I walked the way you are describing in January and loved the boardwalks by the coast, so I definitely recommend the Senada Littoral. Be careful around the port area (Laixos), though—I got lost and ended up walking an extra 6-7 km, which made for a very long first day. I highly recommend the...
Yes, it seems like the private albergues that stay open drop their rates in the winter (this one was EUR 12 from Easter through September) while the public ones do not, so the economic argument for staying in the public places is much weaker.
Met a Hungarian pilgrim in Padrón who did the coastal route plus the spiritual variant from Pontevedra. She said none of the albergues were open on the spiritual variant, so she stayed once at a hotel, and once she called the albergue and got them to open just for her. The boat for the last...
I met a Dutch pilgrim in Pontevedra who had just come from the coast, and she also said she had hardly met anyone on the way. So perhaps it is not so much that there are more pilgrims on the coast in winter, as that there are fewer on the central. I was the only pilgrim at all three of the...
Currently at the municipal albergue in Padrón. Fairly nice facilities with hot showers, but no refrigerator. However, the stone building is a bit chilly, so I put my yogurt in the windowsill and will hope for the best. There is good WiFi and a handicapped-accessible room.
Met a Hungarian...
Currently walking the CP central, after doing the first day and a half out of Porto on the coast (came across from Vila do Conde to Rates). If you want to meet other pilgrims, definitely do the coastal—I met five pilgrims at the albergue in Labruge the first night, and then no more till Rubiães...
Walking in winter, I sleep in a pair of lightweight thermal underwear—I got them at 32 Degrees, and they’re so soft and cozy, plus opaque enough to wear in mixed company! (I do wear a bra underneath.) I brought a hiking skirt to wear over the long underwear when hanging around the albergue/going...
I have always detested the look of Crocs, but I finally bought a pair to take while walking the CP in January, and they’re probably the most important thing in my pack. I wear them in the shower, because the unheated tile floors are freezing, and then put on wool socks to wear with them around...
Currently walking the CP central. Municipal albergues are open, but the ones in Spain seem not to have blankets, so you will definitely want a sleeping bag. The going rate is EUR 8. None so far have a washer or dryer, just hand laundry—this is a problem, because clothes washed by hand do not dry...
Yes, I think a whistle would have been effective in this situation, and I will probably carry one if I walk alone again. I agree that most exhibitionists are non-violent, and I perceived this man to be more of a nuisance than an actual threat—I probably would have responded differently if I felt...
I had read about similar incidents on the CP, but most of them were close to Lisbon, and the general consensus seemed to be it was safe for women to walk alone above Porto. That’s one reason I decided to post the story—seems no place is really safe from this stuff 😢
For the purposes of this forum, I might add that I think one of the most important things I did was to get the locals involved, rather than calling the police myself directly. This was more accidental than intentional: I just wanted the waitress to tell me where the police station was so I could...
In case anyone is interested in the process of making a police report while walking the CP: I stayed at the cafe for more than an hour waiting for the police to show up—the cafe owner assured me that this is normal in Portugal. I finally got tired of waiting, so I gave my phone number to the...
I had an unpleasant encounter yesterday morning while walking from Barcelos to Casa da Fernanda. It took place between Vila Boa and Lijó, at the place where the path goes toward the forest after crossing the railroad tracks. A man emerged from the forest and sat on the stone marker with the...
Greetings, Winterwalker! I am also a first-time pilgrim planning a New Year's camino from Porto, though it sounds like I will be a few days behind you--I arrive in Porto the evening of Jan. 2, will take a day to recover from jet lag and see the city a bit, and then start walking on Jan. 4. I...
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