Camino France's (again) or Portugese route

[GypsySoul]

Hi guys,

I will be starting my second Camino this September, after I first completed the Camino France's 5 years ago.

I am torn between doing the Camino Frances again and trying the Portugese route.

I loved the Camino Frances - I loved that there were so many other pilgrims walking from all over the world and the sense of community. I really liked the distance - I walked 800km as I felt this was a really nice time to spend walking and go deep on a spiritual level.
My boyfriend is also joining me for his first Camino and I'd love him to experience it. There is also a sense of calm as I have already completed the route and I don't feel I need to plan or research anything.

I am also thinking it could be a great opportunity to try a different route, experience a different culture and scenery, so I am thinking about the Portugese route. I have heard it is beautiful and the food is wonderful.
It seems like I will have to do a little more planning and research if I complete this route.
Also I believe it's shorter.

I would really appreciate any thoughts and advice on my situation.

Thanks guys

 

[Kiwi-family]

Depends if you start in Lisbon or Porto. Lisbon is 650-ish km and would require a little planning to make sure you know accommodation options. Porto is just 250km but you wouldn't need to plan anything for that stretch - there is a flecha on every lamppost and bridge and tree, and bars and albergues pop up frequently. We found the mix of nationalities similar to the Frances. Possibly more like the Frances from five years ago than the current evidently busy Frances!

 

[Telelama]

We walked two Frances and walked the Senda Litoral route of the Camino Portugues late May into June, 2016. While the Frances consisted of mainly farm access roads that led to small farm villages where many of the people in the bar are fellow pilgrims, the Portugues spent much of the time on the beach promenade, some wonderful boardwalk on the first two days, sidewalks, cobblestone logging roads, sidewalks, occasionally some hard beach, but most often sidewalks through suburbs into large cities where the bars are mostly full of locals and you think you might have seen another pilgrim go by through the window. We saw only 8 pilgrims on our first day. When we all bunched up waiting for the first ferry of the morning to Spain, there were only 20 of us. Some we had never seen before.

Having said all that, had a great time, amazing views, good food, some nice locals, met some wonderful pilgrims and was lucky enough to have spent some quality time with them in Santiago. I want to apologize to those on the 1st and second floors of the Hotel Campanas de San Juan as we tried to quietly climb a very creaky staircase to our third floor room in a fit of uncontrollable drunken giggles at far too late in the evening, well, really morning. It was not intentional. Mea culpa.

 

[jefferyonthecamino]

Hi guys,

I will be starting my second Camino this September, after I first completed the Camino France's 5 years ago.

I am torn between doing the Camino Frances again and trying the Portugese route.

I loved the Camino Frances - I loved that there were so many other pilgrims walking from all over the world and the sense of community. I really liked the distance - I walked 800km as I felt this was a really nice time to spend walking and go deep on a spiritual level.
My boyfriend is also joining me for his first Camino and I'd love him to experience it. There is also a sense of calm as I have already completed the route and I don't feel I need to plan or research anything.

I am also thinking it could be a great opportunity to try a different route, experience a different culture and scenery, so I am thinking about the Portugese route. I have heard it is beautiful and the food is wonderful.
It seems like I will have to do a little more planning and research if I complete this route.
Also I believe it's shorter.

I would really appreciate any thoughts and advice on my situation.

Thanks guys

the magic you find on the French Camino just doesn't exist on the Portuguese one. However, that said, I have not walked the section between Oporto and Ponte de Lima. The Spanish part, although beautiful at times, lacks the charm and rural feel that the French offers (in Galicia at least). I would recommend walking the Portuguese if you decide for it in Autumn, when the endless vineyards are full of ripe grapes, or even after the harvest when the grape leaves are changing colour. Likewise, expect less services and pilgrims on the Portuguese one (very few 'pilgrim jams').

good luck and Buen Camino

 

[hnguyen]

I've done both the CF (from SJPP) and the CP (from Porto.) I liked them both for different reasons. While the CF was less crowded in the first half or so, I encountered more and more hikers toward the end. The section from Sarria on (especially the first week of May) was most crowded. Fellow pilgrims, and shop keepers, were somewhat less friendly. On a couple of occasions I had to cut my day short, or walk longer than intended, just to make sure I get a bed for the night. This year, being a Holy Year, the number of pilgrims will undoubtedly increase on th CF. Don't get me wrong: I'm so glad I hiked the CF and have met so many interesting people and made life long friends. The CP was much less crowded. Some nights I practically had the whole hostel to myself. Some days I only met a couple of pilgrims, even some walking in the opposite direction, toward Fatima. One more noteworthy point: most everything is less expensive on the CP compared to the CF: drinks, coffee, meals, accommodation.... If you've already hiked the CF, why cover new grounds?!

