camino portugues in march 2013

[Jan Nieuwland]

Hi, dear fellow peregrinos,
I am a 51 years old man, in a reasonable/bad condition, who has just booked a flight to oporto, to walk the camino for the first time from oport to santiago de compostella. I am planning from 11th of march 2013 and hope to arrive within 11 days walking. Does any one have suggestions for the best camino to go, because there seam to be more routes from oporto.
All help is very much appreciated.
Jan

 

[peregrino_tom]

Hi Jan
seeing as none of our route experts have jumped in yet, I'll get the ball rolling with what I know.
The Brierley guide describes briefly several routes and the CSJ guide has a basic map showing the main towns that the three most popular routes go through.
Both the Brierley and the CSJ provide detailed directions on the central way, but not the other ways. And I think Laurie's guide does the central too.
So the options are
Central way, via Barcelos (covered in the main guide books)
Coastal way (following the coast!)
Interior way via Braga, joining the central way at Ponte de Lima.
All routes seem to come together to cross the Rio Minho at Valenca in Portugal to Tui in Spain. And then go as one to Santiago (although there has been a query on the site about continuing along the coast some more...)

For the central way, Brierley provides a coastal alternative for the first day out of Porto, to Vila do Conde, which rejoins the central route a few k further on at Rates. There are also signs at Rates for going north on the coastal route. So it's a kind of crossroads where you can review your options and decide to go left or right - coast or inland. There have been some good posts here about that coastal route, which sounds excellent. It is way-marked and there are places to stay, but not so much as on the central route.
The way I walked in October/November was the coastal option for the first day and then joining the central way at Rates. Brierley recommends people doing the coastal option take the metro out of Porto and doesn't even describe how to walk it, which is a shame. It is quite simple, come off the camino, turning left at Rua da Boavista and just keep walking all the way to the sea (about 1.5 hours). Then another half hour parallel to the coast up to the metro stop of Mercado. I can't say whether the way I took is better than any other, but it worked for me!
cheers, tom

 

[Tahitidom]

Hi Jan
seeing as none of our route experts have jumped in yet, I'll get the ball rolling with what I know.
The Brierley guide describes briefly several routes and the CSJ guide has a basic map showing the main towns that the three most popular routes go through.
Both the Brierley and the CSJ provide detailed directions on the central way, but not the other ways. And I think Laurie's guide does the central too.
So the options are
Central way, via Barcelos (covered in the main guide books)
Coastal way (following the coast!)
Interior way via Braga, joining the central way at Ponte de Lima.
All routes seem to come together to cross the Rio Minho at Valenca in Portugal to Tui in Spain. And then go as one to Santiago (although there has been a query on the site about continuing along the coast some more...)

For the central way, Brierley provides a coastal alternative for the first day out of Porto, to Vila do Conde, which rejoins the central route a few k further on at Rates. There are also signs at Rates for going north on the coastal route. So it's a kind of crossroads where you can review your options and decide to go left or right - coast or inland. There have been some good posts here about that coastal route, which sounds excellent. It is way-marked and there are places to stay, but not so much as on the central route.
The way I walked in October/November was the coastal option for the first day and then joining the central way at Rates. Brierley recommends people doing the coastal option take the metro out of Porto and doesn't even describe how to walk it, which is a shame. It is quite simple, come off the camino, turning left at Rua da Boavista and just keep walking all the way to the sea (about 1.5 hours). Then another half hour parallel to the coast up to the metro stop of Mercado. I can't say whether the way I took is better than any other, but it worked for me!
cheers, tom

Hello

I read a lot about the portugues camino: This camino seems sealed for a long part ! The costal way seems better but with a few albergue.. so now i can hardly decide which way I will follow...I just wait for an answer from the "Central Turismo office " of Oporto..... and after I will decide.
If you have any information, please tell me.
cheers
Dominique

 

[AJ]

Are any of the three routes recognised as the historical route?

 

[Stephen Nicholls]

Are any of the three routes recognised as the historical route?

The inland route mainly follows the old Roman Via XIX. Can't get much more historical than that! Plenty of pics on my web site on http://www.calig.co.uk/camino_de_santiago.htm

Buen camino!

