- Time of past OR future Camino
- Frances SJPP to Finistere (2016), Primitivo - Oviedo to Muxcia (2017), Norte to Finisterre (2018)
Live from the Camino Portugese (and my first significant post after years of stalking the Forum!)
I planned to walk the Invierno, however, the heatwave that hit Spain compounded what I thought was already going to be a challenging Camino. With many good wishes from Camino veterans, I pivoted just before flying out and arrived in Porto in time to start walking on the 14th.
I primarily stuck to the Camino Litoral, as the weather was cooler. Also of note, I found myself very Covid-conscious and, contrary to prior Caminos, sought out smaller rooms with fewer beds or single rooms (preferably in albergues). Clearly this added to the budget, however, it also added to the peace of mind. Many properties with dormitories posted photos of single or smaller rooms, but these weren’t necessarily listed as an option for booking. A phone call verified their existence, and the ability to reserve my space. After a discouraging start to “just showing up” (as on prior caminos), I began booking a day ahead. I was surprised to find in any instances my first or second choice property was already “completo” and ended up reserving several days ahead. This is a busy Camino!
My notes and stages as follows…
Day 0 - I arrived in Porto on Friday morning the 13th. While I initially thought I would spend a quiet day in Porto recovering from jet lag, I ended up walking over 8 miles around town in order to stay awake! To do it again, I would simply head out from the Cathedral and start my Camino!
There is much conversation about how to get out of Porto. In fact, one can get the credential stamp at the Cathedral, walk down to the river and turn right! I walked out of town on a wide Esplanade adjacent the river and the Atlantic. I was joined by mothers with babies, bicyclists, and joggers for quite some time until the Esplanade gave away to the famous boardwalks. No need to take a metro!
Day 1 - I arrived in Vila do Conte and was disappointed to realize 1) many of the reference guides regarding accommodations are out of date (SO many permanent closures!), and 2) the city was “completo”. Delightful Alfredo at the equally delightful and well-located Princesa do Ave Resedencias spent a good hour on the phone and the computer trying to find a place for me to sleep. He finally settled on Casa Matriz in Fao (20km away!) He arranged for the taxi pick me up and delivered me into the warm embrace of Rita whose hospitality gives evidence to the fact “the Camino provides”!
Day 2 - The next morning I took the taxi back to Princesa do Ave and walked the 20 km back to Fao. Mostly boardwalks and lovely beaches, however, don’t miss the seafood restaurants right along the Camino before you enter Fao. Even if you aren’t ready for a meal, stop somewhere for a fabulous seafood soup!
Day 3 - A bit of single track broke up the routine of the boardwalk, but this is definitely a hard track Camino! Casa de Carolina in Anha offered a small room with four beds. Lucky for us, Carolina‘s grandmother made a fabulous vegetable soup which we were all able to enjoy for dinner!
Day 4 - Boardwalks, cobblestones, and a bit of Old Roman Road greeted me on my first venture into the Coastal Route. There was some greenery, but I was happy to arrive at the beautiful Quinta da Quinhaus in Vila Praia de Ancira. While there is a small cafe nearby, the owner will pick you up at the local grocery store and I encourage you to bring provisions up to their beautifully appointed co-worker farm and it’s a very well-appointed kitchen
Day 5 - Back on the Litoral and more boardwalks, I walked up to Caminah to catch the water taxi across to Spain. There were plenty of water taxis here (and further south). More boardwalks and beautiful ocean views before I stopped at La Cala in Oia, well deserving of its reputation as “the jewel of the Portuguese”.
Day 6 - Beautiful walk through Baiona, a little bit a forest and back to the boardwalk. Walked through to Ramalossa and stayed at Pazo Pias. While there was no sign of nuns, the property is lovely, peaceful and efficiently managed by a delightful devoted staff. Very nice tapas bars nearby.
