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Starting point just north of Porto

grdemedeiros

Active Member
Time of past OR future Camino
2024 - Portuguese (Coastal > Central > Spiritual)
Hello, my husband and I plan to walk the Camino português in late June 2024. I heard someone interviewed on the Camino Cafe podcast who had started in a town outside of Porto (San Miguel de [something] if I recall correctly). I can't find the episode. Does anyone know? We specifically want to avoid the road/highway parts bear Porto.

Side note: we're probably walking the Central to Variante Espiritual. If we have time and energy we may walk back on the Costal.
 
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The 2024 Camino guides will be coming out little by little. Here is a collection of the ones that are out so far.
If you're walking the coastal, I'd suggest to start at the cathedral, go down to the river and then follow it out to sea and then northward bound on the coast. Lovely walk. And can also be an alternative start to the central variant.
 
Hello, my husband and I plan to walk the Camino português in late June 2023. I heard someone interviewed on the Camino Cafe podcast who had started in a town outside of Porto (San Miguel de [something] if I recall correctly). I can't find the episode. Does anyone know? We specifically want to avoid the road/highway parts bear Porto.

Side note: we're probably walking the Central to Variante Espiritual. If we have time and energy we nay walk back onthe Costal.
They probably meant Matosinhos. You can look at our blog post about that: blog:https://twoclinestraveling.wordpres...t-begins-porto-to-matosinhos-12-8-kms-8-6-18/
 
The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.
If you're walking the coastal, I'd suggest to start at the cathedral, go down to the river and then follow it out to sea and then northward bound on the coast. Lovely walk. And can also be an alternative start to the central variant.
Thanks, we spent time in SW Portugal and walked a bit of the Fisherman's trail, so we're looking forward to experiencing the geographical difference.
 
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The one from Galicia (the round) and the one from Castilla & Leon. Individually numbered and made by the same people that make the ones you see on your walk.
Thanks all - I'll look into Matosinhos. I did find the episode on Camino Cafe, the interview was with a gent named Steve Walther. He'd recommended starting in São Miguel de Arcos, which is about 30 KM due North of Porto.
 
Thanks all - I'll look into Matosinhos. I did find the episode on Camino Cafe, the interview was with a gent named Steve Walther. He'd recommended starting in São Miguel de Arcos, which is about 30 KM due North of Porto.
Unless you are pressed for time, I don't know why anyone would skip the walk from the Porto cathedral, down the river to the coast, up the coast through Matoshinos and then north of Porto take the cuutoff over to the Central. I found this walk down the river and up the coast out of Porto quite lovely and enjoyable. I say don't skip it....I guarantee you will not regret it.
 
Unless you are pressed for time, I don't know why anyone would skip the walk from the Porto cathedral, down the river to the coast, up the coast through Matoshinos and then north of Porto take the cuutoff over to the Central. I found this walk down the river and up the coast out of Porto quite lovely and enjoyable. I say don't skip it....I guarantee you will not regret it.
I totally agree!
 
The one from Galicia (the round) and the one from Castilla & Leon. Individually numbered and made by the same people that make the ones you see on your walk.
Hello, my husband and I plan to walk the Camino português in late June 2023. I heard someone interviewed on the Camino Cafe podcast who had started in a town outside of Porto (San Miguel de [something] if I recall correctly). I can't find the episode. Does anyone know? We specifically want to avoid the road/highway parts bear Porto.

Side note: we're probably walking the Central to Variante Espiritual. If we have time and energy we nay walk back onthe Costal.
My sister and i stayed in Arcos at Quinta São Miguel de Arcos. Highly recommend. Beautiful place with a lovely pool but it's inland. Hang a right at Vila do Conde : )
 
A frequent "just North of Porto" starting point is the airport zone. You can just land, get somewhere to sleep, then from there easily get to the Central or the Coastal, as preference may take you. Good places to eat and meet pilgrims around there too ...

The walk from central Porto to there is considered by some to be "boring", but in any case it is urban and suburban and much of it made of concrete.

It does have its qualities, though not everyone will appreciate them. There are good places along the way out of Porto to stop for munchies and refreshments. Plus the great Albergue out in the suburbs.
 
Unless you are pressed for time, I don't know why anyone would skip the walk from the Porto cathedral, down the river to the coast, up the coast through Matoshinos and then north of Porto take the cuutoff over to the Central. I found this walk down the river and up the coast out of Porto quite lovely and enjoyable. I say don't skip it....I guarantee you will not regret it.
The interviewee described this part of this route as being right on the road/highway: he feared being hit several times and experienced trucks' side mirrors swishing past his ear.

I'll look into the route, maybe he wasn't walking the path you've outlined.
 
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The interviewee described this part of this route as being right on the road/highway: he feared being hit several times and experienced trucks' side mirrors swishing past his ear.

I'll look into the route, maybe he wasn't walking the path you've outlined.
I can guarantee you that he was not walking the way along the Duoro River, then up the coast.
 
Thank you, all good input. I read a post under "Live From The Camino" from a woman walking the Camino português (Central). She described the same thing in terms of dangerous roads. I know there will be times we have to be on roads, but having had a bad experience here at home, we're hoping to minimize that kind of danger as much as we can
 
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Thank you, all good input. I read a post under "Live From The Camino" from a woman walking the Camino português (Central). She described the same thing in terms of dangerous roads. I know there will be times we have to be on roads, but having had a bad experience here at home, we're hoping to minimize that kind of danger as much as we can
Many of us walk on the Senda Litoral along the coast until Vila do Conde where you can cross over to the central route. It's a beautiful walk, and I recommend it.
 
