I have the Resmed CPAP with water chamber and used it throughout our Camino. I had our luggage transfer service transport it in its carrying case seperately along with the rest of our luggage (in other words I did not put it in my suitcase). It worked out fine with little if any extra cost and...
We used Camino Facil, https://caminofacil.net/en/, in both Portugal and Spain. They were great. Go to their webpage to select your next day's destination and they have a dropdown box for almost all lodging along the Camino. We placed our backpacks in the lodging common area by 9 AM each...
We switched to the central route at Caminha on our pilgrimage last year and did not regret it. The pilgrimage visitors center in Viana de Castelo has an excellent map displaying the options. The walk along the River Minho is quite pleasant and Valenca and Tui are quite interesting mid-sized...
For a great rest day consider taking the ferry to the Cies Islands National Park which is accessible by ferry from Baiona or Vigo. We took a special rest day in Vigo to see them and they are beautiful and worth seeing. The number of visitors are limited so you need to get reservations both to...
Though sock liners add very little weight, I would jettison them and add one more pair of socks ( therefore you would have one to wear, one that is drying from being washed and one in reserve). You want your feet to breathe and the Darn Tough hiking socks are an excellent choice to allow that...
Consider taking the ferry from Baiona to the Cies Islands National Park. They are beautiful and the number of visitors are limited each day, so you have to get reservations in advance. I also highly recommend Viana do Castelo.
We walked the Coastal Camino in late September and after an exhausting day getting to Esposende, we opted the next day to take an Uber to Viana do Castelo and had a free day to explore that delightful town. We were then refreshed to continue on the coastal route to Caminha (another delightful...
You've got the right idea for the WHW by having arranging accommodations and baggage transfer along the route. Having walked both the Camino Portuguese and WHW the WHW is much tougher and services are fewer and farther between accommodations. Having said that they are both wonderful paths in...
If you don't speak Spanish see if there is an English speaking tour, as the views and architecture are great, but we didn't understand what the guide had to say, and therefore it became pretty boring.
I also endorse others' suggestions of starting your walk from the Cathedral in Porto along the Douro River. It is a nice easy walk and it is special to see the mouth of the river as it enters the Atlantic.
You may want to consider skipping walking to Vigo and take a bus from Baiona. Vigo is a big city with a lot of big city walking without the ambiance of the coastal route.
Like others have mentioned Vigo is a large city with a metropolitan area of several hundred thousand people. We enjoyed the city. It has a nice old quarter and central shopping district with good restaurants, but nothing that other large Spanish cities don't have. Our reason for spending an...
We had nearly the same itinerary last year at approximately the same time of year. We spent an extra day in Vigo and took a ferry to the Cies Islands National Park, which were spectacular. They limit the number of visitors each day and you must get reservations in advance. Google them and you...
The trail is on the south side of the river, which is the same side of the river as Caminha and Valenca. You can either walk straight from Caminha to Valenca or Tui, but there is also an intermediate town after Caminha, Vila Nova de Cerviera that has lodging. Valenca has a really interesting...
There is a very nice 12-mile EcoTrail - "Ecopista do rio Minho," along the Rio Minho that starts after Caminha and runs to Valenca and beyond. It is not an "official" Camino way-marked variant, but I read about it being described as a nicer alternative to the "official" Camino which runs along...
We took the above recommended route along the southern side of the Rio Minho from Caminha to Valenca and Tui and were very happy we did. It was scenic and fairly flat. Having been in Vigo separately I am glad we didn’t have to walk through what is basically a huge metropolitan region. Also...
We stayed at the Litos al Alojamento Local in Caminha this past September. It’s right on the Camino as you enter Caminha from the south, though about a kilometer from the town center. It’s a small apartment hotel with adjoining bakery, which made for an excellent breakfast. Our lodging was...
We arrived in Santiago on a Wednesday early last month and went to the cathedral where my wife asked one of the security people when the botafumeiro might be swinging. He indicated that it was to swing the following morning at the 9:30 mass. We arrived before 9 AM and got seats practically in...
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