Day 7- Beautiful beach walking along an Esplanade adjacent public beaches. A nice glimpse of why people live here - public pools, beautiful facilities, skating rinks, gardens …. This ultimately gave way to the inevitable industrial entrance into Vigo. I had initially planned a rest day in Vigo, all the moreso since my feet were in tatters after all the hard track. I was encouraged to live large, and stayed at Puertas Gambos for two nights. The warm welcome by the managing family is exactly what I needed, and the location and elegant room were a real treat.
Day 8 - I had initially planned to visit Isla Cies. This visit was very easy to execute: 1) obtain permission from the governing authority to visit the island, 2) purchase your ferry ticket. While I still logged 4.5 miles, I also spent several hours airing my feet on the beach and soaking them in the crystal clear, cold, turquoise blue waters. Puerta Gamboa offered warm welcome at my return.
Day 9 - Back on the Camino with renewed feet and vigor. A surprising treat after exiting Vigo… a higher trail overlooking the bay that seemed to go on for miles. Maybe my best day so far! I stopped in Rendolate which made for a short day, however it seems prudent. A Conserveira offered a decent enough room, but overpriced relative to others.
Day 10 - Another fabulous walk on trails with forest! I stayed in Pontevedra at the lovely Acola Rooms (vs Alcoa Albergue or Alcoa Sport - both of which seemed lovely, too.)
Day 11 - A straightforward path out of town. I was surprised at the sense of relief I felt when I turned left to pursue the Spiritual Variant. Even after the forest yielded to asphalt again, and there was a significant climb up to the Mirador, I felt as though I was on a different Camino. A wonderful forest walk took me to the exquisite monastery at Armenteria. While there were no meals offered onsite, the peace of the sisters, the space and the gardens were priceless.
Day 12 - A very special walk out of Armenteria. Brierly declares it is the longest single pathway of any Camino. I declare it absolutely magical – flat, adjacent to the river, shaded, passing small family farms and vineyards, birds and frogs the only sound. Inevitably, it give way to the asphalt, though small family farms and vineyards offered some distraction. Ultimately I was on the hard packed sand into Vilanova where I checked into the new, very nice Albergue a Salazon in Vilanova de Arousa.
Day 13 - Currently awaiting my boat to Padron, but posting this now so it can still be “live” from the Camino! Thanks for listening
. Hope this helps some fellow pilgrims!
I planned to walk the Invierno, however, the heatwave that hit Spain compounded what I thought was already going to be a challenging Camino. With many good wishes from Camino veterans, I pivoted just before flying out and arrived in Porto in time to start walking on the 14th.
I primarily stuck to the Camino Litoral, as the weather was cooler. Also of note, I found myself very Covid-conscious and, contrary to prior Caminos, sought out smaller rooms with fewer beds or single rooms (preferably in albergues). Clearly this added to the budget, however, it also added to the peace of mind. Many properties with dormitories posted photos of single or smaller rooms, but these weren’t necessarily listed as an option for booking. A phone call verified their existence, and the ability to reserve my space. After a discouraging start to “just showing up” (as on prior caminos), I began booking a day ahead. I was surprised to find in any instances my first or second choice property was already “completo” and ended up reserving several days ahead. This is a busy Camino!
My notes and stages as follows…
Day 0 - I arrived in Porto on Friday morning the 13th. While I initially thought I would spend a quiet day in Porto recovering from jet lag, I ended up walking over 8 miles around town in order to stay awake! To do it again, I would simply head out from the Cathedral and start my Camino!
There is much conversation about how to get out of Porto. In fact, one can get the credential stamp at the Cathedral, walk down to the river and turn right! I walked out of town on a wide Esplanade adjacent the river and the Atlantic. I was joined by mothers with babies, bicyclists, and joggers for quite some time until the Esplanade gave away to the famous boardwalks. No need to take a metro!
Day 1 - I arrived in Vila do Conte and was disappointed to realize 1) many of the reference guides regarding accommodations are out of date (SO many permanent closures!), and 2) the city was “completo”. Delightful Alfredo at the equally delightful and well-located Princesa do Ave Resedencias spent a good hour on the phone and the computer trying to find a place for me to sleep. He finally settled on Casa Matriz in Fao (20km away!) He arranged for the taxi pick me up and delivered me into the warm embrace of Rita whose hospitality gives evidence to the fact “the Camino provides”!
