Senda Litoral Route

[Tarina N]

Planning to walk the Senda Litoral route in May 2020 with my parents, both very fit but late 70's. We want to really enjoy the whole experience as a family and not rush from one albergue to another. I would not like to book ahead and spoil the whole pilgrim experience. Unfortunately we are also on a tight budget. My questions are:
1. Have anyone experienced bed problems at Albergues in May (beds full and prebooked).
2. My dad has got some knee problems and if necessary, is there local busses that he can catch from town to town every now and then? (He won't be doing the passport and compostela certificate)

 

[Donovan]

Hi Tarina and welcome to the Forum - great plan to walk with your parents. I’ve walked a few caminos with my daughter and they were never-to-be-forgotten experiences.

I walked the Senda Litoral last year starting from Porto on 2 May. I’m in your parents’ age bracket. I stayed mainly in albergues, occasionally in small hotels, and never booked ahead except for the hotel at Matasinhos. I usually arrived around mid-afternoon and never had a problem getting a bed, though some of the places were close to full by the evening (Povoa, Marinhas, Agucheiro, Armenteira and Villanova). If last year is a guide, arriving by say 3:00pm should be fine. I’m not sure about booking ahead. The only place that definitely took bookings was the Albergue at Agucheiro.

Frequently a two bed room in a small hotel is not too much more expensive than two beds in an albergue. A three bed room may make the situation even better.

Sorry, can’t comment on transport between towns.

My stops are shown below, (albergue unless otherwise marked). After Pontevedra I deviated onto the Variante Espiritual.

Matasinhos (12) - Pensão Residencial Central
Labruge (13)
Povoa de Vazim (15)
Marinhas (25)
Viana do Costelo (24)
Ancora (21) - Hostel D’Avenida
A Guarda (18) - Hotel Eli-Mar
Agucheiro (18)
Ramallosa (16)
Chapela (26) - Hostal Bahia de Chapela
Pontevedra (28)
Armenteira (25)
Vilanova (28)
Teo (15)
Santiago (15)

 

[mistermello1961]

Hi Tarina and welcome to the Forum - great plan to walk with your parents. I’ve walked a few caminos with my daughter and they were never-to-be-forgotten experiences.

I walked the Senda Litoral last year starting from Porto on 2 May. I’m in your parents’ age bracket. I stayed mainly in albergues, occasionally in small hotels, and never booked ahead except for the hotel at Matasinhos. I usually arrived around mid-afternoon and never had a problem getting a bed, though some of the places were close to full by the evening (Povoa, Marinhas, Agucheiro, Armenteira and Villanova). If last year is a guide, arriving by say 3:00pm should be fine. I’m not sure about booking ahead. The only place that definitely took bookings was the Albergue at Agucheiro.

Frequently a two bed room in a small hotel is not too much more expensive than two beds in an albergue. A three bed room may make the situation even better.

Sorry, can’t comment on transport between towns.

My stops are shown below, (albergue unless otherwise marked). After Pontevedra I deviated onto the Variante Espiritual.

Matasinhos (12) - Pensão Residencial Central
Labruge (13)
Povoa de Vazim (15)
Marinhas (25)
Viana do Costelo (24)
Ancora (21) - Hostel D’Avenida
A Guarda (18) - Hotel Eli-Mar
Agucheiro (18)
Ramallosa (16)
Chapela (26) - Hostal Bahia de Chapela
Pontevedra (28)
Armenteira (25)
Vilanova (28)
Teo (15)
Santiago (15)

Hello Donovan,

At the end of this month my wife and two sons are walking the Caminho Portuguese on what appears to be the exact same route. Can you please tell me what the numbers in the parentheses are? Distances in km? Would you recommend taking the Variante Espiritual? A friend went by that route and said it was totally worth it!

I thank you,

Jimi Mello

 

[TMcA]

Just finished this walk.

I won't comment on ease of getting accomodations wo reservations, but I can comment on transport along route. Easy answer is "No problem whatsoever". Starting in Porto the tram (part of Porto Metro system) goes all the way to Povoa de Varzim. The train from Porto runs along the coast all the way to Caminha. There are also local busses. The same holds true (easy access to busses and trains) if you cross the border and continue along the coast in Spain (A Guarda, Baiona, Vigo, Pontevedra).

If you fly into Porto, you can take Metro system from the airport to Matosinhos.

Tom

 

[Pilger99]

I had one albergue on the coastal that was probably full (didn't want to check in because of the bustling atmosphere outside).
Tourism is not very busy in May, but most "summer" hotels/pensions will be open already.

Taxi is 1€/km. Usually a better option than looking for a bus/train which is often some km extra to reach.
Town to town transit along the route is good for Porto-Povoa, Vila de Conde, Fao/Esposende and north of Viana do Castelo (train).

