The July experience of Camino Portuges, Coastal

[spik23]

Finaly I booked the ticket, on wednsday I am picking the stamp at Potro Cathedral and thursday 7th of july in the morning I am heading the north towards Santiago.
Anyone who wanna join is welcome. I hope it is not gonna be crowded in the albergues.

 

[AlanB]

Re: 7th of July starting Camino Portuges.

Likewise!.... I'm heading up the coastal route on the 7th. I'll be the one who looks lost

 

[spik23]

Re: 7th of July starting Camino Portuges.

Sweet... we will look similar then
See you on the road.
Me, baldie with the green backpack. 8)

 

[spik23]

Re: 7th of July starting Camino Portuges.

update...
i am already in Marinhas, on the coast. It is friday afternoon and weather is nasty. Drizzle rain soak me wet through. Then I bought big umbrela in some village on the go.
Albergue here is closed. There is a note on the door to go to Red Cross. Then I found out it will be open at 2pm. So I am waiting
So far, second day of walking and around 50km in my feet. It seems it was good idea to go this way cos everybody in Rates was heading the central route and I dont like crowds.
I will keep posted.

B-)

 

[spik23]

Re: 7th of July starting Camino Portuges.

All rite. At 5 o clock P.M. a sweet lady from Red Cross introduced me to their albergue. Well I would say an apartment with dorm! Thats how the place looked, very clean, organized and absolutely no occupied. I was surprised that this place was last time visted 7 days ago! As she told me, coast route is relatively new. I insisted to pay at least some donation but she refused. What a diference with crowded albergue in Rates.


Anyway

3rd day on the go and at noon time I arrived to Viana do Castelo. 22 km behind. The sun finaly broked up through the rainy morning. This cozzy town is wonderfull stop with nice overview from the hill of Basilica St. Lucia. This town has not refugee for pilgrims but there is plenty of nice residences in the range of 20€ +-. Or you can sleep in the Youth Hostel. Actually it is an old abanonded restored ship which works like a museum and in the cajutas you can feel the spirit of 1950. The night in the dorm is 12€. Check out is at 12 noon time.


;-)

 

[mikevasey]

Re: 7th of July starting Camino Portuges Coastal

Hi Spik23

Thanks for these posts. Do you have address details for the places you stayed.

Mike

 

[spik23]

Re: 7th of July starting Camino Portuges Coastal

Day 4.

I arrived to Vila Nova de Cerveira. Every town I had passed made me fall in love to Portugal more and more. I made 37 km today. All blisters can tell the 8 hours straight walk from Viana do Castelo. Again no refugee here but you will walk straight into the Posada de Juventude /Youth hostel/ . It is a new building with all facilities, wifi, kitchen, laundry machine. A night in the dorm of 4 beds will cost you 14.40€ including the pelegrino discount and morning breakfast. Check out at 12. Really worthed to be in peacefull and clean place just by myself.



It seems I am in the middle of the journey to Santiago. I just passed 110th km. Tomorow I will join the crowds in Valenca.
So far I can highly recomended west coast route for its variability. You walk through the wood, villages, wonderfull small towns even along the coast or the beach if you want to. People were always nice and no hasle at all. Sometimes they gave me weird funny look as they were surprised to see someone walking along the road . Several times I lost the yellow arrow which is a marker of the path, but again there is no reason to be worry. All the routes are heading north and later on you will connect to the official path again.

to Mikevasey> yes I will provide the info later even with some photos as soon I am on the normal computer and collect all the data including GPS.
Hey, GPS phone with wifi is your great friend

PS: everybody who takes the long walks, make sure, you treat your skin properly, the sun can kill you and the sweat, oh yes, do lotion even your crack ;-)

 

[mikevasey]

Re: 7th of July starting Camino Portuges Coastal

Just adding this map to this threadhttp://www.caminador.es/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/relieve-porto-redondela-3.pdf. I think it is taken from last year, needs updating if there is an albergue at Marinhas.

 

[spik23]

Re: 7th of July starting Camino Portuges Coastal

Ok...the short summary of my camino is here

Day 1
Porto Airport ---> Rates
27 km
Albergue de Rates, Rua de Santo Antonio
price = donation

Day 2
Rates --> Marinhas, Rua de Sao Miguel
23 km
Albergue de Sao Miguel
price = free

Day 3
Marinhas --> Viana do Castelo
23 km
Pousada de Juventude (Hostel) Navio Gil Eannes
price = 12 e

Day 4
Viana do Castelo --> Vila Nova de Cerveira
37km
Pousada de Juventude (Hostel)
price = 14,40e

Day 5
VN de Cerveira --> Tui (ESP)
18 km
Albergue de Peregrinos, Tui
price = 5 e

Day 6
Tui --> Redondela
32 km
Albergue de Redondela
price = 5 e

Day 7
Redondela --> Pontevedra
20 km
Albergue de Pontevedra
price = 5 e

Day 8
Pontevedra -- > Barro
12 km
Refugee at Barro
price = free

Day 9
Barro --> Caldas de Reis
12 km
Albergue Caldas de Reis
price = 5 e


Day 10
Caldas de Reis --> Padron
18 km
Albergue de Padron
price = 5 e

Day 11
Padron --> Santiago de Comp.
30 km
Albergue at Monte de Gozo
price = 5 e

alternative

Albergue Jaime García Rodríguez, Santiago de Compostela
Rua de Moscova
price = 8 e

Sometimes it is hard to determine exact address location, so here is the very accurate localization of each place I had stayed at.

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msid=204231567714312733859.0004a8e21647bb7e624df&msa=0

--------------------------------------------------------------------

FOOD:

Plenty of bars and cafes.
For those of you who cannot survive without McDonalds, etc... go to the first local bar and ask for "comida" . Manny places in Portugal / Spain have in their bars a room called "Comedor". Usualy every afternoon they prepare some meals, menu of the day, and you will be surprised what portions of the meal you can get from 6 to 10 euros. Calzones plus chuletas, chorizos, pulpos (octopus) in Galicia, or schnitzel like fried piece of meat with some potatoes, or fries, including fresh veggie salad, and something to drink /beer/wine/water.
Believe me you will not die of hunger. The water spigots along the road are more common on the Spanish side, but again, in every place they will be pleased to fill your bottle for free.

SAFETY:
Not an issue. At least not for me, I am a guy, 6ft2in. But I never seen any suspicious activities or a strange neighborhood.

PEOPLE:
Always nice, try to talk to some locals, you will get some extra adventure. Be polite, and respectfull to the others, and they will treat you the way you like.

MONEY:
you can easily survive for 20+ - e a day. Counting a night in Albergue, plus some coffee, and daily menu in comedor. Plus you can always pack up yourself with some snack from the grocery store.

