Camino Portugués

[JuanCarlosPR]

I will begin my Camino in Valenca do Minho or Tui on Wednesday, August 28. I am from Puerto Rico and so far, will walk alone. If anyone will be around there by then, please let me know.
Juan Carlos Ortega-Puerto Rico-juancarlospr@aol.com

 

[Albertinho]

I will begin my Camino in Valenca do Minho or Tui on Wednesday, August 28. I am from Puerto Rico and so far, will walk alone. If anyone will be around there by then, please let me know.
Juan Carlos Ortega-Puerto Rico-juancarlospr@aol.com

Bom caminho Juan Carlos. I suggest to start in Valença so you will have a nice walk over the famous bridge over the Minho river. Mind that there is an one hour time difference between Portugal and Spain Portugal is one hour earlier.
Valença has a nice medieval fortaleza ,overviewing the river and the bridge .

 

[JuanCarlosPR]

I noticed that my e-mail address got wrong here. It is juancarlospr@aol.com

 

[Magwood]

Juan Carlos, I wish you a fabulous journey and support Albertinho's recommendation to start in Valença - the bridge is amazing. Bom caminho

 

[JuanCarlosPR]

I will!!! Thanks to you both for the advice. My journey will start in Valenca do Minho on Wednesday, August 27, a couple kilometers in the Portugal side before getting to the bridge. That way I can say that I visited Portugal.

 

[Albertinho]

You won't regret it Juan Carlos. Portugal is such a nice country
We just are back a week ago and stayed three weeks in Portugal.

Nice people, nice scenery. nice food !

Bom caminho

 

[michryan]

I can't wait till I start my Portuguese way at the end of Sept. Getting on count down. )

 

[Albertinho]

I can't wait till I start my Portuguese way at the end of Sept. Getting on count down. )

Enjoy it. Where do you start ?

 

[MichaelSG]

I'm starting from Lisbon in exactly 8 weeks. Time moves too slowly sometimes!

 

[Albertinho]

I'm starting from Lisbon in exactly 8 weeks. Time moves too slowly sometimes!

Bom caminho. Beautiful walk from Lisbon. Don't forget to stop at the albergue in Santarèm. Great place to be. Highlight. The Christo Convent in Tomar. We forgot to visit it last year but a month ago we didbeautiful.

 

[michryan]

Enjoy it. Where do you start ?

I will be starting from Lisbon.

 

[Albertinho]

I will be starting from Lisbon.

Okay. We did the same last year. Day 3 is a dangerous day.. Walking alongside a busy road from Alverca de Ribatejo to Azambuja. We skipped it and took the train. If you do take a safetyvest with you so you can be seen
Nice place ,worth to be visited..Coimbra, Porto, Braga(make a detour by bus from Barcelos and visit the beautiful church of Bom Jesus do Monte )
Nice places to sleep..the albergue in Santarèm, the albergue just outside Mealhada (albergue Hilário) the casa Diocesana just outside Albergaría -a-Velha ,casa da Fernanda in Vitorino dos Piaês the best of the caminho Portuges. Between Barcelos and Ponte de Lima
Great hostals too if you prefer them,specially in Spain. If you want them send me a pm.
Bom caminho

 

[michryan]

Okay. We did the same last year. Day 3 is a dangerous day.. Walking alongside a busy road from Alverca de Ribatejo to Azambuja. We skipped it and took the train. If you do take a safetyvest with you so you can be seenView attachment 11319
Nice place ,worth to be visited..Coimbra, Porto, Braga(make a detour by bus from Barcelos and visit the beautiful church of Bom Jesus do Monte )
Nice places to sleep..the albergue in Santarèm, the albergue just outside Mealhada (albergue Hilário) the casa Diocesana just outside Albergaría -a-Velha ,casa da Fernanda in Vitorino dos Piaês the best of the caminho Portuges. Between Barcelos and Ponte de Lima
Great hostals too if you prefer them,specially in Spain. If you want them send me a pm.
Bom caminho

Thankyou Albertinho. I will note down for day 3. I heard that coming out of Porto was dangerous as well. Thought I might take the coast onwards from Porto. See how it goes. Would love any recommendations of Albergues to stay. I was planning on putting safety threads on my pack. Hate walking the roads but unfortunately it's part of the way. I've made note of those places above that you suggested. Thanks.

 

[Albertinho]

Take the coastal out of Porto from the center or from Matosinhos (metrostop Mercado starts at the bridge where the detour due to John Brietley's guide start. We did the same last year. Go to Vila do Conde and than inland to São Pedro de Rates where is a nice alberge. from Rates you!ll follow the arrows to Barcelos. Nice route.

 

[Albertinho]

From Porto it is easy to find the albergues. From Lisbon they are not everywhere but ask in Santarèm. Antonio (give him our regards) works together with 3 other albergues on the route .

 

[michryan]

Take the coastal out of Porto from the center or from Matosinhos (metrostop Mercado starts at the bridge where the detour due to John Brietley's guide start. We did the same last year. Go to Vila do Conde and than inland to São Pedro de Rates where is a nice alberge. from Rates you!ll follow the arrows to Barcelos. Nice route.

