Ladywalker2
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- Time of past OR future Camino
- Frances(2015) Potugues Porto (2017)
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Definitely the Portuguese from Porto should be considered the Central path. Barcelos, Ponte de Lima and especially Rubiães are required sites. In recent times, mainly Germans pilgrims adopted the Portuguese coast but that route obviamemente taketh hold very north wind and lose the beauty of the countryside that the central path gives us.
Hostels are very clean and there are many pilgrims of all nationalities. Obviously, the CP represents only 8% of the total pilgrim but even so, is the second most frequented path. Beautiful churches, monuments, and especially the Cathedral of Porto, Tui, the Church of Santiago Padron are mandatory visits in this way.
Greeting from Canada. May 2015 my friend and I (70+ females) flew into Lisbon, bussed to Porto after excursions to Gibraltar and Morocco. We walked right along and the coast to Vigo then followed Brierley. It was WONDERFUL. The sun on our backs and the sea on our left. Much quieter and cleaner than the French Camino. We averaged 17 km. a day and had no problems with hostels. Carried 11lb packs, no injuries, and took 15 days or so.I am totally addicted. Buen Camino.Hello all. Mis peregrines and I (college rooommates) did CF in 2015. We are planning to do CP from Porto to Santiago in June 2017. Any advice on the best city to fly into from Detroit? Also is there anyone out there who has done CF and CP who could shed some light on what it's like after the awesome experience of CF. we wanted to walk a Camino where we could be away from home for only 3 weeks rather than 6 which was just too long. We are all close to 60 years old and loved the CF but wanted to experience Portugal on foot. Some stories about your experiences would be great and then advice on least expensive way to fly from Detroit if we are to begin in Porto. We are also visiting Fatima and possibly Lisbon before we start hiking in Porto. Thank you and Buen Camino Peregrinos!!!
Thanks Rainerbernd. For all fellows who pretend to have a view of the PC please had a look to this fantastic 4K video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=330&v=vG_wfmRaSdI
That sounds heavenly!!! It also puts my mind at ease. I also have the brierley guide so I'm glad it was helpful!! Thanks so much!!Greeting from Canada. May 2015 my friend and I (70+ females) flew into Lisbon, bussed to Porto after excursions to Gibraltar and Morocco. We walked right along and the coast to Vigo then followed Brierley. It was WONDERFUL. The sun on our backs and the sea on our left. Much quieter and cleaner than the French Camino. We averaged 17 km. a day and had no problems with hostels. Carried 11lb packs, no injuries, and took 15 days or so.I am totally addicted. Buen Camino.
Greeting from Canada. May 2015 my friend and I (70+ females) flew into Lisbon, bussed to Porto after excursions to Gibraltar and Morocco. We walked right along and the coast to Vigo then followed Brierley. It was WONDERFUL. The sun on our backs and the sea on our left. Much quieter and cleaner than the French Camino. We averaged 17 km. a day and had no problems with hostels. Carried 11lb packs, no injuries, and took 15 days or so.I am totally addicted. Buen Camino.
Wow!! This was fantastic! Thank you so much! I just shared this gem of a video with my Camino companions. Beautifully don!!Thanks Rainerbernd. For all fellows who pretend to have a view of the PC please had a look to this fantastic 4K video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=330&v=vG_wfmRaSdI
Thank you so much Alan. Very helpful.I flew from Toronto to London and then a $50 easyjet flight to Porto. 3 days in Porto, staying at the university dorm for €24 a night. I walked the coastal route all the way. It was wonderful. Had a rest day in Vigo. I'd recommend carrying 2 litres water as earlier sections were lacking in bars etc.
Buen Camino
Alan
Wow!! This was fantastic! Thank you so much! I just shared this gem of a video with my Camino companions. Beautifully don!!
Well maybe we will see you Jo114! We are leaving around June 16!! Buen Camino!!Hi ladywalker, I really hope you get a lot of good replies to this. I walked from SJDP to Santiago this June/July and before I had even been home a couple of days I had sent off for the John Brierley book containing the track notes to the Portuguese Camino which I plan to do (WILL DO) June 2017. Counting down the months/weeks already. And I was wondering pretty well exactly what you are wondering. So although I cant help with your inquiry, thanks for posting it and I will be following the progress of this thread with great interest. Bien Camino.
Thanks Alan!!I flew from Toronto to London and then a $50 easyjet flight to Porto. 3 days in Porto, staying at the university dorm for €24 a night. I walked the coastal route all the way. It was wonderful. Had a rest day in Vigo. I'd recommend carrying 2 litres water as earlier sections were lacking in bars etc.
