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  1. kenwilltravel

    Advice needed on travel from Tomar to Porto

    Jungleboy is right. I just checked the CP app and found that Tomar to Porto generally takes about 4 hours and involves two changes of train, at Lamarosa and Coimbra. If you can find a direct bus, that's the preferred option I would think.
  2. kenwilltravel

    Language for camino portuguese?

    This is correct. People here watch movies with Portuguese subtitles and are exposed relentlessly to the sound of English. Walk through a mall here and notice all the signs and piped-in music in English. You pass young people in the streets and they make jokes in English to amuse their friends...
  3. kenwilltravel

    Language for camino portuguese?

    This is all anecdotal, but I've heard from other ex-pats here that Portuguese people often get downright offended if you try your Spanish on them (the two countries have a complicated history). You're better off using a few words and phrases in Portuguese to break the ice, as lovelyshell...
  4. kenwilltravel

    "Ideal" itinerary for a leisurely Camino Portuguese?

    We stayed in O Milladoiro in 2018 and I agree it's a perfect spot from which to reach Santiago the next morning, which is only about 9.5 km away. You have plenty of time to go to the Pilgrim's Office to get your compostela and perhaps attend a pilgrim's mass in the cathedral.
  5. kenwilltravel

    "Ideal" itinerary for a leisurely Camino Portuguese?

    Looking at your planned itinerary, I would suggest considering Pontevedra and Ponte de Lima for rest days. Both of them have interesting historic sites to visit and good restaurants. Ponte de Lima is my personal favourite. Here's a blog post if you have any interest...
  6. kenwilltravel

    Buen Camino app, negative about central Portugal

    I agree absolutely with what Dick & Kitty say about the N306. No fun at all, as you can see from our blog post: https://twoclinestraveling.wordpress.com/2023/09/02/porto-to-casa-mindela-6-6-km-too-much-traffic/
  7. kenwilltravel

    First Day Leaving Porto Options

    Last June, we took the metro to Vilar do Pinheiro, expressly to avoid the urban areas of Porto. Here's what I wrote at the time: "But a shock awaited us when we actually reached the trail a few blocks away: most of our subsequent walk that afternoon took place along the N-360, a busy two-lane...
  8. kenwilltravel

    Ponte de Lima

    Pricey is a relative term, but if you want a friendly, well-run family hotel with a great view of the Roman bridge, we can recommend Arc My Otel: https://twoclinestraveling.wordpress.com/2023/02/08/ponte-de-lima-a-city-you-cant-forget-2022/ Ponte de Lima is also a great place to hang around for...
  9. kenwilltravel

    Advice for three nice walking days in Portugal, please!

    Besides the Rota Vincentina, another option in the Algarve you might consider is the Seven Hanging Valleys trail: https://www.walkalgarve.com/algarve-walking-sightseeing-birding-routes/seven-hanging-valleys-trail-lagoa-western-algarve
  10. kenwilltravel

    Transport back to Porto from

    If you do the central route, you can take a short bus ride from Ponte de Lima to Braga, and then pick up a train direct back to Porto. On the coastal route, you can take the Porto metro back to Porto from Povoa de Varzim, or, as chinalil says above, take the train back from Viana do Costelo...
  11. kenwilltravel

    Central route and paved surfaces

    I haven't done the stretch from Ponte de Lima to Redondela. But I can testify that some of the scariest road-walking we've ever encountered (cars whizzing past you uncomfortably close at great speed) occurred on the Central between Vilar do Pinheiro and Gião on the N-306 highway. From there to...
  12. kenwilltravel

    Central route and paved surfaces

    My wife found that her trail runner (Hoka One Stinson ATR 4) struggled on cobblestones. Whenever possible, she walked on sidewalks or grass to the sides. I did better on cobblestones with my hiking shoe (Keen Targhee III). My conclusion is that more ankle support, as you get in a hiking shoe, is...
  13. kenwilltravel

    "Camino store" in Porto?

    At the Porto Cathedral, there is a small store just off the tourist entrance that sells credencial booklets and other Camino-related books and trinkets but no hiking gear, as I recall.
  14. kenwilltravel

    Where to Find Delicious Pastel de Nata Near the Cathedral for Starting the Camino in Lisbon

    As someone who lives in Portugal, I've gotten somewhat blasé about Pastel de Nata. When I want one, I can get a good one from virtually any pastry shop, or any grocery store that has a bakery. I wouldn't worry too much about it, although David Tallan is correct that the most famous place is in...
  15. kenwilltravel

    Bag Delivery and Accommodation Tips for Camino Portuguese from Porto in May

    Here's a related thread on this Forum that you might find of interest: https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/pack-transport-on-esp%C3%ADritu-variante.76008/#post-1051992
  16. kenwilltravel

    Bag Delivery and Accommodation Tips for Camino Portuguese from Porto in May

    This is very good advice! Should be engraved in stone somewhere along the trail.
  17. kenwilltravel

    Alert Wildfires in Portugal

    Friend from Barquinha raises a good point here, how these fires can jump roads, even four-lane highways. Last year, in the Algarve, we had a fire near Castro Marim that jumped the A-22 motorway (4 lanes with median), which a lot of people had said beforehand was unlikely. Nope, all it took was a...
  18. kenwilltravel

    Alert Wildfires in Portugal

    The U.S. consulate in Lisbon just released the following alert: Event: Due to increased risk posed by wildfires across the country, the Portuguese government has declared a countrywide State of Contingency beginning Monday, July 11, 2022 until Friday, July 15, 2022. Additionally, the local...
  19. kenwilltravel

    Alert Wildfires in Portugal

    We live in the Algarve and are watching this like a hawk. We well remember last year when we could see the smoke from our apartment window. This is a problem every summer in Portugal (and Spain) but is particularly worrisome right now because of a severe drought in much of Portugal combined with...
  20. kenwilltravel

    Coastal vs Central Portuguese route

    Am not familiar with the Mosteiro de São Salvador de Vairão (if that's the monastery you're referring to) but on Google Maps it looks like an easy two hour walk (only 8 km) to Vila do Conde. You won't have any arrows or signs to follow, of course, since it's off the trail.

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