Quo Vadis, Dude? Any advice (alerts) for my Portugues Coastal from Porto itinerary?

[ICBWB]

Requesting advice. I'm doing my first Camino May 2022. Below is the route plan. I'm hoping experienced Caminoistas may have advice, ideas, to offer and points of view to share.

Background: I'm 65, an experienced day hiker for many years, but now have osteoarthritis (both hips, one foot) to manage. I'll be carrying my own modest-size/weight pack, and have my main luggage (with non-essential stuff) sent to ahead to SDC for my arrival.

I've tried to plan a route with hotel options at each stop. After I get some feedback from experienced folks, I'm going to start booking hotels. (I was surprised in my preliminary research that many hotels are already booked for the days I want.)

Plan to leave Porto following the advice of those very helpful Stingy Nomad folks: Start at Sé Cathedral, walk down to Rio Douro and follow the river all the way out of the city following Senda Litoral. And I hope I've planned this walk properly to include the Variante Espiritual...

Thank you!

DB

THE PLAN (man plans, god laughs)

Day 1 - May 14 Saturday
8 miles - Walk to Matosinho

Day 2 -May 15 Sunday
15 miles - Walk to Vila do Conde

Day 3 - May 16 Monday
14 miles - Walk to Fão

Day 4 - May 17 Tuesday
17 miles - Walk to Viana do Castelo

Day 5 - May 18 Wednesday
Rest Day - Viana do Castelo

Day 6 - May 19 Thursday
15 miles - Walk to Caminha

Day 7 - May 20 Friday
21 miles - Walk to Baiona

Day 8 - May 21 Saturday
Rest Day - Baiona

Day 9 - May 22 Sunday
16 miles - Walk to Vigo

Day 10 - May 23 Monday
11 miles - Walk to Redondela

Day 11 - May 24 Tuesday
13 miles - Walk to Pontevedra

Day 12 - May 25 Wednesday
Rest Day - Pontevedra - (My wife, Joan, joins me here!;-)

Day 13 - May 26 Thursday
Rest Day - Pontevedra

Day 14 - May 27 Friday
8 miles - Walk to Combarro

Day 15 - May 28 Saturday
14 miles - Walk to Ponte Arnelas

Day 16 - May 29 Sunday - (Joan's Birthday!)
8 miles - Walk to Vilanova de Arousa

Day 17 - May 30 Monday
17 miles by Boat
2 miles - Walk to Padrón

Day 18 - May 31 Tuesday
11 miles - Walk to Milladoiro

Day 19 - June 1 Wednesday
5 miles - Walk to Santiago de Compostela

Day 20 - June 2 Thursday
Rest Day - Santiago de Compostela

June 3 - Fly to Amsterdam!

 

[Dojo]

ICBWB- I'm doing this same route, stepping off in Porto on 22 May and arriving SDC on 3 June. I booked hotels and luggage transport with Walk the Camino and will carry a day pack. Leave me clues along the way!

 

[woody66]

Hi ICBWB!
Walked my first Camino in September started walking on 20th but had stop overs in Viana ,Baiona, Combarro and Villa Nova de Arousa.
I booked all my accommodation in advance!
However although reassuring to have a bed booked; i do think on my next Camino i will book my first couple of nights and wing it as i walk!
The reason being as you put "man plans god laughs" i thought i had it covered i was pretty sure my stages were doable;that is until i got lost most days )severely sight impaired) Fao To VIiana Do Castelo stage walked 39km cos had to get there for my booking!
Only had one bad stay in Vigo rest were fine staff in all the hotels were great even in Vigo ;buti really recommend Villa dos Corceis in Fao (after breakfast the owner Nuno made me sandwiches, fruit and cake for my walk without even being asked). You will be walking there on my birthday
I stayed in the monastery in Armenteiera on the spiritual was well worth doing even though breakfast was coffee and biscuits. The pilgrim blessing was special( the nuns singing was lovely,i was the only Brit and Sister Paula did the blessing in English for me;made my cry)
These were my stages and where i stayed.
Hope all your plans come to fruition and you have a safe and happy walk!!!
Buen Camino
Woody

