michelle grech
Member
- Time of past OR future Camino
- Walked from Astorga to SDC in May 2012.
Cycled the Frances from SJPP May 2014
Cycled the Portuguese from Lisbon May 2016
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It is a good plan however I doubt about your first day ,100 km is quite a bitSo 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
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.Is there a road or do you have to take the path?
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.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....
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
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.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
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
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.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....
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.
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