Camino Portugues in reverse - Santiago de Compostela to Lisbon

[meriPNG]

Olá Fellow Pilgrims,

I was wondering if I could possibly do the Camino Portugues in reverse from Santiago de Compostela to Lisbon?
Has anyone done it this way? I'd like to give it a go if I'm not feeling entirely exhausted and worn out from doing Camino Frances through to Finisterre next May 2014... of course I'd take a few days in between to recuperate before starting off. Are there any problems with picking up a passport in Santiago de Compostela and getting a certificate? of completion in Lisbon?
God willing, I will not have any injuries or illness during on the Camino so it's all training, training, training physically and mentally.
I couldn't find any information on doing this in reverse so would be great if anyone could shed some light on my query.

Muito obrigado antecipadamente
Marie

Buen Camino!

 

[VascoH]

Hello Marie,
Wishing you all the best on your Camino Frances next year.
Having completed the Camino Portuguese in April this year and from what I learnt about obtaining the Compestala (certificate) in Lisbon will be difficult. It would be possible to catch the bus from Santiago to Porto 2 hrs then the train of flight to Lisbon about another 2 hours and then walk back up to Santiago. I would imaging it would quite something to arrive in Santiago twice in a month after completing 2 Caminos.

Bon Camino

 

[meriPNG]

Hello Marie,
Wishing you all the best on your Camino Frances next year.
Having completed the Camino Portuguese in April this year and from what I learnt about obtaining the Compestala (certificate) in Lisbon will be difficult. It would be possible to catch the bus from Santiago to Porto 2 hrs then the train of flight to Lisbon about another 2 hours and then walk back up to Santiago. I would imaging it would quite something to arrive in Santiago twice in a month after completing 2 Caminos.

Bon Camino

Olá VascoH
Muito obrigado for the well wishes and also for the information - I think at this stage, it doesn't look too appealing to have to travel to Lisbon and then walk north... maybe I shall save Camino Portugués for another year then. I would have preferred to continue walking south from Santiago de Compostela and I suppose I still could..., do you reckon I'd be able to pick up a Pilgrims Passport for Camino Portugués from Santiago de Compostela to aid in staying in Albergues? or could I use the one I pick up in SJPDP at the start of my Camino Frances walk?
I'm not that fit so I reckon if I did the second Camino it would take me another full month or so by which time I'd use up my 90 days of travel in the Schengen area. Oh well, I may have to leave Camino Portugués for another time then
Thank you again so much for your information and yes Bon Camino!!

Marie

 

[JohnnieWalker]

Hi Marie

The Pilgrims' Office in Santiago sells credencials for the pilgrimage TO Santiago. If you say that you are walking away from Santiago they will not provide you with a credencial. But all is not lost there are other places to get credenciales and of course for your walk to Lisbon you could also make your own. Depending on the time of year you are going if the albergues in on the Oporto - Santiago section are busy then hospitaleros may give preference to the pilgrims who are walking to Santiago. The "Compostela" is only available to pilgrims who tracel to Santiago de Compostela. I know of no certificate available to people walking to Lisbon.

Best wishes

John

 

[meriPNG]

Hi Marie

The Pilgrims' Office in Santiago sells credencials for the pilgrimage TO Santiago. If you say that you are walking away from Santiago they will not provide you with a credencial. But all is not lost there are other places to get credenciales and of course for your walk to Lisbon you could also make your own. Depending on the time of year you are going if the albergues in on the Oporto - Santiago section are busy then hospitaleros may give preference to the pilgrims who are walking to Santiago. The "Compostela" is only available to pilgrims who tracel to Santiago de Compostela. I know of no certificate available to people walking to Lisbon.

Best wishes

John

Hi John,

thank you so much for the information - it makes sense now (doh!) I can't help laughing at myself now as I should have probably known the destination of all pilgrimages will be Santiago!
Oh well, if I hadn't asked, I would have wondered for a while so thank you
I think I shall leave Camino Portugués for another year and follow the traditional route from Lisbon to Santiago de Compostela.

Cheers,
Marie

 

[Deleted member 3000]

You can take the train from Santiago to Tuy, or a bus to Vigo, then a taxi to Tuy, and walk back to Santiago from the Portugues border! Allow about five days.

 

[hecate105]

We cycled the Camino Portuguese to Santiago - but then cycled the Norte route, the Voie Litoral and the one to Paris - backwards! We used the same credencial - just added some pages when it was full. It still gives you entry to albergues/haltes - you are a pilgrim either way/direction you travel... In fact after our credencials/Compostelas/passports were stolen in France - the Halte St Jacques in Saintes insisted on giving us new ones - so that we could start collecting stamps again! Go for it - bom camino...

 

[Whalleyranger]

If I remember rightly from when I walked the Portugues, each yellow arrow pointing north was accompanied by a blue arrow pointing south to Fatima. It might be worth researching this route.

 

[meriPNG]

Muito obrigado I appreciate all the advice and information and will definitely check all these options out.
Again, many thanks
Bon Camino

 

[mspath]

If I remember rightly from when I walked the Portugues, each yellow arrow pointing north was accompanied by a blue arrow pointing south to Fatima. It might be worth researching this route.