...and ship it to Santiago for storage. You pick it up once in Santiago. Service offered by Casa Ivar (we use DHL for transportation).
The interviewee described this part of this route as being right on the road/highway: he feared being hit several times and experienced trucks' side mirrors swishing past his ear.

I'll look into the route, maybe he wasn't walking the path you've outlined.
I agree with Trecile....I doubt he was on the River/Coastal out of Porto. See Link. I recommend you walk the Blue dotted line on the map...skip the green dotted line on the map. The Blue dotted line is 99% off of the street...some sidewalks but mostly urban walking paths, beach paths, etc. https://www.wisepilgrim.com/camino-portugues-porto-redondela-central-route It is a lovely way to see Porto and walk out of Porto. If your intention is to join up with the Central route...there are a couple of ways to do that north of Porto.
 
The app mapy.cz shows the route between Vila do Conde and the Central Route, so you can use it to keep from getting lost. Here's a screenshot from the app - the Camino routes are the dark blue lines, including the connector between the Litoral and the Central.

Vila do conde mapy.png

I walked that route in 2019, and I know that it was marked, but I don't remember how well
 
Thank you. We've visited Porto before, it would be cool to leave from there if we can make the timing work.
 
The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.
Hello, my husband and I plan to walk the Camino português in late June 2024. I heard someone interviewed on the Camino Cafe podcast who had started in a town outside of Porto (San Miguel de [something] if I recall correctly). I can't find the episode. Does anyone know? We specifically want to avoid the road/highway parts bear Porto.

Side note: we're probably walking the Central to Variante Espiritual. If we have time and energy we may walk back on the Costal.
The AirPorto Hostel is less than a 10 minute walk from Porto Airport. You can start the Coastal or Central routes from there and avoid Porto completely.
 
Hello, my husband and I plan to walk the Camino português in late June 2024. I heard someone interviewed on the Camino Cafe podcast who had started in a town outside of Porto (San Miguel de [something] if I recall correctly). I can't find the episode. Does anyone know? We specifically want to avoid the road/highway parts bear Porto.

Side note: we're probably walking the Central to Variante Espiritual. If we have time and energy we may walk back on the Costal.
Here is the link to the AirPorto hostel
on Booking.com! https://www.booking.com/Share-2t1KH0
 
3rd Edition. More content, training & pack guides avoid common mistakes, bed bugs etc
Unless you are pressed for time, I don't know why anyone would skip the walk from the Porto cathedral, down the river to the coast, up the coast through Matoshinos and then north of Porto take the cuutoff over to the Central. I found this walk down the river and up the coast out of Porto quite lovely and enjoyable. I say don't skip it....I guarantee you will not regret it.
Totally agree. Porto is a fantastic place and maybe one of Europes best kept secrets! Everyone I know who goes there gives it a fantastic review, and say how suprised they were. Plenty of things to do within a 50km radius too so it you can spare a few days…

Funnily enough my first Camino… I flew to Porto just to stay in Porto for a while (it was June 2020 during the Covid issue and Portugal was open to UK folks). Had a lovely few days there, realised there was a Camino going north so I did it on a whim. Ironically had to go slow as border with Spain didn’t open until 01 July!

It’s a great Camino whichever route you choose but I would be loathe to avoid Porto!
 
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Why avoid Porto?
Not everyone enjoys walking through suburbs, let alone liking large cities. I certainly don't, though typically I walk through them anyway (sigh ... ) o_O

Ended up sleeping outside in the rain in Porto when I walked through last year, Albergues all completo and couldn't afford otherwise. Plus it was very late, and the likelihood is that all other alternatives were full too -- it was the height of the tourist + Caminho season !! Though my big regret was that the fish & chips place on the way out of town was closed because of Monday or something. Curses !! Don't live in the UK nor on the French Channel coast, so I can get them almost never ...

At least my money came in overnight, and there was an ATM 5 metres from my sleeping spot in the morning. Choose your rough sleepings wisely !!
 
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Ideal sleeping bag liner whether we want to add a thermal plus to our bag, or if we want to use it alone to sleep in shelters or hostels. Thanks to its mummy shape, it adapts perfectly to our body.

€46,-
We wouldn't skip Porto as a destination, we love it! Just wanting to avoid the dangerous exit route we'd heard about (and now understand is only if we were starting the Central route directly from Porto).
 
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Just to be clear, the central route out of Porto is the horrible one; do the coastal route instead. It has this lovely start at the cathedral and then down to the river. It feels such a natural way to leave the city too, just following the river out to the ocean and head north.
 
Just to be clear, the central route out of Porto is the horrible one
Nice & its suburbs and Marseilles are worse.

At least the central route out of Porto leads to a great Albergue !! (And there are many places to stop for refreshment if you get bored.)
 
...and ship it to Santiago for storage. You pick it up once in Santiago. Service offered by Casa Ivar (we use DHL for transportation).
Nice & its suburbs and Marseilles are worse.

Lol! That's laying the bar very low.

True about the albergue, although it was closed in november during covid times (as a lot were).

I just loved walking out to the ocean, and having a lovely coffee watching the waves come in.
 
Just to be clear, the central route out of Porto is the horrible one; do the coastal route instead. It has this lovely start at the cathedral and then down to the river. It feels such a natural way to leave the city too, just following the river out to the ocean and head north.
Technically, it is the Senda Litoral route out of Porto that follows the river to the ocean and heads north. The Coastal route heads directly north (like the Central) and reaches the coast at Vila do Conde.

The names of the different routes north of Porto can be confusing. The Coastal isn't always on the coast. That's the Senda Litoral.
 

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