Waymarking Southbound

[athiker93]

I will be hiking the Camino Portugues Southbound from the Cathedral in Santiago to Lisbon. How are the waymarks going south? Can you see the Yellow Arrows or do i need to use the map?

 

[Former member 22438]

I will be hiking the Camino Portugues Southbound from the Cathedral in Santiago to Lisbon. How are the waymarks going south? Can you see the Yellow Arrows or do i need to use the map?

I do not know from Santiago backwards in Galicia (I read about it some time on this forum but do not know where or when) but in Portugal the way direction Fátima is waymarked with blue arrows ao as far as Alvaiazère you go in the right direction to Lisbon from there you have to find reversed yellow arrows to Tomar, Golegã, Santarèm ,Azambuja, Alverca do Ribatejo to Lisbon.but beware..pilgrims to Fátima walk the shortest way that means often they follow the hard shoulders of the busy N roads while the Santiago pilgrims follow more rural paths and roads..advise take a safetyvest with you if you walk on the hardshoulder.
And if you get lost (in Portugal and untill Alvaiazère and your Portugese language skills are not anymore as it used to be just ask "Fàtima ?)
If you are lucky they walk along with you for a while in the mean time telling you here lives he (a name you don't know, there lives she...? And that is from him ...bla bla bla... Very nice and helpfull people. Wish you luck

 

[amorfati1]

hello athiker - those images below show easy to ID arrows - the "tricky ones" are for e.g. arrows that are painted on the backside of a street sign, lamp post, electricity pole. you only discover those if you walk south and then turn your head north ever so often ...or you can also ask any local with a quizzy look "flecha amarilla??' (forgot exact spelling)

i have encountered a few pilgrims going south - they seemed quite at ease and did not mention (to me) any mega challenges or walking south.
you might end up asking for directions more often --- but still ... entirely doable. and i could imagine that you are being quizzed by all the pilgrims going south to north about good albergue/caffe spots

 

[Former member 22438]

hello athiker - those images below show easy to ID arrows - the "tricky ones" are for e.g. arrows that are painted on the backside of a street sign, lamp post, electricity pole. you only discover those if you walk south and then turn your head north ever so often ...or you can also ask any local with a quizzy look "flecha amarilla??' (forgot exact spelling)

i have encountered a few pilgrims going south - they seemed quite at ease and did not mention (to me) any mega challenges or walking south.
you might end up asking for directions more often --- but still ... entirely doable. and i could imagine that you are being quizzed by all the pilgrims going south to north about good albergue/caffe spots

I agree with you Claudia but did not see the blue Fátima tiles everywhere. Sometimes there were only blue painted arrows..
It could be our fellowpilgrim MSpath who walked it but maybe I am wrong. Let Margareth tell it if she reads this or let the one stand up who did it or did it too.

To correct you Claudia. As you ask any Portugese local with a quizzy look "flecha amarilla" he or she will look at you with some astonishment and will ask you "porqué ?" Não gusta você a nosso país ? Ha ha. Don't you like our country why you want to Spain ? Following the flechas amarillas -the yellow arrows-leads to Santiago. But if you look with the same quizzy look and ask Fátima ? Setas azules ? He or she will hug you ,points you the direction enthousiasticly joins you for a while, offers you a vinho verde and a pastel de nata com canela in the local bar and waves to you untill you have disappeared behind the horizon. . As a matter of speaking Portuges are very helpfull and very kind.
Um abraço disso lado do mundo
Albertinho

 

[gracethepilgrim]

Albertinho - I love your posts (always a lovely of memory of Portugal hidden in there) - Thanks for making me smile Grace

 

[Diogo92]

If you are coming from Santiago, until Fatima you will not have any problem, since you have all the markings in there (Blue Arrows). New markings have been painted this last 3 months, so you will find it very easy to do it. Although what @Albertinho told is true, about the Fatima pilgrims taking the shortest way, 90% of them don't take the Caminho de Fátima! The Caminho de Fátima, with its way markings in blue, consists in the same type of trace for the Caminho de Santiago: rural roads, old trails, etc etc. But, it passes in different places (sometimes it end's on the same place, but for you to get there, you take another route ) Most of the Fátima pilgrims don't even know that there is a safer way to get to Fatima, marked by an Association that has a lot to give and to help.