Perafita	MON 20 TO TUES 21ST	CARAVELA
VILA DO CONDE	TUES 21ST TO WED 22ND	HOTEL BRAZ AO
ESPOSENDE	WED 22ND TO THURS 23	Villa dos Corcéis
VIANA DE CASTELO	THURS 23 TO SAT 25	Hotel Laranjeira
CAMINHA	SAT 25 TO SUN 26TH	Arca Nova Guest House & Hostel
OIA	SUN 26 TO MON 27TH	HOTEL RAINA
BAIONA	MON 27 TO THUR 30TH	HOTEL ROMPEOLAS
VIGO	THURS 30TH TO FRI 1ST	HOTEL ZENIT VIGO (dont stay here rubbish and expensive)
REDONDELA	FRI 1ST TO SAT 2ND OCT	AS CHIVAS
PONTEVEDERA	SAT 2ND OCT TO SUN 3RD OCT	Hotel Boa Vila
COMBARRO	SUN 3RD OCT TO TUES 5TH OCT	HOTEL COMBARRO
A ARMENTEIRA	TUES 5TH OCT 6th WED 6TH OCT	RESERVED
VILANOVA DE AROUSA	WED 6TH OCT TO FRI 8TH OCT	APARTMENTS PASARELA
PADRON	FRI 8TH OCT TO 9TH OCT	HOTEL CHEF RIVERA (old traditional Spanish but OK hotel )
SANTIAGO	9TH TO 13TH OCT	Hotel Atalaia B&B

 

[Steven Baggs]

I walked the coastal route in September to Caminha then inland to Tui and through to Santiago from there. It’s a long way round following the Douro to the mouth of the river but a really nice walk from that point along the coast. Try and avoid the long metal walkway along the riverbank. Much of the walking up the coast is on boardwalks which they were in the process of replacing when I was there. Using hiking poles is impossible on this stretch due to the boardwalks. I wanted to walk the espiritual but didn’t have enough time. I think I walked it in 10 days, not quite as crazy as the 8 days the last time I walked the central route.

 

[Steven Baggs]

Forgot to say there were plenty of Albergues with very few pilgrims. In Portugal they asked to see vaccine passport everywhere I stayed but not in Spain.

 

[Former member 22438]

Requesting advice. I'm doing my first Camino May 2022. Below is the route plan. I'm hoping experienced Caminoistas may have advice, ideas, to offer and points of view to share.

Background: I'm 65, an experienced day hiker for many years, but now have osteoarthritis (both hips, one foot) to manage. I'll be carrying my own modest-size/weight pack, and have my main luggage (with non-essential stuff) sent to ahead to SDC for my arrival.

I've tried to plan a route with hotel options at each stop. After I get some feedback from experienced folks, I'm going to start booking hotels. (I was surprised in my preliminary research that many hotels are already booked for the days I want.)

Plan to leave Porto following the advice of those very helpful Stingy Nomad folks: Start at Sé Cathedral, walk down to Rio Douro and follow the river all the way out of the city following Senda Litoral. And I hope I've planned this walk properly to include the Variante Espiritual...

Thank you!

DB

THE PLAN (man plans, god laughs)

Day 1 - May 14 Saturday
8 miles - Walk to Matosinho

Day 2 -May 15 Sunday
15 miles - Walk to Vila do Conde

Day 3 - May 16 Monday
14 miles - Walk to Fão

Day 4 - May 17 Tuesday
17 miles - Walk to Viana do Castelo

Day 5 - May 18 Wednesday
Rest Day - Viana do Castelo

Day 6 - May 19 Thursday
15 miles - Walk to Caminha

Day 7 - May 20 Friday
21 miles - Walk to Baiona

Day 8 - May 21 Saturday
Rest Day - Baiona

Day 9 - May 22 Sunday
16 miles - Walk to Vigo

Day 10 - May 23 Monday
11 miles - Walk to Redondela

Day 11 - May 24 Tuesday
13 miles - Walk to Pontevedra

Day 12 - May 25 Wednesday
Rest Day - Pontevedra - (My wife, Joan, joins me here!;-)