SUMMARY:

The first half of the camino was very pleasant, walking through variety of sceneries, meeting plenty of nice local people, the weather was nice to me, except the first two drizzly days. The path was well marked.
The second part, startin from Tui/Valenca was evidently more populated, pilgrim-wise, and sometimes I had a feeling that this is a race for the bed. Albergues were at night always full, the only think I can complain is the noise and some disprespect in the nighttime from other pilgrims, but I understand, this is the disadvantage, when you walk with the masses during the peak months. The camino was also marked well, and there were additionally shell tiles, logo of the camino. Albergues were easy to find, always on the path. There are few more albergues on the central camino, but I do mention only those in which I had slept.

I made about 250 km, walking through the coast. In the fact you walk more, cos everyday you do some extra exploration of the place where you stay. I was not tired at all, the only thing that bothered me were the blisters. So make sure you take good shoes that are already tested before on your feet. The camino I had taken, can be made in 9 days, but because of my flight delay, I had to stretch it out for longer. In Santiago there are more albergues for those of you who wants to stay more than just one day, official albergues allows you to sleep only one day.

well ...what esle...
If you have any questions, I will be glad to answer. :lol:

 

[peregrina2000]

Hi, spik23,

Thanks for giving such good information on the coastal route. I haven't walked this part, but Viana do Castelo and Vila Nova de Cerveira are two lovely places to spend a night.

I do have one question -- one summer when I was touring northern Portugal, not walking, I saw some yellow arrows very near a pretty amazing dolmen at Praia da Ancara. Is this part of the coastal route as well?

Thanks, Laurie

 

[spik23]

Hi Laurie .

Yes ! Vila Praia de Ancora is on the path. Actualy, to be honest, this part of the camino was my favorite one! In Viana do Castelo, I found a room for rent for 200e a month, and I had to hold myself to not rent it These charming cities on the coast were really beautiful. People sitting, sipping their cafe, enjoying the ocean breeze and the sun, tourists calmly walking through the boulevards, ou yeah. Really peacefull and clean. I hope I will come back one day again even just for a glass of Douro Tinto. :lol:

 

[Portia1]

I noticed you stayed at Barro. Any update on the condition of this alberque? Is there anything around? Everything I've seen says to avoid it unless desperate. We may need to stay there in September. Thanks.

 

[spik23]

Well. You have to remember that facility in Barro is a refugee. Not an albergue. However, you will be surprised with the comfort you get. Two big rooms for sleeping can host I assume 20 - 30 people. No bunk beds, only some mats on the floor. The place has separate bathrooms for men and women. There is even a shower with hot water, electricity as well ! No attendance of staff. You just come, accommodate yourself and leave anytime you like. Keep the place clean. The place is managed by municipality of Barro, and they might come once in a while to look at it.
Another thing, there is no local bar/grocery near by, but if you look at the map, you can walk to the near small town called San Antonino. It lays on the frequent road, and there you will find two/three restaurants/cafes with "menu el dia" for 8e and there are also two small grocery stores. One is from the chain of DIA and the other one privately run and selling stuffs from FROIZ. The walk is no longer than 1.5 - 2 km or 15 - 20 minutes of walking. My co-walkers found another small store in the village called San Mauro but I can't confirm how far or how big is that place.

Here is the map.

 

[Portia1]

Thank you, spik32! Very helpful. Also love your avatar--I have a tonkinese and a burmese who resemble your siamese. And bugs do fascinate!

 

[mikevasey]

I just thought i bring this thread to the top again.

When i stayed in Sao Pedro de Rates, there was a conversation about the coastal route and it seems not only is the relevant association going to have a hostel in Marinhas but are in the process of trying to open albergues in Viana do Costello and Caminha. If that happens you would have very evenly spaced hostels along the coastal route to Valenca. Add on to that the youth hostels in Viana do Costello, Villa Nova de Cerveira and the peregrino albergues in A Guarda and San Campio de Lonxe on the Spanish side of the border which are a short ferry ride or a 2 or 3 km extra walk for the day and you will have a route with a lot of infrastucture and good waymarking quite soon.

 

[sulu]

However, you will be surprised with the comfort you get.

Sorry spik, I reckon our ideas of comfort are very different :?
I walked into Barro, last week, had a look around and left. I appreciate it is a Refugio and had it been July and had there been nowhere else to go I might have stayed. My objection was that the mattresses were sponge and had no covers, so were impossible to clean, and there was no kitchen.
I was pretty tired when I got there (and thought I had got to Briallos) but I still decided to walk on to Caldas. I'm delighted I did because I found Briallos which was bliss, really peacefull and just right after a night at Pontevedra.
I ain't knocking Refugios, I'm sure in summer they have a great place in the infrastructure of the Caminos and many people must be gratefull to the councils that maintain them

 

[mikevasey]

Not many people stay at Briallos, its just before Caldas Dei Rei, so people move on with the crowds. I really liked it, there was a lot of light and it felt very comfortable, a place for relaxing. Seven of us stayed there, if we had gone on to Caldas there was at least 50 Pilgrims knocking about, or been in Pontevedra a large number there as well

 

[Abbeydore]

Thank you for bringing this back to light, I guess I'll book/m it for the hoping not too distant future
It is a wonderful 'report' as you still leave it up to us to make our own.
Was it too hot!, or being near the sea keep it cool :?: :!:

 

[sulu]

Not many people stay at Briallos

I found that the people who wanted peace and tranquility stayed at: Mos, Briallos, Valga and Teo. All conveniently placed for doing a quiet Camino.

 

[mikevasey]

I found that the people who wanted peace and tranquility stayed at: Mos, Briallos, Valga and Teo. All conveniently placed for doing a quiet Camino.[/quote]

I stayed at Valenca, Porrino, Arcade, Briallos and Padron.

Padron was packed, the albergue was full, as were a lot of hotels. With the ecception of the bikers(18) at Valenca I saw 12 pilgrims untill I got to Padron, 5 at Porrino and 7 at Briallos. I am late starter so I went days without seeing anyone(pilgrims), which felt a bit strange as I knew there where large groups out there. I wanted to stay at Mos but due to a very late start at Valenca I thought 24km would be too much late in the day.

 

[sulu]

I stayed at Valenca, Porrino, Arcade, Briallos and Padron.

Mike, Where did you stay in Arcade?
I walked on from Redondela, meaning to stop at Soutomaior but couldn't find any signs for any albergue, though apparently the Hospitalera at Redondela said there is a private albergue a few kilometres outside Arcade. Is that where you stayed? If so, how did I miss it? I ended up walking all the way to Pontevedra (from O Porino)

 

[mikevasey]

I stayed in a hotel in Arcade, if I had known about the private albergue I would have been on the look out for it as well. Can not remember seeing any signs, apart from the ones that point you down to the hotel which stands on the edge of the Ria facing the island, which was a few km before Arcade.

