Defaced markers

bryan pritchard · Jul 24, 2016

Hi all,
Just completed most of Camino Portuguese. We started in Lisbon, but after a couple of days of highway walking, we took a train to Porto and started afresh. The highway was a bit scary, and lots of people text and drive - we had a close call and one was enough.
Anyway, the coastal route is beautiful. It could use a few more Albergue options. We were saddened that someone had written on many (possibly over 100) arrows, and placed red stickers under others, to promote their webpage, Facebook and blog. People work hard to maintain stretches of trail, and this didn't seem like a good pilgrim act.
Finally, we used Brierley guides and Wise Pilgrim app. The app was far more accurate, in terms of sleeping options and trail directions. If you are in Vigo, do not trust the guidebook as a listed Albergue is actually a mental institute/care home.
Beautiful trail though.

Joanne - Falmouth · Jul 24, 2016

I agree - its sad that people feel the need to sprawl their names and country, (Canada -seems to be a big culprit) over Camino signs. It needs to be addressed.

IngridF · Jul 24, 2016

Joanne - Falmouth said:
I agree - its sad that people feel the need to sprawl their names and country, (Canada -seems to be a big culprit) over Camino signs. It needs to be addressed.

Apologies for all the culprits... a bit unusual, never saw any "Canadian" markings when I walked last year... was just happy to find any markers at times.

crackmrmac · Jul 24, 2016

IngridF said:
Apologies for all the culprits... a bit unusual, never saw any "Canadian" markings when I walked last year... was just happy to find any markers at times.

Think I agree after walking from Lisbon early May.

Dennis D · Jul 25, 2016

In my opinion, Sharpie Marking Pens should be banned from the Camino. The new Markers in Galacia are already getting defaced and vandalized! I don't think that it is fair to pick on any particular country for this occurrence. Rhetorically, what would anyone care that "Maria and Joe 3/3/16" is something that everyone would like to see as they walk past? No one knows them and if they did, they would tell them to knock it off. The passport provides proof that you were there and the many different stamps make a nice souvenir without harming the Camino.

LydiaF1963 · Jul 30, 2016

Common all over unfortunately. I've been walking the GRs in my area and all of them have signs that have fallen victim to to markers or spray paint.

Gary94123 · Jul 30, 2016

bryan pritchard said:
Hi all,
Just completed most of Camino Portuguese. We started in Lisbon, but after a couple of days of highway walking, we took a train to Porto and started afresh. The highway was a bit scary, and lots of people text and drive - we had a close call and one was enough.
Anyway, the coastal route is beautiful. It could use a few more Albergue options. We were saddened that someone had written on many (possibly over 100) arrows, and placed red stickers under others, to promote their webpage, Facebook and blog. People work hard to maintain stretches of trail, and this didn't seem like a good pilgrim act.
Finally, we used Brierley guides and Wise Pilgrim app. The app was far more accurate, in terms of sleeping options and trail directions. If you are in Vigo, do not trust the guidebook as a listed Albergue is actually a mental institute/care home.
Beautiful trail though.

This must be recent as we hiked the Portuguese Coastal route in May, and did not witness any of that. The drivers are a bit scary, and we had a couple of close calls, too.

Skjulestad.linda · Jul 30, 2016

Hi!
I walked the inland route- the eastern mid country route from Porto in July. It is less travelled. Not a lot of albuerges, but found good, cheap hotels in, amongst other cities, Braga and Familicao. No signs were covered on this route and it was a lot of beautiful scenery!
Linda

Richard A Stead · Jul 30, 2016

bryan pritchard said:
Hi all,
Just completed most of Camino Portuguese. We started in Lisbon, but after a couple of days of highway walking, we took a train to Porto and started afresh. The highway was a bit scary, and lots of people text and drive - we had a close call and one was enough.
Anyway, the coastal route is beautiful. It could use a few more Albergue options. We were saddened that someone had written on many (possibly over 100) arrows, and placed red stickers under others, to promote their webpage, Facebook and blog. People work hard to maintain stretches of trail, and this didn't seem like a good pilgrim act.
Finally, we used Brierley guides and Wise Pilgrim app. The app was far more accurate, in terms of sleeping options and trail directions. If you are in Vigo, do not trust the guidebook as a listed Albergue is actually a mental institute/care home.
Beautiful trail though.

Absolutely right. On the Camino France's last 100k many of the distance plates had been prised off and stolen as souvenirs including the zero marker plates at Muxia.

Jeff Crawley · Jul 31, 2016

Richard A Stead said:
Absolutely right. On the Camino France's last 100k many of the distance plates had been prised off and stolen as souvenirs including the zero marker plates at Muxia.

