Coastal vs Central Portuguese route

[EL LECHERO]

I'm interested in walking the Portuguese Camino in April/May. Can I have some pros and cons of both?
Thanks
Rich

 

[jungleboy]

Firstly, just to avoid confusion with names, the options from Porto are the coastal and the central. Further east, there is another route called the Portuguese Interior but it is completely separate from the routes you are considering.

As for coastal vs central, if you’d like your answer in podcast form, we did an episode with @Elle Bieling, who has walked both, on this very topic. It’s Episode 1.4 Central or Coastal?

 

[NancyZ]

Firstly, just to avoid confusion with names, the options from Porto are the coastal and the central. Further east, there is another route called the Portuguese Interior but it is completely separate from the routes you are considering.

As for coastal vs central, if you’d like your answer in podcast form, we did an episode with @Elle Bieling, who has walked both, on this very topic. It’s Episode 1.4 Central or Coastal?

Firstly, just to avoid confusion with names, the options from Porto are the coastal and the central. Further east, there is another route called the Portuguese Interior but it is completely separate from the routes you are considering.

As for coastal vs central, if you’d like your answer in podcast form, we did an episode with @Elle Bieling, who has walked both, on this very topic. It’s Episode 1.4 Central or Coastal?

And don’t forget the Litoral path which goes along the beach.

 

[MaxHelado]

Whoah! Don't confuse me!
I thought the Coastal and the Litoral were the same thing?
Doesn't Litoral translate as Coastal?

 

[jungleboy]

And don’t forget the Litoral path which goes along the beach.

I *always* forget the Litoral!

 

[EMILE M]

And don’t forget the Litoral path which goes along the beach.

The Camino da Costa variant is recommended if you want to avoid the scorching heat of the interior route. I did the Portuguese Camino 5byears ago in May and from Lisbon to Porto I endured very hot temperatures. I opted for the coastal route to afterwards and indeed the coastal approach was more temperate and agreeable.

 

[MaxHelado]

Are the Camino Coastal, the Camino Litoral and the Camino da Costa all the same thing with different names? English, Spanish & Portugués?

 

[Charlie Davenport]

I'm interested in walking the Portuguese Camino in April/May. Can I have some pros and cons of both?
Thanks
Rich

Find Efren González on YouTube and you can view on the most amazing videoblog the Camino Portuguese Coastal... Seriously, you can see what it is like day by day and experience it with a great guide

 

[peregrina2000]

Are the Camino Coastal, the Camino Litoral and the Camino da Costa all the same thing with different names? English, Spanish & Portugués?

It is confusing. The Coastal Route is not the same as the Littoral Route. The map I’ve linked to here shows it very clearly. The littoral route, hugs the water more closely.

http://www.caminador.es/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/RELIEVE-PORTO-REDONDELA-Impr.pdf

You can see that the two weave in and out and frequently intersect (this reflects where the sleeping options are). This makes it easy to zig and zag — coastal one day, littoral the next.

 

[lt56ny]

Firstly, just to avoid confusion with names, the options from Porto are the coastal and the central. Further east, there is another route called the Portuguese Interior but it is completely separate from the routes you are considering.

As for coastal vs central, if you’d like your answer in podcast form, we did an episode with @Elle Bieling, who has walked both, on this very topic. It’s Episode 1.4 Central or Coastal?

And don’t forget the Litoral path which goes along the beach.

It is confusing. The Coastal Route is not the same as the Littoral Route. The map I’ve linked to here shows it very clearly. The littoral route, hugs the water more closely.

Call me confused. I get confused sometimes when I mention the Central and the Interior, thinking that they are interchangeable when they are not.
Next year I will do the CP but I want to start near Faro. When I get to Porto I will do the Coastal/Litoral and just try to stick near the ocean. I figure if I am looking left and i can see the beach like right next to me I am there.

 

[MaxHelado]

It is confusing. The Coastal Route is not the same as the Littoral Route. The map I’ve linked to here shows it very clearly. The littoral route, hugs the water more closely.

http://www.caminador.es/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/RELIEVE-PORTO-REDONDELA-Impr.pdf

You can see that the two weave in and out and frequently intersect (this reflects where the sleeping options are). This makes it easy to zig and zag — coastal one day, littoral the next.

Perfect.
The map clears it up nicely for me.
I had no idea that there were 2 "coastal" routes!

PS peregrina2000; are you by any chance related to the Nimbus2000?

 

[MaxHelado]

Now I am wiser (thank you peregrina2000) and know that there is the Portugués Coastal AND the Portugués Litoral, I would love to hear from anyone who can compare the two.

The Litoral sounds lovely but if it actually means walking across sand.......maybe not!

 

[trecile]

I keep reading the title of this thread as "Coastal vs Infernal Portuguese route"

The Litoral sounds lovely but if it actually means walking across sand.......maybe not!

The parts that I have walked have been on boardwalks

 

[MaxHelado]

I keep reading the title of this thread as "Coastal vs Infernal Portuguese route"


The parts that I have walked have been on boardwalks

Sounds lovely. Was it?

 

[HaveringRob]

Thanks for the great map. On that, where would the Camino Interior be? Is it the Camino Braga or something else?