I had got used to the heat by that stage but I remember the humidty in this area was giving me problems or like you I may have walked further.

Mike

 

[sulu]

Mike, Arcade is a lovely town and the smell issuing out of the restaurants was very, very tempting! I think the best scenery on the camino was around this area. You were wise not to go further, I was nearly on my knees by the time I got to Pontevedra and still felt the effects of the walk the next day. i was under the impression that there were 2 albergues between Redondela and Pontevedra but if there are they are either not open in October or don't advertise, which would be strange.

 

[daesdaemar]

I am very intrigued by this "coastal route" from Porto to Valenca. Can someone give me a little more basic information? Is it a waymarked route with good signs along the way? Is there a guide or more detailed map? Where exactly does it begin in Porto?
Thank you...

 

[mikevasey]

g

I am very intrigued by this "coastal route" from Porto to Valenca. Can someone give me a little more basic information? Is it a waymarked route with good signs along the way? Is there a guide or more detailed map? Where exactly does it begin in Porto?
Thank you...

I have seen maps giving it from the cathederal, one of the links on this thread may help you. It may not be well waymarked untill you get to the coast. Once you get to Marinhas it is has all the signage you need.

Mike, Arcade is a lovely town and the smell issuing out of the restaurants was very, very tempting! I think the best scenery on the camino was around this area. You were wise not to go further, I was nearly on my knees by the time I got to Pontevedra and still felt the effects of the walk the next day. i was under the impression that there were 2 albergues between Redondela and Pontevedra but if there are they are either not open in October or don't advertise, which would be strange.

I was going to Pontevedra but the Humidity got to me plus a really nice Albarinho over my meal, so I decided to stay there.

 

[mikevasey]

The link for the map for walking from central Porto to Vila do Conde is http://www.caminador.es/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/1-g-de-porto-a-viladoconde.pdf

 

[daesdaemar]

The link for the map for walking from central Porto to Vila do Conde is http://www.caminador.es/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/1-g-de-porto-a-viladoconde.pdf

Thank you very much!!!

 

[mikevasey]

i was under the impression that there were 2 albergues between Redondela and Pontevedra but if there are they are either not open in October or don't advertise, which would be strange.

I had a look around and can not find anything, thats not to say there not there. When I stayed in Ansiao the hotel Adega Tipica had three rooms with bunk beds in and 12 Fatima pilgrims stayed in them, but on the the face of it just was a hotel. This link usually has the most complete details http://www.caminodesantiago.consumer.es/etapa-de-redondela-a-pontevedra

 

[spik23]

Thank you everyone for bringing this post up and adding some valuable comments.
I just found another interesting photos in the cellphone, related to the Portugal route ,
here you go.

:wink:

 

[mikevasey]

When i stayed in Sao Pedro de Rates, there was a conversation about the coastal route and it seems not only is the relevant association going to have a hostel in Marinhas but are in the process of trying to open albergues in Viana do Costello and Caminha. If that happens you would have very evenly spaced hostels along the coastal route to Valenca. Add on to that the youth hostels in Viana do Costello, Villa Nova de Cerveira and the peregrino albergues in A Guarda and San Campio de Lonxe

Posting this link againhttp://www.facebook.com/alberguecaminha. New albergue opened in early April 2012.

 

[pilgrimess]

Hello,

We'll be traveling to Santiago from Porto on July 1, 2012. Here are some questions we have:

What kind of hats do people wear ?

What are the temperatures? Should we bring a sleeping bag and if so, what weight? Also should we pack rain gear at all? Do we need a light jacket? What about sleep wear?

Thank you very much for your help.

Pilgrimess

 

[JohnnieWalker]

Hello,

We'll be traveling to Santiago from Porto on July 1, 2012. Here are some questions we have:

What kind of hats do people wear ?

What are the temperatures? Should we bring a sleeping bag and if so, what weight? Also should we pack rain gear at all? Do we need a light jacket? What about sleep wear?

Thank you very much for your help.

Pilgrimess

1 Anything from bandanas to broad brimmed hats - but you will need some protection from the sun in July

2 It will be hot - temperatures will easily be in the high 20's early 30's - maybe warmer! You won't need a sleeping bag but you will need something like a sleeping bag liner. If it get cold you can wear more clothes in which to sleep

3 Will it rain? Possibly - I wouldn't walk in Galicia (or Scotland!) even in summer without having at least a rain jacket in my rucksack.

Best wishes

John

 

[pilgrimess]

Thank you for your post and the helpful information.

Pilgrimess.

 

[Rebekah Scott]

I recently walked the Portuguese coastal camino (May 2012). I can testify that Caminha now has a lovely new albergue. The keys and sello are at the tourist office, or just find a local policeman. That town has it all -- spectacular waterfront, great restaurants, churches, history, and several very competitive and tempting pastry shops.

Hikers should be aware that waymarks can be quite confusing on this camino, or at least I found them to be so. You cannot always keep to the beach (there are rivers, sewage plants, private golf courses, and marinas) and once you take the alternative path it is not always very easy to find your way back again. You may envision a long walk on the sand, but you will also experience many miles of asphalt.

From Caminha many pilgrims head inland, up the Minho to Cerveira and on to Valenca/Tui and the main Portuguese route. The Stout of Heart, or those who really love beach walking, can take the Caminha ferry across the river to A Guarda, and continue north along the waymarked Spanish coast to the spectacular waterfront monastery of Oia, up to Baiona and on to Vigo before joining the crowd at Redondela. (or is it Barcelos?) It adds a few days to the trip, but you will walk the same path followed by St. Thomas Becket, who supposedly followed this "Camino Monacal" path when he visited Santiago 900 or so years ago. (I went inland at Caminha myself, but I wish I´d stayed on the coast.)

 

[JohnnieWalker]

Hola - I'm on the bus to Oporto at 11am today...at last! I'll see everyone in a week or so.

John

 

[Sojourner47]

Buen camino, Johnnie!

 

[JohnnieWalker]

Hola

Pilgrims should be aware that there are 2 "coastal" routes - marked green and red on the attached map. I am just back from exploring the "coastal-coastal" route from Vila do Conde to Vigo (then on to Redondela). The route is stunning and if you follow the green line, then the red line at A Guarda you will be able to walk along the coastline almost uninterrupted all the way. There is little pilgrim infrastructure on the route marked in green save what has been mentioned elsewhere in this thread. However the route is generally well waymarked although some scouting around (in the absence of a detailed guide in English) was necessary to find the waymarked route.

From A Guarda the route becomes even more scenic and stunning. Frequently just yards from the sea as the waves crash on the rocks. It passes beautiful beaches and of course the fish and sea food are as fresh as can be. I found private accommodation cheap and excellent.

A guide will follow!

