LIVE from the Camino Coastal from Porto

[Kathleenwalks]

Day 1 - First Camino! We left this morning from Porto and walked to Matosinhos. Lovely all along the way. Some chill and sprinkle but very refreshing. Found a very nice hostel with two beds left, and saved for us. Life is good.

 

[mvanert]

Day 1 - First Camino! We left this morning from Porto and walked to Matosinhos. Lovely all along the way. Some chill and sprinkle but very refreshing. Found a very nice hostel with two beds left, and saved for us. Life is good.

Good for you, keep posting, I'm planning on going late August.

 

[FirstSteps]

Looking forward to hearing more. I'm starting in Baiona in late June. Buon Camino!

 

[Anniefish]

Looking forward to hearing more. I'm starting in Baiona in late June. Buon Camino!

From Baiona, don’t follow the yellow arrows inland. Instead follow the path next to the beach around the bay. Just keep following the coast, keeping the sea on your left. It’s a beautiful walk and will then lead you back to the official route. It’s really easy. Enjoy.

 

[Rickcrna]

We left Porto on the 28th on the coastal Litoral route. Stayed in Matoshinos, Labruge and just arrived in Povoa de Varzim. Perfect weather for walking along the coast so far. Feet and legs doing well so far. Really enjoying this route! Tomorrow’s stop is in Apulia.

Rick

 

[Charlie Davenport]

Loved that walk on two Caminos and we did it again in 2022, after our Camino and 2 months stay in ES/PT/FR, as a walk to dinner from Porto to Matisinhos before we flew home...

 

[Sue127]

Day 1 - First Camino! We left this morning from Porto and walked to Matosinhos. Lovely all along the way. Some chill and sprinkle but very refreshing. Found a very nice hostel with two beds left, and saved for us. Life is good.

I'll be a couple of months behind you so local information is appreciated. Buen camino

 

[Rickcrna]

If you find yourself staying in Labruge and want to overnight in a guesthouse, we highly recommend Smiling Places. Fantastic hosts, Fernando and Elisabeth and great included breakfast.

Rick

 

[Kathleenwalks]

Day 2 - today was another glorious day walking along the coast. I was chilled at times but also some Sun on my face! Remember your sunscreen! We have had good luck finding places to stay our first two nights and we’ve a reservation for tomorrow night. This is more comfortable for me knowing I’ve a place to sleep the next night. My left foot has developed some tendonitis which hurt, but KT tape did the trick. Feeling good and loving my walks. Food is great. I suspect once we turn inland and join the central route we’ll find different atmosphere and more people. Looking forward to experiencing it all.

 

[tmborja64]

Day 2 - today was another glorious day walking along the coast. I was chilled at times but also some Sun on my face! Remember your sunscreen! We have had good luck finding places to stay our first two nights and we’ve a reservation for tomorrow night. This is more comfortable for me knowing I’ve a place to sleep the next night. My left foot has developed some tendonitis which hurt, but KT tape did the trick. Feeling good and loving my walks. Food is great. I suspect once we turn inland and join the central route we’ll find different atmosphere and more people. Looking forward to experiencing it all.

Where did you start? Planning coastal walk from Vigo next year.

 

[Kathleenwalks]

Porto

 

[Galuh]

Buen Camino

 

[Wandalina]

From Baiona, don’t follow the yellow arrows inland. Instead follow the path next to the beach around the bay. Just keep following the coast, keeping the sea on your left. It’s a beautiful walk and will then lead you back to the official route. It’s really easy. Enjoy.

Did it last week very nice

 

[BennyB]

For what it’s worth-I was sitting outside of the Porto Cathedral (Se’) from 0630 to 0910. I counted 328 pilgrims during that time frame. It seemed like around 90% were walking down the front ramp headed to the river to walk the coastal.

 

[Karen Schoenfelder]

If you find yourself staying in Labruge and want to overnight in a guesthouse, we highly recommend Smiling Places. Fantastic hosts, Fernando and Elisabeth and great included breakfast.

Rick

Love hearing good things about Smiling Places! We’re staying there this September when we start. Thanks for your opinion.

 

[mausieowen]

Day 1 - First Camino! We left this morning from Porto and walked to Matosinhos. Lovely all along the way. Some chill and sprinkle but very refreshing. Found a very nice hostel with two beds left, and saved for us. Life is good.

We are starting our first Camino on this route today!

 

[Rickcrna]

Stopped today for an overnight stay in the gorgeous town of Oia on West coast of Spain. Checked into Casa Puertas, a historic bed and breakfast with a fabulous room and host. Highly recommend. Weather has been perfect for walking and the trail from A Guarda was pleasant. Walking onto Baiona tomorrow.

