LIVE from the Camino Caminho Português Interior october 2022

[Fred2a]

Hi everybody,

I am currently walking the beautiful and strangely unpopular Caminho Interior.

The Jungleboy team already did a great job recently, shedding some light on that once poorly documented camino.

So this is my humble contribution, a practical addition to the Jungleboy team work.
After a bus ride from Porto (1h45-12€ Rede Espressos), I reached Viseu where I settled for the night.
Unlike my last year caminho portugues central from Lisbon, and due to the fact that this will be a short camino, I decided not to stay in albergues de pelegrinos but to upgrade my accomodation to hostels or inexpensive hotels.
I had the best night at Allgo Hostel, right by the cathedral in the old town. Great facilities, super clean and quiet.

(Sgl 22€-dbl 49€).
Leaving behind the restaurants on the main square, I wandered in the city and bumped into the great Taberna d. Maria ! I couldn’t have expected a better end for that day : great bacalhau and a very nice chef who won’t miss to come and chat with you at your table.
I plan to reach Verin in about 10 days !

 

[jungleboy]

Bom caminho from Jungleboy team!

 

[amsimoes]

I don't know if you know this site, but it has the latest information. sorry to be in portuguese, but google translates it:

Caminho Português de Santiago | Instagram, Facebook | Linktree

Linktree. Make your link do more.

linktr.ee

The residential Parque, in Castro Daire, is on the way and I was very well received. There's a restaurant.

 

[Fred2a]

I don't know if you know this site, but it has the latest information. sorry to be in portuguese, but google translates it:

Caminho Português de Santiago | Instagram, Facebook | Linktree

Linktree. Make your link do more.

linktr.ee

The residential Parque, in Castro Daire, is on the way and I was very well received. There's a restaurant.

Hi Amsimoes,
Thank you for your help. I am currently in Vila Real (3 days delay with the report).
This website is very welcome as I have been struggling to find my way on a regular basis those last two days !

 

[Fred2a]

lf I had to do it again, I would definitely follow the Gronze stages !!

But I was so impatient to hit the road again and left Viseu early in the morning. Therefore, I arrived in Almargem after 3h15 mn and took the wrong decision of the day (of the week ?) : keep on walking to Ribolhos.

Almargem is very small and I didn’t want to spend the rest of the day there.

Those who already walked the Caminho Interior just know too well what the rest of my day looked like…


My worst Camino stage ever !

Endless ways up to be sure you get all sweaty, then showers and cold wind to freeze you to death ! Welcome to the caminho interior.



32.6 km or 8 hours and twenty minutes later, after a thousand meters and something positive climb, enthousiast Fred was just a long gone souvenir and grumpy Fred made his pathetic entrance in Moes, reaching Ribolhos 6 km away looking just impossible.
I found everything a desperate pelegrino needs in Moes : a great sparkling new albergue with the most welcoming host (Albergue de Moes-15 €), a bar for a healing beer, a supermercado, and a pastelleria/restaurant with menu del dia ( arroz de pato) and a super friendly staff.

Maybe I will spend the next 10 days « all includive style » in Moes after all !!

 

[Fred2a]

New day, New start !

A breakfast at the pastelleria and there I am, back on the track.

The good thing about having a terrible first day is that it only can get better.

Those harsh climbings make us reach some beautiful remote mountain aeras (Moura Morta !)

That stage was still very demanding, and I was relieved to reach Mezio and the Casa do Arco ( dbl 45€), a place I highly recomend. The stone and wood bedrooms are beautiful and Joaquim, the host and local producer of organic infusions is very nice.

Down the road is the O Forno da Rua. The veal on hot stone is delicious.

On the way back up, you can salute Santo Antonio and ask him about all your lost socks on the way !



Moes-Mezio

6h15 (actual walking time)

22.9 km

 

[jungleboy]

The good thing about having a terrible first day is that it only can get better.

Glad you had a better second day!

 

[Fred2a]

Day 3.

40 minutes after leaving Mezio, I stopped at the restaurant A Giesta for a quick breakfast (sandwich and coffee).