Here are some of their most recent works:

In Oliveira de Azemeis



In São Pedro de Rates



In the exit of Gaia





I believe that other people in the forum have already done this way backwards, so you will find some posts in here about it. If you have any questions regarding the markings or where you can stay, contact the Associação dos Amigos do Caminho de Fátima in: http://www.caminho.com.pt/

 

[Former member 22438]

Albertinho - I love your posts (always a lovely of memory of Portugal hidden in there) - Thanks for making me smile Grace

My pleasure Grace ! I love Portugal too since many years , love the portugese language...(sorry my Portugese amigos e amigas) I love the (portugese) Brasilean bossa nova and samba music..I love the Portugese food ,wines and sometimes (one glass of ) aguardente and a caipirinha I love the Portugese people and their kindness.

Um abraço disso lado and have nice day.

 

[Former member 22438]

If you are coming from Santiago, until Fatima you will not have any problem, since you have all the markings in there (Blue Arrows). New markings have been painted this last 3 months, so you will find it very easy to do it. Although what @Albertinho told is true, about the Fatima pilgrims taking the shortest way, 90% of them don't take the Caminho de Fátima! The Caminho de Fátima, with its way markings in blue, consists in the same type of trace for the Caminho de Santiago: rural roads, old trails, etc etc. But, it passes in different places (sometimes it end's on the same place, but for you to get there, you take another route ) Most of the Fátima pilgrims don't even know that there is a safer way to get to Fatima, marked by an Association that has a lot to give and to help.

Here are some of their most recent works:

In Oliveira de Azemeis

View attachment 11993

In São Pedro de Rates

View attachment 11994

In the exit of Gaia

View attachment 11995
View attachment 11996


I believe that other people in the forum have already done this way backwards, so you will find some posts in here about it. If you have any questions regarding the markings or where you can stay, contact the Associação dos Amigos do Caminho de Fátima in: http://www.caminho.com.pt/

That is great info my friend @Diogo but from Alvaizère to Lisbon the Fátima Associação can't help any further because than the blue waymarkers start to direct you into a wrong direction
So let stand up the person who really walked back to Lisbon from there anyway

 

[Diogo92]

That is great info my friend @Diogo but from Alvaizère to Lisbon the Fátima Associação can't help any further because than the blue waymarkers start to direct you into a wrong direction
So let stand up the person who really walked back to Lisbon from there anyway

But he could take a safer route has we talked previously

 

[amorfati1]

I agree with you Claudia but did not see the blue Fátima tiles everywhere. Sometimes there were only blue painted arrows..
It could be our fellowpilgrim MSpath who walked it but maybe I am wrong. Let Margareth tell it if she reads this or let the one stand up who did it or did it too.

To correct you Claudia. As you ask any Portugese local with a quizzy look "flecha amarilla" he or she will look at you with some astonishment and will ask you "porqué ?" Não gusta você a nosso país ? Ha ha. Don't you like our country why you want to Spain ? Following the flechas amarillas -the yellow arrows-leads to Santiago. But if you look with the same quizzy look and ask Fátima ? Setas azules ? He or she will hug you ,points you the direction enthousiasticly joins you for a while, offers you a vinho verde and a pastel de nata com canela in the local bar and waves to you untill you have disappeared behind the horizon. . As a matter of speaking Portuges are very helpfull and very kind.
Um abraço disso lado do mundo
Albertinho

ola Albertinho -- as in any post I am writing, I am just sharing/stating my experience, not the ultimate truth, here. -
not sure why a personal experience is in need of being corrected ...?! - no, am not offended or such, just perplexed. i suspect it's a language issue /misunderstanding.
to clarify: whenever i asked for the yellow arrow in Portugal, I was directed to the next arrow pointing north towards Santiago. The one with the quizzing look was me, not the locals. They knew exactly what i was asking about and always helped me out, often even walked me right in front of the next yellow arrow.
and then off i was with their blessings and good wishes... truly, the willingness to help/to assist of the portuguese people (the ones i encountered) is legend.
apologies if my earlier post wasn't clear or misleading.
best wishes and cheers!

 

[Former member 22438]

ola Albertinho -- as in any post I am writing, I am just sharing/stating my experience, not the ultimate truth, here. -
not sure why a personal experience is in need of being corrected ...?! - no, am not offended or such, just perplexed. i suspect it's a language issue /misunderstanding.
to clarify: whenever i asked for the yellow arrow in Portugal, I was directed to the next arrow pointing north towards Santiago. The one with the quizzing look was me, not the locals. They knew exactly what i was asking about and always helped me out, often even walked me right in front of the next yellow arrow.
and then off i was with their blessings and good wishes... truly, the willingness to help/to assist of the portuguese people (the ones i encountered) is legend.
apologies if my earlier post wasn't clear or misleading.
best wishes and cheers!