Some pilgrims walking on the Portuguese Camino do branch off onto a separate path marked in blue leading to Fatima. Check out what Forum member Peter Robins cites and shows regarding these specific Fatima routes

Fatima is a major pilgrimage site in Portugal associated with the Marian apparitions that occurred nearby in 1917 and which were later recognized by the Catholic Church. You might research on the net for further descriptions of the present site and its history.

MM

 

[Camembert]

Keep in mind that following the blue Fatima signs as being mentioned above that Pilgrims to Fatima follow the shortest way and they often walk on the shoulders of motorways and busy secundairy roads !
So if you prefer to do that, wear a safetyjacked !
Bom caminho and good luck.

 

[robertt]

Marie, I tried walking south from Santiago and must say I found it frustrating. Following signs in reverse does not work out in practice. Though quite a few people have the smarts to handle it, I do not. When I finally gave up in Valenca and walked back with the signs, the Portuguese route was a delight, and I saw so much I'd missed. For some reason, I've never cared about getting compostelas, though I've collected a couple. The problem for me was all the wrong turns and consequent frustration, which tended to spoil a terrific journey. Next time - and there will be a next time! - Lisbon or Porto.

 

[Diogo92]

Keep in mind that following the blue Fatima signs as being mentioned above that Pilgrims to Fatima follow the shortest way and they often walk on the shoulders of motorways and busy secundairy roads !
So if you prefer to do that, wear a safetyjacked !
Bom caminho and good luck.

@Albertinho my friend, the blue arrows actually don't always follow the National Roads, they mostly go to off road terrain. The marking of the Caminhos de Fatima started in the last 10 years. The problem is that the majority rather prefer to walk on the roads. A friend of mine has done it following the blue arrows and he says that it was completely different from the one he made for the first time following a big group. But yeah, take a safety jacket with you has a precaution.

Best Regards
Diogo

 

[Diogo92]

@meriPNG , check also this website for the Portuguese Association for The Friends from the Way of Fatima http://www.caminho.com.pt/

Best Regards
Diogo

 

[Camembert]

@Albertinho my friend, the blue arrows actually don't always follow the National Roads, they mostly go to off road terrain. The marking of the Caminhos de Fatima started in the last 10 years. The problem is that the majority rather prefer to walk on the roads. A friend of mine has done it following the blue arrows and he says that it was completely different from the one he made for the first time following a big group. But yeah, take a safety jacket with you has a precaution.

Best Regards
Diogo

Así amigo So they choose the shortest way.
We got lost around Cernache and asked some local people the way to the collégio in Cernache for to stay overnight and the people working in a garden, pointed us to take the shortest way, at the shoulder at national road with heavy traffic. We refused but they did not understand because all people going to Fatíma follow the main roads
Of course we saw blue marks on other places but common is to take the shortest way.

What I also noticed that Portugese people were very kind and asked us ,seeing us with our backpacks , if we were going to Fatíma.? No we are going to Santiago de Compostela and I felt a kind of disapointment but anyhow we got their blessings !
Lovely people. We can't wait to come back to Portugal next year.

We also noticed people are concerned about peregrinos. Arriving at a crossing oposite the road we had to cross there was a busstop with people waiting for the bus. We had to cross the road, continuing straight on but in the corner of our left eye we discovered a bar..Dutch as we are..coffee !!! So decided to turn left to bar for a bica. We were stopped by the people waiting for the bus and they told us we went in the wrong direction. . This happened several times. We love this..we love your country we love the people. We love the caminho !

 

[Diogo92]

Así amigo So they choose the shortest way.
We got lost around Cernache and asked some local people the way to the collégio in Cernache for to stay overnight and the people working in a garden, pointed us to take the shortest way, at the shoulder at national road with heavy traffic. We refused but they did not understand because all people going to Fatíma follow the main roads
Of course we saw blue marks on other places but common is to take the shortest way.

What I also noticed that Portugese people were very kind and asked us ,seeing us with our backpacks , if we were going to Fatíma.? No we are going to Santiago de Compostela and I felt a kind of disapointment but anyhow we got their blessings !
Lovely people. We can't wait to come back to Portugal next year.

We also noticed people are concerned about peregrinos. Arriving at a crossing oposite the road we had to cross there was a busstop with people waiting for the bus. We had to cross the road, continuing straight on but in the corner of our left eye we discovered a bar..Dutch as we are..coffee !!! So decided to turn left to bar for a bica. We were stopped by the people waiting for the bus and they told us we went in the wrong direction. . This happened several times. We love this..we love your country we love the people. We love the caminho !

That exact thing with the backpacks happened the day before yesterday when I was on a LIDL supermarket. There were two young french pilgrims. I talked with them in French, and after having a good conversation with them, and wishing them a Bom Caminho, I continued to do my shoping. There was a lady who saw them, and asked to them: "Fatima?". And they answered "Non, Santiago de Compostela". The women opened her eyes wide open, because she was very astonished with people going from Lisbon no SdC.

I'm glad you like it, you already know it my friend that in a nearby future, if you need something, just ask for it that we will arrange something

Best Regards
Diogo