Buen Camino!
Rick

 

[Karen Schoenfelder]

Stopped today for an overnight stay in the gorgeous town of Oia on West coast of Spain. Checked into Casa Puertas, a historic bed and breakfast with a fabulous room and host. Highly recommend. Weather has been perfect for walking and the trail from A Guarda was pleasant. Walking onto Baiona tomorrow.

Buen Camino!
Rick

Thanks for your bit of info-we will be walking the same route in September and staying at Casa Puertas as well. Glad to hear it’s a nice place! Is there much to do or see in Oia? I think there is a monastery there, correct? Is it open?

 

[Rickcrna]

Thanks for your bit of info-we will be walking the same route in September and staying at Casa Puertas as well. Glad to hear it’s a nice place! Is there much to do or see in Oia? I think there is a monastery there, correct? Is it open?

Oia is just a small village with a couple of bars and restaurants, but the atmosphere and location next to sea are incredibly beautiful. There is a monastery here and I cannot comment on the opening/closing situation. The Camino trail basically takes you straight through the village and immediately adjacent to Casa Puertas. You are really going to enjoy the location.

Rick

 

[ElCee]

Day 2 - today was another glorious day walking along the coast. I was chilled at times but also some Sun on my face! Remember your sunscreen! We have had good luck finding places to stay our first two nights and we’ve a reservation for tomorrow night. This is more comfortable for me knowing I’ve a place to sleep the next night. My left foot has developed some tendonitis which hurt, but KT tape did the trick. Feeling good and loving my walks. Food is great. I suspect once we turn inland and join the central route we’ll find different atmosphere and more people. Looking forward to experiencing it all.

How far did you walk your second day? I will be doing the same route in Sept/Oct.

 

[Rickcrna]

Walked from Nigran to Vigo today mostly via the river path from Nigran. Beautiful in places along the river, very long pedestrian promenades, some residential steep hills, little beach walking and LOTS of unmarked path into Vigo. Got sideways trying to find the path around the highway bridge along with several other pilgrims. Ended up walking through downtown and eventually just found the hotel via google maps. The historic section of town is actually quite nice with lots of garden areas and cafes/ restaurants. Quite a challenging day! Moving onto Redondela tomorrow.

 

[Karen Schoenfelder]

Walked from Nigran to Vigo today mostly via the river path from Nigran. Beautiful in places along the river, very long pedestrian promenades, some residential steep hills, little beach walking and LOTS of unmarked path into Vigo. Got sideways trying to find the path around the highway bridge along with several other pilgrims. Ended up walking through downtown and eventually just found the hotel via google maps. The historic section of town is actually quite nice with lots of garden areas and cafes/ restaurants. Quite a challenging day! Moving onto Redondela tomorrow.

Did you try to use an app with a map for this section? If so, which one?

 

[Rickcrna]

I’ve been using the Wise Pilgrim app for information and real time navigation and it’s been very helpful along the way. It was fine entering Vigo until we got to the highway bridge. Several other pilgrims using whatever apps they were using were also puzzled at this point. Eventually everyone made their way but Vigo is not well marked and has lots of auto traffic to contend with. Honestly, it was not my favorite Camino city to walk through.

 

[tmborja64]

I’ve been using the Wise Pilgrim app for information and real time navigation and it’s been very helpful along the way. It was fine entering Vigo until we got to the highway bridge. Several other pilgrims using whatever apps they were using were also puzzled at this point. Eventually everyone made their way but Vigo is not well marked and has lots of auto traffic to contend with. Honestly, it was not my favorite Camino city to walk through.

Planning to start next year from Vigo. Thanks for the info.

 

[Rickcrna]

The walk from Vigo to Redondela was very enjoyable today. After climbing some steep street hills out of Vigo, you are rewarded with some jaw dropping views of the city and river. Thereafter, the trail evens out onto a wooded dirt path almost entirely shaded until you descend down through San Andres and then into Redondela. There are basically no services until you get to Redondela, but as you approach the town on the right is a cafe with umbrellas. Lots of pilgrims stop for coffee here. The trail is well marked.

Rick

 

[tmborja64]

The walk from Vigo to Redondela was very enjoyable today. After climbing some steep street hills out of Vigo, you are rewarded with some jaw dropping views of the city and river. Thereafter, the trail evens out onto a wooded dirt path almost entirely shaded until you descend down through San Andres and then into Redondela. There are basically no services until you get to Redondela, but as you approach the town on the right is a cafe with umbrellas. Lots of pilgrims stop for coffee here. The trail is well marked.

Rick

How long did it take you to walk to Redondela? Was it easy to find the path from Vigo?

 

[Lolla]

Hey dear Kathleen,
We are starting our Camino on Sunday, I wanted to ask you are there towels and/or bedsheets and covers, pillows etc. available in hostels or do we have to bring our own ?

Day 1 - First Camino! We left this morning from Porto and walked to Matosinhos. Lovely all along the way. Some chill and sprinkle but very refreshing. Found a very nice hostel with two beds left, and saved for us. Life is good.