There is a report and slideshow here:

http://www.johnniewalker-santiago.blogspot.com

Best wishes

John

 

[larryflo]

John,

Can the coastal-coastal route be biked on roads?

 

[JohnnieWalker]

John,

Can the coastal-coastal route be biked on roads?

Hola - a lot of it, yes definitely. In fact there are many many kms of cycle and walking lanes. In several places the locals mentioned it was a favourite with cyclists.

The tourist office - http://www.portoenorte.pt/client/skins/home.asp has an excellent and detailed road map. I used this in conjunction with the map attached to the post.

If you do cycle it could you me know how you get on please?

Buen camino

John

 

[larryflo]

Hi John,

I guess I am just ignorant. I went to the website, but I could not find a map. Could you walk me through it to the map.

Thanks

 

[Deleted member 3000]

There are some links in this thread that may have maps:

el-camino-portugues/topic7376.html#p43742

 

[JohnnieWalker]

Hi John,

I guess I am just ignorant. I went to the website, but I could not find a map. Could you walk me through it to the map.

Thanks

Larry - the website doesn't have the map - it is too detailed to download and print. They publish a map which you can pick up in hotels etc and in the Tourist Offices in Portugal.

Best regards

John

 

[jenkerins99]

Hi everybody, I am learning some interesting and useful things about the Camino here! I am going in August with some friends just for 1 week. I was wondering can anbody advise whether it would be a good idea to book some accomodation along the route or can you even do this?

Also in terms of weather, would I need to bring a warm fleece with me would I need this in August at all?

Oh yes and one last question, is it handy enough to find a place to plug in and charge a phone in the hostels? My battery only lasts a day, so I was thinking of maybe bringing an old phone because the battery would last nearly a week.

Thanks for any tips

 

[sulu]

Hi Jenkerins,
re weather in August! You shouldn't need a fleece, not whilst you're walking anyway, but older buildings are designed to keep the heat out so evenings indoors could be chilly, though they shouldn't be.
I really suggest you check the weather conditions closer to the time, at the moment I am sitting in my house in Galicia thinking that maybe I will go to bed to keep warm because I WILL NOT put the heating on in July :cry:
Hopefully Portugal is not being affected by the same weather front and next week should be warmer
as regards plugs for mobiles, all lbergues have plugs, some have them by the bed, others have a few and you have to compete. You may be safer using your old phone, depends how often you need to use it. I don't think I ever needed to charge my phone on the Portugues.
re: Booking, if you use albergues you cannot and there is not nomally a need, if you want hotels then booking may be an idea, but I have been looking at hotels for next week and they are not fully booked!
Sue

 

[jenkerins99]

Thanks Sulu, I wanted to bring my newer phone as it has a really good camera but will have a think about it. I can't wait for the trip now, it should be a great experience.

 

[sulu]

Johnny Walker wrote:

Pilgrims should be aware that there are 2 "coastal" routes - marked green and red

Hi Johnny,
I am currently in Viano do Castelo, not walking I'm afraid, I'm too much of a wimp to walk in summer, but I thought I woulf look up the camino and maybe walk a bit but I can not find any arrows or shells, even near the Pousada. There are painted feet in various colours but the yellow ones seem to be going in the wrong direction! Is it the green feet that one should be following? I'm assuming that, as it is necassary to cross the river here, the way in is via the Eiffel bridge!?

This is a lovely town though I like Caminha more. They have just had a Medievel Fair for a week, if anyone is thinking of walking in July next year do check in see if this is an annual affair.
Sue

 

[JohnnieWalker]

Green feet? Have you been drinking Sue?

Seriously I can't remember - follow the arrows (I think they were green) which take you along the coastline. The sea is never out of sight on this stretch - head for Ancora and then Caminha.

Buen camino!

John

 

[Harette]

Many thanks Spik23 and also Mike.vasey and others for these very useful posts.

I'm planning to start in Porto in early October but as I will be very far from the youngest on 'the way' and also a female inexperienced in hiking I would be very grateful to know if anyone has done it in say 15km stages...Spik23 seemed to manage much greater distances than I will.

I don't think I will use the albergues/refugios but instead will try to find suitable private accommodation. I would love any tips or recommendations, also are there good bus services or taxis on the route in the event I get too far behind my timetable? I would prefer the coastal route but it might be more sensible to walk inland given my constraints. Bom Caminho!

 

[sulu]

Green feet? Have you been drinking Sue?

Well maybe, but not at breakfast
I decided to walk along the sea front and found that I was actually following yellow feet and, being somewhat obsessed with Caminos I assumed that these must have something to do with the Camino, but when I saw 6 feet of different colours (and no, I still hadn't been drinking), outside the old Council offices, I decided to investigate. I'd post a photo but don't know how to! I was directed to the Tourist Office, where I found a large poster of the coastal camino but they had no info to give me and said that there are no arrows or signs for the Camino in Viana.

It seems to be just a question of keeping water on your left and hopefully picking up arrows (?green) once you get outside the town, strange really :?

Harette, here is the vague plan we proposed last October:
1 Porto – Vilarinho +/- 8 kms
2 Vilarinho – Rates +/- 10 kms
3 Rates – Portela de Tamel 18 kms
4 Portela de Tamel - Ponte de Lima 15 kms
5 Ponte de lima – Rubiaes 20.5 kms
6 Rubiães – Valenca 20 kms
7 Valenca – O Porrino ?20 kms
8 O Porrino – Redondela 18 kms
9 Redondela – Pontevedra 20.5 kms, there are plenty of hotels around Arcade, about half way.
10 Pontevedra – Briallo 17 kms
11 Briallo – Padrón 21 kms
12 Padrón – Teo 11 kms
13 Teo - Santiago 12 kms
We didn't actually stick to it, but it shows what is possible, there are places to stay, there are buses between towns, though I don't know how often, and there are taxis around, most bars will call one for you if you don't see one. There are lots of us 'older ladies' out there, do not fear, you can do it. On this camino I was with a friend, though we did not walk together much. It is easier to walk alone
Bom Caminho,
Sue

 

[Rebekah Scott]

What sue describes isn´t exactly the "Coastal" camino, I´m afraid -- it´s the standard model with the first day done along the beach. If you want to keep to shorter days and more developed pathways, it might be your best bet. Lots of friendly people and facilities, but not a lot of sand or surf.
(the sand and surf option has longer stretches between stops, and isn´t always so clearly marked, as I found out this spring!)
Be sure to plan for lots of asphalt. So far I find the Portuguese is the most paved path I ever walked.

Reb

 

[Harette]

Thanks so much Rebekah and especially Sulu...I feel very much encouraged and I think I will try to follow your plan Sulu as it's probably a good option for me...very good to know there is easily available transport if required.

