Camino in reverse?

[HeatherA]

Hello All,

I’m not sure if this is a sin against the Camino, but I just finished my walk to Santiago and I have a little extra time, and I was thinking of walking the Portuguese costal route, but in reverse from Tui towards Porto where I have a flight.
Has anyone done this? Is it terrible hard to follow the arrows in reverse? Also, I do not have access to google maps when I am walking, but do have a guide book and offline map.

Thoughts? Thanks in advance!

 

[RumAndChupacabras]

Check out the route to Fatima. The arrows are blue. Buen Camino
Here's a start...

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/walking-from-santiago-de-compstela-to-fatima.51731/

 

[NorthernLight]

Many people do the route in reverse, or round trip, particularly the Portuguese. From Tui, cross the Eiffel-designed bridge to Valenca. From Valenca, there is a green trail that follows the river to Caminha, keeping river to your right, and then the trail is marked to Porto, keeping the ocean to your right. It'not the historic camino, but it is beautiful, serviced and a relaxing way to ease out of pilgrim mode. You'll meet pilgrims on their way.

The green trail is also a recreation trail.

Map.me -download the map for Portugal and it works offline - will actually show you where services are.

 

[HeatherA]

Check out the route to Fatima. The arrows are blue. Buen Camino
Here's a start...

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/walking-from-santiago-de-compstela-to-fatima.51731/

Yes! I knew about Fatima, but wasn’t sure if there are blue arrows on the Camino da Costa as well.

 

[HeatherA]

Many people do the route in reverse, or round trip, particularly the Portuguese. From Tui, cross the Eiffel-designed bridge to Valenca. From Valenca, there is a green trail that follows the river to Caminha, keeping river to your right, and then the trail is marked to Porto, keeping the ocean to your right. It'not the historic camino, but it is beautiful, serviced and a relaxing way to ease out of pilgrim mode. You'll meet pilgrims on their way.

The green trail is also a recreation trail.

Map.me -download the map for Portugal and it works offline - will actually show you where services are.

Cool! Yes that’s what I want, just a nice relaxing walk. So I’m not the first one to have this idea!

 

[Deleted member 73526]

I won't claim this as my own joke - Credit where credit is due.

!onimaC neuB¡

 

[NorthernLight]

I did the same thing after my last camino. Tui and Valenca are both sweet spots.

There is a train that runs along the trail to Caminha, so you have the option to skip bits. And from Caminha to Porto, there are regular buses between villages. The metro subway system for Porto starts at Pavoa da Varzim. So, options.

 

[Jan_D]

So I’m not the first one to have this idea!

In the "old days" people used to walk to Santiago and then back home again, so you're joining a very ancient tradition of reverse walkers. Obviously a bit less common these days, and be prepared for every pilgrim you pass in the opposite direction to say, "you're going the wrong way!" or "Santiago's THAT way!" (well that's been my experience while reverse-walking... but might be different in Portugal due to Fatima).

 

[Bend]

Hello All,

I’m not sure if this is a sin against the Camino, but I just finished my walk to Santiago and I have a little extra time, and I was thinking of walking the Portuguese costal route, but in reverse from Tui towards Porto where I have a flight.
Has anyone done this? Is it terrible hard to follow the arrows in reverse? Also, I do not have access to google maps when I am walking, but do have a guide book and offline map.

Thoughts? Thanks in advance!
[/QUOTc

In the "old days" people used to walk to Santiago and then back home again, so you're joining a very ancient tradition of reverse walkers. Obviously a bit less common these days, and be prepared for every pilgrim you pass in the opposite direction to say, "you're going the wrong way!" or "Santiago's THAT way!" (well that's been my experience while reverse-walking... but might be different in Portugal due to Fatima).

In the "old days" people used to walk to Santiago and then back home again, so you're joining a very ancient tradition of reverse walkers. Obviously a bit less common these days, and be prepared for every pilgrim you pass in the opposite direction to say, "you're going the wrong way!" or "Santiago's THAT way!" (well that's been my experience while reverse-walking... but might be different in Portugal due to Fatima).

