Best towns to explore

[Flaneur]

As I have unlimited time, I am planning several rest stops between Porto and Santiago, on the Central route. Can anyone advise on which towns to spend a couple of days in, for history and scenery?

 

[Tincatinker]

If you really have unlimited time then you are best placed to answer your own question. Spend time, explore, discover, seek for understanding, reflect. A couple of days? I could spend a life-time in Porto and still not know or understand it any better than any other exile or native. All I would really ever know is that there was more to learn.

Vigo has some great fish restaurants. Barcelos has a similar Roasted Chicken story to Burgos. There is probably a good story in why. Explore. This forum is not tripeadvertiser.

And please ignore my curmudgeonly tone and come back here to share your discoveries.

 

[Smallest_Sparrow]

I'm glad to see that last sentence, for a moment I was speechless After all, we post questions about best routes, best albergues, or that sure to start a war favorite, best footwear. But Tincatinker is right, that best is in the eye of the beholder. What I did during planning was read a couple of guide books (they had a few suggestions about history or other things to see) and used a travel book on Spain, along with the myriad of opinions on this forum. The fact that I wanted to see every Gaudi building and any Templar chapel probably means something to a few; that I wanted to see shrines to cure headaches and nighmares probably means nothing to anyone else; and my thing for reptiles and amphibians, I'm definitely alone in that. I've said it on other threads, but the Fodors Spain really helped me decide some must-sees, and like Tincatinker suggests, I figured out the rest as I stumbled over it.
Buen Camino

 

[Flaneur]

I'm glad to see that last sentence, for a moment I was speechless After all, we post questions about best routes, best albergues, or that sure to start a war favorite, best footwear. But Tincatinker is right, that best is in the eye of the beholder. What I did during planning was read a couple of guide books (they had a few suggestions about history or other things to see) and used a travel book on Spain, along with the myriad of opinions on this forum. The fact that I wanted to see every Gaudi building and any Templar chapel probably means something to a few; that I wanted to see shrines to cure headaches and nighmares probably means nothing to anyone else; and my thing for reptiles and amphibians, I'm definitely alone in that. I've said it on other threads, but the Fodors Spain really helped me decide some must-sees, and like Tincatinker suggests, I figured out the rest as I stumbled over it.
Buen Camino

Thank you for your kind reply!

 

[Flaneur]

If you really have unlimited time then you are best placed to answer your own question. Spend time, explore, discover, seek for understanding, reflect. A couple of days? I could spend a life-time in Porto and still not know or understand it any better than any other exile or native. All I would really ever know is that there was more to learn.

Vigo has some great fish restaurants. Barcelos has a similar Roasted Chicken story to Burgos. There is probably a good story in why. Explore. This forum is not tripeadvertiser.

And please ignore my curmudgeonly tone and come back here to share your discoveries.

Ouch! If you can't be kind, be quiet!

 

[VascoH]

As I have unlimited time, I am planning several rest stops between Porto and Santiago, on the Central route. Can anyone advise on which towns to spend a couple of days in, for history and scenery?

Having done the Camino Portuguese twice for me rest stops would definitely be Porto and many days as you can spare I had 4. Barcelos, Ponte De Lima and Pontevedra are all definite stops for me.

 

[Anemone del Camino]

I frankly can't think of any town on this route past Porto that you can't get a good sense of during your typical afternoon/evening. These are tiny towns, a couple of streets here and there to stroll through. So, while you think Tincatinkwr was not nice he was bag on: stay where you figure out you would like to stay longer. Or spend a day at the beach somewhere, or take a detour to Braga.

 

[HeidiL]

I very much liked Padron, and w ouldn't have minded an extra day there at all. Ponte de Lima was also quite pleasant - we asked some locals about food recommendations, and were given FOUR good restaurants to choose from. (It apparently used to be a spa town, and the spa hotel we stayed at was very Nice indeed.) The cathedral in Tui was nice, and the Parador in town gave us a wonderfully low pilgrim price...

(We walked that Camino at Easter, and it rained for at least eight hours every single day except the day we walked into Santiago. We needed all the luxury we could find to give us a chance to dry up in between the swims, I mean WALKS.)

 

[Camembert]

As I have unlimited time, I am planning several rest stops between Porto and Santiago, on the Central route. Can anyone advise on which towns to spend a couple of days in, for history and scenery?