Day 13 - May 26 Thursday
Rest Day - Pontevedra

Day 14 - May 27 Friday
8 miles - Walk to Combarro

Day 15 - May 28 Saturday
14 miles - Walk to Ponte Arnelas

Day 16 - May 29 Sunday - (Joan's Birthday!)
8 miles - Walk to Vilanova de Arousa

Day 17 - May 30 Monday
17 miles by Boat
2 miles - Walk to Padrón

Day 18 - May 31 Tuesday
11 miles - Walk to Milladoiro

Day 19 - June 1 Wednesday
5 miles - Walk to Santiago de Compostela

Day 20 - June 2 Thursday
Rest Day - Santiago de Compostela

June 3 - Fly to Amsterdam!

I did the same in 2016

Viano do Castelo to Caminha is 24 kms

Caminha to Baiona
we did it in two parts. We did not stay in Caminha( anyway not that year) but at the Spanish side of the river Minho , A Guarda .
from there we walked to Oia , stayed overnight and next day we went to Baiona
this distance is a bit over 30 kms. Count to it about 5 kms from Caminha if you are able to take the transbordador (ferry). does not sail on mondays.
otherwise you have to ask a fisherman to set you over to the other side or walk a detour of 30 kms to A Guarda by following the river to Vila Nova de Cerveira where is an international crossing point on the bridge.

I walked 4 times from Portugal to Santiago among others 3 times along the coast
very nice caminho it is and well to do .
Bom caminho

 

[naplesdon]

I did the same in 2016

Viano do Castelo to Caminha is 24 kms

Caminha to Baiona
we did it in two parts. We did not stay in Caminha( anyway not that year) but at the Spanish side of the river Minho , A Guarda .
from there we walked to Oia , stayed overnight and next day we went to Baiona
this distance is a bit over 30 kms. Count to it about 5 kms from Caminha if you are able to take the transbordador (ferry). does not sail on mondays.
otherwise you have to ask a fisherman to set you over to the other side or walk a detour of 30 kms to A Guarda by following the river to Vila Nova de Cerveira where is an international crossing point on the bridge.

I walked 4 times from Portugal to Santiago among others 3 times along the coast
very nice caminho it is and well to do .
Bom caminho

Exactly, my thought is you have planned for several long day with your health issues.

 

[Corned Beef]

Would suggest that Day 6 is Caminha OR A Guarda. Your choice would be determined by the ferry and tides.

Ferry is not running at the moment (low traffic?) but you have the water taxi. So choose when you get there as the alternative mentioned above, is another long section.

 

[kenwilltravel]

Your itinerary seems quite reasonable. The only question mark, as Corned Beef suggests, is Caminha. Given the long distance from there to Baiona, you might want to get across the river and stay on the Spanish side in A Guarda. That will help you get an early start the next morning and not have to mess with the uncertainties of crossing the river. In 2018, we stayed in the Hotel Celta in A Guarda, which worked out fine. The Puerto Guardes restaurant on the waterfront in A Guarda is a great place for dinner. Like woody66, I also recommend the Hotel Rompeolas in Baiona, which has nice seaside views, and also the Hotel Chef Rivera in Padrón.

 

[G_NYC]

Your itinerary seems quite reasonable. The only question mark, as Corned Beef suggests, is Caminha. Given the long distance from there to Baiona, you might want to get across the river and stay on the Spanish side in A Guarda. That will help you get an early start the next morning and not have to mess with the uncertainties of crossing the river. In 2018, we stayed in the Hotel Celta in A Guarda, which worked out fine. The Puerto Guardes restaurant on the waterfront in A Guarda is a great place for dinner. Like woody66, I also recommend the Hotel Rompeolas in Baiona, which has nice seaside views, and also the Hotel Chef Rivera in Padrón.