For the monetary planning, try to keep the flight cost low. long distance transport needs time, but is cheap (Madrid-Porto 50€)
2 or 3 persons in one room often pay a similar price as if one would stay alone. If you compare to 3x10€ for an albergue it is not much more.
Lunch (with a drink) in Portugal can be as cheap as 5€. I can't remember a place where I paid more than 12€ for dinner, which is typically more expensive. Menu in Spain comes with water or wine only, count 10-15€ there. In Portugal breakfast is a meal, while the Spanish only serve a coffee with some pastry.

Along the coast you will find some camping sites, which offer huts for a low price. Eating out a bit outside the camping site will reduce the dinner cost.

 

[Donovan]

Hello Donovan,

At the end of this month my wife and two sons are walking the Caminho Portuguese on what appears to be the exact same route. Can you please tell me what the numbers in the parentheses are? Distances in km? Would you recommend taking the Variante Espiritual? A friend went by that route and said it was totally worth it!

I thank you,

Jimi Mello

Hello Jimi, another family group – this really is catching on. Are you going as well?

The numbers in parentheses are distances in km. Worth checking as I can’t remember the source from which I took them.

I agree 100% with your friend's opinion. It’s a lovely walk, mostly rural but with some road sections. The section after Armenteira (Ruta de la Piedra y del Agua) is especially beautiful. Places to loiter are the monasteries at Poio and Armenteira, and Cambarro is a very pretty village though a little touristy. To take the boat to Pontecures I organised a ticket for the next day when I arrived at the Vilanova albergue. I trust this is still the system - it does seem to change periodically.

Most pilgrims stay on the inland route and I didn’t see anyone while walking, so it was a bit of a surprise that on both nights there were about 30 people in the albergues.

 

[rowdygirl]

Planning to walk the Senda Litoral route in May 2020 with my parents, both very fit but late 70's. We want to really enjoy the whole experience as a family and not rush from one albergue to another. I would not like to book ahead and spoil the whole pilgrim experience. Unfortunately we are also on a tight budget. My questions are:
1. Have anyone experienced bed problems at Albergues in May (beds full and prebooked).
2. My dad has got some knee problems and if necessary, is there local busses that he can catch from town to town every now and then? (He won't be doing the passport and compostela certificate)

We are presently on the Coastal Camino Portuguese and are just leaving on our 3rd day of walking. We have walked two 15 mile days and booked alburgeas the night before. So far it has worked out, but there are lots of pilgrims walking this route and many have been fully booked by the prior night. I would recommend booking your next night by 7 PM the day before to ensure you won't have to walk further to find a bed in the smaller towns. Buen Camino!

 

[Tarina N]

We are presently on the Coastal Camino Portuguese and are just leaving on our 3rd day of walking. We have walked two 15 mile days and booked alburgeas the night before. So far it has worked out, but there are lots of pilgrims walking this route and many have been fully booked by the prior night. I would recommend booking your next night by 7 PM the day before to ensure you won't have to walk further to find a bed in the smaller towns. Buen Camino!

Are you referring to the munisipal Albergues? I thought that most of the Albergues could not be booked ahead of time?

 

[rowdygirl]

We are booking hostels because all the albergues we found were booked full so I believe you can call ahead to book an albergues.

 

[rowdygirl]

By the way, we used booking.com so they have access to only some of the rooms available.

 

[Paintboy2]

Did the SL in Sept. Bed space was a little tight in a couple of places. Transport is no problem. Hiking surface is great and mostly flat.

 

[Paintboy2]

Here is a video of the Sende Litoral from Sept. Have a great walk.

 

[ConnachtRambler]

Four of us walked the Senda Litoral between May 22 and June 5. Your description of your parents' age isn't too far off describing that of myself and my wife. I have written a blog of our experience which may be of interest to you. You will find it at https://landponthecamino.blogspot.com/ Liam

 

[Irenie]

Thank you for sharing your Camino. Your blog is a fun read and well detailed. I love the Litoral and walking on the beach and it’s wonderful to see the pictures again and read your stories. Buen Camino, amigos.

 

[Have4greatkids]

We will be walking this route in September. I have never done a Camino, so this is all new to me. I have a couple questions: 1) How many miles/km is it from Porto to Santaigo? 2) Is it difficult to find a room at the Alburgues at this time of year?

Thank YOU,
RR

 

[trecile]

We will be walking this route in September. I have never done a Camino, so this is all new to me. I have a couple questions: 1) How many miles/km is it from Porto to Santaigo? 2) Is it difficult to find a room at the Alburgues at this time of year?

Thank YOU,
RR

Check out the Gronze site for distances, stages, etc.

Camino Portugués Central | Gronze.com

www.gronze.com

 

[Indiana Mike]

Did the SL in Sept. Bed space was a little tight in a couple of places. Transport is no problem. Hiking surface is great and mostly flat.