 

[sulu]

What sue describes isn´t exactly the "Coastal" camino, I´m afraid

No, sorry I should have made that point clear, actually it was the standard camino without the first day along the beach. We did do the first day along the beach: metro to Matosinhos then walk to Vila do Conde, night in Vila do Conde then walk to Rates.

The coastal route further north is prettier I think, I didn't find the view of extensive ocean to my right particularly appealing and, for some reason, I found duck-boards hard on the feet, not sure why they were harder than the 'asphalt', actually they were harder than the cobbles as well. It is a question of personal preference

The smell of sardines cooking was a big plus as I walked the beach, I still regret that I passed them too early to stop for lunch and I didn't find anymore I really recommend that if anyone finds sardines being grilled that they make the most of the opportunity, 'carpe diem'. It could well be a reason for me to go back and do that camino.

Harette, do not be afraid of albergues. I know that it is daunting the first time but I do advise trying, even if only ocasionally. It is a wonderful way of meeting up with fellow pilgrims, the stretch from Oporto to Tui is not likely to have that many people on it, but enough to keep seeing familiar faces, meeting up in the albergues and having occasional meals together is really good. I was 62 when I walked my first and also sure that I would not manage to walk more than 15 or so kms per day, it is surprising how things can change. Just keep an open mind and relax, you will be fine.
Sue

 

[biancad]

I am so happy someone bumped this. I am heading to St Jean Pied De Port from the states on September 11 this year. I completed the second half of my first camino last year (due to an injury the first time out) and arrived in Santiago October 1, 2011. This year my newly retired mom and I will walk from St Jean Pied De Port to Finisterre as it has been her longtime wish to do so. Next year I was thinking to do the northern route but this post has swayed me to start planning my trip to Portugal!! Thanks again and hope to see you all out on the road.

Buen Camino!
Bianca

 

[sjh106]

I'm very intrigued by this thread. It's been mentioned that this route is quieter, but since one aspect of the Camino that I love is the community, are there still many people walking? Should one expect to be on their own for several days? Am planning to start my next Camino in about a month, but am back and forth between the Portugues and Frances.

 

[nickljones]

Excellent blog, info & comments. It makes me want to jump on a plane & walk !

 

[Stephen Nicholls]

I'm very intrigued by this thread. It's been mentioned that this route is quieter, but since one aspect of the Camino that I love is the community, are there still many people walking? Should one expect to be on their own for several days? Am planning to start my next Camino in about a month, but am back and forth between the Portugues and Frances.

I walked the non-coastal Portuguese last April. I met my first fellow pilgrim on the second day, and many more thereafter. And that was in April. In July it will be busier [and much hotter]. You can check out all the info, diary and picture links, on my web site.
Personally, I would love to be walking it again right now!!

Bom camino!

Stephen
http://www.calig.co.uk/camino_de_santiago.htm

 

[JohnnieWalker]

To avoid confusion I commend the map attached to this post to you:

el-camino-portugues/topic11175.html#p97742

I think that a number of members are referring to the central route through Portugal which the majority of pilgrims follow. It is clearly marked in blue on the map.

 

[katiawt]

Green feet? Have you been drinking Sue?

Well maybe, but not at breakfast
I decided to walk along the sea front and found that I was actually following yellow feet and, being somewhat obsessed with Caminos I assumed that these must have something to do with the Camino, but when I saw 6 feet of different colours (and no, I still hadn't been drinking), outside the old Council offices, I decided to investigate. I'd post a photo but don't know how to! I was directed to the Tourist Office, where I found a large poster of the coastal camino but they had no info to give me and said that there are no arrows or signs for the Camino in Viana.

It seems to be just a question of keeping water on your left and hopefully picking up arrows (?green) once you get outside the town, strange really :?

Harette, here is the vague plan we proposed last October:
1 Porto – Vilarinho +/- 8 kms
2 Vilarinho – Rates +/- 10 kms
3 Rates – Portela de Tamel 18 kms
4 Portela de Tamel - Ponte de Lima 15 kms
5 Ponte de lima – Rubiaes 20.5 kms
6 Rubiães – Valenca 20 kms
7 Valenca – O Porrino ?20 kms
8 O Porrino – Redondela 18 kms
9 Redondela – Pontevedra 20.5 kms, there are plenty of hotels around Arcade, about half way.
10 Pontevedra – Briallo 17 kms
11 Briallo – Padrón 21 kms
12 Padrón – Teo 11 kms
13 Teo - Santiago 12 kms
We didn't actually stick to it, but it shows what is possible, there are places to stay, there are buses between towns, though I don't know how often, and there are taxis around, most bars will call one for you if you don't see one. There are lots of us 'older ladies' out there, do not fear, you can do it. On this camino I was with a friend, though we did not walk together much. It is easier to walk alone
Bom Caminho,
Sue

I think there is something wrong here:
3 Rates – Portela de Tamel 18 kms
4 Portela de Tamel - Ponte de Lima 15 kms

The distance between Rates and Ponte de Lima is about 47km.
It must be
3 - Rates - Portela de Tamel - 23,5 km
4 - Portela de Tamel - Ponte de Lima - 23 km

Or

3 - Rates - Barcelos - 14,5 km
3a - Barcelos - Lugar do Corgo ( Fernanda ) - 21 km
4 - Lugar do Corgo - Ponte de Lima - 12,5 km

Katia

 

[katiawt]

I'm very intrigued by this thread. It's been mentioned that this route is quieter, but since one aspect of the Camino that I love is the community, are there still many people walking? Should one expect to be on their own for several days? Am planning to start my next Camino in about a month, but am back and forth between the Portugues and Frances.

As a matter of fact the caminos are a very different. Many albergues on the portuguese camino don´t have the same facilities as the alberges on the french. They have kitchens but many don´t have kitchenware.
I think there is much more "comunity" on the french camino.
I´ve walked many times without seeing another pilgrim from Rates till Tuy but I walk during october .
Katia

 

[sulu]

Katiawt,
You could well be right, I could never find 2 sources of info with the same distances, but I got to Ponte de Lima, from Portela, about 12.30, and stopped on the way, so I don't think it can be 23 kms. maybe!

re: kitchens. The Albergues in Portugal all have excellent cooking facilities, well equiped kitchens, including fridges, or they certainly had last October. It is in Galicia that the kitchens have little or no equipment. Of course half of the Porugues is in Galica (if you start in Oporto).
Sue

 

[Josefine]

I've been looking at the maps and was thinking, wouldn't it be more correct to call only the red one the coastal route, as it is marked on the maps and the green camino/caminho/senda da orla litoral instead of "coastal coastal" route, just to avoid future confusion.
Josefine

 

[elizabethtwomey14]

Hi spik23,
I really liked your posts very helpful. I was wondering with the presumption that you did the Camino on your own and that your female, did you ever feel unsafe, being on your own? I am going on my own and this is my only worry. And is it easy to access money points along the way or do you have to carry a lot of money each time?
Thanks Liz

 

[chefrich]

WOW this is a great thread, I am looking at, arriving in Lisbon on November 19 so I will probably be starting to walk the 21st. the costal route looks like a great option, I should hit hit that early December. do you think lodging will be more difficult to find this time of year, I plan on bringing a lightweight tent/tarp for those nights that I may not find housing.

