Caminho Portugues Da Costa From Porto

[Annija]

Hello from Latvia to everyone. I am really looking forward to have my first Caminho, I couldn't be more excited and more responsible about everything,because I am going to share this beautiful experience with my mother, who is coming with me. So I have to find out everything and I have few concerns. We are starting to walk from Porto in less than 3 weeks and I do not feel prepared..

1) How can I know that we are on the right way? I mean, there are so many ways how to get to each point, so how can you know, that this is the right one? Our plan is to start from Matosinhos and walk to Vila do Condde as our first stop.

2)Which apps (for maps and for albergues) do you suggest to download? We will try to follow arrows as much as possible but we need to have a back up plan in case we get lost. Have you taken paper maps with you as well?

Thank you for all the answers in advance, Buon Camino to everyone who is on the way now!

Annija

 

[Hugo Pastor]

Hello from Latvia to everyone. I am really looking forward to have my first Caminho, I couldn't be more excited and more responsible about everything,because I am going to share this beautiful experience with my mother, who is coming with me. So I have to find out everything and I have few concerns. We are starting to walk from Porto in less than 3 weeks and I do not feel prepared..

1) How can I know that we are on the right way? I mean, there are so many ways how to get to each point, so how can you know, that this is the right one? Our plan is to start from Matosinhos and walk to Vila do Condde as our first stop.

2)Which apps (for maps and for albergues) do you suggest to download? We will try to follow arrows as much as possible but we need to have a back up plan in case we get lost. Have you taken paper maps with you as well?

Thank you for all the answers in advance, Buon Camino to everyone who is on the way now!

Annija

www.caminhoportuguesdacosta.pt

 

[Doogman]

Hello: If you want to leave from Matosinhos, you will get off the metro at the Mercado stop, and walk across the large bridge that is right beside it. Once across the bridge, continue straight for maybe 100 metres to a roundabout. (I think you should see a yellow arrow at this point). Turn left at the roundabout and follow that street all the way to the ocean. Once you are at the ocean, turn right and walk north. As long as the ocean is on your left as you walk, you will be OK. The boardwalk along the ocean will take you right into Vila do Conde (although there may be one or two gaps where you head back to the road before returning to the boardwalk). I did not have any maps. I just used the ocean (always on the left) and the yellow arrows as my guide. Buen Camino!

 

[Sarah Olson]

Wise Pilgrim has a good Portuguese app. I start from Porto May 8th, bom caminho to you and your mother!

 

[Sarah Olson]

Hello: If you want to leave from Matosinhos, you will get off the metro at the Mercado stop, and walk across the large bridge that is right beside it. Once across the bridge, continue straight for maybe 100 metres to a roundabout. (I think you should see a yellow arrow at this point). Turn left at the roundabout and follow that street all the way to the ocean. Once you are at the ocean, turn right and walk north. As long as the ocean is on your left as you walk, you will be OK. The boardwalk along the ocean will take you right into Vila do Conde (although there may be one or two gaps where you head back to the road before returning to the boardwalk). I did not have any maps. I just used the ocean (always on the left) and the yellow arrows as my guide. Buen Camino!

Do you think it's too ambitious to walk from Porto to Vila do Conde the first day out?

 

[Doogman]

Do you think it's too ambitious to walk from Porto to Vila do Conde the first day out?

It should not be a problem getting to Vila do Conde on the first day if you are starting from Matosinhos. We went to Povoa de Varzim on Day 1 which is a little bit further.

If you are starting from the Cathdedral and and simply walking through the city, or taking the river in Porto out to the ocean and then heading north, it would be a fairly long walk all the way to Vila do Conde. That would be too far for me.

 

[Sarah Olson]

Thank you, Doogman. I was planning to start at the cathedral but maybe I will rethink that...

 

[Doogman]

Thank you, Doogman. I was planning to start at the cathedral but maybe I will rethink that...

If you have the time, start at the Cathedral and walk down to the river. Follow the river to the ocean, and then walk north up to Matosinhos. I think it is about 12-13 kms. You can then take the metro from Matosinhos back into central Porto for the rest of the day/evening, and back out again the next morning. I think it would be a good first day - scenic, not too long, and a good warm up.

