Walking backwards

[TashH]

Hello! I am walking the Portuguese Coastal route from Porto in September. I plan to follow the Litoral route out of Porto. Due to a late arrival, I will be spending my first night near the airport. I am considering walking into Porto the next morning, I think it’s approximately 15km, mainly because it might help with jet lag, along what is the first stage of the coastal route. My question is - how hard is it to walk in the opposite direction? Will I see enough arrows to keep me from getting lost? I don’t really want to have to keep getting my phone out to check google maps. Thanks for your help.

 

[DoughnutANZ]

Hello! I am walking the Portuguese Coastal route from Porto in September. I plan to follow the Litoral route out of Porto. Due to a late arrival, I will be spending my first night near the airport. I am considering walking into Porto the next morning, I think it’s approximately 15km, mainly because it might help with jet lag, along what is the first stage of the coastal route. My question is - how hard is it to walk in the opposite direction? Will I see enough arrows to keep me from getting lost? I don’t really want to have to keep getting my phone out to check google maps. Thanks for your help.

I can't help with your specific question but if you turn on directions in Google Maps, set it to walking and press start then Google will give you voice turn by turn directions. This means that you can leave your phone in your pocket and just listen for Google's directions.

Even easier if you have ear buds.

 

[trecile]

It will be easy, as the route goes right along the ocean until you get to the river, where you will turn left and follow the river. Rather than walking backwards into Porto you could take the metro, a bus, or a taxi into the city and then start walking in the normal direction.

 

[dougfitz]

Unless you have a specific reason to visit the cathedral and take the Littoral route from there, you could start on the Coastal route at the airport. This would get you to Vila do Conde, where the Littoral and Coastal join.

I am not so sure that you will easily find the waymarking walking into the city from the airport. My memory is that it was quite complicated for the first few kilometres leaving Porto where the central and coastal routes are still together. I would agree with @trecile, and suggest that you take the metro or a bus into the city and start at the cathedral. I am told the Littoral route is easier to find and follow than the others.

 

[TashH]

Thank you for your responses. As stated, I don’t really want to have to rely on my phone. I am also aware that Porto has trains, buses and taxis. I have a few day’s sightseeing in Porto before I start actually walking the Camino. As I will be leaving Porto along the river, I would like to walk a different route into the city.
I enjoy walking and as I would have spent a considerable amount of time sitting on a plane travelling from the other side of the world, I am considering walking from the airport into the city of Porto. Maybe it will assist with jet lag, maybe it will just be a nice way to stretch the legs and have a bit of a warm up for what’s ahead.
So, I’m just asking if I will see enough yellow arrows (pointing north) to keep me on track for walking south into the city.

 

[Tincatinker]

So, I’m just asking if I will see enough yellow arrows (pointing north) to keep me on track for walking south into the city.

The answer to that is “probably not” unless you are going to constantly look over your shoulder to see if you have just passed an arrow. They’ll be painted on the south side of lampposts and bridge abutments and any other convenient fixture. But not on see through ones. If you really don’t want to enjoy the convenience of your phone pick up a map at the tourist information at the airport or rehearse your route on Godgle or wherever well in advance so it’s implanted in your memory

 

[TashH]

The answer to that is “probably not” unless you are going to constantly look over your shoulder to see if you have just passed an arrow. They’ll be painted on the south side of lampposts and bridge abutments and any other convenient fixture. But not on see through ones. If you really don’t want to enjoy the convenience of your phone pick up a map at the tourist information at the airport or rehearse your route on Godgle or wherever well in advance so it’s implanted in your memory

Thank you Tincatinker.
I have a month to memorise the route I guess
Might depend on how fuzzy my head is that first day.