 

[GypsySoul]

Depends if you start in Lisbon or Porto. Lisbon is 650-ish km and would require a little planning to make sure you know accommodation options. Porto is just 250km but you wouldn't need to plan anything for that stretch - there is a flecha on every lamppost and bridge and tree, and bars and albergues pop up frequently. We found the mix of nationalities similar to the Frances. Possibly more like the Frances from five years ago than the current evidently busy Frances!

Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts.
I like the idea of 650km, that sounds like a good distance. I also hadn't considered the fact that it's a holy year. Do you think Camino Frances will still be super busy in September?

If I buy the Camino Portuges guide, I'm guessing this would be a good start for my planning.

Thanks again

 

[GypsySoul]

I've done both the CF (from SJPP) and the CP (from Porto.) I liked them both for different reasons. While the CF was less crowded in the first half or so, I encountered more and more hikers toward the end. The section from Sarria on (especially the first week of May) was most crowded. Fellow pilgrims, and shop keepers, were somewhat less friendly. On a couple of occasions I had to cut my day short, or walk longer than intended, just to make sure I get a bed for the night. This year, being a Holy Year, the number of pilgrims will undoubtedly increase on th CF. Don't get me wrong: I'm so glad I hiked the CF and have met so many interesting people and made life long friends. The CP was much less crowded. Some nights I practically had the whole hostel to myself. Some days I only met a couple of pilgrims, even some walking in the opposite direction, toward Fatima. One more noteworthy point: most everything is less expensive on the CP compared to the CF: drinks, coffee, meals, accommodation.... If you've already hiked the CF, why cover new grounds?!

Thanks so much for taking the time to respond.

The reason I'm considering CF again is because I had such a wonderful experience and I'd love my boyfriend to share that too. Part of the special experience for me was all the people on the journey and so I'm not sure about the quieter CP route.

Something to consider further

Thanks again!

the magic you find on the French Camino just doesn't exist on the Portuguese one. However, that said, I have not walked the section between Oporto and Ponte de Lima. The Spanish part, although beautiful at times, lacks the charm and rural feel that the French offers (in Galicia at least). I would recommend walking the Portuguese if you decide for it in Autumn, when the endless vineyards are full of ripe grapes, or even after the harvest when the grape leaves are changing colour. Likewise, expect less services and pilgrims on the Portuguese one (very few 'pilgrim jams').

good luck and Buen Camino

Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts!

We will be walking in September so it will be Autumn.
I like the idea of trying another route but I don't want to plan too much! Haha

I'll have to research a little more.

Thanks again!

 

[GypsySoul]

We walked two Frances and walked the Senda Litoral route of the Camino Portugues late May into June, 2016. While the Frances consisted of mainly farm access roads that led to small farm villages where many of the people in the bar are fellow pilgrims, the Portugues spent much of the time on the beach promenade, some wonderful boardwalk on the first two days, sidewalks, cobblestone logging roads, sidewalks, occasionally some hard beach, but most often sidewalks through suburbs into large cities where the bars are mostly full of locals and you think you might have seen another pilgrim go by through the window. We saw only 8 pilgrims on our first day. When we all bunched up waiting for the first ferry of the morning to Spain, there were only 20 of us. Some we had never seen before.

Having said all that, had a great time, amazing views, good food, some nice locals, met some wonderful pilgrims and was lucky enough to have spent some quality time with them in Santiago. I want to apologize to those on the 1st and second floors of the Hotel Campanas de San Juan as we tried to quietly climb a very creaky staircase to our third floor room in a fit of uncontrollable drunken giggles at far too late in the evening, well, really morning. It was not intentional. Mea culpa.

Thanks for you response!!

I loved the rural parts of Camino Frances. I much preferred the small towns over being in the big cities.
From your perspective is CP more through the bigger cities and towns then CF?

