Azinhaga to Golega

[frida1]

Today, several pilgrims, including me, were separately led astray at Pombalinho on the way to Golega. The easiest to follow arrows led back to Azinhaga, in a loop nearer the river, adding several k to the path to Golega. Be careful if you want the direct way. I was with others and not really looking out. Turned a 30 k day into 37.

 

[jsalt]

Today, several pilgrims, including me, were separately led astray at Pombalinho on the way to Golega. The easiest to follow arrows led back to Azinhaga, in a loop nearer the river, adding several k to the path to Golega. Be careful if you want the direct way. I was with others and not really looking out. Turned a 30 k day into 37.

Eish! Good of you to report back for others. Hope you’ve found a nice place to stay and recover.

A couple of years ago I shortened that day (Santarém to Golega) by taking the train from Santarém to Vale de Figueria, and so shortening it to a 20km day. I struggled a bit to get back on the caminho at Vale de Figueira, but after asking several locals, and they asking others, one old man finally knew which way to go.

Jill

 

[jsalt]

Oh, by the way, do not miss seeing inside the church at Golega, and it’s Manueline door. It is beautiful. Jill

 

[Albertinho]

Some years ago (2013) there was an argument between two councils , one from Gôlega and ...? And the result was that the waymarkers did not lead into Azinhaga but direction Pombalinho and far outside of Azinhaga direction Gôlega as we walked this stage.
This year May we stayed at the campingsite in Gôlega and on our way to Santarèm (by car) through the Azinhaga center we saw several peregrinos so maybe they changed the waymarkers again into Azinhaga.

 

[peregrina2000]

This has been a longstanding problem, as Albertinho notes. https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/new-signage.20138/#post-152399

Glad you made it alright. If you can give me some specific information on where things go wrong and what the markings do and do not do, it'd be great, because I'll make sure the info goes into the new version of the forum guide from Lisbon to Porto.

Hope you are enjoying the Caminho, and it's nice to see there are others on the way with you as well. The Lisbon-Porto route is no longer so solitary!

 

[frida1]

I'm sorry I can't really give specifics because I was not looking real closely. However, every pilgrim I've met says the way marks lead absolutely from Pombalinho in the big loop back to Azinhaga, so maybe it's as said here, the route has been changed and not yet reflected in Brierleys book.

And yes, there are definitely a scattering of pilgrims starting in Lisbon now.