 

[peregrina2000]

where would the Camino Interior be? Is

The Caminho Portugues Interior starts in Viseu and connects with the Sanabrés in Spain. @jungleboy and @Wendy Werneth recently walked it and posted a wonderful live thread.

Check it out here.

 

[Ultreia et Suseia!]

Two things helped me decide:

Watching dozens of YouTube videos and reading this book by Brierley where all the variants are described (da costa, central, litoral, spiritual, plus more variants within more specific trails). I got it from Ivar, it was a great investment, and I'll take it with me in case there's route changes.

I ended up choosing coastal/litoral because I have asthma and that's the flattest

 

[EMILE M]

Are the Camino Coastal, the Camino Litoral and the Camino da Costa all the same thing with different names? English, Spanish & Portugués?

The Litoral, Camino da Costa and Camino Coastal mean the same thing. You start the Camino da Costa at A Guarda, go North and eventually you'll end up at Redondela to rejoin the interior Camino.

 

[Ultreia et Suseia!]

The Litoral, Camino da Costa and Camino Coastal mean the same thing. You start the Camino da Costa at A Guarda, go North and eventually you'll end up at Redondela to rejoin the interior Camino.

It may seem like that but the senda litoral and the camino da costa are not the same thing.

The litoral path branches out of the coastal camino often to stick to the sea shore as much as possible while the coastal camino goes into forested areas and country lanes even climbing 110-150m hills.

Ultreia !

 

[EL LECHERO]

Firstly, just to avoid confusion with names, the options from Porto are the coastal and the central. Further east, there is another route called the Portuguese Interior but it is completely separate from the routes you are considering.

As for coastal vs central, if you’d like your answer in podcast form, we did an episode with @Elle Bieling, who has walked both, on this very topic. It’s Episode 1.4 Central or Coastal?

Thank you, it seemed my question turned into a discussion as to which route is what. I was looking for the Pro's and Con's through anecdotal advice from Pilgrims. BTW, Thank you for your input on the Camino Primitivo. I completed it April 7th and you were part of the reason I chose the Primitivo over 15 days on the CF.

 

[EMILE M]

It may seem like that but the senda litoral and the camino da costa are not the same thing.

The litoral path branches out of the coastal camino often to stick to the sea shore as much as possible while the coastal camino goes into forested areas and country lanes even climbing 110-150m hills.

Ultreia !

Well I walked the Camino da Costa and it hugged the coastline.

It may seem like that but the senda litoral and the camino da costa are not the same thing.

The litoral path branches out of the coastal camino often to stick to the sea shore as much as possible while the coastal camino goes into forested areas and country lanes even climbing 110-150m hills.

Ultreia !

Just to clarify, I took a ferry from Camhina to Spain, then hiked to A Guarda, after which I hugged to coastline on the Camino da Costa all the way to Baiona, then Vigo , to finally rejoin the Camino interior at Redondela. The Camino da Costa hugs the coastline. Forested areas began near Redondela.

 

[Skippy@2022]

HI, we are starting our Camino walk in September, our first walk will be from Porto to the Monastery at Vairao, which I believe is the central route, the next day we want to get to the Coastal Route, is it an easy walk from the Monastery to Ville do Conde to pick up the Camino, thanks in advance

 

[peregrina2000]

Well I walked the Camino da Costa and it hugged the coastline.

Just to clarify, I took a ferry from Camhina to Spain, then hiked to A Guarda, after which I hugged to coastline on the Camino da Costa all the way to Baiona, then Vigo , to finally rejoin the Camino interior at Redondela. The Camino da Costa hugs the coastline. Forested areas began near Redondela.

Take a look at the map I linked to in post number 9 in this thread. It shows very clearly that the caminho da costa and the caminho litoral are not the same thing. They frequently intersect, and sometimes they overlap, so people weave back and forth. The red line is the Caminho da Costa (which goes near but not always ON the coast) and the green line is the Caminho Litoral, which hugs the coastline.

You are talking about a section of the route where the two routes overlap quite a bit, but you can see that, for instance, on the way into Baiona, the coastal and the litoral diverge.

 

[kenwilltravel]

HI, we are starting our Camino walk in September, our first walk will be from Porto to the Monastery at Vairao, which I believe is the central route, the next day we want to get to the Coastal Route, is it an easy walk from the Monastery to Ville do Conde to pick up the Camino, thanks in advance

Am not familiar with the Mosteiro de São Salvador de Vairão (if that's the monastery you're referring to) but on Google Maps it looks like an easy two hour walk (only 8 km) to Vila do Conde. You won't have any arrows or signs to follow, of course, since it's off the trail.

 

[Skippy@2022]

Perfect.
The map clears it up nicely for me.
I had no idea that there were 2 "coastal" routes!

PS peregrina2000; are you by any chance related to the Nimbus2000?

8.

Am not familiar with the Mosteiro de São Salvador de Vairão (if that's the monastery you're referring to) but on Google Maps it looks like an easy two hour walk (only 8 km) to Vila do Conde. You won't have any arrows or signs to follow, of course, since it's off the trail.

Thank you