Stephen.

 

[hecate105]

All the routes are historical - for the simple reason that folk walked from wherever they lived to Santiago - so there are probably thousands of routes that gradually converge on what we see as the 'main' ones today. Even near my home town in Devon UK, I found a chapel wreathed in scallop shells - which a returning pilgrim had decorated in thanks. We took the coastal route from Lisbon to Porto, which is unsigned and largely a matter of following the coast thru ancient towns and discovering the 'clues' - statues of St. James, scallop shells etc as you went along. The only 'hard' evidence was that a Portuguese queen had taken the route, but as most villages/towns along the way are medieval - it was a good bet that she and others had travelled that way - especially with the sea on your left! I now keep my eyes open wherever i am - and look for 'clues', and I've been rewarded with statues, shells, stained windows and (in Belgium recently) a church full of wooden statues of St. James - ready to perambulate the town on a Holy Day!

 

[Albertinho]

Hi Jan
seeing as none of our route experts have jumped in yet, I'll get the ball rolling with what I know.
The Brierley guide describes briefly several routes and the CSJ guide has a basic map showing the main towns that the three most popular routes go through.
Both the Brierley and the CSJ provide detailed directions on the central way, but not the other ways. And I think Laurie's guide does the central too.
So the options are
Central way, via Barcelos (covered in the main guide books)
Coastal way (following the coast!)
Interior way via Braga, joining the central way at Ponte de Lima.
All routes seem to come together to cross the Rio Minho at Valenca in Portugal to Tui in Spain. And then go as one to Santiago (although there has been a query on the site about continuing along the coast some more...)

For the central way, Brierley provides a coastal alternative for the first day out of Porto, to Vila do Conde, which rejoins the central route a few k further on at Rates. There are also signs at Rates for going north on the coastal route. So it's a kind of crossroads where you can review your options and decide to go left or right - coast or inland. There have been some good posts here about that coastal route, which sounds excellent. It is way-marked and there are places to stay, but not so much as on the central route.
The way I walked in October/November was the coastal option for the first day and then joining the central way at Rates. Brierley recommends people doing the coastal option take the metro out of Porto and doesn't even describe how to walk it, which is a shame. It is quite simple, come off the camino, turning left at Rua da Boavista and just keep walking all the way to the sea (about 1.5 hours). Then another half hour parallel to the coast up to the metro stop of Mercado. I can't say whether the way I took is better than any other, but it worked for me!
cheers, tom

If you 'get your credential on forehand , you'll see that at the backside some maps a.o.the Portugese route and you'll see lines drawn from Lisbon all way up to Santiago ,supposed to be the coastal route.
I bought a Michelin map of Portugal and so the route is easy to follow. I also bought an iphone navigation off line app NAVMII of Portugal (about 8 Euros) which help me to find my way

At this forum somewhere you 'll find a link to where to get your credential on forehand (pilgrim fathers in Peterborough U.K.

Bom caminho

 

[mariposa627]

My husband and I will be walking from Valenca, Portugal to Santiago and then onto Muxia. We are doing some sightseeing first in Lisbon , then renting a car onto Fatima and then---to head up north! Braga for a day or two and We will return the car in Porto and bus to Valenca ( I think.) We will be begin walking on June 25th...
I have all our flights, rooms where appropriate and our car rental. I CAN"T WAIT!!!!
Anyone else walking at this time?? Look for us! i have my badge, so say hi!
Peace! Michele

 

[Jan Nieuwland]

Thank you all for your advice and information.
I will try to follow the central route via Barcelos.
Just packed my credential, passport, plain ticket to Porto, toothbrush, sleeping bag...
I hope I am not missing something.
Any one has a hint on where to pick up caminho-signs near the airport?

Thank you all,
Jan Nieuwland

 

[Jaacob]

Hallo Jan,
Wij willen starten vanuit Porto in het voorjaar. Graag hoor ik over de route die je neemt, ik zit te twijfelen tussen de Costa route en de traditionele via Rates en Lima. Heb jij een boekje gekocht of zo? Of heb je iets handigs gedownload?
Gr. Jaap