My wife and I are walking in Sept 2020. Is the SL route along the coastal fairly flat and easy? We read somewhere that there were some challenging "rocky" sections which didn;t seem prudent for two old people with packs.....Thanks for any comments or advice. Mike

 

[Paintboy2]

It's very flat most of the way but there are a few hilly spots. I'm 64, overweight, with two total knee replacements and I did it. In fact, I'm doing it again in July.
Just take it slow and drink plenty of water. You'll be fine. Enjoy the view. Post some pictures.
BC

 

[Kadifa]

Hello, we are planning to walk the Senda litoral in September next year. Does anyone know if the public albergues will be open then? Because I see most of them are temporarily closed now. Is it becuse of the Covid situation? Or is it normal to be closed during winter season? We are on a tight budget, so expensive accomodation aren't so good option for us. Thank you.

 

[trecile]

Hello, we are planning to walk the Senda litoral in September next year. Does anyone know if the public albergues will be open then? Because I see most of them are temporarily closed now. Is it becuse of the Covid situation? Or is it normal to be closed during winter season? We are on a tight budget, so expensive accomodation aren't so good option for us. Thank you.

I think that the closures that you are seeing are the normal winter closures.
Plenty of people walked this route this past year.

 

[chris1527]

It's very flat most of the way but there are a few hilly spots. I'm 64, overweight, with two total knee replacements and I did it. In fact, I'm doing it again in July.
Just take it slow and drink plenty of water. You'll be fine. Enjoy the view. Post some pictures.
BC

Hi I am doing the coastal in September but my husband who had planned coming to has now got heart issues. He will be ok on the flat but hills are definitely out but we are looking at possibility of him taking transport at these points. I’m struggling to find where exactly these points with elevation are. I’ve seen general maps with elevation but need something with more detail or details of a personal experience Thanks Chris

 

[kenwilltravel]

Hi I am doing the coastal in September but my husband who had planned coming to has now got heart issues. He will be ok on the flat but hills are definitely out but we are looking at possibility of him taking transport at these points. I’m struggling to find where exactly these points with elevation are. I’ve seen general maps with elevation but need something with more detail or details of a personal experience Thanks Chris

The coastal route is generally flat on the Portuguese side from Porto to Caminha. You do run into some minor climbs on the Spanish side around A Guarda, Vigo, Redondela and coming into Santiago itself, but nothing particularly strenuous. Here's a Website where you can research levels of difficulty between stages: https://www.gronze.com/etapa/porto/labruge/al-loro. Your best bet for transport for your husband may be uber or taxi. At certain stages, like Vigo to Redondela, he can go ahead in that manner and wait for you to catch up.

 

[chris1527]

The coastal route is generally flat on the Portuguese side from Porto to Caminha. You do run into some minor climbs on the Spanish side around A Guarda, Vigo, Redondela and coming into Santiago itself, but nothing particularly strenuous. Here's a Website where you can research levels of difficulty between stages: https://www.gronze.com/etapa/porto/labruge/al-loro. Your best bet for transport for your husband may be uber or taxi. At certain stages, like Vigo to Redondela, he can go ahead in that manner and wait for you to catch up.

Thanks for this It will help when he consults the cardiologist for the ok to travel

 

[alipilgrim]

The Senda Litoral route will be flatter than the Coastal route, fyi. The latter often loops inland into the low-lying hills during the day, while the Senda stays right beside the ocean on sidewalks or boardwalks for most of the way. This site has tons of maps, including those which specifically show the difference between the two routes though it is in portugese and a bit difficult to figure out. http://www.caminador.es/. It even shows a "wheelchair" route, which would be ideal for your husband.

I suggest scrolling down to:

AREA de LINKS (in red)​

then click on Part B: ** CAMINHO DA COSTA/SENDA LITORAL (LINKS) **

This will open a .pdf page which has active links to each section of the trail in very close detail. I don't do tracks or wikilock so I only click on the links that have .pdf at the end.

I hope this helps....

 

[chris1527]

The Senda Litoral route will be flatter than the Coastal route, fyi. The latter often loops inland into the low-lying hills during the day, while the Senda stays right beside the ocean on sidewalks or boardwalks for most of the way. This site has tons of maps, including those which specifically show the difference between the two routes though it is in portugese and a bit difficult to figure out. http://www.caminador.es/. It even shows a "wheelchair" route, which would be ideal for your husband.

I suggest scrolling down to:

AREA de LINKS (in red)​

then click on Part B: ** CAMINHO DA COSTA/SENDA LITORAL (LINKS) **

This will open a .pdf page which has active links to each section of the trail in very close detail. I don't do tracks or wikilock so I only click on the links that have .pdf at the end.

I hope this helps....

So helpful Thanks so much.

 

[woody66]

I agree with alipilgrim!