In 2013, I started at the Cathedral and walked through the city. I ended at Vilar de Pinheiro, which is south of Vila do Conde. If you are a stronger walker, and don't mind longer distances, I guess Vila do Conde would be possible. I just Googled it, and it says that Porto airport to Vila do Conde is about 20km. If the Cathedral to the airport is another 15-20 kms, I am guessing it would be 35-40 km overall. That is outside my comfort zone, especially on the first day.

 

[Playful Dread]

I used as back up the John Brierley guide. http://caminoguides.com/camino_portugues/index.html

It was my first Camino in 2015 and I walked with my wife on honeymoon. Neither of us did any real prior training or long distance walking and we were both pretty much out of shape to be fair. Yet we managed to walk from Matoshinos to Vila do Conde fairly quickly, on what was our first day's walking (also a very hot sunny day in July as well!).

What I also noticed was the more I became 'obsessed' with trying to find the waymarks I relied less on using my intuition and what was plainly in front of me (kind of like relying on google for my spelling!). I quickly came to realise that the route was very well marked and I didn't need to be searching for further waymarks along a long stretch of boardwalk.

Enjoy
Bom Caminho

 

[Sarah Olson]

If you have the time, start at the Cathedral and walk down to the river. Follow the river to the ocean, and then walk north up to Matosinhos. I think it is about 12-13 kms. You can then take the metro from Matosinhos back into central Porto for the rest of the day/evening, and back out again the next morning. I think it would be a good first day - scenic, not too long, and a good warm up

In 2013, I started at the Cathedral and walked through the city. I ended at Vilar de Pinheiro, which is south of Vila do Conde. If you are a stronger walker, and don't mind longer distances, I guess Vila do Conde would be possible. I just Googled it, and it says that Porto airport to Vila do Conde is about 20km. If the Cathedral to the airport is another 15-20 kms, I am guessing it would be 35-40 km overall. That is outside my comfort zone, especially on the first day.

That's a really good idea, about walking to Matosinhos then going back to Porto. I can just make it part of my Porto day! Or maybe even do it late afternoon when I arrive, if the sunset comes at a reasonable time then. I was thinking it would be about 30k to Vila do Conde, but that's still a pretty long way.

 

[Doogman]

That's a really good idea, about walking to Matosinhos then going back to Porto. I can just make it part of my Porto day! Or maybe even do it late afternoon when I arrive, if the sunset comes at a reasonable time then. I was thinking it would be about 30k to Vila do Conde, but that's still a pretty long way.

Porto is a great city. It is well worth a couple of days if you have the time.

 

[jsalt]

That's a really good idea, about walking to Matosinhos then going back to Porto.

Hi, that’s what I did the first time. My two friends explored Porto for the day, while I walked to Matosinhos, and got the bus back. The next morning we all three got the bus to Matosinhos, walked across the big bridge, and immediately saw the yellow arrow on the other side. Unbeknownst to me, as I was taking photos while walking to Matosinhos, my friends were waving to me from the river cruise

 

[Rainerbernd]

Olá Annija,

there are many suggestions for the first stage out of Porto. Let me put my 2 cents in. I live roundabout 2 months every year in greater Porto (Angeiras) and have done the way along the coast very often.

From Porto cathedral > Leça de Palmeira > Matosinhos > Angeiras > Vila do Conde > 33 km . That´s a bit harsh for the first day.

My suggestion: https://www.caminodesantiago.me/com...-the-cathedral-including-tram-to-rates.46668/

Please have a look at this posts: https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/camino-portuguese-from-porto.46929/#post-501195

I hope it will help you

 

[cj2003]

bom caminho!

I used this list of places to sleep on the coastal - https://www.caminodesantiago.me/com...df-route-portugues-route-monacal-coastal.404/

In that post, there's also a link to download GPS coordinates for the route - I used them in the app vieweranger (and actually also in the app maps.me as backup) to guide my way.

As a physical backup, I used Brierley's.

Enjoy!
Christian