Camino Portuguese from Lisbon in early March - accommodation options

[Natty81]

Hi all
I wondered if anyone had any knowledge of the accommodation options open/available for the Camino Portuguese, specifically the Lisbon to Porto section? I plan to start around 1st March but I am a little concerned that nowhere will be open to sleep!
Any information is very much appreciated.
Thank you so much
Natalie

 

[Via2010]

Hi

I walked the Central from Lisbon in March 2014 and had no difficulty in finding accomodation. Since then the possiblities for accomodation have increased. Before Porto there are only few albergues. Youthhostels, hostales and cheap hotels are open the whole year.

For accomodation see this: Via Lusitana - Accomodation

Only the albergue in Alpriarte is closed until the middle of March. But this should not be a big issue as the Camino crosses the Railway Lisbon-Santarem at various railway-stations. So just book an additional night in Lisbon, go back by Train (runs every 30 min) and continue the next day.

BC
Alexandra

 

[jsalt]

https://www.gronze.com/etapa/lisboa/alpriate

It's in Spanish, but it's very easy to read the accommodation options on each stage.

 

[jimmyc]

I walked in May 2016 and the Alpriate was open. Alpriate is at the 15km mark. If you are not up to walking 31kms on the first day I suggest you use the train option as suggested by VIA2010 above.

 

[Camembert]

Hi all
I wondered if anyone had any knowledge of the accommodation options open/available for the Camino Portuguese, specifically the Lisbon to Porto section? I plan to start around 1st March but I am a little concerned that nowhere will be open to sleep!
Any information is very much appreciated.
Thank you so much
Natalie

Everywhere are cheap hostals on the way from Lisbon
The poussada de juventude in Moscavide (near the Lisbon former world exhibition ground Parque das Nações.)
Hostals in Alverca de Ribatejo
Vila Franca de Xira
the Santarém hostal in Santarém. Highly recommended
Hostal Casa da Tia Guida in Golegã https://www.casadatiaguida.com/en-gb
Highly recommended
Tomar. We slept at the Bombeiros Volontarios , the voluntary firebrigade. quite qn experience
We slept in a school in Cernache, with monks is a retrait home in Albergaría a Velha
A nice hotel inSão Joã da Madeira .
And many more. See the website of Vialusitana
This caminho from Lisbon was one of our best caminhos ever since we loved it
This is Portugal on its best .

Pega bem e bom caminho

 

[Pilger99]

Alpriate will be closed in early March. I'd say it more than 20km to the Cathedral of Lisbon, not just 15km. You have to walk another ~5km before you get to the train station. Unfortunately I don't know about the bus company and schedule from here (the stop is right in front of the albergue).
Staying in Lisbon a second night is OK, but make a prebooking if you like to stay e.g. at the youth hostel in Moscavide (Parque das Nações). You can also take the train forward to Vilafranca de Xira or Azambuja, where you find accomodation. I found heating sometimes very attractive (March & November), so I prefer DP hostel rather than staying in Alverca in a cold pension at a busy road.

Gronze.com has the most actual and complete list of places to sleep for the way. The real prices are sometimes a bit up, but in general the difference is less than 5€. So it's more accurate than a traditional guide book. If you understand Spanish it's also like a complete guide book. Unfortunately Gronze does not mention the alternative routes passing Fatima. There is probably a bit more places to sleep than Monsanto leaving Santarem straigh north. You may go north again, but I would recommend to walk towards Tomar, with an impressive aqueduct and castle.

Day light is still a bit short in March. It becomes light at 7am, but breakfast is often served later. It gets dark and cold at 6:30pm.

 

[Moonbeamzz]

Hi Natalie,
I am setting off from Lisbon on 6 March so will be about 5 days behind you, feel free to post on here what you find in the way of accommodation
I had planned to spend my first night in the albuerge at Alpriate but am disappointed to note it doesn't open till 18 March. Am looking at other options but dont feel like walking 32 ish klms on day 1 (planning to follow Brierly's book)

Cheers
Peter

 

[Via2010]

You can book a second night in Lisbon (preferably close to Oriente Station) and use the train to return to your hostel in Lisbon and to go back to the camino the next morning. There is a regular and cheap train service between Lisbon Oriente and Santarém and the camino touches various railway stations.