Buen Camino
Alan
Thank you Helen 1. So very helpful!Every camino is different but I thought the CF was a totally different experience to the CP. The CP is much quieter than CF.
Can’t advise on flights - if you fly into Lisbon it’s easy to get the train to Porto.
I would do some research on routes and take a guide - from Porto I did the coastal route to Caminha then Tui, Pontevedra, Padron. I was super surprised how many people turned up in Porto without any info. At Vila do Conde my Brierley guide was hot property and photographed many times as people tried to work out where to go next.
The coastal route is dead flat which you might/might not find enjoyable. If there are strong winds coming off the sea I should imagine it’s *really* hard walking. There are 2 coastal routes and I was confused at times, I think one is basically along the sand the other is slightly inland. For the inland one, in places you are walking along the road between maize fields with very little to see (in August).
There aren’t anywhere near as many pilgrim bars, pilgrim menus and pilgrim ‘stuff’ along the route which might be a good/bad thing depending on your point of view. Portugal is very different to Spain, it’s not such a late night culture, you don’t get food when you buy a drink but that makes the drink very cheap, the people I met were really wonderful and very friendly.
I traveled in August and from Porto I stayed mostly in inexpensive hotels. A fair few people I met walking from Lisbon had already booked accommodation in advance from Tui for peace of mind. I suspect if you are walking later in the day albergue accommodation in places like Pontevedra might be difficult. I have only my experience to go on but very few, if any, people were up at 5/6am. (People did from Libson but that’s because the stages are very long and everyone was trying to avoid the 40+ degree heat). I thought the CP was much more relaxed.
One of the unique things about CP is that you will meet people the other way walking to Fatima and you need to get used to the blue and yellow arrows.
Thanks introibo!! So helpful!!Hi Ladywalker
It's certainly quieter. That was partly because we did it "Club Class" staying in hotels rather than
albergues. There seemed to be more road walking and more of the cobbled ways as well.
As with the CF there are some beautiful stretches in open country side. I found the way marking to
be even better than the CF with "X" to let you know you'd gone the wrong way. The hospitality of
the Portuguese is also fantastic.
Porto was also a great place to have a couple of days in before setting off. Shabby chic !
Bom Caminho
I'm wondering did this route from Porto to Santiago have a specific name? It didn't look like what some refer to as the coastal route from the video.
Olá Ladywalker2, the route in the video, starting in Barcelos, is part of the Central way. There are 3 ways out of Porto. The old way via Maia isn´t much in use nowadays. The second way is Porto > Campos Verdes > Vairão > Vilarinho and so on. Most pilgrims choose the first stage of the coastal way along the coast to Vila do Conde. There the way splits. To the Central Way (Caminho Central) leading to Rates > Barcelos and the Coastal Way (Caminho da Costa) leading to Rio Alto > Esposende > Marinhas and so on.
It´s a problem with the different names. Therefore I´ll describe the Central way as seen (partially) in the video
Porto > Rates > Barcelos > Ponte de Lima > Rubiães > Valença > O Porriño > Redondela > Pontevedra > Caldas de Reis > Padron > Teo > Santiago de Compostela
There is another way Porto > Famalicão > Braga > Ponte de Lima ..... the Caminho de Braga. This way is only in Portuguese guide books.
Brierley doesn't show the coastal route after Vila de Conda. We wanted to stay on the coast and were able to follow arrows and ask directions but sometimes the distances between hostels/villages were longer than we were told. Keeping the sea to your left made it easy. After Vigo we used the book, bussing out of the city. Going into Santiago was not as easy as on the French Way and there were quite a few lost pilgrims. But I'd do it again in a heart beat!
Yes, Oia was a quaint little place with an imposing sea wall. A horse clip clopped past our window on the cobbled street. We stayed in most of those places too. And the little ex school house albergue in Barro/Portello that Brierley mentions in his book. That was a truly Camino experience not to be missed!These were my stops with distances in km. I sure liked the walk. Fairly flat I guess but enough challenge for me this time. Loved Oia!
Porto
Povoa de Varzim 23
Esposende 21
Viana do Castelo 24
Vila Praia de Ancora 18
A Guarda 18
Oia 15
Baiona 14
Vigo 23
Redondella 14
Pontevedra 16
Caldas de Reis 24
Padron 18
Teo 12
SDC 12
Hope to add a link to my photos soon...
