Route advice for Newbie

[KBM]

Hi,
First Camino ….and in fact first time on a forum chat!
I am going to do a (leisurely!) trail from Porto to Santiago mixing Litoral/Coastal, Central and Spiritual over three weeks ( including 2 nights in Porto and two rest days)
I will be travelling mainly alone and would love any advice!
I plan to start with litoral/coastal for 5 days, have a day off in Caminha and then cross over from Caminha to Vila Nova and join the Central. At Pontevede I was going to take another rest day and then onto the Spiritual walk to Padron ( over four days) before finishing in Santiago
I’d really appreciate any comments on that route
( overnights in Porto / Labruge /Agucadoura /Castelodo do Neira /Carreco / Caminha /Caminha / Vila Nova de Cerveira / Tui / Porrino / Redondela / Ponteveda / Pontevede / Combarro / Armenteira / Villanova / Padron / Milladora / Santiago
This is an amazingly helpful and encouraging forum , I’m so pleased to have found it!
Many thanks

 

[dougfitz]

I walked the Central route north of Porto and last year the Variante from Valenca, but your plan for combining the Litoral, Costal, Central and Variante sounds pretty good. My only question is whether you are contemplating catching the boat into Padron. I think that is well worth doing, albeit walking that section from Vilanova to Padron is clearly an option.

I also like stopping somewhere closer to Santiago on the night before walking a short stage into the cathedral, although I have normally stayed a little further away than Milladora. I find that it avoids the rush that develops with people walking from the Padron area who want to get into SDC in one day.

 

[Walkalong]

Welcome to the forum.

I agree with Doug. Your stages seem very reasonable. I've not walked the Spiritual Variant or that hop from Caminha to Valenca/Tui, but and you seem to allowing yourself plenty of time. If you're taking the boat from Vilanova to Pedron you could walk closer to SdC that day. The Milladoiro Albergue is nice, large, and relatively new. Hostel Casa do Sardão in Carreco is very nice. While Caminha is a nice place, I'd be tempted to take a rest day in Valenca instead. I think the Agucadoura Albergue is also relatively new as well.

Hope this helps, Buen camino

 

[KBM]

Thank you!
I was planning on the boat
I’ll take a look at all your suggestions and appreciate the replies!

 

[MilenaS]

Your stages seem very reasonable. I walked a similar route as you last year (except the Spiritual). I loved that Camino <3 I started with two night in Porto, where I walked and then took the metro back, and than the bus out to start walking again. That way I got a slow start without my backpack. I loved staying Caminha - they had an amazing massage at Bom Caminha albergue. I also had my last night in O Milladoiro and than had a short walk in to Santiago in the morning.


If you are interested, I have put my stages on Instagram (in my signature), with a relive video of each stage as well.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

I added the Spiritual Variant to the Central route and was so happy I did. The boat/ferry ride it offers was amazing and a definite highlight for me. Thankfully I was fortunate to have a warm, sunny day.

 

[KBM]

Thank you

 

[jungleboy]

Thankfully I was fortunate to have a warm, sunny day.

Oh gosh yes — look at that sky! Days like that can be a rarity in our beloved Galicia!

 

[Camino Chrissy]

Oh gosh yes — look at that sky! Days like that can be a rarity in our beloved Galicia!

And in addition, we had no windy waves on the water.

 

[mainardguy]

I like your plan. Hope you don't mind me borrowing it. Never done anything like this and am trying to plan things last minute. Seems like most others plan like a year out. I am trying to do in 3 weeks due to unforseen circumstances. But loving it all the same. Any alberges you can recommend for first 2 nights? Leaving from porto around may 24. Also recommended placed in porto for a couple of nights? how to get back to Porto after my
walk?

 

[ShoshTrvls]

I stayed in Milladora and thought it was the perfect distance for the final day. Just outside of town you can catch your first glimpse of the Cathedral as inspiration and you will arrive in plenty of time for the Pilgrim‘s Mass.

 

[MilenaS]

I stayed in Milladora and thought it was the perfect distance for the final day. Just outside of town you can catch your first glimpse of the Cathedral as inspiration and you will arrive in plenty of time for the Pilgrim‘s Mass.

I also loved staying that close to Santiago and walking in to town with first light.