I’ve been reading the forum for many years now, and I think I’m right when I say that the “should we start in Lisbon” question has been the one route question that produces the most strenuous disagreement.
In 2014, Mario of
@santaremhostel put together a short video of some of his guests. You can see it
here.
Another thread that I think is helpful. And there are many more if you search “starting in Lisbon.”
The most
recent “live” thread from
@jungleboy is another one that I think is essential reading — especially since so much has changed since I first walked it in 2008! The number of albergues is continuing to increase, the route has been moved more and more off-road, but the one thing that remains the same is that the food is fresh, good, and cheap, and the people are inicredibly kind and helpful. The towns of Tomar, Coimbra, and Santarem have a lot to see and visit. And if you’re into ruins — the abandoned royal estate at Quinta da Cardiga and the Roman ruins at Condeixa are just icing on the cake!
Bottom line is that there are a lot of different opinions and obviously no “right” answer.
One obvious advantage of the Caminho from Lisboa that no one has mentioned is that it is about two weeks LONGER!