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Coastal Route Option

WanderingNotLost

Director of Mirth & Merriment for the Cosmos
Time of past OR future Camino
Lost count. I'm addicted.
Though I have personally never walked along the coast past Vila do Conde, I've pulled together from various sources the following 11 day walk from Porto to Santiago for anyone interested.

In April 2013 when I walked from Lisbon, after 13 straight days of non-stop ark building rain and complete solitude, I decided to turn inland in search of equally insane pilgrims.

Returning to Porto to begin walking to Muxia on June 26. If it's not raining again I might choose to follow this route. I'm not really concerned with staying on track from Porto to Caminha. Keep the ocean on the left. My only question is in regards to way-marking from Caminha to Valenca. Any insight that can be provided by someone who has walked this segment would be greatly appreciated

(all distances & times are estimates)

Day 1: Porto – Vila do Conde (34 km / 21 Miles – 7/8 hours)

Follow the river out of Porto to the ocean, then keep the ocean on your left to Vila do Conde. Enjoy the views and the ease under foot of the boardwalks.

* variety of sleeping options


Day 2: Vila do Conde - Esposende (25,5 km / 15,8 Miles – 5/6 hours)

Start in Vila do Conde crossing the town through the historic centre and in a couple of miles you will reach the Povoa de Varzim a popular town strongly linked with the ocean. You will continue to head north along the coast crossing the Coastal Natural Park and the Cavado river in the direction to Esposende, an old fishing village with a great setting on the estuary of the River Cavado.
* Hostal as you cross the river and another by the old fort.

Day 3: Esposende – Viana do Castelo (23 km / 14,4 Miles – 4/5 hours)

You leave Esposende walking along the cycle-track and continue to hug the coast as you travel north admiring the views and the peace of the route. You will visit the villages of Marinhas, Belinho, Neiva and Darque until reaching the historic town of Viana do Castelo through the Eifell's old iron bridge over the River Lima.
* lots of options including youth hostel

Day 4: Viana do Castelo - Caminha (28,5 km / 17,7 Miles – 6/7 hours)

In this stage you will leave Viana do Castelo and enter in a world of “old farms. You will cross the villages of Areosa, Afife and Carreço walking through old narrow roads that split several 19th Century farmhouses. Continue until the old fishing village of Ancora and from there follow the coastline until you reach the secular Caminha.
*Albergue, hostals, tourist office has list

Day 5: Caminha – Vila Nova de Cerveira (15 km / 9 Miles – 3 hours)

Leave the medieval town of Caminha crossing the bridge over the river Coura. In this stage you will walk north following the river Minho. You walk through the famous villages of Seixas and Lanhelas. The short climb to Gondarem is rewarded with an astonishing view over the river and the Spanish territory across river. It is an easy walk to Vila Nova de Cerveira,.
* numerous options for places to stay

Day 6: Vila Nova de Cerveira - Tui (18 km / 11 Miles – 4 hours)

Leave the old town of Cerveira following the valley of the river Minho, passing the villages of Campos and São Pedro da Torre through fields and brushwoods until reaching the fortified town of Valença where you pickup the Portuguese Central way to Santiago.
* Many Options. See Brierley guide

Day 7: Tui – Redondela (32km / 20 miles – 7 hours) Brierley guide

Day 8: Rodondela – Pontevedra (20km / 12 miles – 4 hours) Brierley guide

Day 9: Pontevedra – Caldas de Reis (22km / 14 miles – 5 hours) Brierley guide

Day 10: Caldas de Reis – Padron (18km / 11 miles – 4 hours) Brierley guide

Day 11: Padron – Santiago (25km / 16 miles – 6 hours)


Peace and Love,

Craig
 
...and ship it to Santiago for storage. You pick it up once in Santiago. Service offered by Casa Ivar (we use DHL for transportation).
Though I have personally never walked along the coast past Vila do Conde, I've pulled together from various sources the following 11 day walk from Porto to Santiago for anyone interested.

In April 2013 when I walked from Lisbon, after 13 straight days of non-stop ark building rain and complete solitude, I decided to turn inland in search of equally insane pilgrims.

Returning to Porto to begin walking to Muxia on June 26. If it's not raining again I might choose to follow this route. I'm not really concerned with staying on track from Porto to Caminha. Keep the ocean on the left. My only question is in regards to way-marking from Caminha to Valenca. Any insight that can be provided by someone who has walked this segment would be greatly appreciated

(all distances & times are estimates)

Day 1: Porto – Vila do Conde (34 km / 21 Miles – 7/8 hours)

Follow the river out of Porto to the ocean, then keep the ocean on your left to Vila do Conde. Enjoy the views and the ease under foot of the boardwalks.

* variety of sleeping options


Day 2: Vila do Conde - Esposende (25,5 km / 15,8 Miles – 5/6 hours)

Start in Vila do Conde crossing the town through the historic centre and in a couple of miles you will reach the Povoa de Varzim a popular town strongly linked with the ocean. You will continue to head north along the coast crossing the Coastal Natural Park and the Cavado river in the direction to Esposende, an old fishing village with a great setting on the estuary of the River Cavado.
* Hostal as you cross the river and another by the old fort.