In A Guarda I stayed at the Hotel Convento de San Benito. It’s in a convent built in 1559 if I remember correctly, and is like staying in a museum. There’s even a small room near the lobby that looks like it’s from the medieval section of the Metropoitan Museum of Art, with beautifully lit 13/14th century carved statues and huge illuminated manuscripts. The room was a little small, but very nice, and had views of the harbor.

 

[Steven Baggs]

If you follow the Camiño to Caminha it takes you through a pine forest and you come out by the mouth of the river by the water taxi stop.

 

[ICBWB]

Your itinerary seems quite reasonable. The only question mark, as Corned Beef suggests, is Caminha. Given the long distance from there to Baiona, you might want to get across the river and stay on the Spanish side in A Guarda. That will help you get an early start the next morning and not have to mess with the uncertainties of crossing the river. In 2018, we stayed in the Hotel Celta in A Guarda, which worked out fine. The Puerto Guardes restaurant on the waterfront in A Guarda is a great place for dinner. Like woody66, I also recommend the Hotel Rompeolas in Baiona, which has nice seaside views, and also the Hotel Chef Rivera in Padrón.

Very helpful. Thank you!

 

[Corned Beef]

In A Guarda I stayed at the Hotel Convento de San Benito. It’s in a convent built in 1559 if I remember correctly, and is like staying in a museum. There’s even a small room near the lobby that looks like it’s from the medieval section of the Metropoitan Museum of Art, with beautifully lit 13/14th century carved statues and huge illuminated manuscripts. The room was a little small, but very nice, and had views of the harbor.

 

[JerryStroebele]

My family and I walked the coastal route in early spring 2015. My daughter and her French boyfriend walked the Spiritual variant and loved it. (They had met on the del Norte in 2013. He proposed on the beach at Finnistere.) The rest of us stayed on the main coastal route -- by then well inland. I was pleasantly surprised how friendly the Portuguese are and how many speak English. Several albergues were not yet open so we did stay in a couple of hotels. But I must say -- it has almost become a rant of mine -- you get so much more of the Camino camaraderie when you stay in an albergue or hostel, whether municipal, religious, confraternity or private. I urge you to reconsider only staying in hotels. It is not the same experience. Bom Caminho.

 

[Christine Leneghan]

I did the same in 2016

Viano do Castelo to Caminha is 24 kms

Caminha to Baiona
we did it in two parts. We did not stay in Caminha( anyway not that year) but at the Spanish side of the river Minho , A Guarda .
from there we walked to Oia , stayed overnight and next day we went to Baiona
this distance is a bit over 30 kms. Count to it about 5 kms from Caminha if you are able to take the transbordador (ferry). does not sail on mondays.
otherwise you have to ask a fisherman to set you over to the other side or walk a detour of 30 kms to A Guarda by following the river to Vila Nova de Cerveira where is an international crossing point on the bridge.

I walked 4 times from Portugal to Santiago among others 3 times along the coast
very nice caminho it is and well to do .
Bom caminho

A Guarda has a lovely place called Hotel Eli Mar.

 

[G_NYC]

My family and I walked the coastal route in early spring 2015. My daughter and her French boyfriend walked the Spiritual variant and loved it. (They had met on the del Norte in 2013. He proposed on the beach at Finnistere.) The rest of us stayed on the main coastal route -- by then well inland. I was pleasantly surprised how friendly the Portuguese are and how many speak English. Several albergues were not yet open so we did stay in a couple of hotels. But I must say -- it has almost become a rant of mine -- you get so much more of the Camino camaraderie when you stay in an albergue or hostel, whether municipal, religious, confraternity or private. I urge you to reconsider only staying in hotels. It is not the same experience. Bom Caminho.

