Cycling the Portuguese – possible itinerary

[michelle grech]

So I finally decided that I want to cycle a mixture of the interior and coastal routes. Coming from the small island of Malta where I get to cycle around the coast all the time I thought that I might appreciate the woodland scenery a bit more. I started mapping out a possible itinerary and was hoping that someone who is familiar with this route may give me some suggestions / recommendations. We would like to stick to the walkers route as much as possible.

a) Am I being too ambitious on Day 1 doing Lisbon to Santarem?
b) Would day 7 Porto - Vila De Conde - Arcos be off the marked path since it seems to be a mixture of the 2 routes?
c) Is day 11 doable? I had to keep the route down to these no. of days due to flight logistics.

Any help would be appreciated. By the way we are 2 women of average fitness. We have cycled the CF from SJPP in 2014 and found it relatively easy most of the time!

1. LISBON TO SANTAREM 100km
2. SANTAREM - TOMAR 60 km
3. TOMAR - ANSIAO 47km
4. ANSIAO - COIMBRA 45km
5. COIMBRA - AGUEDA 48km
6. AGUEDA - PORTO 76km
7. PORTO - VILA DE CONDE - ARCOS 45km
8. ARCOS - PONTE DE LIMA 57km
9. PONTE DE LIMA - TUI 36km
10. TUI - PONTEVEDRA 49km
11. PONTEVEDRA - PADRON - SDC 64 km

Thanks
Michelle

 

[vicbondo]

Hello Michelle
My name is Paul,my wife and I are traveling by bicycle now.we are in porto today.here is what we have done in a nut shell so to speak.
first day left Lisbon at noon to vila franca
Second day to santarem very hot.
Third to golega
fourth. To alvaiazere,very difficult about 13 hours very hot.
Fifth to rabacal
Sixth to mealhada
seventh to albergaria a velha
Eighth to sao joao da madiara
Ninth malaposta caught in storm stopped at hotel
tenth day porto
we have another storm coming in tonight. .. . ....Paul

 

[Camembert]

So I finally decided that I want to cycle a mixture of the interior and coastal routes. Coming from the small island of Malta where I get to cycle around the coast all the time I thought that I might appreciate the woodland scenery a bit more. I started mapping out a possible itinerary and was hoping that someone who is familiar with this route may give me some suggestions / recommendations. We would like to stick to the walkers route as much as possible.

a) Am I being too ambitious on Day 1 doing Lisbon to Santarem?
b) Would day 7 Porto - Vila De Conde - Arcos be off the marked path since it seems to be a mixture of the 2 routes?
c) Is day 11 doable? I had to keep the route down to these no. of days due to flight logistics.

Any help would be appreciated. By the way we are 2 women of average fitness. We have cycled the CF from SJPP in 2014 and found it relatively easy most of the time!

1. LISBON TO SANTAREM 100km
2. SANTAREM - TOMAR 60 km
3. TOMAR - ANSIAO 47km
4. ANSIAO - COIMBRA 45km
5. COIMBRA - AGUEDA 48km
6. AGUEDA - PORTO 76km
7. PORTO - VILA DE CONDE - ARCOS 45km
8. ARCOS - PONTE DE LIMA 57km
9. PONTE DE LIMA - TUI 36km
10. TUI - PONTEVEDRA 49km
11. PONTEVEDRA - PADRON - SDC 64 km

Thanks
Michelle

It is a good plan however I doubt about your first day ,100 km is quite a bit

Don't forget the off road track Ponte de Lima to Rubiaes which will be climbing the Labruja mountain with a lot of walking and carrying your bike.

By the way. You are not traveling on the interior route but the central route
The interior goes more to the east of Portugal and connects with the Via de la Plata.

An alternative is following the coast all away to Caminha and than follow the Minho river to Valença do Minho /Tui and from there follow the central route to Santiago.you then avoid the Labruja mountain

So. Porto to Esposende, Viana do Castelo, Caminha, Vila Nova de Cerveiro, Valença /Tui.