In addition to all above mentioned suggestions , I suggest if you stay in Barcelos, take the bus or train to Braga -20 kms away-and there take the bus to world heritage church Bom Jesus do Monte. And the inner city of Braga is worthwhile visiting too. My favorite Portuguese town in the north.
Another option is to visit the old town of Guimarães-one hour by train from Porto São Bento or Campanhas station... a happening itself..the train stops 26 times at various stations..
From Ponte de Lima you could take the bus to Viana de Castelo, a nice coastal town ,worht visiting too and to see the Atlantic ocean.

Bom caminho.

 

[Doogman]

There is not much to add to the above. My list would be:

Porto - fabulous - worth as many days as you can afford
Ponte De Lima
Tui
Pontevedra - very nice
Santiago de Compostela

Take advantage of it all if you have lots of time!

 

[Anemone del Camino]

I am reading these responses very surprised. While lovely towns are mentioned (Barcelos, Pontevedra, Tui, etc.) are people really recommending "spending a couple of days in"?

 

[Doogman]

I guess it depends on what you like to do. As I sit here at my desk at work, the thought of spending a couple of days in Ponte De Lima or Tui sounds pretty enticing!

 

[Steven Dwyer]

I personally would take an extra day in Potevedra. Interesting churches and city. Plus some very good restaurants.

 

[SYates]

As I have unlimited time, I am planning several rest stops between Porto and Santiago, on the Central route. Can anyone advise on which towns to spend a couple of days in, for history and scenery?

As you have unlimited time, there isn't really any need to plan rest stops, is there? Enjoy the freedom to stay longer where you want to stay longer that particular day and walk on if you don't feel like exploring a particular place. Buen Camino, SY

 

[luvtraveling]

I am flying in and out of Lisbon. I have allowed an extra 8-10 days beyond what is needed to walk to Santiago. My plan is to spend time in interesting places as I walk or return to them as I work my way back to Lisbon. While on the Frances, I found I didn't always want to spend an extra night or two, I just wanted to continue forward. That's why I decided to fly round trip to Lisbon. I'll have plenty of time for sightseeing after Santiago.

 

[robertt]

Pontevedra. Love that town, so old and rambly, if you know what I mean (if I know what I mean). If your budget won't stretch to a posh fish dinner just subsist on the fried gambas and calamares, usually cheap but fresh. Seeing the bays from on high reminded me of my childhood on a hill above Kogarah Bay, in Sydney's south. Love bays.

Happy trails, flaneur

Rob

 

[Alan Davies]

I stayed two nights in Tomar (Knights Templar) and in Coimbra (University). For Roman ruins stop in Conimbriga. All worth a stay over on the Lisbon - Porto section.

 

[ctdkite]

Braga and Guimarães!

 

[Anemone del Camino]

Not on the Camino though, just as Tomar and Coimbra are also not between Porto and Santiago.

 

[peregrina2000]

I am flying in and out of Lisbon. I have allowed an extra 8-10 days beyond what is needed to walk to Santiago. My plan is to spend time in interesting places as I walk or return to them as I work my way back to Lisbon. While on the Frances, I found I didn't always want to spend an extra night or two, I just wanted to continue forward. That's why I decided to fly round trip to Lisbon. I'll have plenty of time for sightseeing after Santiago.

Hi, luvtraveling, are you walking from Lisbon? If so, you will be able to visit some great sites along the way -- Tomar has a Templar castle/monastery, Coimbra is a beautiful old university town, the Roman ruins outside Conimbriga are well worth a visit. Those would be the places between Lisbon and POrto that deserve more time than a "walk by", but there are lots of other nice little towns with a thing or two to keep you busy after walking. Bom Caminho!

 

[luvtraveling]

Hi, luvtraveling, are you walking from Lisbon? If so, you will be able to visit some great sites along the way -- Tomar has a Templar castle/monastery, Coimbra is a beautiful old university town, the Roman ruins outside Conimbriga are well worth a visit. Those would be the places between Lisbon and POrto that deserve more time than a "walk by", but there are lots of other nice little towns with a thing or two to keep you busy after walking. Bom Caminho!

Thank you peregrina2000. I have those places marked as must sees!