I understand people think this way, but maybe some people don’t want the camaraderie or have other reasons for staying in hotels. Personally I suffered a devastating loss recently and was using the Camino as a way to have time to think that isn’t afforded me in my day-to-day life. I also have online language lessons 4 days a week that, believe it or not, were even a higher priority than the Camino for me. And third, for me personally, if I don’t sleep well, I can’t function much less walk 20km+ per day.

I may not have gotten the experience you have decided is correct, but I had a wonderful time, met a smaller number of people, and am having exactly the experience I wanted. It’s posts like this that made me reluctant to even tell people I stayed in hotels because I didn’t want to be shamed for doing what’s right for myself.

 

[MartaM]

I would suggest checking out some private Albergues where you can probably get a private room for the same or less than a hotel- the advantage is getting to meet and interact with other pilgrims. For example, at a hotel in Caminha we never saw anyone besides the restaurant staff person who checked us in. Walking alone, you might enjoy finding a fellow pilgrim with whom you can share a meal or drink- or you might just want to stay in your room and relax! There’s a Camino Portugues Facebook group where people have posted info. on some wonderful Albergues, and you can find contact info. on apps such as Camino Ninja or Wise Pilgrim. Edited to add… nothing wrong with staying exclusively in hotels, just depends on what you’re looking for.

 

[kenwilltravel]

I understand people think this way, but maybe some people don’t want the camaraderie or have other reasons for staying in hotels. Personally I suffered a devastating loss recently and was using the Camino as a way to have time to think that isn’t afforded me in my day-to-day life. I also have online language lessons 4 days a week that, believe it or not, were even a higher priority than the Camino for me. And third, for me personally, if I don’t sleep well, I can’t function much less walk 20km+ per day.

I may not have gotten the experience you have decided is correct, but I had a wonderful time, met a smaller number of people, and am having exactly the experience I wanted. It’s posts like this that made me reluctant to even tell people I stayed in hotels because I didn’t want to be shamed for doing what’s right for myself.

Everyone has to walk their own Camino -- not someone else's.

 

[G_NYC]

I would suggest checking out some private Albergues where you can probably get a private room for the same or less than a hotel- the advantage is getting to meet and interact with other pilgrims. For example, at a hotel in Caminha we never saw anyone besides the restaurant staff person who checked us in. Walking alone, you might enjoy finding a fellow pilgrim with whom you can share a meal or drink- or you might just want to stay in your room and relax! There’s a Camino Portugues Facebook group where people have posted info. on some wonderful Albergues, and you can find contact info. on apps such as Camino Ninja or Wise Pilgrim. Edited to add… nothing wrong with staying exclusively in hotels, just depends on what you’re looking for.

I did get to meet and interact with other pilgrims! I didn’t need an albergue for that. The two Danish women I walked with out of Porto. One woman I ran into several times and we walked together for a few hours several days apart, and messaged each other after. Walked with a few others at other times. I had great conversations at bars and restaurants with pilgrims. I also met some awesome expats in a small village that welcomed me into their group with open arms.

Maybe I didn’t meet as many pilgrims as at an albergue, but it was the absolute perfect amount of interaction for me. I felt in no way cheated out of an experience because none of us slept in the same building at night.

 

[ICBWB]

I did get to meet and interact with other pilgrims! I didn’t need an albergue for that. The two Danish women I walked with out of Porto. One woman I ran into several times and we walked together for a few hours several days apart, and messaged each other after. Walked with a few others at other times. I had great conversations at bars and restaurants with pilgrims. I also met some awesome expats in a small village that welcomed me into their group with open arms.

Maybe I didn’t meet as many pilgrims as at an albergue, but it was the absolute perfect amount of interaction for me. I felt in no way cheated out of an experience because none of us slept in the same building at night.

Terrific. I’m stoked. Thank you G for your helpful comments.

 

[G_NYC]

Terrific. I’m stoked. Thank you G for your helpful comments.

