Solo female planning to walk in March 2016

[Mauster]

Good day, I have never travelled on my own before and plan to do the coastal Portuguese route in March this year. Will there be accommodation available, or do most places only open from April? I do understand that the weather may not be great but it is the only time that I have available.

 

[nilimanseo]

Will be interested in the answers. I did Porto Coastal to Sdc last October (was fab) and am going to do it again starting end of March this year.
From what I saw in October, there's no shortage of reasonably priced hotel rooms should you occasionally get stuck. I know it's not what you asked, but I thought it might help.

 

[Former member 22438]

Good day, I have never travelled on my own before and plan to do the coastal Portuguese route in March this year. Will there be accommodation available, or do most places only open from April? I do understand that the weather may not be great but it is the only time that I have available.

Walking along the coast means that lot of places you stay are touristical places and so there is a lot of accomodation available like hostals ,hotels, rooms.
I am not sure albergues are opened .
Last three weeks I was in Portugal and stayed in an albergue on the central route and this is openened all year round aswell many others were, we heard from pilgrims staying there. Some albergues open late f.ex the one in Ponte de Lima at 15h00

Christmas day we stayed in Vila Praia de Âncora and it was full of people walking around ,having a drink or a lunch and we noticed the touristical apartment which we stayed during our caminho last year was opened too.

The weather in the north of Portugal and Galicia. May shine ,may rain.
We walked twice the Portuguese in May and beginning of June.
It rained cats and dogs and there were hot sunny days. The coastal area has a sea climate. Take your raingear with you.
From 24th of December till 7th of january past we had all kinds of weather. We played golf in Ponte de Lima on December 27th at 19º C and walked in pouring rain In Braga at 7º C 4 days later.
So be prepared for all circomstances.
Bom caminho

 

[Cecy]

Good day, I have never travelled on my own before and plan to do the coastal Portuguese route in March this year. Will there be accommodation available, or do most places only open from April? I do understand that the weather may not be great but it is the only time that I have available.

Im with you, i have never traveled alone so this is all mew to me. I will be doing mine but in Sept, look forward to seeing your journey unfold!!

Buen Camino

 

[Mauster]

Will be interested in the answers. I did Porto Coastal to Sdc last October (was fab) and am going to do it again starting end of March this year.
From what I saw in October, there's no shortage of reasonably priced hotel rooms should you occasionally get stuck. I know it's not what you asked, but I thought it might help.

I am from South Africa and so in order to get a visa I have to have my accommodation prebooked, not what i wanted. Can you recommend a company that can do it.?

 

[mspath]

Mauster,

Welcome to the Forum!
Perhaps you will find help regarding obtaining your visa by asking other Forum members from South Africa. See this topic https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/forums/south-africa.92/.

Also check http://www.csjofsa.za.org/

Happy planning and Buen caminho!

Margaret Meredith

 

[cj2003]

Hi Mauster,

I've made this post about where to sleep on the route, it might be the same route you plan (it is coastal from Porto to Redondela) - there are plenty of options along the coast!

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/com...df-route-portugues-route-monacal-coastal.404/

If you are looking for companies that might help you, I can recommend http://www.macsadventure.com/ - I've used them on The West Higland Way and along Hadrian's wall, but I do not know if they do the Camino Portugues.

Good luck - we might meet!
Christian

 

[Zaara]

Good day, I have never travelled on my own before and plan to do the coastal Portuguese route in March this year. Will there be accommodation available, or do most places only open from April? I do understand that the weather may not be great but it is the only time that I have available.

Hello,
I also want to do the Portuguese walk in March. If you like to have a company, I would be really happy to walk with you. And, this is my first time too.

 

[cj2003]

Just saw in another thread that Tuitrans might be able to help you - you can contact them and ask http://www.transportedemochilas.com/english/

 

[coldweather]

Good Day.

I am commenting to bump this thread to the top. I am interested in how our 2 pilgrims planning March caminos are doing. I will be there in April and just want to see how you are getting on.

 

[Former member 22438]

Just saw in another thread that Tuitrans might be able to help you - you can contact them and ask http://www.transportedemochilas.com/english/

Tuitrans is an organisation which takes care for your luggage.
I think they have contracts with drivers or taxi companies who working in a certain region of the caminho . They pick up the luggage at the place you stayed the night and forward it to the next place you are going to walk that particulairy day.
You have to fill in a form with your personal information and the place they have to forward your pack to, you add the money into an enveloppe, leave this with your pack and arriving at your next place to stay , you will find your belongings.
When we were hospitaleiros at casa da Fernanda we coped with this phenomene. Fernanda called with Tuitrans in the morning to ask them to pick up some backpacks. Easy and convienient system.I thought it costed 5€ per backpack/suitcase last year per day.

 

[CykaUJ]

I am in Finisterre now after having started from Porto on coastal and then turned to the central route from Vila do Conde. i can't advise on accommodation for the coastal, but would be happy to send you the list of which hotels I stayed in on the central.

 

[Mauster]

Gee thanks for that, I would really appreciate that. I will also be doing the interior route. What was the weather like? I am leaving on the 19 March and anticipating plenty of rain.

 

[CykaUJ]

To keep the information going correctly please change "interior route" into "central route"
The "interior "caminho Português leads from about Coimbra to Ourense in Spain at the east side of Portugal.
Most pilgrims walk the central route from Porto to Santiago via Barcelos and Tui
There is a separate subforum here for the caminho Português interior.

changed. You can delete this now to avoid confusion

 

[CykaUJ]

Gee thanks for that, I would really appreciate that. I will also be doing the interior route. What was the weather like? I am leaving on the 19 March and anticipating plenty of rain.

I will send it to you by PM.
The weather was very very wet, it rained all but the first 3 days and the last. I have a thread on 'live on the Camino' and my blog describes it as well.
It's very unpredictable though, I will keep my fingers crossed that you have sunny skies!
Bom Caminho

 

[auburnfive]

I am in Finisterre now after having started from Porto on coastal and then turned to the central route from Vila do Conde. i can't advise on accommodation for the coastal, but would be happy to send you the list of which hotels I stayed in on the central.

I will send it to you by PM.
The weather was very very wet, it rained all but the first 3 days and the last. I have a thread on 'live on the Camino' and my blog describes it as well.
It's very unpredictable though, I will keep my fingers crossed that you have sunny skies!
Bom Caminho

 

[auburnfive]

Hello, I am planning the same route for September and would be happy to also get a copy of your accommodation list. Thank you

 

[MartinBH]

I am leaving on the 19 March and anticipating plenty of rain.

I'm leaving from Porto on Saturday as well. I'll probably be seightseeing a bit in the morning and taking the Metro to Matasinhos and start walking along the coast to Vila do Condo (and onwards to Sao Pedro de Rates and the central route) around noon.
I intend to make it to Santiago on the 27th and fly home monday morning.

This will be my first camino as well, and like you, I'm following the weather forecasts closely.

Perhaps we will meet up in a few days

Buen Camino!