Be aware that there will be few cafés on the way today, so one should pack a few groceries. I didn’t, and I was lucky I could pick up figs, apples, grapes and walnuts along the road. I will do fruit picking all along the way from now on ! A great point for walking in autumn.

Today’s walk will be a succession of beautiful mountain views and villages, and the arrival in Lamego is spectacular.

I set up at Hotel Solar da Sé, on the main square, (55€ dbl inc. breakfast), a simple but clean old school hotel.

The city is lively and you will find anything you need.

Casa Filipe, a few steps away, was a great final point to the day.

 

[jungleboy]

For tomorrow’s stage, keep this in mind:

Way-finding and way-marking in the Douro Valley (CPI/Torres)

 

[Fred2a]

Day 4



20.3 km. 5h45. (Off track one hour).



What a day !!! Beautiful paths, spectacular views and nice weather, today’s stage was pure enchantment. Walking through the wineyards (I mean, sometimes, actually through the wineyards, when I got lost) and the gorges, one just forgets its legs and enjoys every minute.

Following Jungleboy advice, I followed the Caminho Torres option which was great.

Once in Régua, I kept on following the camino signs along the river bank for 30 mn…just to realise I was still following the Torres way. I walked back to the center of Régua, and found the right way up the hill to reach Santa Marta de Penaguiao in the afternoon.

Stayed at the Oasis Hotel (45€ dbl).

Nearby restaurant o Pelourinho was ok.

 

[Fred2a]

Day 5.



Santa Marta- Vila Real

17.8 km. 4.5 hrs



I once read somewhere about this stage : a stage where it is impossible NOT to get lost.

So lost I got. But my guardian angel always put me back on the right way, more or less quickly.

For a reason I ignore, the proper signs disappear on some sections, replaced by, at best, some fading painted arrows.

Particulary on this stage, you will need Gronze help. I didn’t checked it often enough and maybe that is what got me lost.

Anyway, the walk is still very spectacular and I loved it.

One of the good things about this camino is that there is very few roadside walking and the roads are not very frequented.

The hostel being close for renovation in Vila Real, I stayed at Residencial Real (dbl 45€ inc. light breakfast).

I highly recomend the « 22 restaurant » !!

They serve the best tripas I had for a long time !

Vila Real is a very nice city with a small but living old town.

 

[eso_tarika]

Hi everybody,

I am currently walking the beautiful and strangely unpopular Caminho Interior.

The Jungleboy team already did a great job recently, shedding some light on that once poorly documented camino.

So this is my humble contribution, a practical addition to the Jungleboy team work.
After a bus ride from Porto (1h45-12€ Rede Espressos), I reached Viseu where I settled for the night.
Unlike my last year caminho portugues central from Lisbon, and due to the fact that this will be a short camino, I decided not to stay in albergues de pelegrinos but to upgrade my accomodation to hostels or inexpensive hotels.
I had the best night at Allgo Hostel, right by the cathedral in the old town. Great facilities, super clean and quiet.

(Sgl 22€-dbl 49€).
Leaving behind the restaurants on the main square, I wandered in the city and bumped into the great Taberna d. Maria ! I couldn’t have expected a better end for that day : great bacalhau and a very nice chef who won’t miss to come and chat with you at your table.
I plan to reach Verin in about 10 days !

I am starting the CPI tomorrow. I will arrive in Viseu at 18:30 and am staying at the albergue for perigrinos.

Hi everybody,

I am currently walking the beautiful and strangely unpopular Caminho Interior.

The Jungleboy team already did a great job recently, shedding some light on that once poorly documented camino.

So this is my humble contribution, a practical addition to the Jungleboy team work.
After a bus ride from Porto (1h45-12€ Rede Espressos), I reached Viseu where I settled for the night.
Unlike my last year caminho portugues central from Lisbon, and due to the fact that this will be a short camino, I decided not to stay in albergues de pelegrinos but to upgrade my accomodation to hostels or inexpensive hotels.
I had the best night at Allgo Hostel, right by the cathedral in the old town. Great facilities, super clean and quiet.

