The best of Camino Portugues (from Porto to SdC in 7 days)

[Michal P]

Hello everyone,

I was in SdC 8 years ago, but got there from north of Spain.

This time I will have some time, but not too much, we will be in Porto and can start at 8th of May and on 15th unfortunatelly have to leave SdC (so, let's say we should finish on 14th). Can walk about 25 km a day.

We have 7 full days and I ask for your advice: what should we choose to get most of it. I know that some of you may be odd with an idea not making whole trip walking, but work&family duties make us to do so.
We can take bus/train toskip some parts which goes along roads or/and are less interesting and move from town to town. Do not have any preferences about if it should be along coast or inland, just will read and learn from those who completed it before.

I hope that one day will have an opportunity to complete whole camino, from Lisbon, but for now, please give me some advice.

Thank you,
Michal

 

[boilermike]

We just got back from our 7 day Portuguese Camino. We started in Ponte de Lima and 7 days was perfect.

 

[Diogo92]

Hello everyone,

I was in SdC 8 years ago, but got there from north of Spain.

This time I will have some time, but not too much, we will be in Porto and can start at 8th of May and on 15th unfortunatelly have to leave SdC (so, let's say we should finish on 14th). Can walk about 25 km a day.

We have 7 full days and I ask for your advice: what should we choose to get most of it. I know that some of you may be odd with an idea not making whole trip walking, but work&family duties make us to do so.
We can take bus/train toskip some parts which goes along roads or/and are less interesting and move from town to town. Do not have any preferences about if it should be along coast or inland, just will read and learn from those who completed it before.

I hope that one day will have an opportunity to complete whole camino, from Lisbon, but for now, please give me some advice.

Thank you,
Michal

Michal, most people start from Porto, and not from Lisbon, since the way starting in Lisbon it’s not so well known has that, and because south from Porto, there aren't many supporting infrastructures for pilgrims (but that is a thing that we are taking care of).

If you have only 7 days to walk, I would consider for you starting from Ponte de Lima, or in Tui. Usually from Porto to SdC. Usually from Porto to SdC, people take 10 to 12 days. So, I think, that doing it in 7 days, it's a killer.

 

[Michal P]

I know that 7 days is not enough to do whole Porto-Santiago, my question was rather if it better to go somewhere (i.e. Ponte de Lima) and start there or start nearby Porto and later skip some parts (for example some along roads or leading through less interesting idea)

 

[Diogo92]

I know that 7 days is not enough to do whole Porto-Santiago, my question was rather if it better to go somewhere (i.e. Ponte de Lima) and start there or start nearby Porto and later skip some parts (for example some along roads or leading through less interesting idea)

Start in Ponte de Lima and you will enjoy the best parts.

Just don't forget that if you want to get your Compostela, you shouldn't take the bus. Seriously, they have a way in the Oficina, to know if you did that.

 

[DurhamParish]

Michael, I would take Diogo's advice. There is not quite the infrastructure to support Pilgrims along the Camino Portuguese as there is along the Camino Frances, in other words the Camino Portuguese doesn't have the number of albergues as the Camino Frances has. They are fewer and farther between. You may walk 25k per day, but you will find that you are nowhere near any place to stay. Start from Ponte de Lima.

 

[Pretoria]

Hello everyone,

I was in SdC 8 years ago, but got there from north of Spain.

This time I will have some time, but not too much, we will be in Porto and can start at 8th of May and on 15th unfortunatelly have to leave SdC (so, let's say we should finish on 14th). Can walk about 25 km a day.

We have 7 full days and I ask for your advice: what should we choose to get most of it. I know that some of you may be odd with an idea not making whole trip walking, but work&family duties make us to do so.
We can take bus/train toskip some parts which goes along roads or/and are less interesting and move from town to town. Do not have any preferences about if it should be along coast or inland, just will read and learn from those who completed it before.

I hope that one day will have an opportunity to complete whole camino, from Lisbon, but for now, please give me some advice.

Thank you,
Michal

Hi Michal,
We will start our camino in Valenca on 10 May and hope to finish in SdC on the 15th. Doing between 17 and 25 km per day, but are booked into hotels.
Maybe we will see you along the way?
Nevertheless: Buen camino!!

 

[Camembert]

Start in Ponte de Lima and you will enjoy the best parts.

Just don't forget that if you want to get your Compostela, you shouldn't take the bus. Seriously, they have a way in the Oficina, to know if you did that.

Ask the busdriver for a carimbo/sello/stamp
do they have an all seeying eye at the pilgrims office ?

 

[Camembert]

Michael, I would take Diogo's advice. There is not quite the infrastructure to support Pilgrims along the Camino Portuguese as there is along the Camino Frances, in other words the Camino Portuguese doesn't have the number of albergues as the Camino Frances has. They are fewer and farther between. You may walk 25k per day, but you will find that you are nowhere near any place to stay. Start from Ponte de Lima.

Between Porto and Santiago you can sleep in between almost every 15 kilomers in hostals, albergues. No problem at all

 

[Diogo92]

Ask the busdriver for a carimbo/sello/stamp
do they have an all seeying eye at the pilgrims office ?

Dude, they know it, trust me

 

[Catarina Barreiros]

I walked from Ponte de Lima last month, and planned on walking 7days (ponte de lima - rubiaes - tui - redondela - pontevedra - caldas de reis - padron -santiago). The stage between tui and redondela is about 30km so we only made it to o porriño and took a taxi from there to redondela because we were really too tired to continue...
Although the landscape is really beautiful from ponte de lima I would advise you to start in Valença/Tui and walk 6 days (tui - o porriño - redondela - pontevedra - caldas de reis - padron - santiago). Another reason for doing this is that you can take a direct train from Porto do Valença; to go to Ponte de Lima from Porto may be more difficult. Also you would have one day extra that may be useful.
This is my opinion, but I'm not a 'professional Camino walker'
Anyway I'm sure you will love it!

 

[Stephen Nicholls]

You've had enough advice here to confuse anyone!
But that's the way the camino goes ... we all have our own ideas and preferences.
I envy your walk, Michal - it's my favourite camino so far, and the scenery is lovely. Just to whet your appetite, this is Ponte de Lima -

The views of the town across the river were stunning. There are two bridges - a modern one carrying the main road, and the old Roman bridge linking the busy south of the town to the quieter northern side.
Whatever you decide - buen camino!

 

[Diogo92]

@Catarina Barreiros , they can take the bus from Porto to Ponte de Lima, Rede Expressos and other bus companies work from there.

 

[lessonslearnedabroad]

I would like to do the CP from Porto in 9 days or so. Anyone have a recommended outline?