Je

Hello All,

I’m not sure if this is a sin against the Camino, but I just finished my walk to Santiago and I have a little extra time, and I was thinking of walking the Portuguese costal route, but in reverse from Tui towards Porto where I have a flight.
Has anyone done this? Is it terrible hard to follow the arrows in reverse? Also, I do not have access to google maps when I am walking, but do have a guide book and offline map.

Thoughts? Thanks in advance!

Yellow arrows easy to read either direction but official Camino signs only point towards those going north. Guidebook and maps will be helpful. Good luck and bom camino !

 

[Kevin Considine]

In 2015 I walked SJPP TO Muxia and had extra time and walked to Tui. In 2016 I walked to Santiago from LePuy en Velay via SJPP and then walked from Santiago to Porto. Very nice walk. A bit difficult as you have to follow arrows in reverse and I got lost a few times. There are spots with the blue arrows for Fatima but it is still a bit more difficult. Probably a good idea to get a GPS for this one. I would do so if going in reverse again. I did the inland route until the last day where I went over to the coast. On the coast it is obviously easier as you just keep the sea to your right. Another thing is just about everyone else is going the other way so you have a more difficult time connecting with people but learn to do so quickly. I prefer following the routes TO Santiago but still enjoyable. Buen Camino. Also, not that many people make comments to you about going wrong way.

 

[Pilger99]

and be prepared for every pilgrim you pass in the opposite direction to say, "you're going the wrong way!" or "Santiago's THAT way!" ...

It is different on the way to/from Fatima! I'd have had some lonely days between Porto and Lisbon, if I haven't seen others walking to Fatima. In that area you still stop for a chat, while north of Porto the communication on the trail slows down, because the numbers grow. If someone is searching for directions and the blue or yellow arrows are somehow hidden you usually greet and point in the right direction (both know how they get to the place so is works). It's only misleading for whose who really lost the way, but these usually ask for confirmation.

The functionaries at Santiago don't like the Fatima pilgrimage very much and vice versa. So you have to walk a bit outside of the old centre before you can see the first blue arrow. There are at least on the CPor central.
Along the coastal route I hardly saw blue arrows, but many who walked towards Porto/Fatima. As long as the Camino is near the coast your direction will be obvious. Same along the Miño/Minho river. The marked Santiago trail is a bit more south there, passing the villages (and churches).
You can't find blue arrows for Ponte de Lima - Braga - Porto. This route is rarely used towards Santiago (which is well marked) but nobody spend effort in marking it towards Fatima.

 

[Depinho]

Hello All,

I’m not sure if this is a sin against the Camino, but I just finished my walk to Santiago and I have a little extra time, and I was thinking of walking the Portuguese costal route, but in reverse from Tui towards Porto where I have a flight.
Has anyone done this? Is it terrible hard to follow the arrows in reverse? Also, I do not have access to google maps when I am walking, but do have a guide book and offline map.

Thoughts? Thanks in advance!
[/QUOT

 

[Depinho]

Hello All,

I’m not sure if this is a sin against the Camino, but I just finished my walk to Santiago and I have a little extra time, and I was thinking of walking the Portuguese costal route, but in reverse from Tui towards Porto where I have a flight.
Has anyone done this? Is it terrible hard to follow the arrows in reverse? Also, I do not have access to google maps when I am walking, but do have a guide book and offline map.

Thoughts? Thanks in advance!

tem suitors Pellegrino

Hello All,

I’m not sure if this is a sin against the Camino, but I just finished my walk to Santiago and I have a little extra time, and I was thinking of walking the Portuguese costal route, but in reverse from Tui towards Porto where I have a flight.
Has anyone done this? Is it terrible hard to follow the arrows in reverse? Also, I do not have access to google maps when I am walking, but do have a guide book and offline map.

Thoughts? Thanks in advance!

 

[Depinho]

tem suitors Pellegrino

 

[Depinho]

Cool! Yes that’s what I want, just a nice relaxing walk. So I’m not the first one to have this idea!

E vulgar, muitos peregrinos fazem o caminho em sentido contrario, quer em direcçao so Porto quer para sul. O Caminho inverso está marcado com setas azuis. Sem problemas

 

[Mary Doogan]

Just about to do the same - how did you get on?