Difficult to stop this - I worked on the UK Millenium cycle network in 1999. We used 6" square oak posts and screwed alu markers on them with "un-unscrewable" screws (supposed to be impossible to unscrew). Went through part of it recently, not a single one left!

PilgrimKia · Aug 2, 2016

bryan pritchard said:
Hi all,
Just completed most of Camino Portuguese. We started in Lisbon, but after a couple of days of highway walking, we took a train to Porto and started afresh. The highway was a bit scary, and lots of people text and drive - we had a close call and one was enough.
Anyway, the coastal route is beautiful. It could use a few more Albergue options. We were saddened that someone had written on many (possibly over 100) arrows, and placed red stickers under others, to promote their webpage, Facebook and blog. People work hard to maintain stretches of trail, and this didn't seem like a good pilgrim act.
Finally, we used Brierley guides and Wise Pilgrim app. The app was far more accurate, in terms of sleeping options and trail directions. If you are in Vigo, do not trust the guidebook as a listed Albergue is actually a mental institute/care home.
Beautiful trail though.

I'm not quite sure I've understood correctly ... is Camino Portuguese waymarked ON the highway? Which distance(s)? Or was it a personal option?
My intention is walking to Lisboa - this makes me thoughtful ...

PilgrimKia · Aug 4, 2016

Albertinho said:
I assume you walk from Lisbon instead of to Lisbon. ?

Portuguese are lovely and kind people but as soon they sit behind the steeringwheel they are like devil's . I have some experiences driving in Portugal many times.they have no consideration with other users of the road.
Advise. Wear a fluorescent safety jacket. Weighs almost nothing. .walk towards to upcoming traffic and at country roads stay alert of a overtaking traffic, coming from behind of you.
Keep your poles ready to point to upcoming drivers to make clear you are there too !
Walk behind each other and let the last one behind you hang on the safety vest at the backside of your backpack so traffic from behind sees you too.

The Portuguese caminho is a beautifull walk , you meet very kind people , tasty food and wines. It is my favorite country.

If you walk from Lisbon you will walk along side a national road on the hardshoulder.
From Alverca do Ribatejo to Azambuja in the Vila Franca de Xira region.
But as I am told there is a "green "detour by now. Alternative is skip the mentioned stage and take the train from Alverca for 3 stops to Azambuja .

Alternatively you could walk out of Lisbon from the cathedral to Parque de Naçoes -8 kms- so you walk through the nice urban areas of the town . At Parque the Naçoes you could take the commuter train to Azambuja or even Santarèm to ontinue your camino from there. Trains are very cheap in Portugal. And you skip the more industrial and busy areas of Lisbon.

Other part is out of Porto if you NOT follow the coastal route to Matosinhos and Vila do Conde BUT from Porto direction airport and Vilarinho. That is what the OP probably meant. This is a dangerous walk so lot of pilgrims choose to walk the beautiful and safe river and ocean boardwalk to Matosinhos and Vila do Conde.
But as an alternative take the metro out of Porto to Fórum Maia and walk from there to Vilarinho in a more green and rural area .
Don't miss the albergue monasteiro do Vairão just two kms before Vilarinho. Very nice place and kind and helpfull hospitaleiros.
Bom caminho

Thanks so much Albertinho!
Of course I mean FROM Lisbon. In fact my question was not about the first part Lisbon-Santarem - as I've already walked there in February 2014. As my intention is the rest of Camino Portuguese to Santiago, I found no reason of explaining ... BUT something must have happened in two years, as I was not walking a single meter on highway!!!
Thanks for your advice about Porto! I think I will choose the Costal Route, heard it is very beautiful! Bom caminho!

Ernesto.IT · Aug 20, 2016

PilgrimKia said:
I'm not quite sure I've understood correctly ... is Camino Portuguese waymarked ON the highway? Which distance(s)? Or was it a personal option?
My intention is walking to Lisboa - this makes me thoughtful ...

This year from Lisbon( I had 15 days of rain) on the inland route I found problems with the marking only the first few stages, but, after there is absolutely no possibility to miss them, and all this starts 4 days before Porto, I was pleasantly surprised of what a good job they done with it, you could say better than Spain.
(I am known to make alwaise mistakes on the Caminos, consequently extra Km, in the end like everydays life
you pay for them.) Just to give you an idea in my first stage from Lisbon I ended up walking for 12&half hours
59Km instead of the 35/40 intended. I LOVE ALL THE CAMINOS. Next year is going to be my longest (I hope)
Buen Camino

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