Alan
Hi I am walking from Porto on 24 November and had thought of taking the Coastal route until Villa Conde before joining the Central. Do you all think it s gonna be too wet and windy at that time of year or it should be ok or even continue up the Coastal route until Tui (?)
Cheers G
Olá, November is always a bit on the wet and windy side. Therefore, please check:
https://www.ipma.pt/en/otempo/prev.localidade.hora/#Porto|Matosinhos
Depending on the weather, you can choose your way - along the coast up tu Tui or switching to the Central in Vila do Conde. I used to live in Portugal for many years and did the CP seven times. In late autumn I always switched in Vila do Conde to the Central Way because it´s more protected there. If you want to stay in hotels and pensions along the coast, some of them are closed - off season!
Bom caminho, Rainer
I would not advice hostal Duas Nações in Porto.Olá Ginette, yes, the Central route in November has more accomodation for pilgrims than the Coastal route. In November, no booking is needed, except your first stay in Porto. It´s easy to get a nice hostel right above the old town near Cordoaria. For instance: Porto Wine Hostel, Pensão França or Pensao Duas Nações. They are in the internet. How to get there? Bus 601 from the airport to the final stop Cordoaria. Then it´s only 3-5 minutes to the hostels I mentioned and to the famous book shop Lello as well. Cafes for breakfast, opening at 6 in the morning, all around.
Well, walking from the cathedral (first stamp) or your hostel on the Central is allright, but in the outskirts it´s a bit boring - industrial areas. Therefore I suggest to do a combi via Vila do Conde. If the weather is very bad you can take the metro red line to Póvoa de Varzim. Your stop will be Santa Clara. Go 100 m back to the big roundabout and turn left into Avenida Bernardino Machado. There the way is marked. Orientation is a big warehouse in the distance. Next villages: Touguinho > Arcos > Rates, your first albergue. It´s only 12 km from Metro station Santa Clara to Rates. Some more questions? Don´t hesitate to ask. Btw. I often stayed at the end of Central Line, Hainault (Essex), visiting close friends.
Bom caminho, Rainer
Olá Ginette, yes, the Central route in November has more accomodation for pilgrims than the Coastal route. In November, no booking is needed, except your first stay in Porto. It´s easy to get a nice hostel right above the old town near Cordoaria. For instance: Porto Wine Hostel, Pensão França or Pensao Duas Nações. They are in the internet. How to get there? Bus 601 from the airport to the final stop Cordoaria. Then it´s only 3-5 minutes to the hostels I mentioned and to the famous book shop Lello as well. Cafes for breakfast, opening at 6 in the morning, all around.
Well, walking from the cathedral (first stamp) or your hostel on the Central is allright, but in the outskirts it´s a bit boring - industrial areas. Therefore I suggest to do a combi via Vila do Conde. If the weather is very bad you can take the metro red line to Póvoa de Varzim. Your stop will be Santa Clara. Go 100 m back to the big roundabout and turn left into Avenida Bernardino Machado. There the way is marked. Orientation is a big warehouse in the distance. Next villages: Touguinho > Arcos > Rates, your first albergue. It´s only 12 km from Metro station Santa Clara to Rates. Some more questions? Don´t hesitate to ask. Btw. I often stayed at the end of Central Line, Hainault (Essex), visiting close friends.
Bom caminho, Rainer
Hello @ginette. I recomend you the albergues i've been last september in my CP:
- Mosteiro de Vairão (Vila do Conde)
- Albergue de Peregrinos de Barcelos (Barcelos)
- Albergue de Peregrinos de Ponte de Lima (Ponte de Lima)
- Albergue de S.Pedro de Rubiães (Rubiães)
- Albergue O Porrino (O Porrino, Spain)
- Albergue de Pontevedra (near the raillway station- Pontevedra)
- Albergue Dona Urraca ( Caldas de Reis)
All superb Albergues, fantastic crew members, clean, and quietly.
In SdC i decided to find a Residencial (small hotel) cause i was terrible afraid with bed bug report by pelgrins coming from de CF albergues :\
I would not advice hostal Duas Nações in Porto.
