Shorter Stages on the Portuguese

[Sharonih]

For my second Camino I would like to do the Portuguese but in about 15km stages. I know I am capable of doing the longer stages but I want to do this one slower and explore the area more. Is this doable or would I have to continually backtrack by cab or bus?

 

[peregrina2000]

I would like to do the Portuguese but in about 15km stages.

If you look at Wise Pilgrim’s guide, you will see clear listings of where the lodging is. I haven’t done a deep dive, but it looks like there is plenty of accommodation from Porto onwards. Am I right that you are walking from Porto? I’ve linked to Wise Pilgrim’s coastal guide, but he has others as well.

The Camino Portugués - Porto to Redondela Coastal Route | Camino de Santiago Apps and Maps

Gronze.com also has good info. It’s in Spanish but very easy to understand.

 

[naplesdon]

Plenty of places to stay, both expensive and budget all depedning on the season you are walking.

 

[trecile]

Godesalco is a good site to plan your stages.

Planificador - Camino Portugués - Godesalco.com

Perfiles altitudinales, planificación de etapas y archivos GPS para el Camino Portugués.

godesalco.com

 

[Sharonih]

Godesalco is a good site to plan your stages.

Planificador - Camino Portugués - Godesalco.com

Perfiles altitudinales, planificación de etapas y archivos GPS para el Camino Portugués.

godesalco.com

Thank you, I hadn’t heard of that one before

 

[jungleboy]

I’m on the CP coastal now, and as others have said, short stages will be possible.

One thing to keep in mind is that some towns have a completely different vibe from others. For example, Matosinhos, Povoa de Varzim and Vila Praia de Âncora are very touristy beach towns which I personally dislike and wouldn’t want to stay in - but maybe you would like to stay in these places if that’s your thing. Towns like Vila do Conde, Esposende and Caminha are more traditional towns with a historic centre, which is more to my liking. If you do shorter stages you may end up in a combination of these towns, which might feel a bit disjointed.

 

[kenwilltravel]

For my second Camino I would like to do the Portuguese but in about 15km stages. I know I am capable of doing the longer stages but I want to do this one slower and explore the area more. Is this doable or would I have to continually backtrack by cab or bus?

Jungleboy raises a good point above. One strategy you might consider is first picking out the towns along the way that you consider desirable stops and then use Godesalco to get your daily distances between them as close to 15 km as possible. I would agree with his choices, by the way, but would take a look at Viana do Costello as well. On the Spanish side of the river, I like A Guarda, Oia, Baiona, Pontevedra and Padrón.

 

[Sharonih]

I’m on the CP coastal now, and as others have said, short stages will be possible.

One thing to keep in mind is that some towns have a completely different vibe from others. For example, Matosinhos, Povoa de Varzim and Vila Praia de Âncora are very touristy beach towns which I personally dislike and wouldn’t want to stay in - but maybe you would like to stay in these places if that’s your thing. Towns like Vila do Conde, Esposende and Caminha are more traditional towns with a historic centre, which is more to my liking. If you do shorter stages you may end up in a combination of these towns, which might feel a bit disjointed.

Thank you, as I live by the ocean I don’t have to stay there but I do love the historical aspect of Europe especially as the City I live in is only 80 years old. These town names are really helpful. Buen Camino

 

[Sharonih]

Jungleboy raises a good point above. One strategy you might consider is first picking out the towns along the way that you consider desirable stops and then use Godesalco to get your daily distances between them as close to 15 km as possible. I would agree with his choices, by the way, but would take a look at Viana do Costello as well. On the Spanish side of the river, I like A Guarda, Oia, Baiona, Pontevedra and Padrón.

Thank you, you all are so kind and helpful.

 

[jungleboy]

Thank you, as I live by the ocean I don’t have to stay there but I do love the historical aspect of Europe especially as the City I live in is only 80 years old. These town names are really helpful. Buen Camino

In that case, have you considered the central route from Porto instead of the coastal route? The central contains more historic towns while the coastal / Senda Litoral is more geared towards those who want to see a lot of the ocean.

 

[Dilbin]

For my second Camino I would like to do the Portuguese but in about 15km stages. I know I am capable of doing the longer stages but I want to do this one slower and explore the area more. Is this doable or would I have to continually backtrack by cab or bus?

Hi. The Coastal

For my second Camino I would like to do the Portuguese but in about 15km stages. I know I am capable of doing the longer stages but I want to do this one slower and explore the area more. Is this doable or would I have to continually backtrack by cab or bus?

Hi. Its definitely doable and the coastal seems to have a good selection of Albergues/ hostels etc. If you check out the Portuguese Camino on Gronze.com they list all accommodations/ prices and distances etc. Although I did longer stages than what you have proposed I did have plenty of time to explore areas and go off grid visiting waterfalls etc. For example when on the way to Caldas de Reis there is a National park(off Camino)with the most beautiful waterfalls where I spent my lunchtime and then outside Caldas de rei there are other falls equally magnificent. Fortunately I very seldom commit myself to specific towns/ accommodations therefore my Journey is always my own so I hope you find this to be your experience too. Daniel

 

[jrviegas]

This is our plan for October starting from Tui/Valenca. Our first Camino so open to ideas.
We too would have like shorter stages but I have not found suitable accommodation between Tui and O Porinho and Pontevedra and Caldas de Reis.

 

[Jo H]

If you look at Wise Pilgrim’s guide, you will see clear listings of where the lodging is. I haven’t done a deep dive, but it looks like there is plenty of accommodation from Porto onwards. Am I right that you are walking from Porto? I’ve linked to Wise Pilgrim’s coastal guide, but he has others as well.