 

[Mark2012]

What an amazingly helpful thread. Thank you to everyone who has contributed to it.

I walked the Camino Frances this year, and plan to walk the Portugues from Porto or Coimbra next summer. A lot of the information here has been extremely useful.

I'm sure a lot of people are going to make sure this thread stays near the top of the list, as the info contained in it should be mandatory reading for anyone planning to walk this route.

Thanks again!

 

[renegadepilgrim]

I'll be doing the Coastal route to Vigo before cutting inland, leaving on October 8th from Porto. I will be blogging as well as keeping notes to contribute to the conversation. This thread has been SUPER helpful. It has actually made me change my plans from walking the interior route to walking this one, even though there aren't as many albergues or hostels, I have found plenty of couchsurfing hosts along the way.

 

[Ella_leah]

Hi, I was wondering how you fared in Oct 2012? I am thinking of doing this (green?) coastal walk in October 2013. How was the weather? Also what kind of accommodation did you use? I am thinking of using private accommodation. We are very used to tramping in mountains and mud around New Zealand (some of the most beautiful walks in the world!) but I am not sure how I would go on lots of asphalt which the more common route seems to have.

Any advice or thoughts would be well appreciated!
cheers
Ella

 

[renegadepilgrim]

If you are looking for a solitary experience, go for it. Otherwise, stick with the central route. Also, stock up on food because you won't be walking through many towns, you'll be following the coast and most of the beach restaurants are closed that time of year. There are youth hostels in Fao and Viana do Castelo, and a pilgrim hostel in Marinhas, otherwise, private lodging is your best bet. I found a couple campgrounds too, but unsure if they were open or not. Not a great time of year to do it...I think the summer would be better. I didn't run into a single pilgrim over four days. Then I went from Ancora to Tui and finally met pilgrims!

The waymarking is super sketchy too...

 

[Ella_leah]

Thanks for tips! We (hubby and I) have just returned from doing a 9 day walk on Stewart Island in NZ (North West Circuit). It was a tough 9 days of mud, tree roots and beaches, during which we hardly saw another soul for 8 of them, so solitary doesn't bother us too much.

Perhaps we should think about doing it earlier though - not that carrying food is an issue, but part of what we want to experience is the local food and culture. We are not keen on going mid summer though - we are used to walking in the mountains in NZ even in summer they are cold! Perhaps Sept would be better for Resaurants to be open?

I had a look at your blog, but couldn't find anything on this walk yet. Did I miss it? I am interested in what towns you stayed in along the way?

 

[renegadepilgrim]

I haven't blogged yet about the trip...I did do daily posts on my FB page "RenegadePilgrim" if you want to go back and read those...I guess I didn't make myself very clear. Except for the towns you stay in, there are really not a lot of food options along the way while you are walking....it's like backpacking in that regard. There are no towns unless you walk off the "Orla Litoral" path and head into town. Now, if you walk the "Costa" route, then you might have more options. I stuck to the Orla Litoral as much as I could, and on the days when I picked up the Costa route, it was mainly walking through forests and hiking trails...not through any small towns like on the Camino Frances. Sometimes, along the coast, there were some beach restaurants, but the further north I got, the less they were around and the less they were open if I did find one.

I wasn't out for a solitary experience, so I wasn't too keen on the first few days...even after, it was still very solitary, even though I ran into pilgrims here and there. The majority of the pilgrims are Portuguese, Spaniards, or French and often in a hurry. It's quite different than the Camino Frances.

I think summer would actually be the best time to walk, more people and more opportunities to chat with other pilgrims. September might be better but at both youth hostels I stayed at, they said they never have a lot of pilgrims in the fall. I was an anomaly, apparently.

Consider walking the Central route instead...it's so short anyways...10 days...it's not enough to fully immerse yourself in the Camino IMO.

 

[JohnnieWalker]

Hola Ella_Leah

I found the Coastal Route from Oporto extremely beautiful and very rewarding. Generally I found it to be well waymarked although at times I had to do a little rooting around to find the start of some of the sections. But if you keep the water on your Left and use the map here:
el-camino-portugues/topic11175.html#p97742 plus a good map of the coastline available in Tourist Offices in Portugal you will find the way easily.

Here is a summary I've done:

For maps, distances, accommodation:
http://www.caminador.es/wp-content/uplo ... ION-MA.pdf

To use a tour company to prebook:
http://caminotravelcenter.com/

Oporto – Vila do Conde 25 kms
Tourist Office -Vila do Conde
Tel: 252 248 473
http://www.cm-viladoconde.pt
E-mail: turismo@cm-viladoconde.pt
There are hotels and hostales at all prices – for a full list e mail the tourist office. There are two reasonably priced establishments by the harbour:

Pensão Patarata 3.ª
Cais das Lavandeiras,
18 * 4480-789
Vila do Conde
Tel 252 631 894

Hospedaria O Manco d'Areia
Praça da República,
84 * 4480-715
Vila do Conde
Tel 252 631 748
Fax. 252 631 748

Vila do Conde – Esposende 23 kms
Esposende – hostal as you cross the river and another by the old fort
Esposende – Viana do Costelo 22 kms
Viana do Costelo – lots of options including youth hostal

Viana do Costela – Camiña/ A Guarda 24 kms (28kms)
Camiña – albergue, hostals, tourist office with list or corss to A Guarda

Camiña/A Guarda – Oia 20 kms (16 kms)
Oia – casa rural in village and good hotel

Oia – Baiona 18 kms
Baiona – many options
Baoina – Vigo 22 kms
Vigo ( option 1 follow yellow arrows: modern route no probs but tedious walk in. Option 2 at outskirts to Vigo leave yellow to follow GREEN arrows to Freixo where you can stay in social centre. steep climb up......from Freixo better walk in but longer. Pass v interesting church. OJO! the green arrows tend to run out in Vigo and there are some confusing red ones as well. This is supposedly the original route. Once pass the church ask how to get to city centre.

Vigo – large town, many hostals

Vigo – Redondela 16 kms
Follow CSJ Guide - http://www.csj.org.uk/guides-online.htm
Redondela – Pontevedra 20 kms

Pontevedra - Caldas de Rei 22 kms

Caldas de Rei – Padrón 17 kms

Padrón– Santiago de Compostela 24 kms

I had absolutely no difficulty finding food and water. It is generally my preference to carry a sandwich for lunch during the day in any event.