 

[michelle grech]

Thanks for the info Paul. Are you sticking to the walkers' path? is the terrain tough?

Thanks Albertinho....how tough is this stretch from Ponte de Lima, would you say tougher than getting up to O'Cebreiro for the CF? Is there a road or do you have to take the path?

Michelle

 

[hecate105]

I agree with Albertinho - the walking track from Pont de Lima to Rubaiaes is really, really tough! If you are strong, persistent and are not carrying much - then go for it. But be warned, the first part is tough enough, then there's a wooded bit which is lovely ( the three springs) then a goat path leads upwards, you push your bike thinking 'this doesn't look too bad'. then it gets steeper and you sweat, stop for water, then it gets steeper. You stop for lunch, have a siesta and start again. It gets steeper. Soon, you have to take panniers off the bikes (in our case, trailer off my husband's and large wicker basket off mine AND 4 panniers!) You manhandle each bike up a section, scramble back down and do it again, and again, and again. Then you lie on the floor and cry with pain and frustration. And still it gets steeper. An elderly Irish couple plod past you and remark that they feel SO much better now that they see how much YOU are suffering. (they become your best buddies) It gets steeper still and when you eventually get to the top - your weak cheers soon fade away as you see the cascade of rocks that plunges down the other side - the path down! It is brutal!
A long way to the albergue - but a lovely albergue so by the time you get there and drink a bottle of wine your tears are almost dry...
I had emailed Brierley (we used his guide) beforehand and he said 'Do not try cycling over that mountain'.
Now it is a fond memory, but at the time I nearly lost it.
So you can be wise and find small roads to circumvent the mountain, or you can be foolish like us and one day you will have a hell of a story to tell....

 

[edumad]

Is there a road or do you have to take the path?

In the village of Labruja, just before the final and most brutal part of the climb, you could take the main road that passes through it (M522) and go up the hill to the N201 which takes you to Rubiães. It is still a hell of a climb, but you won't need to pick up a bike and carry it like you do on the trail.
But should you?

So you can be wise and find small roads to circumvent the mountain, or you can be foolish like us and one day you will have a hell of a story to tell....

My sentiments exactly. Unless you are really not strong enough or have some other impairment I say go for it! Do it in bits and be proud of yourself at the top.

 

[Camembert]

I did not walk the french way . Only walked twice the caminho Portugues. Once the central way, so also Ponte de Lima to Rubiaês and once the coastal .
But some others allready gave you the advices and I agree fully with them.

 

[michelle grech]

Oh hecate 105 you did make me laugh! You described it so well you actually made me live through it! What would be really good if someone could just point out the bits from the whole route I should do on the road like the Ponte de Lima stretch and from where. That would really help me.

 

[Sullykerry]

So I finally decided that I want to cycle a mixture of the interior and coastal routes. Coming from the small island of Malta where I get to cycle around the coast all the time I thought that I might appreciate the woodland scenery a bit more. I started mapping out a possible itinerary and was hoping that someone who is familiar with this route may give me some suggestions / recommendations. We would like to stick to the walkers route as much as possible.

a) Am I being too ambitious on Day 1 doing Lisbon to Santarem?
b) Would day 7 Porto - Vila De Conde - Arcos be off the marked path since it seems to be a mixture of the 2 routes?
c) Is day 11 doable? I had to keep the route down to these no. of days due to flight logistics.

Any help would be appreciated. By the way we are 2 women of average fitness. We have cycled the CF from SJPP in 2014 and found it relatively easy most of the time!

1. LISBON TO SANTAREM 100km
2. SANTAREM - TOMAR 60 km
3. TOMAR - ANSIAO 47km
4. ANSIAO - COIMBRA 45km
5. COIMBRA - AGUEDA 48km
6. AGUEDA - PORTO 76km
7. PORTO - VILA DE CONDE - ARCOS 45km
8. ARCOS - PONTE DE LIMA 57km
9. PONTE DE LIMA - TUI 36km
10. TUI - PONTEVEDRA 49km
11. PONTEVEDRA - PADRON - SDC 64 km

Thanks
Michelle

Michelle:

I have just completed cycling the Caminho Portugues from Lisbon to Santiago (September 6th to September 30th) I took several breaks to visit Fatima, Tomar, Coimbra, Braga and Guimares, You will need breaks.