Thanks again

 

[Telelama]

I can only speak to our route, but yes. In comparison to the Frances, there are far more large cities. I mean a LOT more. Very few albergues that we saw had a connected restaurant/bar with a commons area to gather after the day's walk. Most folks disappeared into one of many local bars to get a beer and something to eat after getting their clothes hung on the clothes line. There didn't seem to be that desire to share dinner with your fellow pilgrims when there was a restaurant. At one point there were a group of two over there, three over here and us. My wife and I went to each table and asked if they wanted to share a dinner table. They all said yes and we often did it going forward, and obviously people wanted to, but it didn't come natural like on the Frances. IMHO, for what you are seeking, I would walk either a section of the Frances, but avoid the last 100km or look at the Norte and/or Primitivo. Fewer pilgrims on those, but fewer big cities. Trade offs...

 

[Jeff Crawley]

Hi GS

Portugal IS lovely - people, food, scenery etc but it's a much different atmosphere on the Portuguese.

It is, certainly from Porto onwards, as stated above - a bit like the CF but I would have said 10 years ago.

Fewer cafes and stops so fewer opportunities to fraternise with other pilgrims. In fact we hardly saw anybody before Redondela (4 days before SdC).

If you want to share the Camino experience (whatever that is ) I think he'd get more out of the CF no matter how busy it might be - that, too, is part of the experience!

Buen camino to you both!

 

[Anemone del Camino]

It really is not a holy year, that still only happens when the 25th of June falls on a Sunday. From what I saw at the end of May in Santiago on two differnt days, the holy door is not making any difference in the numbers, and 99%!of thise who cross it have no idea this is not a common occurence.

Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts.
I like the idea of 650km, that sounds like a good distance. I also hadn't considered the fact that it's a holy year. Do you think Camino Frances will still be super busy in September?

If I buy the Camino Portuges guide, I'm guessing this would be a good start for my planning.

Thanks again [/QUOTE

 

[GypsySoul]

I can only speak to our route, but yes. In comparison to the Frances, there are far more large cities. I mean a LOT more. Very few albergues that we saw had a connected restaurant/bar with a commons area to gather after the day's walk. Most folks disappeared into one of many local bars to get a beer and something to eat after getting their clothes hung on the clothes line. There didn't seem to be that desire to share dinner with your fellow pilgrims when there was a restaurant. At one point there were a group of two over there, three over here and us. My wife and I went to each table and asked if they wanted to share a dinner table. They all said yes and we often did it going forward, and obviously people wanted to, but it didn't come natural like on the Frances. IMHO, for what you are seeking, I would walk either a section of the Frances, but avoid the last 100km or look at the Norte and/or Primitivo. Fewer pilgrims on those, but fewer big cities. Trade offs...

Hi Telelama,

Thanks for your response. It sounds to me like CF is the way to go for the experience I'm seeking and maybe next time we can walk a different route together for a different experience.

I love the community and it's a huge part of the reason I want to do it again and so CF seems like the way to go!

Thanks again

 

[GypsySoul]

It really is not a holy year, that still only happens when the 25th of June falls on a Sunday. From what I saw at the end of May in Santiago on two differnt days, the holy door is not making any difference in the numbers, and 99%!of thise who cross it have no idea this is not a common occurence.

Ahh great! Thanks for clarifying that. I was under the impression that the numbers increased significantly in a holy year but your comments seem to suggest otherwise.

Thanks so much

 

[GypsySoul]

Hi GS

Portugal IS lovely - people, food, scenery etc but it's a much different atmosphere on the Portuguese.

It is, certainly from Porto onwards, as stated above - a bit like the CF but I would have said 10 years ago.

Fewer cafes and stops so fewer opportunities to fraternise with other pilgrims. In fact we hardly saw anybody before Redondela (4 days before SdC).

If you want to share the Camino experience (whatever that is ) I think he'd get more out of the CF no matter how busy it might be - that, too, is part of the experience!

Buen camino to you both!

Hi Jeffrey,

Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts and perspective.

It sounds like CF is the way to go for what I'm seeking. Although I'm repeating the same path, I'm sure that no two caminos are the same and there is still much to be learnt and discovered!

So excited for the journey!

Thanks again