You’ll have an amazing time. I’m a little jealous you’re going to do the Variante Espiritual I chickened out after having a small bout of food poisoning in Pontevedra a few days ago. The climb to Armenteira made me nervous, and I considered staying in Combarro like you plan to, but decided I’ll do it after whichever Camino I do next year. I’ll just take the bus from Santiago down to Vigo and do the Espiritual then. I also just bought the book by @kenwilltravel so I’ll be better prepared next time

 

[ICBWB]

You’ll have an amazing time. I’m a little jealous you’re going to do the Variante Espiritual I chickened out after having a small bout of food poisoning in Pontevedra a few days ago. The climb to Armenteira made me nervous, and I considered staying in Combarro like you plan to, but decided I’ll do it after whichever Camino I do next year. I’ll just take the bus from Santiago down to Vigo and do the Espiritual then. I also just bought the book by @kenwilltravel so I’ll be better prepared next time

I didn’t know @kenwillytavel has a book! I just “met” him in this thread and appreciated his point of view and help. I’ll go buy the book. Thank you, G!

 

[JerryStroebele]

Lo siento. My apologies for poor wording. I did not intend to judge those who prefer hotels or pensions. In October I stayed in the delightful Palacio de Pujadas in Viana (but the next night at a dump of a pension in Logrono for almost the same price). Some albergues can be awkward, crowded, and host world class snorers and bed bugs. But on the whole I find them a most enriching experience, worth trying. Bom Caminho

 

[G_NYC]

I didn’t know @kenwillytavel has a book! I just “met” him in this thread and appreciated his point of view and help. I’ll go buy the book. Thank you, G!

I literally just saw the links in his signature an hour ago and bought them both

 

[Ellann]

Requesting advice. I'm doing my first Camino May 2022. Below is the route plan. I'm hoping experienced Caminoistas may have advice, ideas, to offer and points of view to share.

Background: I'm 65, an experienced day hiker for many years, but now have osteoarthritis (both hips, one foot) to manage. I'll be carrying my own modest-size/weight pack, and have my main luggage (with non-essential stuff) sent to ahead to SDC for my arrival.

I've tried to plan a route with hotel options at each stop. After I get some feedback from experienced folks, I'm going to start booking hotels. (I was surprised in my preliminary research that many hotels are already booked for the days I want.)

Plan to leave Porto following the advice of those very helpful Stingy Nomad folks: Start at Sé Cathedral, walk down to Rio Douro and follow the river all the way out of the city following Senda Litoral. And I hope I've planned this walk properly to include the Variante Espiritual...

Thank you!

DB

THE PLAN (man plans, god laughs)

Day 1 - May 14 Saturday
8 miles - Walk to Matosinho

Day 2 -May 15 Sunday
15 miles - Walk to Vila do Conde

Day 3 - May 16 Monday
14 miles - Walk to Fão

Day 4 - May 17 Tuesday
17 miles - Walk to Viana do Castelo

Day 5 - May 18 Wednesday
Rest Day - Viana do Castelo

Day 6 - May 19 Thursday
15 miles - Walk to Caminha

Day 7 - May 20 Friday
21 miles - Walk to Baiona

Day 8 - May 21 Saturday
Rest Day - Baiona

Day 9 - May 22 Sunday
16 miles - Walk to Vigo

Day 10 - May 23 Monday
11 miles - Walk to Redondela

Day 11 - May 24 Tuesday
13 miles - Walk to Pontevedra

Day 12 - May 25 Wednesday
Rest Day - Pontevedra - (My wife, Joan, joins me here!;-)

Day 13 - May 26 Thursday
Rest Day - Pontevedra

Day 14 - May 27 Friday
8 miles - Walk to Combarro

Day 15 - May 28 Saturday
14 miles - Walk to Ponte Arnelas

Day 16 - May 29 Sunday - (Joan's Birthday!)
8 miles - Walk to Vilanova de Arousa

Day 17 - May 30 Monday
17 miles by Boat
2 miles - Walk to Padrón

Day 18 - May 31 Tuesday
11 miles - Walk to Milladoiro

Day 19 - June 1 Wednesday
5 miles - Walk to Santiago de Compostela

Day 20 - June 2 Thursday
Rest Day - Santiago de Compostela

June 3 - Fly to Amsterdam!