Claudia I liked your story and saw the humor in it, based on my own experiences. And the red thread through the story is that blue means azul in Portugese and amarilho is yellow. The base of the story was somebody wants to walk reversely southwards back to Lisbon so a possibility is to follow the blue arrows but coming from Santiago the useful blue arrows go as far as Alvaiazère and from there he or say have to choose another way unless he or she does want to end up in Fátima.
On the Lisbon to Porto leg we regulairy spoke to local people and often they asked me " are you going to Fátima ? No we are going to Santiago and often they showed a kind of disappointment towards us because in Portugal a pilgrimage to Fátima counts more than the one to Santiago.
And so said an old and very kind lady to me "Pity you go to Spain (Santiago..) but you get my blessings...! And that was touching me deeply . What a kind people these Portugese are.

 

[amorfati1]

Claudia I liked your story and saw the humor in it, based on my own experiences. And the red thread through the story is that blue means azul in Portugese and amarilho is yellow. The base of the story was somebody wants to walk reversely southwards back to Lisbon so a possibility is to follow the blue arrows but coming from Santiago the useful blue arrows go as far as Alvaiazère and from there he or say have to choose another way unless he or she does want to end up in Fátima.
On the Lisbon to Porto leg we regulairy spoke to local people and often they asked me " are you going to Fátima ? No we are going to Santiago and often they showed a kind of disappointment towards us because in Portugal a pilgrimage to Fátima counts more than the one to Santiago.
And so said an old and very kind lady to me "Pity you go to Spain (Santiago..) but you get my blessings...! And that was touching me deeply . What a kind people these Portugese are.

Amen to that too ! the kindness of Portuguese people ... the willingness to be of assistance. A league of their own indeed.
And what a lovely Blessing you have received from the kind elderly woman ---

don't know what your experience was ... I was on the road during May, and May 13th is THE big day in Fatima .... but all the Fatima pilgrims I've encountered were in groups, carrying no back-packs (guess they were all transported by car/bus) , wearing florescant (spelling?) light vests and accompanied by a 'guard' that waved at oncoming traffic with a signal stick... thoroughly organized. i was downright plain and rustic and thus me alone, with backpack, was never 'confused' with a Fatima pilgrim
I believe that each month on the 13th is a special event @ Fatima, until October, when the apparitions ended in 1917.
Btw: one can expect a MEGA pilgrimage in May 2017 ... it will be a 100 anniversary of the Maria Apparition !
anyway - glad to read you 'got' the humour .
All is , Albertinho ! Saluti - C

 

[Former member 22438]

Amen to that too ! the kindness of Portuguese people ... the willingness to be of assistance. A league of their own indeed.
And what a lovely Blessing you have received from the kind elderly woman ---

don't know what your experience was ... I was on the road during May, and May 13th is THE big day in Fatima .... but all the Fatima pilgrims I've encountered were in groups, carrying no back-packs (guess they were all transported by car/bus) , wearing florescant (spelling?) light vests and accompanied by a 'guard' that waved at oncoming traffic with a signal stick... thoroughly organized. i was downright plain and rustic and thus me alone, with backpack, was never 'confused' with a Fatima pilgrim
I believe that each month on the 13th is a special event @ Fatima, until October, when the apparitions ended in 1917.
Btw: one can expect a MEGA pilgrimage in May 2017 ... it will be a 100 anniversary of the Maria Apparition !
anyway - glad to read you 'got' the humour .
All is , Albertinho ! Saluti - C

Yes Claudia. We noticed these Fátima pilgrims too Some had a daypack, allways walking on sneakers and taking the shortest way even if it was the freeway. We allways take a safetyvest with us in case of.
We went to Fátima last May To me it is very very big. Last year when we walked between Santarèm and Coimbra there was a big event with more than 600.000 people together on the square. See picture. I am scared of big crowds so was glad this year the square wasallmost empty. So in 2017 I definitely will not be there..
For the time being I think next year will be our last camiño. We still have to finish the other half of the Dutch "Pieterpad" which we started 3 years ago as an endurance training with backpacks for Santiago .250 kms to go yet.
And we like to walk on the Açores. All God willing.
Also the family in San Gabriel CA is asking when we come again and the other day a good friend of mine invited us to come to her home in Hayworth. So maybe I combine that with the NAMM musical fair in Anaheim in january. As I said God willing plans. We are pensionados and the most importing thing is to keep the good health.

Bless you ! Um abraço disso lado da Holanda