Camino Portuguese Backwards / Santiago to Lisbon

[torreyjames]

We may be able to extend our French camino experience from SJPdP to Santiago! We fly out of Lisbon at the end of our camino, and we are thinking about riding our camino bikes down from Santiago to Lisbon airport where we fly out to the U.S. Has anyone traveled the Portuguese camino in reverse?

 

[mspath]

James,

December 2011 after finishing the CF I continued to Finisterre, per usual, and then walked down to the Portuguese border at Tui/Valenca do Minho. This involved going " backward " along the Camino Portugues from Santiago. To go backward is more complicated than you might think; since then the path was hardly well marked, searching for the famous yellow arrows pointing opposite my direction wasn't easy. Viewed backwards the arrows resembled anchors. Thus it all was a bit of a treasure hunt!

However, the Galician Xunta albergues along the route were GREAT in Padron, Caldas de Rei, Pontevedra, Redondela, and O Porrino. At Valenca do Minho where my husband met me by car we stayed within the hilltop 17th c fortress at the elegant Pousada Sao Teotonio which was SUPERB as was the view back to Tui.

Check out this 2010 blog in English by a cyclist who rode 'straight up' from Lisbon to Santiago. His descriptions and photos will give you an idea of the terrain.

Bom Caminho,

Margaret Meredith

 

[HermanTheGerman]

We may be able to extend our French camino experience from SJPdP to Santiago! We fly out of Lisbon at the end of our camino, and we are thinking about riding our camino bikes down from Santiago to Lisbon airport where we fly out to the U.S. Has anyone traveled the Portuguese camino in reverse?

I did the journey from Porto to SdC over New years. Along the way I met a Dutch couple who were on their way back from SdC to Porto. I think it would be more inspiring for the scenery to improve the further you go and would recommend doing it because of this. The countryside south of the border I enjoyed more for sure. You can also follow the blue arrows to Fatima to a certain point. They are painted alongside the yellow arrows to SdC. I can't speak for the part south of Porto though.

Bom Caminho

 

[Deleted member 12253]

We may be able to extend our French camino experience from SJPdP to Santiago! We fly out of Lisbon at the end of our camino, and we are thinking about riding our camino bikes down from Santiago to Lisbon airport where we fly out to the U.S. Has anyone traveled the Portuguese camino in reverse?

Yes, just follow the blue arrows to Fatima , on my walk from Oporto to Santiago in last week I met 2 or 3 daily walking backwards. By the way no problems with signage, lovely sunny weather, no rush or problems with beds. Buen camino

 

[AfriCat]

Has anyone traveled the Portuguese camino in reverse?

Hi, just headed for Vigo tomorrow to head south to Porto along the coastal route - backwards - so I hope it goes well for me and you!

 

[Camembert]

Hi, just headed for Vigo tomorrow to head south to Porto along the coastal route - backwards - so I hope it goes well for me and you!

Keep the ocean at your right . On the picture A Guarda

 

[AfriCat]

Keep the ocean at your right View attachment 10300. On the picture A Guarda

My plan exactly!!! As I live only 150m away from a beach, these last 6 weeks without the seaside have been hard. Even though the weather is going to be as cool on the coast as it is here in Galicia, if I am going to be cold I'd rather be looking at the ocean while I am walking.

 

[peachluck]

James,

December 2011 after finishing the CF I continued to Finisterre, per usual, and then walked down to the Portuguese border at Tui/Valenca do Minho. This involved going " backward " along the Camino Portugues from Santiago. To go backward is more complicated than you might think; since then the path was hardly well marked, searching for the famous yellow arrows pointing opposite my direction wasn't easy. Viewed backwards the arrows resembled anchors. Thus it all was a bit of a treasure hunt!

However, the Galician Xunta albergues along the route were GREAT in Padron, Caldas de Rei, Pontevedra, Redondela, and O Porrino. At Valenca do Minho where my husband met me by car we stayed within the hilltop 17th c fortress at the elegant Pousada Sao Teotonio which was SUPERB as was the view back to Tui.

Check out this 2010 blog in English by a cyclist who rode 'straight up' from Lisbon to Santiago. His descriptions and photos will give you an idea of the terrain.

Bom Caminho,

Margaret Meredith

Hi Margaret,
I'm planning on doing the same route from SJPP, Muxia, Finisterre, to Lisbon beginning Sept 8, 2014 and finishing sometime in Nov. I'd welcome and appreciate any advice you may have. Thanks and have a great day!

Dawn

 

[mspath]

Dawn,

The best advice that I can offer for 'going backward' is to try to imagine where any directional arrow might have been placed and then search for it pointing in reverse. Since these are not always easy to find trust your 'educated guesses'. For the day by day account of walking from SdC down to Tui scan my Camino Gazetteer starting with Padron.

Buen Camino,

Margaret Meredith

 

[peachluck]

Dawn,

The best advice that I can offer for 'going backward' is to try to imagine where any directional arrow might have been placed and then search for it pointing in reverse. Since these are not always easy to find trust your 'educated guesses'. For the day by day account of walking from SdC down to Tui scan my Camino Gazetteer starting with Padron.

Buen Camino,

Margaret Meredith

Thanks Margaret,
Your posts on your page were insightful. Have a great day!

 

[Sharon Hesnan]

I'm planning to walk from Santiago to Porto in a weeks time and i'm very worried that if i bring extra bag can i transport the luggage ahead along the route. Has anyone done this and if so how did you arrange it, cost per bag, company used to transport the luggage and the maximum distance per kms. Help i need to know before i travel in a weeks time. Thank you. Sharon