I've written more about the route here with a slide show of pics:

http://www.johnniewalker-santiago.blogs ... al%20route

Best regards

John

 

[peregrina2000]

I will be in Viana do Castelo for a couple of days this spring and would love to get a recommendation for one or two day-walks along the coast. We'll have a car, so transportation will not be a problem. If you had to pick two separate segments for day hikes, which would you choose?

Many thanks. Buen camino, Laurie

 

[renegadepilgrim]

Please disregard anything I say...Johnnywalker to the rescue...

I'd like to know where you found food along the way. The only time I found food was at the start of the day and the end of the day. Very rarely anything in between...of course I also walked the Orla Litoral mostly and there weren't a lot of options on the beaches....I think if I had walked the Costa route more, there would have been more options.

 

[Jenniandjoe]

I have a question about the coastal route? Is it possible to walk along the coast but not actually on the sand? We are walking in April-May 2013, beginning in Oporto, and would love to be on the coast but really don't want to walk on sand. Thank you everyone for all the valuable information, suggestions, and advice! Love the blogs that people have prepared and shared. We are trying to learn as much as we can in advance but then just wait and see how the weather is and how we feel before determining our route and how much we will do each day...hopefully there will be other walkers at this time of the year...??? Jenni (and Joe)

 

[JohnnieWalker]

I have a question about the coastal route? Is it possible to walk along the coast but not actually on the sand? Jenni (and Joe)

Yes - the route does not pass along the beach. Walking on the sand is optional. I usually find walking on sand heavy going but one day I couldn't resist!

 

[Ella_leah]

@Johnnie_Walker, Thank you so much for that information! It is exactly the route I had mapped out for us, but it is great to have it confirmed. I had actually already read your blog which gave me more information than anything else I have found so far. I would be keen if you ever do produce that guide!

This will be such a different style of walking for us and I want to research as much as possible. It is also in countries that we don't know and don't speak english - so I want to be as prepared as possible. Honestly we also would like to do one of the less popular routes - we enjoy our peace when we walk, although we do love meeting people as well. We are not too worried about the route finding - we are used to it and I am sure that we will be able to find our way even if we do take a wrong turn here or there!

We were thinking of going in Sept/Oct because we are used to walking in quite cool weather and I am not too keen on walking in the heat but are open to suggestions of other times. We also need to wait until later in the year to get enough time up our sleeve to be able to do the Camino and perhaps see a little more of Europe while we are travelling so far!

In terms of the comment about not really experiencing the Camino in ~10 days, unfortunately we are not able to take the amount of time off work to do anything longer, although perhaps in the future we will.

Thanks again for your comprehensive and informative post!
cheers
Ella

 

[Deleted member 3000]

IMHO ten days is plenty of time to be completely immersed in a camino. After four or five days, your physical recovery is well along the way, and you can really enjoy the walking. The Camino Portugues is relatively flat, so you should not get as worn out as you would on mountainous routes.

Buen camino!

 

[Finisterre]

I know it is much further and less travelled. But has anyone managed to stick to the coast between Tui and Vigo? It looks pretty interesting scenery.

 

[mikevasey]

Hi Just going to add this web address to this thread http://www.caminador.es/?page_id=117, the page the link takes you to is a bit jumbled, but if you go through it there is some excellent links to maps for the coastal route and also the routes from the coast and to the coast from the albergue in Sao Pedro de Rates. This has been on this thread before but I think it has been updated.

 

[Doratheexplorer-13]

@Ella_leah .. I am planning on walking from Porto to Santiago in Oct/Nov. I have not yet decided on exactly which route- coastal or not. Sure it may not be the best time of year for this Camino, but it's the time that works for me. I look forward to hearing about your Camino!
And yes thanks to all who share here.. A great resource indeed.

 

[JohnnieWalker]

Hola

I've now put my notes on my blog and I hope we can all add to them. I also have a couple of separate weeks allocated to go back and do some specific walking notes. I'm particularly interested in someone could write up some clear walking notes on the section from the Cathedral in Oporto to Vila do Conde - you might start with..."With the front door of the Cathedral behind you turn (Right or Left) and proceed...." (etc!)

Here are the notes: http://www.johnniewalker-santiago.blogs ... guese.html

Regards

John

 

[mikevasey]

Hi Guys here are some details about an Albergue de Peregrinos in Viana do Costelo, it is not a new one, they have just celebrated their 3 anniversary in December 2012. http://www.cruzdoscaminhos.blogspot.co.uk/p/regulationuk.html

 

[Former member 22438]

Thanks for sharing the information. very usefull.

 

[mikevasey]

Hi, I am going to post a link to the facebook pages of the amigos in the Viana area, they have some excellent photos on its site not just of the coastal route but other routes as well. They have 2 very good areial photos of Viana do Castelo and Caminha which shows the way through the towns and where the albergues are in relation to it https://www.facebook.com/caminhosantiagoviana, look at the entries for 6 March 2013.

 

[Thornley]

Great shots of Caminha Mike,

I know a few who caught the ferry and walked the coast from A Garuda to Vigo
They adored it

Keep well mate,
David

 

[mikevasey]

Hi just thought i would add to this list a recently opened or about to open a Refugio de Peregrinos in Motsinhos at Rua Vasca Santana 264 at the Senhora de Hora. There is a facebook site for it with some good photos a really nice place being decorated by volunteers. Would love to post it but my mobile has other ideas. Had a look at google maps it gives it as 9 km from Porto Cathedral, some details of the river route and then coastal way taken by Peterborough Pilgrims was recently posted on here, that could make the route up to about 15km for your 1st day.

A big thank you to the various groups who are putting so much time and effort all over Portugal of reclaiming their heritage of pilgrimage.

 

[Rebekah Scott]

I just returned from a short (three days) walk from Vigo to Caminha... yes, I did it backward! :roll:

Those (like me) interested in a beautiful, quiet stroll along the beach will find this coastal strip a bit more developed than expected. Here in the summer season there are places to stop and eat and refresh at good intervals. There´s a roadside biker/hiker lane now installed all the way from Vigo, which puts you on tarmac but keeps you safer than you´d otherwise be.

The coastline is a knockout, with crashing waves and rocky beaches. It is impossible to walk right along the beach for very long. There´s a surprising amount of pavement on this trail, but that´s the breaks.

There´s still plenty of solitude. We met six other pilgrims in the whole time we walked, and they were traveling in groups of three -- a Spanish family one day, and a Dutch couple who´d acquired a rather lonesome guy from Florida who I thought was going to kiss me when he learned I am from Pittsburgh! (He is a Steelers football fan. They are legion.)

The high point of this trail for me was the little town of Oia, with its mouldering monastic church facing out over the sea wall. I will be back there sometime soon!

