye out for @davebugg’s posts. He is one of our resident gear experts and has given tons of good information on why trail runners are such a good idea. He is, however, always careful to say, that if you want to wear boots, that’s totally up to you! (But I sometimes wonder if he says that with his fingers crossed behind his back )
Buen camino, Laurie

 

[Bob K (Phoenix)]

I am planning to walk the Portuguese Camino from Lisbon in September, and was wondering about where would be good places to take zero days, say one per week or so. Definitely Porto and where else?

 

[Bob K (Phoenix)]

I enthusiastically second @surya8 ‘s recommendation for running shoes. I started wearing trail runners on the camino last year, and they are fabulous. If you are new to trail runners, as I was, do a search on the forum, and keep an eye out for @davebugg’s posts. He is one of our resident gear experts and has given tons of good information on why trail runners are such a good idea. He is, however, always careful to say, that if you want to wear boots, that’s totally up to you! (But I sometimes wonder if he says that with his fingers crossed behind his back )
Buen camino, Laurie

Appreciate the comments about running shoes, but having had many turned ankles I do feel more comfortable with mid boots. Hike in Salomons right now and find them very light comfortable. Have tried Altra mids, but find that the don't hold up too well!

 

[Elle Bieling]

I am planning to walk the Portuguese Camino from Lisbon in September, and was wondering about where would be good places to take zero days, say one per week or so. Definitely Porto and where else?

Santarém is a very lovely town with its fortifications, and plenty to see, but you will get there in 3-4 days, depending on how far you walk each day.
Another great place to spend an extra day, which we reached after five days is Tomar, with the Knights Templar Castle and aqueduct. Our rest day here wasn't much of a no-walk day for us, but it was great non-the-less!
We also spent a half day touring Coimbra, which we reached in nine days, with its first University in Portugal. An amazing town that one could spend days instead of hours.
If you click on the links, you can see what there is to see. After Coimbra, it is all small towns til Porto. You don't say if you are going on after Porto, and if so, which route? I can make more recommendations!

 

[Bob K (Phoenix)]

Santarém is a very lovely town with its fortifications, and plenty to see, but you will get there in 3-4 days, depending on how far you walk each day.
Another great place to spend an extra day, which we reached after five days is Tomar, with the Knights Templar Castle and aqueduct. Our rest day here wasn't much of a no-walk day for us, but it was great non-the-less!
We also spent a half day touring Coimbra, which we reached in nine days, with its first University in Portugal. An amazing town that one could spend days instead of hours.
If you click on the links, you can see what there is to see. After Coimbra, it is all small towns til Porto. You don't say if you are going on after Porto, and if so, which route? I can make more recommendations!

Thanks for the info. I actually haven't decided on the route from Porto to SdC; both seam to have their attractions!

 

[The Kolbist]

We walked CP from Lisbon in 2016 and walked CF from SJDPP in 2017. For me, I can say that CF was tougher physically. The walk from Nascoes to Villafranca de Xira has some industrial areas but theres a nice boardwalk walking along the Tagus river just before Villfranca. A lot of road walking but you also walk along some vineyards. We walked towards Fatima from Santarem for Camino de Fatima but resume CP in Porto. We walked along the coastline from Porto. It was an extremely nice walk considering that you are in a big city. From Porto to Santiago is stunning, a different terrain as it is mostly vineyards and we passed by several waterfalls. Ultreya..

 

[Elle Bieling]

Thanks for the info. I actually haven't decided on the route from Porto to SdC; both seam to have their attractions!

I cover both paths in my blog, so starting on day fifteen, for either route, the Coastal, or the Central, you can check out lots of photos and info to help you decide! As you've said, they both have different things to offer! Happy deciding!

 

[Miki Goldie]

I am planning to walk the Portuguese Camino from Lisbon in September, and was wondering about where would be good places to take zero days, say one per week or so. Definitely Porto and where else?

Also walking from Lisbon early September.....may see you....
Love

 

[OldCuban]

Also walking from Lisbon early September.....may see you....
Love

I completed the Portuguese Camino last month. I found that the first four days out of Lisbon were almost exclusively on busy highways and industrial areas. I recommend taking a train to Santarem and starting your Camino there. Tomar is a beautiful Templar town worth taking time to explore. I liked Tui as well

 

[Terry Callery]

You must see the Templar Castle in Tomar!
And Ponte de Lima is the loveliest of river-side towns!
I agree with "Old Cuban" about taking the train to Santarem.

 

[Mark McCarthy]

I am planning to walk the Portuguese Camino from Lisbon in September, and was wondering about where would be good places to take zero days, say one per week or so. Definitely Porto and where else?

Tomar.