(Sgl 22€-dbl 49€).
Leaving behind the restaurants on the main square, I wandered in the city and bumped into the great Taberna d. Maria ! I couldn’t have expected a better end for that day : great bacalhau and a very nice chef who won’t miss to come and chat with you at your table.
I plan to reach Verin in about 10 days !

I am arriving to Viseu tonight and will stay at the Albergue. When I called to confirm if it is open, the woman spoke only Portuguese and thankfully I could stumble my way through it enough to let her know when I will arrive. I did also call ahead to Almargem's albergue and I know it is open as well. I will need to call to let them know my arrival time tomorrow.

It's going to be quite an adventure for my first Camino!

So I will try to give some updates on my experience too. We shall see how that goes. Buen camino.

 

[Fred2a]

I am starting the CPI tomorrow. I will arrive in Viseu at 18:30 and am staying at the albergue for perigrinos.

I am arriving to Viseu tonight and will stay at the Albergue. When I called to confirm if it is open, the woman spoke only Portuguese and thankfully I could stumble my way through it enough to let her know when I will arrive. I did also call ahead to Almargem's albergue and I know it is open as well. I will need to call to let them know my arrival time tomorrow.

It's going to be quite an adventure for my first Camino!

So I will try to give some updates on my experience too. We shall see how that goes. Buen camino.

Hi eso_tarika,
I wish you a Bom Caminho !!
The 2 first days are a bit tough but this is a great camino !

 

[Fred2a]

Day 6

Vila Real-Villa Pouca

29.9 km - 7 hrs.

I started this beautiful day having breakfast at the Pastelaria Gomez and its delicious meat pies (the hit of the house for sure considering the huge amount of those sold in half an hour !).

Most of the day, we follow what seems to be an ancient railway now transformed in a walking path. It is flat and easy to walk.

Last summer bush fires did a lot of damage in that aera as you can see.

I settled at Hotel Europa, a very comfortable modern business type hotel with a nice breakast (45 € double inc. breakfast).

 

[eso_tarika]

Hi eso_tarika,
I wish you a Bom Caminho !!
The 2 first days are a bit tough but this is a great camino !

Thanks! Due to the weather I opted to delay my start by ~week and hope to start Nov. 1. I enjoyed Viseu for a few days before flying down to Portimāo and eventually I'll head to Seville before heading back to Viseu. interesting the way our Caminos take us!

 

[eso_tarika]

Hi eso_tarika,
I wish you a Bom Caminho !!
The 2 first days are a bit tough but this is a great camino !

Fred, i sent you a private message on here

 

[JimH]

Hi everybody,

I am currently walking the beautiful and strangely unpopular Caminho Interior.

The Jungleboy team already did a great job recently, shedding some light on that once poorly documented camino.

So this is my humble contribution, a practical addition to the Jungleboy team work.
After a bus ride from Porto (1h45-12€ Rede Espressos), I reached Viseu where I settled for the night.
Unlike my last year caminho portugues central from Lisbon, and due to the fact that this will be a short camino, I decided not to stay in albergues de pelegrinos but to upgrade my accomodation to hostels or inexpensive hotels.
I had the best night at Allgo Hostel, right by the cathedral in the old town. Great facilities, super clean and quiet.

(Sgl 22€-dbl 49€).
Leaving behind the restaurants on the main square, I wandered in the city and bumped into the great Taberna d. Maria ! I couldn’t have expected a better end for that day : great bacalhau and a very nice chef who won’t miss to come and chat with you at your table.
I plan to reach Verin in about 10 days !

Did you get a Compostela walking the Camino Portuguese Interior? I asked the Pilgrims Office and they said the only valid routes are the Coastal and Central. I could start from Coimbra which is on the Central before going East to Viseu.

 

[Fred2a]

Hi Jim,
As planed, I stopped in Chaves to catch the bus back to Porto. So I don’t know the answer.
Once in Verin (the next stage), you can continue by joining the camino Sanabrés to reach SDC and I guess you would get a compostella then.

 

[JimH]

Hi Jim,
As planed, I stopped in Chaves to catch the bus back to Porto. So I don’t know the answer.
Once in Verin (the next stage), you can continue by joining the camino Sanabrés to reach SDC and I guess you would get a compostella then.

Thankyou for the reply