Day 2 - The next morning I took the taxi back to Princesa do Ave and walked the 20 km back to Fao. Mostly boardwalks and lovely beaches, however, don’t miss the seafood restaurants right along the Camino before you enter Fao. Even if you aren’t ready for a meal, stop somewhere for a fabulous seafood soup!
Day 3 - A bit of single track broke up the routine of the boardwalk, but this is definitely a hard track Camino! Casa de Carolina in Anha offered a small room with four beds. Lucky for us, Carolina‘s grandmother made a fabulous vegetable soup which we were all able to enjoy for dinner!
Day 4 - Boardwalks, cobblestones, and a bit of Old Roman Road greeted me on my first venture into the Coastal Route. There was some greenery, but I was happy to arrive at the beautiful Quinta da Quinhaus in Vila Praia de Ancira. While there is a small cafe nearby, the owner will pick you up at the local grocery store and I encourage you to bring provisions up to their beautifully appointed co-worker farm and it’s a very well-appointed kitchen
Day 5 - Back on the Litoral and more boardwalks, I walked up to Caminah to catch the water taxi across to Spain. There were plenty of water taxis here (and further south). More boardwalks and beautiful ocean views before I stopped at La Cala in Oia, well deserving of its reputation as “the jewel of the Portuguese”.
Day 6 - Beautiful walk through Baiona, a little bit a forest and back to the boardwalk. Walked through to Ramalossa and stayed at Pazo Pias. While there was no sign of nuns, the property is lovely, peaceful and efficiently managed by a delightful devoted staff. Very nice tapas bars nearby.
Day 7- Beautiful beach walking along an Esplanade adjacent public beaches. A nice glimpse of why people live here - public pools, beautiful facilities, skating rinks, gardens …. This ultimately gave way to the inevitable industrial entrance into Vigo. I had initially planned a rest day in Vigo, all the moreso since my feet were in tatters after all the hard track. I was encouraged to live large, and stayed at Puertas Gambos for two nights. The warm welcome by the managing family is exactly what I needed, and the location and elegant room were a real treat.
Day 8 - I had initially planned to visit Isla Cies. This visit was very easy to execute: 1) obtain permission from the governing authority to visit the island, 2) purchase your ferry ticket. While I still logged 4.5 miles, I also spent several hours airing my feet on the beach and soaking them in the crystal clear, cold, turquoise blue waters. Puerta Gamboa offered warm welcome at my return.
Day 9 - Back on the Camino with renewed feet and vigor. A surprising treat after exiting Vigo… a higher trail overlooking the bay that seemed to go on for miles. Maybe my best day so far! I stopped in Rendolate which made for a short day, however it seems prudent. A Conserveira offered a decent enough room, but overpriced relative to others.
Day 10 - Another fabulous walk on trails with forest! I stayed in Pontevedra at the lovely Acola Rooms (vs Alcoa Albergue or Alcoa Sport - both of which seemed lovely, too.)
Day 11 - A straightforward path out of town. I was surprised at the sense of relief I felt when I turned left to pursue the Spiritual Variant. Even after the forest yielded to asphalt again, and there was a significant climb up to the Mirador, I felt as though I was on a different Camino. A wonderful forest walk took me to the exquisite monastery at Armenteria. While there were no meals offered onsite, the peace of the sisters, the space and the gardens were priceless.
Day 12 - A very special walk out of Armenteria. Brierly declares it is the longest single pathway of any Camino. I declare it absolutely magical – flat, adjacent to the river, shaded, passing small family farms and vineyards, birds and frogs the only sound. Inevitably, it give way to the asphalt, though small family farms and vineyards offered some distraction. Ultimately I was on the hard packed sand into Vilanova where I checked into the new, very nice Albergue a Salazon in Vilanova de Arousa.
Day 13 - Currently awaiting my boat to Padron, but posting this now so it can still be “live” from the Camino! Thanks for listening
. Hope this helps some fellow pilgrims!