The Camino Portugués - Porto to Redondela Coastal Route | Camino de Santiago Apps and Maps

Gronze.com also has good info. It’s in Spanish but very easy to understand.

You can have an English translation with Google Chrome. I am planning to walk it in shorter stages for the same reasons. It is easy to do.

 

[Dilbin]

View attachment 131791

This is our plan for October starting from Tui/Valenca. Our first Camino so open to ideas.
We too would have like shorter stages but I have not found suitable accommodation between Tui and O Porinho and Pontevedra and Caldas de Reis.

Hi. Lots of accommodation between Pontevedra and Caldas De Reis. Check out Camino Portuguese Gronze for an extensive list of accommodations. If you click on each stage they show the list of hostels/ hotels etc for each town of each stage. Daniel

 

[DBC]

For my second Camino I would like to do the Portuguese but in about 15km stages. I know I am capable of doing the longer stages but I want to do this one slower and explore the area more. Is this doable or would I have to continually backtrack by cab or bus?

I like to walk about 20km a day due to knee issues. Did the Frances this year and looking to the Portuguese in 2024 so this is a great post for me to follow. Thanks

 

[JabbaPapa]

If you look at Wise Pilgrim’s guide, you will see clear listings of where the lodging is. I haven’t done a deep dive, but it looks like there is plenty of accommodation from Porto onwards. Am I right that you are walking from Porto? I’ve linked to Wise Pilgrim’s coastal guide, but he has others as well.

The Camino Portugués - Porto to Redondela Coastal Route | Camino de Santiago Apps and Maps

Thanks - - it's incomplete, but then so is this one :

Albergues | Via Lusitana

Combining the two seems like a good idea, and I am reaching the point on my own Camino where the Wise Pilgrim one will start to be useful.

 

[Jsharing]

For my second Camino I would like to do the Portuguese but in about 15km stages. I know I am capable of doing the longer stages but I want to do this one slower and explore the area more. Is this doable or would I have to continually backtrack by cab or bus?

Walked Central, Porto to Santiago in May. I prefer shorter distances also and found plenty of lodging. I used Camino Ninja app, another walking mate used Gronze and Wise. I like Ninja's flexibility to select distances, see elevations, village amenities, and accommodations. Personally, I liked until I was ready to stop or found something of interest, ie Roman bridges are great for contemplating. Unless you have a time restriction, embrace the journey, the Camino will provide. Bom Camino.

 

[haikutaxi]

Plenty of places to stay, both expensive and budget all depedning on the season you are walking.

I use Booking.com to find accommodations and found numerous affordable options on the coastal route. Off-season you can get real deals and great hospitality in the seaside towns

 

[MartaM]

I’m on the CP coastal now, and as others have said, short stages will be possible.

One thing to keep in mind is that some towns have a completely different vibe from others. For example, Matosinhos, Povoa de Varzim and Vila Praia de Âncora are very touristy beach towns which I personally dislike and wouldn’t want to stay in - but maybe you would like to stay in these places if that’s your thing. Towns like Vila do Conde, Esposende and Caminha are more traditional towns with a historic centre, which is more to my liking. If you do shorter stages you may end up in a combination of these towns, which might feel a bit disjointed.

We loved Vila Praia de Ãncora- away from the beachfront there is Quinta da Quinhas, a farm, albergue, and co-working space that was our favorite on the Camino. Also Mt. Calvario has amazing views (but a lot of steps.) we visited in September & October so did not see a lot of tourists.

 

[brentchase]

I’m on the CP coastal now, and as others have said, short stages will be possible.

One thing to keep in mind is that some towns have a completely different vibe from others. For example, Matosinhos, Povoa de Varzim and Vila Praia de Âncora are very touristy beach towns which I personally dislike and wouldn’t want to stay in - but maybe you would like to stay in these places if that’s your thing. Towns like Vila do Conde, Esposende and Caminha are more traditional towns with a historic centre, which is more to my liking. If you do shorter stages you may end up in a combination of these towns, which might feel a bit disjointed.

Hi Jungleboy, i want to get the subway from Porto to Matosinhos but what is the best station to get off the train for the Camino Portuguese, Many thanks, Brentchase Mike

 

[jungleboy]

Hi Jungleboy, i want to get the subway from Porto to Matosinhos but what is the best station to get off the train for the Camino Portuguese, Many thanks, Brentchase Mike

Assuming you don't want to visit Matasinhos, Mercado is the best station (the second last stop on the blue / A line). From there you can cross the bridge and be on your way.

 

[jungleboy]

We loved Vila Praia de Ãncora- away from the beachfront there is Quinta da Quinhas, a farm, albergue, and co-working space that was our favorite on the Camino. Also Mt. Calvario has amazing views (but a lot of steps.) we visited in September & October so did not see a lot of tourists.

That's good to know. I only saw the beachfront part while passing through on the camino and that part didn't interest me.

 

[debstruzyna]

We did Caminho Português (Porto-Caminha, litoral) in June in 15ish km segments... Max day was 20km from Aguçadoura to Esposende. (Private accommodations all via booking.com so no early in/out constraints.) It was fabulous: plenty of time to stop at historical sites, enjoy typical two hour Minho lunches, chat with other pilgrims and wander ancient stone villages at night. Our stops: Porto, Perafita, Vila do Conde, Aguçadoura, Esposende, Castelo de Neiva, Viana do Castelo, Afife , Caminha. Bom caminho!

 

[brentchase]

Assuming you don't want to visit Matasinhos, Mercado is the best station (the second last stop on the blue / A line). From there you can cross the bridge and be on your way.

Thanks for your help