We stayed there once in a room without windows, it was filthy and very noisy. In the middle of the night "guests with no respect for the sleep of others" arrived or left ,stamping their boots in the staircases and speaking and shouting very loud.Horrible... we booked for some days but cancelled and found a nice AIRBNB appartment.
thank you so much. This is soooo helpful! Your video was awesome.Olá Ladywalker2, the route in the video, starting in Barcelos, is part of the Central way. There are 3 ways out of Porto. The old way via Maia isn´t much in use nowadays. The second way is Porto > Campos Verdes > Vairão > Vilarinho and so on. Most pilgrims choose the first stage of the coastal way along the coast to Vila do Conde. There the way splits. To the Central Way (Caminho Central) leading to Rates > Barcelos and the Coastal Way (Caminho da Costa) leading to Rio Alto > Esposende > Marinhas and so on.
It´s a problem with the different names. Therefore I´ll describe the Central way as seen (partially) in the video
Porto > Rates > Barcelos > Ponte de Lima > Rubiães > Valença > O Porriño > Redondela > Pontevedra > Caldas de Reis > Padron > Teo > Santiago de Compostela
There is another way Porto > Famalicão > Braga > Ponte de Lima ..... the Caminho de Braga. This way is only in Portuguese guide books.
Thank you!!!Brierley doesn't show the coastal route after Vila de Conda. We wanted to stay on the coast and were able to follow arrows and ask directions but sometimes the distances between hostels/villages were longer than we were told. Keeping the sea to your left made it easy. After Vigo we used the book, bussing out of the city. Going into Santiago was not as easy as on the French Way and there were quite a few lost pilgrims. But I'd do it again in a heart beat!
Thanks again!!There are maps about the different ways from Porto to Santiago:
http://www.caminador.es/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/0D-INFORMACIONES-DE-INTERES.pdf/
Have a look and enjoy
Thank you DrawstringThese were my stops with distances in km. I sure liked the walk. Fairly flat I guess but enough challenge for me this time. Loved Oia!
Porto
Povoa de Varzim 23
Esposende 21
Viana do Castelo 24
Vila Praia de Ancora 18
A Guarda 18
Oia 15
Baiona 14
Vigo 23
Redondella 14
Pontevedra 16
Caldas de Reis 24
Padron 18
Teo 12
SDC 12
Hope to add a link to my photos soon...
Alan
Thank you so much!! I will definitely check out airtransat!Hi: If you can get a bus or other ride from Detroit to Toronto (about 5 hours), Air Transat has direct flights from Toronto to both Lisbon and Porto. Check out www.airtransat.com.
I have not walked the CF, but I have done both the CP Central Way and the CP Coastal Way. This past July I did the Coastal Way with the same stops described above by @drawstring. I thought it was a great route and would not hesitate to recommend it. However, there were only a handful of pilgrims on the route until it merged with the Central in Redondela - then there were significantly more. So if the camaraderie is important to you, it may be different in that respect from the CF, and you may want to take the CP Central Way.
Every camino is different but I thought the CF was a totally different experience to the CP. The CP is much quieter than CF.
I have looked at booking the Camino Portugues with two different companies. I noticed that CP is about 200 euro higher than for the same number of nights of accommodations and services. In general, (aside from beverages), is Portugal more expensive for tourists?
We too are close to 60. I'm on one side and my wife is on the other. We flew into Lisbon and took the train north just passed Porto to where we started. You can see some video of our walk last July if you search "meidbo" on YouTube. You will have great trip.Hello all. Mis peregrines and I (college rooommates) did CF in 2015. We are planning to do CP from Porto to Santiago in June 2017. Any advice on the best city to fly into from Detroit? Also is there anyone out there who has done CF and CP who could shed some light on what it's like after the awesome experience of CF. we wanted to walk a Camino where we could be away from home for only 3 weeks rather than 6 which was just too long. We are all close to 60 years old and loved the CF but wanted to experience Portugal on foot. Some stories about your experiences would be great and then advice on least expensive way to fly from Detroit if we are to begin in Porto. We are also visiting Fatima and possibly Lisbon before we start hiking in Porto. Thank you and Buen Camino Peregrinos!!!
We too are close to 60. I'm on one side and my wife is on the other. We flew into Lisbon and took the train north just passed Porto to where we started. You can see some video of our walk last July if you search "meidbo" on YouTube. You will have great trip.
Hello Lady WalkerHello all. Mis peregrines and I (college rooommates) did CF in 2015. We are planning to do CP from Porto to Santiago in June 2017. Any advice on the best city to fly into from Detroit? Also is there anyone out there who has done CF and CP who could shed some light on what it's like after the awesome experience of CF. we wanted to walk a Camino where we could be away from home for only 3 weeks rather than 6 which was just too long. We are all close to 60 years old and loved the CF but wanted to experience Portugal on foot. Some stories about your experiences would be great and then advice on least expensive way to fly from Detroit if we are to begin in Porto. We are also visiting Fatima and possibly Lisbon before we start hiking in Porto. Thank you and Buen Camino Peregrinos!!!