How exciting, I am also commencing my first Camino from Porto leaving on 15 May but could be tempted to walk out with you on 14 May if you were interested. I wanted to stay in Matsinhos as well but find the accommodation a bit too steep for me. Maybe we could share a room? Having said that, I will be staying at Albergues as much as I can, which to my understanding usually only requires showing up or phoning ahead. Coming from Australia the exchange rate with Euro is never good (currently 64 cents to the Euro). I will be taking more time because I too have Arthritis, and have concerns about blisters, also will be 63 by then, so walking shorter distances over a longer period of time. I have until 16 June before I fly home, so very open to what the Camino provides. Please send me a message if you are interested in joining up

 

[G_NYC]

Lo siento. My apologies for poor wording. I did not intend to judge those who prefer hotels or pensions. In October I stayed in the delightful Palacio de Pujadas in Viana (but the next night at a dump of a pension in Logrono for almost the same price). Some albergues can be awkward, crowded, and host world class snorers and bed bugs. But on the whole I find them a most enriching experience, worth trying. Bom Caminho

Thank for saying that, but it’s quite oppressive how people get judged by where they stay. I walked with a woman who was so nice and fun, and it wasn’t until the third time we met up that we finally both admitted we were staying in hotels. We laughed about it, but the judgement is real.

If people love the experience they get staying in albergues, that’s cool, but it would be nice if “walk your own Camino” also applied to those of us who prefer hotels.

 

[G_NYC]

How exciting, I am also commencing my first Camino from Porto leaving on 15 May but could be tempted to walk out with you on 14 May if you were interested. I wanted to stay in Matsinhos as well but find the accommodation a bit too steep for me. Maybe we could share a room? Having said that, I will be staying at Albergues as much as I can, which to my understanding usually only requires showing up or phoning ahead. Coming from Australia the exchange rate with Euro is never good (currently 64 cents to the Euro). I will be taking more time because I too have Arthritis, and have concerns about blisters, also will be 63 by then, so walking shorter distances over a longer period of time. I have until 16 June before I fly home, so very open to what the Camino provides. Please send me a message if you are interested in joining up

I don’t know the prices you’ve seen for other places in Matosinhos, but I stayed at a studio apt at MyTrip Porto because I was using Chase points and it looked good. According to their Google Maps page, it’s about €45 per night, and it was excellent value at that price. Super clean and with a well-equipped kitchen if you want to save some money by cooking for yourself. I apologize if this is out of your price range.

MyTrip Porto
+351 934 626 196

MyTrip Porto · R. Brito e Cunha 239, 4450-086 Matosinhos, Portugal

âââââ · Hotel

goo.gl

 

[woody66]

Hi ICBWB!
As i posted before this was also my first Camino; i stayed in hotels and private accommodation and as GYNC has said you will have no probs meeting people on your Camino; don't worry about how you do it just do it!
So don't worry; if you get on with someone you can arrange to meet up with them later for a meal or to walk the next day if convenient .
On my first day i met a lady after walking less than 800mtres ;who had been walking for 6 weeks so had loads to talk about.
Each day the Camino will provide new opportunities for you;and some will surprise!
I walked on three consecutive days with different young women for most of the day.
One from Vienna called SABINE,the second from Berlin called SABINE and the last from Hamburg called SABINA!!!! (weird)

There was only one day on my whole Camino where i didn't encounter another pilgrim and that was on the Senda Littoral!
I met and walked with wonderful people that made the Camino so much more than i had hoped for and the generosity of spirit and kindness shown to me was boundless.
Have fun.
Woody