Rest days. Camino Portuguese (Costal) Sept 2022

[Mendip Mike]

Hi All

I am hoping to start my first Camino, the Camino Portuguese, Coastal Route starting from Porto on the 2nd September 2022.
Flying into Porto from Bristol UK and getting the bus back to Porto from Santiago for the flight home

I estimate between say 11 and 12 days walking. In addition to the walking days I would like to build in 2 rest days one in the first half of the Pilgrimage and one in the second half.

As a start I have picked out Viana do Castelo as my fist stop and Pontevedra as my second. Not looking for anything too hedonistic just peaceful rest days with a bit of sightseeing. Have I made wise choices ?? If you can help me finalise my choices I would be so grateful.

Kind Regards
Mike

 

[Albertinho]

Well arriving in Porto is well worth visiting


Viana do Castelo is a nice town to stay an extra day and Pontevedra too
But you also can go to Valença do Minho (nice walk from Caminha ) stay overnight , look around visit the fortress , then walk over the Eiffel bridge into Spain and stay in Tui.


Bom caminho

 

[woody66]

Hi Mike!
I walked the Coastal, some of the Senda Littoral and the Espiritual Variant last September started walking on the 20th the weather was great!
If you can add a couple or more extra days i would say defo worth doing!!!!
I had no time constraints so i had a lot of stop over days 3 in Porto(so much to see and do) 2 in Viana do Castelo,3 days in Baiona,( on the Espiritual 2 days in Combarro,2 days Villanova de Arousa ) and 4 days in Santiago.
My favorites were Porto, Baiona, Santiago and Vianna in that order but that's my experience; my opinion others will have different opinions to mine!
But wherever you stay you will have a wonderful time
All the best
Woody

 

[Mendip Mike]

Well arriving in Porto is wel worth visiting


Viana do Castelo is a nice town to stay an extra day and Pontevedra too
But you also can go to Valença do Minho (nice walk from Caminha ) stay overnight , look around visit the fortress , then walk over the Eiffel bridge into Spain and stay in Tui.


Bom caminho

Thank you Albertinho for your confirmation re Viana do Castelo and Pontevedra as good places to stop over.

I plan to stay in Santiago for 2 days and my wife is coming to meet me in Porto at the end of my Pilgrimage
and we will stay there for 4 or 5 days.

Kind regards

Mike

 

[kenwilltravel]

As a start I have picked out Viana do Castelo as my fist stop and Pontevedra as my second. Not looking for anything too hedonistic just peaceful rest days with a bit of sightseeing. Have I made wise choices ?? If you can help me finalise my choices I would be so grateful.

Kind Regards
Mike

These are two good choices. Pontevedra is a slam dunk for the second half, with all its great tourist attractions, some related to the Camino and St. James. Less to do in Viana, although it is extremely scenic with its beautiful harbor and good views from the church on the mountain. Baiona further up the coast in Spain might be worth a look but you may need your rest stop sooner than that. So, I'd say the spacing is pretty good with Viana and Pontevedra.

 

[Mendip Mike]

Hi Mike!
I walked the Coastal, some of the Senda Littoral and the Espiritual Variant last September started walking on the 20th the weather was great!
If you can add a couple or more extra days i would say defo worth doing!!!!
I had no time constraints so i had a lot of stop over days 3 in Porto(so much to see and do) 2 in Viana do Castelo,3 days in Baiona,( on the Espiritual 2 days in Combarro,2 days Villanova de Arousa ) and 4 days in Santiago.
My favorites were Porto, Baiona, Santiago and Vianna in that order but that's my experience; my opinion others will have different opinions to mine!
But wherever you stay you will have a wonderful time
All the best
Woody

Thanks Woody

That's great. I too have no time constraints so plan 2 days in Santiago and my wife is coming over to Porto to meet me and we plan to spend 4/5 in Porto as a short holiday.

Cheers

Mike

 

[Mendip Mike]

These are two good choices. Pontevedra is a slam dunk for the second half, with all its great tourist attractions, some related to the Camino and St. James. Less to do in Viana, although it is extremely scenic with its beautiful harbor and good views from the church on the mountain. Baiona further up the coast in Spain might be worth a look but you may need your rest stop sooner than that. So, I'd say the spacing is pretty good with Viana and Pontevedra.

 

[Albertinho]

Thank you Albertinho for your confirmation re Viana do Castelo and Pontevedra as good places to stop over.

I plan to stay in Santiago for 2 days and my wife is coming to meet me in Porto at the end of my Pilgrimage
and we will stay there for 4 or 5 days.

Kind regards

Mike

A nice plan Mike

 

[Mendip Mike]

Thank you. That's perfect.
My decision making is just getting easier.

Mike

 

[Tony Walsh]

We are walking the same route in June 2022 and we are doing 6 days from Porto up to Baiona, having a rest day in Baiona, and then doing 6 more days walking into Santiago de Compostela

 

[Anniefish]

We rested in Caminha and Pontevedra.

 

[winemakerfw51]

I took a rest day in Pontevedra in 2018. It's is a good choice. The historic district is is all walking streets. Good history, good food, and good services. Find a sidreria and try the local cider. Buen Camino

 

[Mendip Mike]

I took a rest day in Pontevedra in 2018. It's is a good choice. The historic district is is all walking streets. Good history, good food, and good services. Find a sidreria and try the local cider. Buen Camino

Local cider, that sounds great. So refreshing when the weather is hot. I will put a note in my Camino Diary !

 

[Roz.K]

We are walking the same route in June 2022 and we are doing 6 days from Porto up to Baiona, having a rest day in Baiona, and then doing 6 more days walking into Santiago de Compostela

We did the same...love Baiona.

 

[Tom Hagger]

I certainly agree with Albertinho: both Valença do Minho and Tui are fascinating places, for the street market and castle in the former, the cathedral and other churches in Tui, plus other places of interest and the general atmosphere in both. And they are only a twenty-minute walk apart, with wonderful views from the bridge. Buen Camino! Tom

 

[Minnesotacyclist]

W

Hi Mike!
I walked the Coastal, some of the Senda Littoral and the Espiritual Variant last September started walking on the 20th the weather was great!
If you can add a couple or more extra days i would say defo worth doing!!!!
I had no time constraints so i had a lot of stop over days 3 in Porto(so much to see and do) 2 in Viana do Castelo,3 days in Baiona,( on the Espiritual 2 days in Combarro,2 days Villanova de Arousa ) and 4 days in Santiago.
My favorites were Porto, Baiona, Santiago and Vianna in that order but that's my experience; my opinion others will have different opinions to mine!
But wherever you stay you will have a wonderful time
All the best
Woody

hat did you see and do in Porto?