Day 3: Esposende – Viana do Castelo (23 km / 14,4 Miles – 4/5 hours)

You leave Esposende walking along the cycle-track and continue to hug the coast as you travel north admiring the views and the peace of the route. You will visit the villages of Marinhas, Belinho, Neiva and Darque until reaching the historic town of Viana do Castelo through the Eifell's old iron bridge over the River Lima.
* lots of options including youth hostel

Day 4: Viana do Castelo - Caminha (28,5 km / 17,7 Miles – 6/7 hours)

In this stage you will leave Viana do Castelo and enter in a world of “old farms. You will cross the villages of Areosa, Afife and Carreço walking through old narrow roads that split several 19th Century farmhouses. Continue until the old fishing village of Ancora and from there follow the coastline until you reach the secular Caminha.
*Albergue, hostals, tourist office has list

Day 5: Caminha – Vila Nova de Cerveira (15 km / 9 Miles – 3 hours)

Leave the medieval town of Caminha crossing the bridge over the river Coura. In this stage you will walk north following the river Minho. You walk through the famous villages of Seixas and Lanhelas. The short climb to Gondarem is rewarded with an astonishing view over the river and the Spanish territory across river. It is an easy walk to Vila Nova de Cerveira,.
* numerous options for places to stay

Day 6: Vila Nova de Cerveira - Tui (18 km / 11 Miles – 4 hours)

Leave the old town of Cerveira following the valley of the river Minho, passing the villages of Campos and São Pedro da Torre through fields and brushwoods until reaching the fortified town of Valença where you pickup the Portuguese Central way to Santiago.
* Many Options. See Brierley guide

Day 7: Tui – Redondela (32km / 20 miles – 7 hours) Brierley guide

Day 8: Rodondela – Pontevedra (20km / 12 miles – 4 hours) Brierley guide

Day 9: Pontevedra – Caldas de Reis (22km / 14 miles – 5 hours) Brierley guide

Day 10: Caldas de Reis – Padron (18km / 11 miles – 4 hours) Brierley guide

Day 11: Padron – Santiago (25km / 16 miles – 6 hours)


Peace and Love,

Craig
In Viana do Castelo we had a nice experiences in hostal/pensão o Laranjeiro
-not hotel O Laranjeiro-that is a different one- the owners Helena and her husband -themselves walked various caminos and are very helpfull towards peregrinos. They have an excellent restaurant which looks very cosy too.

We chose to continue the coast past Caminha by crossing the Minho river to La Guardia by fishingboat because the ferry did not sail due to low tide.

la Guardia is an old fisherman's village ,an albergue and lots of hostals and hotels.
From there you pass Oia and the beautifull medieval town of Baiona before you reach Vigo. From there you hit the town of Redondela.
When you walk 3 kms on to Cesantes there is the great refusio de Jerezana.
Very nices owner Marie who serves you a nice dinner. Far better than the huge albergue in Redondela
https://www.facebook.com/pages/O-Refuxio-De-la-Jerezana/727438757316819
 
In Viana do Castelo we had a nice experiences in hostal/pensão o Laranjeiro
-not hotel O Laranjeiro-that is a different one- the owners Helena and her husband -themselves walked various caminos and are very helpfull towards peregrinos. They have an excellent restaurant which looks very cosy too....

Glad to learn that you enjoyed the hostal O Laranjeiro! I spent the week before last Christmas there and loved it. Great room with a view, good inexpensive food and very kind owners. Perfect!
 
Get a spanish phone number with Airalo. eSim, so no physical SIM card. Easy to use app to add more funds if needed.
I walked from Caminha to Valenca last May. The people in the Viana district pilgrims group are very dedicated to the people who walk through their country.

I used the Frexio map, but rarely pulled it out. The waymarking is good, although I did question whether the arrow pointing up the front stairs of a house was accurate. I felt foolish to have doubted when I got to the top and saw the path going around to the side of the house and a St James plaque in the garden.
 
The 2024 Camino guides will be coming out little by little. Here is a collection of the ones that are out so far.
I walked from Caminha to Valenca last May. The people in the Viana district pilgrims group are very dedicated to the people who walk through their country.

I used the Frexio map, but rarely pulled it out. The waymarking is good, although I did question whether the arrow pointing up the front stairs of a house was accurate. I felt foolish to have doubted when I got to the top and saw the path going around to the side of the house and a St James plaque in the garden.


Utgaard, I used Google Earth to try and get an idea of terrain between Caminha and Valenca. Looks like it is mostly road / tarmac. Am I seeing this correctly? Is there at least a bit of a buffer along any roadside? Any information you can provide regarding this leg would be greatly appreciated.

Also what is your opinion on breaking the leg up with a stay in Vila Nova de Cerveira?
 
Utgaard, I used Google Earth to try and get an idea of terrain between Caminha and Valenca. Looks like it is mostly road / tarmac. Am I seeing this correctly? Is there at least a bit of a buffer along any roadside? Any information you can provide regarding this leg would be greatly appreciated.

Also what is your opinion on breaking the leg up with a stay in Vila Nova de Cerveira?

Yes, it is mostly pavement between Caminha and Valenca. A lot of it is smaller roads and lanes. I don't recall many areas that had buffers you could walk on. It became quite a slog the last few km into Valenca.

I would stop at Vila Nova de Cerveira if I did this section again. I felt fine when I got into VNdC, I felt fine after I stopped for lunch just after town, but somewhere between there and Valenca I got tired. I stopped for breaks and snacks, but was still tired and it was late when I got to the albergue and I didn't get out to explore the fort or city. Most of the pilgrims who came up the Central Route left for dinner while I was in the shower or doing laundry so I didn't get the social time I was hoping for.
 

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