You do not tell us what type of bike you will use, how much you intend to carry nor your cycling experience. Are you cycling alone or hopefully with a companion? I would strongly recommend the latter.

Here are some observations:

Portugal is a very hilly country after Santarem and the Tejo River plain. The roads are narrow and truck traffic along the dreaded N-1 is heavy. I was hit by a truck outside of Agueda.

The Brierley book while helpful is not as useful for a cyclist as it is for someone on foot.

• The climb out of Alvaiazere (Day 7 in Brierley) on a bicycle is dangerous. I climbed in the fog and high wind. BTW, the albergue in Alvaiazere is comfortable and welcoming.

• The climb up the Cruz de Mourocos outside of Coimbra may look daunting but it is doable in low gear. In fact MOST OF YOUR CYCLING WILL BE DONE IN LOW GEAR. Stay in Coimbra for at least a day to rest before continuing onward.

• The yellow arrow markings out of Coimbra are not easy to find. LEARN TO ASK AND UNDERSTAND DIRECTIONS IN PORTUGUESE. I left Coimbra in a driving rain storm. I found my way to Mealhada thanks to many helpful Portuguese drivers and pedestrians.

• Be aware that when you are off road (i.e. not on asphalt) you have to deal with cobblestones, loose rock, sandy soil and on the Calzada Romanas - stones the size of those used for Roman catapults )

• Brierley's guidebook does not mention the grades of the hill climbs nor descents. Be very cautious going downhill. A cyclist ahead of me broke his arm going downhill and not paying attention to the ditch that was fast approaching.

 

[Sullykerry]

Sorry about that I hit the wrong button:

• Be aware that if you are cycling a major road there is little to no shoulder. There will be a culvert as well about 1/2 meter deep. I had a heavy mountain bike which had two panniers load with about 10kgs of gear. Holding the bike steady going uphill or down was a true challenge on the narrow roads.

• The climb into Sao Joao da Madeira (before Porto) is hellish if you are tired. Do not take the Calzada Romana (pg. 100 in the Brierly book) into Porto. You will be pushing your bike up a 8% grade over sizable stones (the catapult stones I referred to earlier). When entering Porto it is better to take the Metro at Vila Nova de Gaia to your destination in Porto. Spend a few days there as the city is beautiful.

• Between Lisbon and Porto you will not meet many pilgrims going to Santiago. However, you will meet pilgrims going the other way to Fatima, which is worth a visit from Tomar.

• Take the Metro again out of Porto to the other side of Matosinhos and begin cycling parallel to the beach to Vila do Conde - a very beautiful ride and hopefully not too windy.

• From Vila do Conde I turned East towards Arcos and Sao Pedro de Rates. At Pedra Furada (pg. 126 in the Brierley book) GO STRAIGHT. The climb up Monte Franqueria will just exhaust a cyclist. Head into Barcelinos/Barcelos. Stay there and tne take a bus to Braga for a rest. If time permits Guimares is also worth a visit.

• Barcelos to Ponte de Lima is an OK ride - well marked.

• About 10 kms outside of Ponte de Lima TROUBLE! The climb up Alto da Portela is perhaps the most challenging of the whole cycling trip. I started on the pilgrim path over some sandy and gravely soil through some beautiful countryside. Underneath the A3 (you can see it climb and disappear) I abandoned the track. It was muddy and I could not get up what must have been a 12% + grade of red clay soil without removing my panniers and making two trips. As soon as I found some asphalt going in the direction I wanted to go, I took it. I used my compass and dead reckoning to aascertain if I was headed to Rubiaes. TAKE PLENTY OF WATER. I was very fortunate in that I found some woodsmen who confirmed that I was on the right road. By this time, I had given up on cycling and was pushing the bike up.