 

[jungleboy]

You can book a second night in Lisbon (preferably close to Oriente Station) and use the train to return to your hostel in Lisbon and to go back to the camino the next morning. There is a regular and cheap train service between Lisbon Oriente and Santarém and the camino touches various railway stations.

I've seen quite a few people make recommendations like this in multiple threads. It just seems so weird to me to do something like this, but I'm sure that says more about me than anything or anyone else!

 

[peregrina2000]

Hi Natalie,
I am setting off from Lisbon on 6 March so will be about 5 days behind you, feel free to post on here what you find in the way of accommodation
I had planned to spend my first night in the albuerge at Alpriate but am disappointed to note it doesn't open till 18 March. Am looking at other options but dont feel like walking 32 ish klms on day 1 (planning to follow Brierly's book)

Cheers
Peter

I've seen quite a few people make recommendations like this in multiple threads. It just seems so weird to me to do something like this, but I'm sure that says more about me than anything or anyone else!

Well, I think that it is not anyone’s first choice but becomes the best Plan B as people consider the options. If there are no accommodations for a 40-plus stretch, and you can’t walk 40 kms, what to do? I once took a lot of heat on a Spanish forum for not being willing to sleep in a church doorway on some town on the Olvidado to break up a 50-km stage, and I know you aren’t coming at it from a “this isn’t a true pilgrim’s way of walking” vantage point, but there are people out there who think that.

Here are two resources:

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/resources/short-stages-from-lisbon-to-porto.133/

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/resources/camino-portugués-lisbon-porto-2017.517/

These are a bit out of date (and the “short stages from Lisbon” was written before the Alpriate albergue opened, so it should be useful for times when the Alpriate albergue is closed!).

And btw, if you get to Alpriate and the albergue is closed, ask in the bar around the corner for information about a place in Alpriate with rooms to rent at a reasonable price. Others have done that.

 

[cj2003]

We walked the Camino from Lisbon in March 2016 and had no trouble finding accomodation along the route - you might find it difficult if you only want to sleep in albergues, but there's plenty of other places to sleep.

You can see a LOT of the places in our ressource https://www.caminodesantiago.me/com...df-route-portugues-route-monacal-coastal.404/

(and you can download and bring the list along with you!)

Please note that it follows the coastal route from Porto.

 

[Natty81]

I walked in May 2016 and the Alpriate was open. Alpriate is at the 15km mark. If you are not up to walking 31kms on the first day I suggest you use the train option as suggested by VIA2010 above.

Thank you for the information. Can you tell me, where is the next place after Alpriate that has accommodation?
Thanks again

 

[peregrina2000]

Thank you for the information. Can you tell me, where is the next place after Alpriate that has accommodation?
Thanks again

Hi, Natty,
I don’t know if cj2003’s list shows distances. I can’t figure out how to open it. But lots of people have said it’s a great document.

The Gronze website shows schematic maps with distances.

Camino Portugués Central | Gronze.com

www.gronze.com

 

[cj2003]

Thank you for the information. Can you tell me, where is the next place after Alpriate that has accommodation?
Thanks again

About 1 -2km from Alpriate there is Póvoa de Santa Iria with a bit expensive hotel (VIP Executive Santa Iria Hotel ) and the Bombeiros Municipais (I havent heard if they do not accept pilrgims - last info I have is that they accept pilgrims)

About 6 km from Alpriate is Verdelha del Baixo with at least 4 small hotels and resisencials.

You can see them here:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/15YjQVotp9btlbTUx6YDMgFpHcm3__9msYMJ_nHKOe2E/edit#gid=0

(the main link from https://www.caminodesantiago.me/com...df-route-portugues-route-monacal-coastal.404/ )

@peregrina2000 pls try the upper link here - I hope it works. And yes, the list shows distances (approximates from the previous town). Alternatively the pdf probably works - https://www.dropbox.com/s/dm5w2ct6s...Portugues - route Monacal from Porto.pdf?dl=0

 

[Natty81]

Thank you so much - this is so helpful for me

 

[cj2003]

Thank you so much - this is so helpful for me

...well....something felt a bit odd and I just checked. Gronze.com is right and my sheet was wrong - the hotel is before the albergue in Alpriate. Check https://www.gronze.com/etapa/lisboa/alpriate

I've updated my sheet accordingly - sorry for the wrong help, but better to rectify than deny!

bom caminho!