Thankyou I was just looking at the map trying to work that out. Thanks again

 

[Albertinho]

Look back on this forum. A lot of information about this matter some month ago a.o from Diogo92 and. Peregrina2000. From me you also find a lot and off course from many others. Great forum to get your information from

 

[michryan]

Look back on this forum. A lot of information about this matter some month ago a.o from Diogo92 and. Peregrina2000. From me you also find a lot and off course from many others. Great forum to get your information from

I will. It's helped me loads so far. I love reading the forum the only problem is it makes me want to be out on the camino 24/7.

 

[Albertinho]

A good preparation on beforehand helps you out the best.we prepared the caminho Portuges during one year, training,reading,asking
The camiño Ingles earlier this year took us 3 months preps and we are allready busy with preps for May next year, walking the caminho Portuges da Costa. We even visited some places during our Portugese holidays in last May and June to see what it is like and what we can expect.

 

[Albertinho]

I will. It's helped me loads so far. I love reading the forum the only problem is it makes me want to be out on the camino 24/7.

I think it is not a problem but a,nice looking forward to your departure within a couple of days
We only can look back, editing the videos I made during our last camiño in May past and have to wait another year before we can start again so it allways can be worse !

And you have time (I hope for you ) to hang about on this great forum to find all the interesting information you want., that's the fun on beforehand. So you are in a lucky position.congrats !

Bom caminho

 

[rfoz11]

My husband and I completed our Camino de Portugues da Costa last week (our first Camino) and started from Matosinhos along the coast all the way to Caminha.
We took the train from Porto as we were concerned about the busy highway and we were happy we did as two other pilgrims said they wished they had listened to others' advice as it was a harrowing experience navigating thru the traffic. It was a beautiful walk along the coast and there were a couple of inns and albergues that we would recommend: the youth hostel in Fao and the albergues in Marinhas and Povoa de Varzim. We went inland from Caminha to Valenca and agree that going thru the old fortress in Valenca and crossing the bridge to Tui was a beautiful experience.
We love our first Camino, wished we had not brought some of the things we did and actually got rid of a few clothes and things along the way. Now, we know what to bring for the next time.

 

[Albertinho]

My husband and I completed our Camino de Portugues da Costa last week (our first Camino) and started from Matosinhos along the coast all the way to Caminha.
We took the train from Porto as we were concerned about the busy highway and we were happy we did as two other pilgrims said they wished they had listened to others' advice as it was a harrowing experience navigating thru the traffic. It was a beautiful walk along the coast and there were a couple of inns and albergues that we would recommend: the youth hostel in Fao and the albergues in Marinhas and Povoa de Varzim. We went inland from Caminha to Valenca and agree that going thru the old fortress in Valenca and crossing the bridge to Tui was a beautiful experience.
We love our first Camino, wished we had not brought some of the things we did and actually got rid of a few clothes and things along the way. Now, we know what to bring for the next time.

congratulations !
By the way, did you see the ferry sailing from Caminha to a Guarda ?
A lot of walkers are interested in this info because the ferry was out of order for some months due to maintainance but sailing again, it saves an extra detour from 25 kms to get in a Guarda to continue to walk along the coast .
When I was in Caminha and aGuarda last May the ferry was on a shipswharf.

 

[rfoz11]

Albertinho, no we did not see it. We decided to go inland and join the traditional route to experience meeting more pilgrims. We found not as many pilgrims on the coast which was great when it came to lodgings. However, we enjoyed meeting more pilgrims on the Tui to Campostela route and even got to exchange emails with some of them. We had a mini-reunion on the steps of the Santiago cathedral; it was quite touching when we saw each other at the pilgrims' mass.

 

[Albertinho]

Albertinho, no we did not see it. We decided to go inland and join the traditional route to experience meeting more pilgrims. We found not as many pilgrims on the coast which was great when it came to lodgings. However, we enjoyed meeting more pilgrims on the Tui to Campostela route and even got to exchange emails with some of them. We had a mini-reunion on the steps of the Santiago cathedral; it was quite touching when we saw each other at the pilgrims' mass.

It could have been possible because walking in the direction of Valença in Caminha to the outskirts you allmost pass the dock of the ferry and could be possible someone in an albergue talked about it because the ferry is the link to the next place on the Portuges da Costa route.

You are right you meet more other people on the inland route. My wife and I walked from Lisbon to Santiago last year and the best part were we met other pilgrims was after Barcelos at casa da Fernanda , the best place to meet pilgrims and get the real caminho feeling.

The camiño connects people.

Thanks anyway for answering. I have to find out in a different way if the ferry is sailing again.

Best regards

Albertinho

 

[Bezotz]

I will begin my Camino in Valenca do Minho or Tui on Wednesday, August 28. I am from Puerto Rico and so far, will walk alone. If anyone will be around there by then, please let me know.
Juan Carlos Ortega-Puerto Rico-juancarlospr@aol.com

My father and I will be leaving from porto on the 22nd of august. We may see you on the trail.