Which Guidebook is good?

[Anniesantiago]

It has been nearly 20 years since Joe and I walked the Portuguese route.
Since then, I know there must be guidebooks for the Coastal route, which is one we're interested in.

We have Brierley's Guide from 2005 but he doesn't have much info on the Coastal route.
Does the newer Brierley guide for Portugal give more?
Is there a better guide?
Thanks pilgrims!

 

[jungleboy]

Do you mean the coastal from Porto? If so, maybe a moderator can move this to the right sub-forum. This is the sub-forum for the Caminho do Mar from Lisbon to Fátima which, despite the name, is not very coastal.

 

[dougfitz]

It has been nearly 20 years since Joe and I walked the Portuguese route.
Since then, I know there must be guidebooks for the Coastal route, which is one we're interested in.

We have Brierley's Guide from 2005 but he doesn't have much info on the Coastal route.
Does the newer Brierley guide for Portugal give more?
Is there a better guide?
Thanks pilgrims!

The more recent Brierley guide covers the coastal from Porto, but not from Lisbon. I am not at home, so I cannot give you a publication date for mine, but I got the CP guide in 2019, and that covers the three major routes leaving Porto (but not the one to Braga), and then has a section for the Variante Espiritual.

 

[peregrina2000]

I’ve moved the thread to the “Coastal from Porto” sub-forum.

Annie, do you mean a hard copy guidebook? Wise Pilgrim has one, and his stuff is also in apps online. His route includes Central, Costal, and Variante Espiritual.

The Camino Portugués - A Guide to the Camino Portugués along the Central, the Coastal, and the Variante Espiritual Routes [2024 Edition]

2024 EDITION - NOW SHIPPING The Coastal Route, the Central Route, and the Variante Espiritual! Comprehensive accommodation directory: Hundreds of properties, including all albergues, hotels, paradors, casa rurales, pensions, and camp sites.For albergues you will know: how many beds (including...

shop.wisepilgrim.com

You probably already know that Gronze has a Coastal section.

Camino Portugués de la Costa | Gronze.com

El Camino Portugués de la Costa sigue el litoral atlántico desde Porto, pasando por Viana do Castelo, A Guarda y Vigo, hasta unirse al Camino Portugués Central en Redondela. Utilizado desde el siglo XVI por los peregrinos, este camino está creciendo de forma imparable. Motivos no le faltan...

www.gronze.com

When we were arranging the subforums, we had a heck of a time figuring out how to slice up the Portuguese caminhos.

There are actually two alternatives along the coast, the “coastal” and the “littoral” — the littoral route is the one that hugs the actual coast/sand/boardwalks and the coastal route is a bit further inland. At least that’s my understanding, I haven’t walked anything but the Central Route from Porto.

This map is the best one to show you how those two weave in and out and frequently intersect.

http://www.caminador.es/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/RELIEVE-PORTO-REDONDELA-Impr.pdf

 

[nidarosa]

I walked it in May and would have been lost but for the combined forces of my Village to Village maps guidebook and the Wise Pilgrim app. Also my Californian walking companion knew when we could/should walk on the hardpack and I loved the beach walk from Amorosa to (the beach across the river from) Viana do Castelo and the tiny ferry ride across!

 

[Anniesantiago]

I’ve moved the thread to the “Coastal from Porto” sub-forum.

Annie, do you mean a hard copy guidebook? Wise Pilgrim has one, and his stuff is also in apps online. His route includes Central, Costal, and Variante Espiritual.

The Camino Portugués - A Guide to the Camino Portugués along the Central, the Coastal, and the Variante Espiritual Routes [2024 Edition]

2024 EDITION - NOW SHIPPING The Coastal Route, the Central Route, and the Variante Espiritual! Comprehensive accommodation directory: Hundreds of properties, including all albergues, hotels, paradors, casa rurales, pensions, and camp sites.For albergues you will know: how many beds (including...

shop.wisepilgrim.com

You probably already know that Gronze has a Coastal section.

Camino Portugués de la Costa | Gronze.com

El Camino Portugués de la Costa sigue el litoral atlántico desde Porto, pasando por Viana do Castelo, A Guarda y Vigo, hasta unirse al Camino Portugués Central en Redondela. Utilizado desde el siglo XVI por los peregrinos, este camino está creciendo de forma imparable. Motivos no le faltan...

www.gronze.com

When we were arranging the subforums, we had a heck of a time figuring out how to slice up the Portuguese caminhos.

There are actually two alternatives along the coast, the “coastal” and the “littoral” — the littoral route is the one that hugs the actual coast/sand/boardwalks and the coastal route is a bit further inland. At least that’s my understanding, I haven’t walked anything but the Central Route from Porto.

This map is the best one to show you how those two weave in and out and frequently intersect.

http://www.caminador.es/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/RELIEVE-PORTO-REDONDELA-Impr.pdf

Yes, sorry. When I looked at my old Brierley it was quite confusing...

 

[trecile]

The important thing is what exactly do you want from a guide?

 

[Anniesantiago]

The important thing is what exactly do you want from a guide?

Actually, we've decided against this route for 2024.
I guess what i want is a guide that will tell me which way to go! lol!

 

[The Ghost]

I had the John Brierley Oct 2022 Camino Portuguese Maps book for my April Camino. I like these smaller books because of the size. I almost feel you could get away with not having the books. I only remember one time it coming in handy - leaving Vigo, I was following my Alltrails app and I was on a main road going thru Vigo but I had remembered the book showing me climbing high out of Vigo then staying fairly level. Comparing my book to my app, I could see where a lower route was converging with the higher route and the road I was on would run into that route where I could follow it to the upper route. Otherwise I think my app was going to basically follow one of the main roads.
As I'm preparing for the Do Mar for next month I have that book (which includes the Ingles) and I'm going to read it more closely as I'm planning but I think there is enough info on the internet like at Gronze that you don't really need the books.

 

[lt56ny]

Actually, we've decided against this route for 2024.
I guess what i want is a guide that will tell me which way to go! lol!

Then just download Wise Pilgrim or Buen Camino and send a contribution. They are both excellent.

 

[trecile]

I almost feel you could get away with not having the books

I can assure you that you can get away without carrying a physical guidebook. I have never carried one. I use several apps, Gronze, and occasionally guidebooks on the Kindle app on my phone.

 

[dougfitz]

I can assure you that you can get away without carrying a physical guidebook. I have never carried one. I use several apps, Gronze, and occasionally guidebooks on the Kindle app on my phone.

I agree with this. Although I have carried a guidebook on all my pilgrimages, I have never really used it for practical navigation during the day after doing the CF in 2010. Brierley's guides have been useful for other reasons, although I don't find his spiritual reflections all that useful, and now don't really bother with them.

We will have different reasons for liking one app more than others. I have several loaded on my phone, as well as two general mapping apps, OSMAnd+ and Google Maps. OSMAnd+ uses the OSM data set that includes a 'layer' for walking trails, which includes the Camino routes. I find Google Maps better for navigation in towns and cities when one is looking to find a specific place. Neither has the information provided by the specialist Camino apps about accommodation, places to eat, etc, so it is useful to supplement these general purpose apps with one of the specialist Camino apps. I tend to use Wise Pilgrim, but have Buen Camino and some others loaded on my phone as well.