 

[Rickcrna]

How long did it take you to walk to Redondela? Was it easy to find the path from Vigo?

I would say it took about 5 hours to walk from Vigo to Redondela with a few sit down breaks. As your leaving the garden promenade in Vigo, there is a building on the right with a yellow slash mark, not a clear arrow but it is here you want to turn right and start walking up some pretty steep streets for awhile. Yellow arrows will clearly guide your path on your ascent. Using a Camino app like wise pilgrim will provide real time GPS positioning to help guide you out of Vigo. Otherwise it would be easy to miss a critical right turn toward the hillside.

Rick

 

[Camembert]

How long did it take you to walk to Redondela? Was it easy to find the path from Vigo?

It is about 15 kms from Vigo center to Redondela.
Go down town (Vigo is a terraced city) to The Vigo Guixar railway station and from there we almost followed the railway track to Redondela. An easy and flat walk
we walked on to Cessantes , plus 3 kms from Redondela. We did not like the smelly busy noisy albergue in Redondela we stayed there once and never again. Yagg.
in Cessantes is a far better place to stay, o Refúxio de la Jérezana .Twice we stayed there .

 

[Camembert]

Hey dear Kathleen,
We are starting our Camino on Sunday, I wanted to ask you are there towels and/or bedsheets and covers, pillows etc. available in hostels or do we have to bring our own ?

I never experienced hostals, B&B etc without towels or bedsheets. If you go to albergues yes, take a sleepliner with you.
most of the time albergues have a kind of disposable matrass cover and some blankets so we prefered to take our own sleepliner .

 

[Camembert]

Did it last week very nice

When we walked along the coast from Baiona we followed green arrows.
a hospitaleiro in Nigran attended us on these green markers and was a pleasant walk up to Vigo

 

[DoriC]

Day 1 - First Camino! We left this morning from Porto and walked to Matosinhos. Lovely all along the way. Some chill and sprinkle but very refreshing. Found a very nice hostel with two beds left, and saved for us. Life is good.

Doing this with my mom in September. Can I follow you?

 

[Olimpia]

Day 1 - First Camino! We left this morning from Porto and walked to Matosinhos. Lovely all along the way. Some chill and sprinkle but very refreshing. Found a very nice hostel with two beds left, and saved for us. Life is good.

 

[Olimpia]

Hello Kathlen, I am leaving in a few days. Would like to follow you if I may. Thank you. Please post on your experience with the lodging. I don't know if May will be a difficult month to find lodging. Thanks and Buen Camino

 

[Kathleenwalks]

We are currently about to enter Pontavedra in about 1 hour. We’ve had no difficulty finding a bed along the way. Mostly private rooms in hotels, hostels and albergues.

 

[Kathleenwalks]

We are currently about to enter Pontavedra in about 1 hour. We’ve had no difficulty finding a bed along the way. Mostly private rooms in hotels, hostels and albergues.

We had three times when we did not have a reserved place but still found a bed easily.

 

[Kathleenwalks]

We are currently about to enter Pontavedra in about 1 hour. We’ve had no difficulty finding a bed along the way. Mostly private rooms in hotels, hostels and albergues.

We made reservations in advance but only the day of or the day before since our stages are unplanned.

 

[Olimpia]

Thank you Kathleen. That's what I am planning to do too since my stages are no planned. I will try to make reservation as I go. How is the weather? Too hot?

 

[Kathleenwalks]

Thank you Kathleen. That's what I am planning to do too since my stages are no planned. I will try to make reservation as I go. How is the weather? Too hot?

The weather is beautiful. Cool mornings, sometimes warm days but not everyday. Very little rain. Portugal was warmer than we’ve had in Spain. Right now - low 46 high 66.

 

[Olimpia]

Perfect! Thanks. I am with you-all as we say in Texas. Buen Camino.

 

[FirstSteps]

I’ve been using the Wise Pilgrim app for information and real time navigation and it’s been very helpful along the way. It was fine entering Vigo until we got to the highway bridge. Several other pilgrims using whatever apps they were using were also puzzled at this point. Eventually everyone made their way but Vigo is not well marked and has lots of auto traffic to contend with. Honestly, it was not my favorite Camino city to walk through.

Thanks for these details. I'm reading about this last unpleasant stretch from Baiona to Vigo and wondering if you would recommend picking up a taxi to get from the highway into Vigo central. Would it be possible to find a taxi? (That will be my first and longest day so I'm trying to manage my expectations.)

 

[Rickcrna]

You won’t necessarily need a taxi to enter Vigo on foot. Following the river is an alternate Camino path and is described well using the Wise Pilgrim app. The app allows you to navigate your position in real time and when you get further into Vigo you can navigate to your hotel using google maps. The port area is unattractive but once you get to central Vigo and the garden promenade, it’s quite nice.