Accommodation gaps -Lisbon-Porto

[Joan Biggs]

Hi
I walked Porto to SDC last May. I notice some Pilgrims mention that there is a lack of affordable accommodation on the way from Lisbon-Porto, would be glad to hear any particular stretches where this is the case. I am considering offering an affordable but good quality place to stay on this route. I live in Central Portugal but am English.
many thanks

 

[Via2010]

Hi,

I think the Camino between Santarém and Coimbra lacks some additional accomodation. Up to Santarém you can help yourself with trains as the camino follows the railway and there is a regular service.

Any distances over 30 km should be considered worth offering intermediate accomodation.

Look at the list published by vialusitana to find suitable places.

BC
Alexandra

 

[lt56ny]

There was never a night where I couldn’t find an Albergue. There was one day when I hD to walk 30+K. That wasn’t a lot of fun. Besides that no problem.

 

[Rex]

Santarem to Coimbra, as suggested above, has some long stretches without accommodations. There is a wonderful hostel in Tomar, a city with a World Heritage Site, but otherwise, many of the smaller villages that dot the way don't have much to offer in the way of beds. I walked CP in Sept 2018, right in the midst of a heat wave (40 degrees C for a few days) and averaged 35KM/day, but found that several fellow pilgrims were taking the bus to make it from albergue to albergue in that stretch. One town, Vale de Figueira, has a train station, outside of town, and a wonderful restaurant/bar, but no sleeping accommodations. I'd of stayed there on one of the hottest days, but took a taxi to Azinhaga instead. Azinhaga (or the surrounding area) also could use at least one more good sleeping place, IMO.
In the opinion of my friends from Lisboa, the Portuguese along the CP are about ten years behind the Spanish in figuring out the commercial potential of having a lot of pilgrims walk the CP, so I expect more hostels/albergues to open in the future.
Good luck and Buon Caminho

 

[cj2003]

You can find lots and lots of accomodation on our list at https://www.caminodesantiago.me/com...df-route-portugues-route-monacal-coastal.404/

When you look at the complete list (conviently posted here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/15YjQVotp9btlbTUx6YDMgFpHcm3__9msYMJ_nHKOe2E/edit#gid=0 ) you can check the second column. That is the distance from the previous city/location

bom caminho

 

[peregrina2000]

Hi
I walked Porto to SDC last May. I notice some Pilgrims mention that there is a lack of affordable accommodation on the way from Lisbon-Porto, would be glad to hear any particular stretches where this is the case. I am considering offering an affordable but good quality place to stay on this route. I live in Central Portugal but am English.
many thanks

I would contact Jose Luis and Natercia at the Via Lusitana. If you call the SOS peregrino number on the Via Lusitana website, one of them is likely to answer. They have a lot of up to date, on the ground info and may be able to tell you about municipalities with plans to open albergues and how far along those plans are. You can also PM Jose Luis here on the forum. @JLuis

One other thing to keep in mind are potential re-routings, though I know there is really no way to protect against that. But here is an example. One of the municipalities on the Tejo after is apparently planning a riverside walkway that would probably have the effect of keeping pilgrims on the river and skipping the albergue in Alpriate. More info here (the videos are not available anymore, but if you scroll down you can see the map of the proposed route).

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/finally-we-can-start-imagine-the-new-exit-of-lisbon.58763/

Good luck with this venture. Bom caminho, Laurie

 

[Camembert]

Santarem to Coimbra, as suggested above, has some long stretches without accommodations. There is a wonderful hostel in Tomar, a city with a World Heritage Site, but otherwise, many of the smaller villages that dot the way don't have much to offer in the way of beds. I walked CP in Sept 2018, right in the midst of a heat wave (40 degrees C for a few days) and averaged 35KM/day, but found that several fellow pilgrims were taking the bus to make it from albergue to albergue in that stretch. One town, Vale de Figueira, has a train station, outside of town, and a wonderful restaurant/bar, but no sleeping accommodations. I'd of stayed there on one of the hottest days, but took a taxi to Azinhaga instead. Azinhaga (or the surrounding area) also could use at least one more good sleeping place, IMO.
In the opinion of my friends from Lisboa, the Portuguese along the CP are about ten years behind the Spanish in figuring out the commercial potential of having a lot of pilgrims walk the CP, so I expect more hostels/albergues to open in the future.
Good luck and Buon

Between Santarém and Coimbra are lots of acommodations
Golegã ,Ansião , Tomar Rabaçal ,Cernache etc everywhere you can stay within 20 kms.

 

[surya8]

I notice some Pilgrims mention that there is a lack of affordable accommodation on the way from Lisbon-Porto, would be glad to hear any particular stretches where this is the case.

I always walk on a butdget and even at the very end of the season, at the end of Oct 2017 found the accommodation options sufficient. It's true if you only can/want walk for about 10-15km a day then the options would be different as there are less albergues there then on the Frances or the Porto-Santiago stretch. Although there are budget options of pensions and hostels available. For the full list of accommodation look here: http://www.vialusitana.org/caminho-portugues/albergues/
The way from Lisbon is getting more and more popular, and more albergues are being open as we speak. If you are ready to walk around 30km/day then no problem with albergues whatsoever. From Santarem to Coimbra there are long stages like that but the albergues there are all of highest quality. In Tomar there is a hostel. Bom Camino!