• The descent down to Rubiaes via the N-201 is harrowing as you have no shoulder, only a ditch to your right. There is one last climb to make to Sao Bento (a piece of cake after the Alto da Portela). Stay on the N-201 until you get to the N-13. It is 2-3kms longer but a better road for a cyclist.

• The next day I walked my bike across the bridge from Valenca to Tui as the fog was really thick in the river valley. In Spain, there is more respect for the cyclist - heck several Spainards have won the Tour de France, the Tour of Italia, etc. You will have a shoulder and drivers who are more respectful/cautious of cyclists.

• As you come into Porrino follow the Rio Loura and avoid going through the industrial part in the south of the town. You will have noted admonitions to do so. Porrino is not a very pretty town, but the path along the Loura is very nice.

• When you get to Caldas de Reis - PLEASE STAY AT THE HOTEL ACUNA. It has a thermal hot spring. It is right on the Camino. An hour in the swimming pool, followed by a 1/2 hour dip in the thermal hot springs and then an hour leg massage completely rejuvenates the spirits.
• The rest of the trip into Santiago is pretty straight forward. Be sure to stop in Padron and enjoy the peppers. Excellent.

If you want more specific information about places to stay, cycling safety, what to bring etc, just "ping" me.

This trip is quite a challenge. The Portuguese people are fantastic. Very helpful. Great food. Wonderful countryside - but really hilly as you proceed north away from the coast.

Bom Caminho

 

[michelle grech]

Thanks Sullykerry.... I'm sure this information will come in handy when planning the detail. The trip sounds tougher than I expect. Have you cycled the Camino Francaise? If you have how does it compare..overall? I will def be in touch with you later in the day when I'm planning the nitty gritties like the daily itinerary so that I will know how many kms a day you were doing, where you stayed etc.
In answer to your questions, we, as we are 2 females, will be taking our 27 gear mountain bikes with us on which we also cycled the CF from SJPP to Santiago. We found this route pretty straightforward and not so strenuous on the whole which is why I'd like to do another Camino.
Thanks again
Michelle

 

[Sullykerry]

Thanks Sullykerry.... I'm sure this information will come in handy when planning the detail. The trip sounds tougher than I expect. Have you cycled the Camino Francaise? If you have how does it compare..overall? I will def be in touch with you later in the day when I'm planning the nitty gritties like the daily itinerary so that I will know how many kms a day you were doing, where you stayed etc.
In answer to your questions, we, as we are 2 females, will be taking our 27 gear mountain bikes with us on which we also cycled the CF from SJPP to Santiago. We found this route pretty straightforward and not so strenuous on the whole which is why I'd like to do another Camino.
Thanks again
Michelle

I walked the Camino Frances last September and October. I thought I would try cycling my next Camino thereafter. Feel free to reach out at a future date.

 

[BarryO]

So I finally decided that I want to cycle a mixture of the interior and coastal routes. Coming from the small island of Malta where I get to cycle around the coast all the time I thought that I might appreciate the woodland scenery a bit more. I started mapping out a possible itinerary and was hoping that someone who is familiar with this route may give me some suggestions / recommendations. We would like to stick to the walkers route as much as possible.

a) Am I being too ambitious on Day 1 doing Lisbon to Santarem?
b) Would day 7 Porto - Vila De Conde - Arcos be off the marked path since it seems to be a mixture of the 2 routes?
c) Is day 11 doable? I had to keep the route down to these no. of days due to flight logistics.

Any help would be appreciated. By the way we are 2 women of average fitness. We have cycled the CF from SJPP in 2014 and found it relatively easy most of the time!

