• For 2024 Pilgrims: €50,- donation = 1 year with no ads on the forum + 90% off any 2024 Guide. More here.
    (Discount code sent to you by Private Message after your donation)
  • ⚠️ Emergency contact in Spain - Dial 112 and AlertCops app. More on this here.

Search 69,459 Camino Questions

Camino Portuguese from Porto - Costal, Central or Braga Route?

Boog237

New Member
Time of past OR future Camino
August 2013 SJPP to Santiago
May 2018 Porto to Santiago
August 2018 SJPP to Santiago
Hello all -

I leave the US for Portugal May 18 for my second Camino and will arrive Porto early afternoon the 19th. I've been planning on walking the costal route, but am having second thoughts. Any comments, suggestions on the costal vs. central vs. Braga route are welcome!

Thanks in advance

Bob
 
New Original Camino Gear Designed Especially with The Modern Peregrino In Mind!
Coastal is very flat. Lots of places to stay Central route is more accidented. Lots of places to stay. Caminho de Braga is accidented too. Bigger distances between places to stay.
 
Join our full-service guided tour and let us convert you into a Pampered Pilgrim!
If you want to be beside the ocean and have the chance to walk on beaches, I can vouch for a combination of the Coastal/Litoral from Porto followed by the Espirituel variant (from Pontevedra to Padrón). From Padrón, you join the Central route to Santiago but its possible to switch to the Central route earlier, from Pontevedra for example.
I'm doing it right now and really enjoying it!
 
Thanks to all for your helpful comments.

B
 
Do you have a favorite of the three?
I prefer a mix of it ! Two weeks ago I started on the coast, jumped over to the central route at Viana do Castelo, stayed in the famous private albergue Casa da Fernanda for some days , walked from there to Ponte de Lima and went to Braga (by bus) to see my friends there and visit the famous sanctuary Bom Jesus do Monte.
After all "partying" at Fernanda's went back to the coastal. So experienced all the good of the three different caminhos
 
St James' Way - Self-guided 4-7 day Walking Packages, Reading to Southampton, 110 kms
Central route is more accidented. Caminho de Braga is accidented too. .

Kindly help understand what does "accidented" mean? Does it mean more things to do, see or eat on the Central (Internal) route?

Thanks,

DF
 
If you want to be beside the ocean and have the chance to walk on beaches, I can vouch for a combination of the Coastal/Litoral from Porto followed by the Espirituel variant (from Pontevedra to Padrón). From Padrón, you join the Central route to Santiago but its possible to switch to the Central route earlier, from Pontevedra for example.
I'm doing it right now and really enjoying it!

Yes thanks for that advice. So you walked the Coastal from Porto to Redondela then joined the Central to Pontevedra before branching off on the Espirituel?
Do you know how accessible it is to join the Central at Valença from the Coastal (and would it be worth it)?
 
Get a spanish phone number with Airalo. eSim, so no physical SIM card. Easy to use app to add more funds if needed.
Yes thanks for that advice. So you walked the Coastal from Porto to Redondela then joined the Central to Pontevedra before branching off on the Espirituel?
Do you know how accessible it is to join the Central at Valença from the Coastal (and would it be worth it)?
It is easy to walk from the coastal to Valença. As soon as you are in Caminha head to Vila Nova de Cerveira. It is well waymarked and at certain time you follow the so called Ecovia, a path along the Minho river for wanderers and cyclists. Allways keep the Minho river at your left.
In Vila Nova de Cerveira is a nice youth hostal to stay .
Then keep on following the river at your left. Do not cross the bridge but follow the Ecovia. There are also waymarkers more into the hills but we followed the Ecovia all the time. You will reach Valença easily and arrive close to the albergue.
Distance from Caminha to Valença is about 30 kms. We did it in 2 days. Very relaxed
 
Yes thanks for that advice. So you walked the Coastal from Porto to Redondela then joined the Central to Pontevedra before branching off on the Espirituel?
Do you know how accessible it is to join the Central at Valença from the Coastal (and would it be worth it)?

Exactly this.

I walked the Central route from Lisbon four years ago with no diversions and to be honest I don't have any definitive memories of the town of Valença and have no knowledge of the walk from Caminha to Valença, as Albertinho does.

Maybe the question is : how do you want to cross from that river from Portugal to Spain? By foot over the bridge between Valença and Tui (Central) or by passenger ferry from Caminha to A Pasaxe/Guarda (Coastal)?

About the ferry - i posted a picture below of the schedule when I crossed over a week ago. However, sometimes it does not run because of low tide but you can cross by private fishing boat. Or walk, as Albertinho describes, towards Valença and cross at the first bridge you encounter and try to get back to the coast or indeed continue all the way to Valença.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_20180428_154625.jpg
    IMG_20180428_154625.jpg
    3 MB · Views: 8
Exactly this.

I walked the Central route from Lisbon four years ago with no diversions and to be honest I don't have any definitive memories of the town of Valença and have no knowledge of the walk from Caminha to Valença, as Albertinho does.

Maybe the question is : how do you want to cross from that river from Portugal to Spain? By foot over the bridge between Valença and Tui (Central) or by passenger ferry from Caminha to A Pasaxe/Guarda (Coastal)?

About the ferry - i posted a picture below of the schedule when I crossed over a week ago. However, sometimes it does not run because of low tide but you can cross by private fishing boat. Or walk, as Albertinho describes, towards Valença and cross at the first bridge you encounter and try to get back to the coast or indeed continue all the way to Valença.
The first bridge you will encounter in Caminha . The second in Vila Nova de Cerveira and this bridge leads into Spain. Once at the Spanish side you can turn left to A Guarda -15 kms but also turn right to Tui -about 16 kms. Just an ordinairy N road. I drove both tracks several times. Can't remember there were sidewalks at the Spanish side of the Minho river.
 
Very light, comfortable and compressible poncho. Specially designed for protection against water for any activity.

Our Atmospheric H30 poncho offers lightness and waterproofness. Easily compressible and made with our Waterproof fabric, its heat-sealed interior seams guarantee its waterproofness. Includes carrying bag.

€60,-
If you want the option to go between the coastal and central routes once you are north of Porto, I suggest you get the app called "Wise Pilgrim Guides - Portugues". Well worth the $4. It has an online GPS map which will show you a few ways to go between coastal and central.
 

Most read last week in this forum

I would like to walk the river route in Tui next month. I can see on google maps exactly where it starts, but it seems a bit overgrown. Has anybody used this route this year or last year...
Hello, my friend of 50+ years and I are on our first Camino walk. We are looking for: 1) safe, comfortable hostels in Lisbon; 2) stages from Lisbon to Porto (via Tomar) in about 16 days...
Hi I have searched everywhere to see if there is a luggage service from Lisbon to Porto. I know there is from Porto to Santiago, but Lisbon ???. Thanks for any info.

❓How to ask a question

How to post a new question on the Camino Forum.

Forum Rules

Forum Rules

Camino Updates on YouTube

Camino Conversations

Most downloaded Resources

This site is run by Ivar at

in Santiago de Compostela.
This site participates in the Amazon Affiliate program, designed to provide a means for Ivar to earn fees by linking to Amazon
Official Camino Passport (Credential) | 2024 Camino Guides
Back
Top