 

[rickster]

I was that lonely appearing (but not really) guy from Florida you and Kathy met on the coastal route.
The road was fairly smooth sailing from where I met you to Oia, Baiona, Vigo to Redondela, however,
prior to that, especially from Esposende to Viana do Costelo to A Guarda, it was much more challenging to find the way markers as well as pilgrims, especially if you wanted to stay off the highway. I kind of forced it to stay close to the sea and pretty much made my own path, having to divert back to the road occasionally because it was impossible to stay very close to the sea. I have some pictures of the path (not really) going through grass over my head and occasionally stumbling on a rock with a yellow arrow covered with flowers. Having said all that, it was a great experience with incredible beauty that far surpassed that experienced after connecting with the main route in Redondela. Go Steelers!
Rick

 

[Mrsmomo]

An abundance of info for the coastal route. I'm sold!! Thank you all so much for sharing. I hope I can get my companions to agree on the coastal route vs. the traditional Camino Portuguese. We are a group of 6. Commencing our walk on the 16th July, hoping to arrive Santiago by the 25th. It sounds like its achievable. Going to leave ourselves to the Camino for places to rest our heads at the end of the day. However, we did secure an apartment for one night in Porto, and 3 days in Santiago.

Can anyone tell me about transportation by train along the coastal route? Just in case we decide to trade a day of walking for staying an extra day in one of the coastal towns. :wink:

Thank You,
Monique

 

[skwiens]

Thank you for all the information!

I am planning on walking a portion of this route in a few days. Since it is warmer I was thinking of bringing along a sleeping pad and just finding places to sleep outside some nights. Does anyone know if this that allowed and possible on this route, or will it be necessary to find accomodation every night?

Thanks!

 

[mikevasey]

It might not be legal but if you beleive you can put up with the groups of friends sat around talking, young peopleplaying guitars generally being happy, late night anglers( men fishing),lovers, people who are nosey then you shouldnt stand out too much and will just seem part of these very busy beaches in summer.

Good luck

Mike

 

[NHawes]

A friend and I are planning to walk the Coastal Camino in about 3 weeks - we are late planners - and it sounds wonderful. My only concern is that I plan to send my main pack ahead of me since I developed some shoulder problems this past winter. In the Frances I know you are able to shuttle your packs ahead for a few Euros. Do you think this is a possiblity for the Coastal Camino?

 

[JohnnieWalker]

A friend and I are planning to walk the Coastal Camino in about 3 weeks - we are late planners - and it sounds wonderful. My only concern is that I plan to send my main pack ahead of me since I developed some shoulder problems this past winter. In the Frances I know you are able to shuttle your packs ahead for a few Euros. Do you think this is a possiblity for the Coastal Camino?

I don't think there is any dedicated luggage forwarding service on this route. You'll have to use taxs I'm afraid.

 

[NHawes]

Thank you - I think it may be best to stick with Frances this trip.

 

[NHawes]

Well I changed my mind and am going to stick with the trip from Caminha. The Coast idea looks so wonderful and I will have to make due with my pack. After getting to Tui do you know if they may have a baggage service there? I feel needy as I am not an international traveller by any means but does anyone aknow of the best way to get from Madrid to Caminha?

 

[mspath]

Well I changed my mind and am going to stick with the trip from Caminha. The Coast idea looks so wonderful and I will have to make due with my pack. After getting to Tui do you know if they may have a baggage service there? I feel needy as I am not an international traveller by any means but does anyone aknow of the best way to get from Madrid to Caminha?

NHawes,

You might fly Ryan Air from Madrid to Porto (http://www.ryanair.com/en), then take a train from Porto to Caminha.

For baggage service from Tui try Tuitrans at
http://www.orozo.com/albergueelcamino/indexEN.html

Crossing the river Minho from Valenca de Minho to Tui on the 19th century bridge designed by Eiffel of Parisian tower fame the view is spectacular!


Buen Camino,

Margaret Meredith

 

[AnnaG]

@Johnnie_Walker, Thank you so much for that information! It is exactly the route I had mapped out for us, but it is great to have it confirmed. I had actually already read your blog which gave me more information than anything else I have found so far. I would be keen if you ever do produce that guide!

This will be such a different style of walking for us and I want to research as much as possible. It is also in countries that we don't know and don't speak english - so I want to be as prepared as possible. Honestly we also would like to do one of the less popular routes - we enjoy our peace when we walk, although we do love meeting people as well. We are not too worried about the route finding - we are used to it and I am sure that we will be able to find our way even if we do take a wrong turn here or there!

We were thinking of going in Sept/Oct because we are used to walking in quite cool weather and I am not too keen on walking in the heat but are open to suggestions of other times. We also need to wait until later in the year to get enough time up our sleeve to be able to do the Camino and perhaps see a little more of Europe while we are travelling so far!

In terms of the comment about not really experiencing the Camino in ~10 days, unfortunately we are not able to take the amount of time off work to do anything longer, although perhaps in the future we will.

Thanks again for your comprehensive and informative post!
cheers
Ella

Hi Ella! Are you still walking this Fall - the Portuguese Camino? I am, and it would be fascinating to see if we might connect? The Camino is quite new to me, and I'm really going to get my feet wet on this adventure, I suspect!

Kind regards,
Laurie

 

[miguel_gp]

Beautiful views of the coastal route currently being shown on Eurosport (Sunday 16:10 BST) as part of their coverage of La Vuelta. Heading up to Baiona today.

 

[AnnaG]

Beautiful views of the coastal route currently being shown on Eurosport (Sunday 16:10 BST) as part of their coverage of La Vuelta. Heading up to Baiona today.

Thank you, Miguel. I had to go on the Internet to see what "Eurosport" is! I certainly don't receive that channel on my TV in the States. I suppose come cable packages in the US have it? Anyway, thanks for the "tip". I will see if I can stream it online.

Cheers,
Laurie

 

[miguel_gp]

Looks like it is showing on Universal Sports in the US (http://universalsports.com/2013/08/21/2013-vuelta-a-espana-viewing-schedule/). Don't know how widespread that is on cable.

Today and next two are in and around Galicia, including stage through Santiago and out to Finisterre on Tuesday.

 

[Ella_leah]

Hi Ella! Are you still walking this Fall - the Portuguese Camino? I am, and it would be fascinating to see if we might connect? The Camino is quite new to me, and I'm really going to get my feet wet on this adventure, I suspect!

Kind regards,
Laurie

Hi Laurie,
After a number of life challenges, I booked my flights a couple of weeks ago for my daughter and myself. Unfortunately my husband is no longer able to come. We will be leaving from Porto on the 8th Oct at this stage! I don't know if perhaps you have already gone, but if not please get in touch if you are planning on being there around the same time. If not, I would love to hear about your trip! I did consider because I am now going with my daughter that perhaps we should stick with the central route, but we talked about it today and decided to stick to my orginal plan!

Planning will kick into high gear now!! Any more information on this route from anyone would be most welcome!