1. LISBON TO SANTAREM 100km
2. SANTAREM - TOMAR 60 km
3. TOMAR - ANSIAO 47km
4. ANSIAO - COIMBRA 45km
5. COIMBRA - AGUEDA 48km
6. AGUEDA - PORTO 76km
7. PORTO - VILA DE CONDE - ARCOS 45km
8. ARCOS - PONTE DE LIMA 57km
9. PONTE DE LIMA - TUI 36km
10. TUI - PONTEVEDRA 49km
11. PONTEVEDRA - PADRON - SDC 64 km

Thanks
Michelle

Hi Michelle,
We are planning to cycle the PC in May this year. I was wondering if you finished your ride and can offer any advice. Did you keep a blog?
Thanks
Barry

 

[michelle grech]

Hi Barry
No haven't cycled it yet. Hopefully in May. I'm in the middle of preparations.

Michelle

 

[peregrina2000]

I agree with Albertinho - the walking track from Pont de Lima to Rubaiaes is really, really tough! If you are strong, persistent and are not carrying much - then go for it. But be warned, the first part is tough enough, then there's a wooded bit which is lovely ( the three springs) then a goat path leads upwards, you push your bike thinking 'this doesn't look too bad'. then it gets steeper and you sweat, stop for water, then it gets steeper. You stop for lunch, have a siesta and start again. It gets steeper. Soon, you have to take panniers off the bikes (in our case, trailer off my husband's and large wicker basket off mine AND 4 panniers!) You manhandle each bike up a section, scramble back down and do it again, and again, and again. Then you lie on the floor and cry with pain and frustration. And still it gets steeper. An elderly Irish couple plod past you and remark that they feel SO much better now that they see how much YOU are suffering. (they become your best buddies) It gets steeper still and when you eventually get to the top - your weak cheers soon fade away as you see the cascade of rocks that plunges down the other side - the path down! It is brutal!
A long way to the albergue - but a lovely albergue so by the time you get there and drink a bottle of wine your tears are almost dry...
I had emailed Brierley (we used his guide) beforehand and he said 'Do not try cycling over that mountain'.
Now it is a fond memory, but at the time I nearly lost it.
So you can be wise and find small roads to circumvent the mountain, or you can be foolish like us and one day you will have a hell of a story to tell....

Great description, we can feel your pain. To put some numbers to the pain, I think it's about a 400 m ascent over about 5 km, so it's really the rocks and the terrain that's the deal-breaker. One of those times when people on foot seem to have all the advantages.

 

[michelle grech]

An alternative is following the coast all away to Caminha and than follow the Minho river to Valença do Minho /Tui and from there follow the central route to Santiago.you then avoid the Labruja mountain

So. Porto to Esposende, Viana do Castelo, Caminha, Vila Nova de Cerveiro, Valença /Tui.[/QUOTE]

The decision has been taken to turn inland at Caminha, however we are going Porto, Viana do Castelo, Tui, Pontevedra, Padron, SDC. Do you think this is doable? I know Porto to Viana do Castelo is a long one but being coastal I can imagine it's quite a flat and easy road.

 

[cj2003]

You also asked about itinerary and you might find some help to it in this document I've compiled from a lot of sources

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/com...df-route-portugues-route-monacal-coastal.404/

On the second sheet of the GoogleDoc "Version and info" you can see the route - it looks quite similar to the one you're planning. There's also a link to the used gps coordinates if you would use them as backup for your trip.

bom caminho

 

[Camembert]

An alternative is following the coast all away to Caminha and than follow the Minho river to Valença do Minho /Tui and from there follow the central route to Santiago.you then avoid the Labruja mountain

So. Porto to Esposende, Viana do Castelo, Caminha, Vila Nova de Cerveiro, Valença /Tui.

The decision has been taken to turn inland at Caminha, however we are going Porto, Viana do Castelo, Tui, Pontevedra, Padron, SDC. Do you think this is doable? I know Porto to Viana do Castelo is a long one but being coastal I can imagine it's quite a flat and easy road.[/QUOTE]
Keep ín mind there are coming more very steep descends before Redondela but due to the number of bikers I have seen and spoken it must be doable.