Hello all. Mis peregrines and I (college rooommates) did CF in 2015. We are planning to do CP from Porto to Santiago in June 2017. Any advice on the best city to fly into from Detroit? Also is there anyone out there who has done CF and CP who could shed some light on what it's like after the awesome experience of CF. we wanted to walk a Camino where we could be away from home for only 3 weeks rather than 6 which was just too long. We are all close to 60 years old and loved the CF but wanted to experience Portugal on foot. Some stories about your experiences would be great and then advice on least expensive way to fly from Detroit if we are to begin in Porto. We are also visiting Fatima and possibly Lisbon before we start hiking in Porto. Thank you and Buen Camino Peregrinos!!!
Choose the Inglês instead for a much more pleasant experience! We attempted the Portuguese in May this year from Valença but were halted by terrible weather and illness in Pontevedra. We didn't find that first leg very attractive at all! Perhaps put off due to the weather but loved the Inglês in May 2015.Hello all. Mis peregrines and I (college rooommates) did CF in 2015. We are planning to do CP from Porto to Santiago in June 2017. Any advice on the best city to fly into from Detroit? Also is there anyone out there who has done CF and CP who could shed some light on what it's like after the awesome experience of CF. we wanted to walk a Camino where we could be away from home for only 3 weeks rather than 6 which was just too long. We are all close to 60 years old and loved the CF but wanted to experience Portugal on foot. Some stories about your experiences would be great and then advice on least expensive way to fly from Detroit if we are to begin in Porto. We are also visiting Fatima and possibly Lisbon before we start hiking in Porto. Thank you and Buen Camino Peregrinos!!!
The distances very long ?I was planning to walk the CF in April, but after more route research, I want to walk the CP, its my roots - my Portugeese grandparents emigrated to California in 1910. However, the distances seem very long. I would prefer walking 4-5 hours a day versus 8. Taking my time to "smell the roses" along the Way. Is this possible? Are there enough towns to stay in shorter spurts? Get water? Etc..
I'm 68 and have yet to do my first Camino. I want to do the CP as my first, but I have no idea what time of year would be best. What's your preference?Thank you all for posting. I'm also thinking of the CP as my second Camino. I returned from the CF less than three weeks ago and am excited to walk a new Camino. I may be walking alone, celebrating my 71st birthday and hoping to meet other pilgrims along the way. I'm interested in opinions about guidebooks, solo walkers, accommodations and possibly starting from Porto. Lots of planning and hoping for next year. Buen Camino.
We did it last July and It was unseasonably hot according to the locals. So much so that after about 2:00pm it became pretty uncomfortable. However, we were in no hurry, took many rest breaks and drank lots of water. We also stayed in hotels which helped a lot. I can say that even with the heat we never felt that we needed to skip a day. Every morning was fresh and full of energy. We also didn't see a lot of pilgrims, certainly not the throngs that you hear about on the CF. We're going back next year and starting about midway on the del Norte, again in July. My wife and I one year either side of 60 so right in your ballpark.I'm 68 and have yet to do my first Camino. I want to do the CP as my first, but I have no idea what time of year would be best. What's your preference?
you will be very happy if you satart in OportoLovely and informative video. I'm a bit intimidated now, as I'm going to be walking alone. I'll probably go from Tui to Santiago and then on to Finisterre. Hopefully, I can do it in May. Thank you for the information. I really appreciate it. Bev
Last year we walked from Lisbon to Santiago and thence to Fisterra. This April 24 th we are walking from Porto along the coastal route to Santiago. We walked the Camino Frances two years ago, the Portuguese is unique and we highly recommend it beautiful people and villages and towns and much quitter than the francesThank you all for posting. I'm also thinking of the CP as my second Camino. I returned from the CF less than three weeks ago and am excited to walk a new Camino. I may be walking alone, celebrating my 71st birthday and hoping to meet other pilgrims along the way. I'm interested in opinions about guidebooks, solo walkers, accommodations and possibly starting from Porto. Lots of planning and hoping for next year. Buen Camino.
Thanks for sharing Alan.Merry Christmas!
I did the CP starting May 25 from Porto. I loved the walk. If you'd like to see photographs I've posted them in daily albums and they can be found here:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/drawstring/collections/72157672907956844/
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