Camping stores in Porto

[meenas]

Hey there fellow peregrinas and peregrinos! My sister and I are starting in Lisbon next month (yay!) and are considering using private accommodation until Porto, then getting sleeping bags there and accessing the pilgrim accommodation from Porto to Santiago de Compostela.

Anyone know of any camping stores or such in Porto?

Buen camino! Meena

 

[peregrina2000]

Hi, Meena,

I don't know of any stores personally, but resorting to google produced a couple of options, but they are all a short cab ride out of town:

http://www.lojadamontanha.com/cms.php?id_cms=4 (looks like a serious store, but it's 5 minutes outside Porto, probably not much of a cab fare)

Decathlon, the mega-store you can find in much of Europe, has two sites: http://www.decathlon.pt/nettools/store/ ... thlon-MAIA
Like the other store, though, they are out of town, in industrial areas. That seems to be part of their business model, to go where the real estate is cheap, because in every town I've ever seen them they are located in some industrial warehouse wasteland.

In the end, I would probably just stick a lightweight bag in my pack at home and carry it with me. There are many bags around a kilo or less.

And that would also allow you to stay in the albergues that are south of Porto -- though there aren't many, there are some -- have you seen the list on the Via Lusitana's web page? People especially like the one before Golega and the one right after Mealhada in Sernadelo.

Bom caminho, Laurie

 

[carlosmlva]

Hi Meena,

If you only want to buy your sleeping bag only in Porto you can go to a store called "Sportzone" right in the downtown (Shopping Via Catarina - Rua de Santa Catarina) they have everything sports-related as well as camping material.
Of course you have other small camping stores here in Porto, but they are not so easy to find/walk to.

Anyway, in the surroundings of the big cities you can often find big stores like "Decathlon", as Laurie said, so if you walk nearby one you can also buy it there.

If I can help you with anything else just ask...
Buen Camino! Carlos

 

[meenas]

Thanks heaps for these responses! Laurie, yes, I just discovered the two albergues between Lisbon and Porto, so there's been the change of plan (or rather, back to the first plan!) to take our sleeping bags. Am so excited about these two albergues and the opportunity to meet other pilgrims on this stretch.

Thanks again, Meena

 

[peregrina2000]

Bom caminho, Meena.

I don't know if you've seen the Confraternity guide to the Caminho Portugues. One part is for Lisbon-Porto, the other picks up in Porto and covers the rest of the way to Santiago.

You can find them here if you haven't seen them http://www.csj.org.uk/guides-online.htm and there are 2011 updates for both parts listed separately. If you use the guides, we'd really appreciate feedback and suggestions/additions/corrections, etc.

You must be leaving soon! all the best, Laurie

 

[meenas]

We are very soon Laurie! We arrive in Lisbon on 23 September, start walking on the 26th. Starting to wake up in the middle of the night with 'excitement' insomnia...just want to get there and start walking! It's my third Camino, but first Portuguese Way, so a bit delirious!

Thanks for the CSJ link - my sister and I have been looking at this, it's a great guide.

Will keep for Forum posted of our adventures!

Cheers, Meena