Different Routes?

[stw13]

Does Brierley's book outline different Portuguese routes as I am considering Porto to Santiago/Finisterre in 2014? Have the bug again after walking SJPP to Santiago recently...WONDERFUL.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

It has the principal route, and a coastal route.

 

[Camembert]

My copy is on loan, but I think it has only the principal route, not the coastal route.

The original book of Brierley has a detour from Porto Sé (cathedral) to Vila do Conde alongside the coastline and from there to São Pedro de Rates where it hits the interior trail to Barcelos and so on.
This detour is great and avoids walking at the shoulder of the busy and dangerous N12 national road just north of Porto.
The detour follows the ocean from Matosinhas. at your left side as long as you walk northwards
So highly advised to walk this detour as we did. Just follow the yellow arows alongside the Douro river to Matosinhos or take the metro to Matosinhos -stop "Mercado " go over the bridge then go to the left untill after 500 meters you'll see the ocean and head north to Vila do Conde. It is well marked with the yellow arrows. Partly you will walk on a boardwalk and partly on the sandy beach.
Just before Vila do Conde the path leads off through a kind of wild area but if you'll miss the arrows just follow the oceanside and Vila do Conde is nearby. Bom caminho

 

[Deleted member 12253]

Does Brierley's book outline different Portuguese routes as I am considering Porto to Santiago/Finisterre in 2014? Have the bug again after walking SJPP to Santiago recently...WONDERFUL.

Here I am in middle reading brierley camino Portugues and answer Yes. Example leaving Porto shows practical path to vilarinho and the coast route , very detailed beach walk look heavenly . Buen camino

 

[frdaz]

Does Brierley's book outline different Portuguese routes as I am considering Porto to Santiago/Finisterre in 2014? Have the bug again after walking SJPP to Santiago recently...WONDERFUL.

Yes. In particular, there is an alternate route at the beginning in Porto. You take the subway to the outskirts (which avoids walking through the busy town), and the first day takes you along the beach boardwalk (even onto the sand for a short stretch) and through some sandy paths - all of which are beautiful. I believe the alternate route met up with the main route on day 3. The waymarking wasn't as good on the alternate route - we got lost the second day - and we learned the hard way to be on the lookout for the markers. I would do this route again.
I believe there are a couple more brief alternate routes along the CP, but we didn't take any of those. The Brierley guide will show them. Buen Camino...

 

[anniethenurse]

Hola!
John has more info on the coastal route
http://johnniewalker-santiago.blogspot.se/2013/02/coastal-route-camino-portuguese.html
Buen camino.

 

[Stephen Nicholls]

Whichever route you choose, it is a beautiful camino.
I walked the inland route in 2011.
Diary and links to pictures are on my web site .....
Enjoy! Buen camino!

 

[mishlove]

Question on the coastal route... Does it involved walking on the beach/sand ?


Mishlove
Sent from my iPhone using Camino de Santiago Forum

 

[Camembert]

If you mean the coastal route just outside Porto (Matosinhas to Vila do Conde) yes. You walk a short distance on the beach with a short steep climb upon a dune. Only about a few hundred meters. If you reach Vila do Conde and still walking on the beach, you have missed the yellow arrows so keep an eye on them . The arrowsfollow an off
About the coastal route more northwards I cannot tell you but there were a lot of peregrinos here on the forum who have done this.

Regardzzzz. Albertinho

 

[mishlove]

If you mean the coastal route just outside Porto (Matosinhas to Vila do Conde) yes. You walk a short distance on the beach with a short steep climb upon a dune. Only about a few hundred meters. If you reach Vila do Conde and still walking on the beach, you have missed the yellow arrows so keep an eye on them . The arrowsfollow an off
About the coastal route more northwards I cannot tell you but there were a lot of peregrinos here on the forum who have done this.

Regardzzzz. Albertinho

Many thanks... Yes indeed that is the route I was referring to. Looks like I will have to forgo this route.

 

[Camembert]

The trail at the beach is between Matosinhas and Vila Cha. The rest of the trail is at a wooden boardwalk. If you walk with walking poles do not forget to take away the rubber protection covers you will lose them between the wooden shelves. We were lucky to find one of them back.

North of Vila Cha about in the village Barrio da Louca the arrows head off from the beachside into a kind of natural park. The coastline then is about 300 meters away from you at your left side. the yellow arrows a a bit hard to find but this is the right way due to John Brierleys guide.
After that you'll arrive at the outer suburbs of Vila do Conde. Here we stopped for the night at a camping site and hired a summerhouse for one night .all facilities..shop,wifi etc..
Next day we walked on to Vila do Conde - 3 kms. We did not go right into town but just over the bridge of the Ave river and went right and kept on following the yellow arrows up to São Pedro de Rates where is an albergue and the interior route to Barcelos, Ponte de Lima and so on to Santiago.

 

[peregrino_tom]

Just to say...
There are three routes after Porto, as Brierley mentions in his intro - a coastal and central and an interior via Braga. Brierley's guide focuses on the central way but also offers a coastal alternative from Matosinhos metro to Vila do Conde. You don't have to walk on sand/beach at all for this section. You don't have to take a metro out of Porto as it's perfectly straightforward to walk to the coast. We have a separate section on the forum for the coastal route. Have a look a some of the previous threads in the Portugues section as these are discussion points that have come up quite frequently in the past (year).

 

[Camembert]

Just to say...
There are three routes after Porto, as Brierley mentions in his intro - a coastal and central and an interior via Braga. Brierley's guide focuses on the central way but also offers a coastal alternative from Matosinhos metro to Vila do Conde. You don't have to walk on sand/beach at all for this section. You don't have to take a metro out of Porto as it's perfectly straightforward to walk to the coast. We have a separate section on the forum for the coastal route. Have a look a some of the previous threads in the Portugues section as these are discussion points that have come up quite frequently in the past (year).

That is correct Tom what you say.
But Brierley mentioned that from Porto Sé cathedral to Vila do Conde is quite a distance to walk on one day. ( add another 10 kms from Porto Sé to Matosinhos Mercado metro stop-) so he gives an alternative to take the metro or I thought bus 500 to Matosinhas and walk from there. About 20 kms. Following the arrows along the boardwalk they were pointed to a steep dune with on top a kind of concrete pillar (a monument ?) so doing this we walked on the sandy beach. After climbing upon the dune and the rock with the pillar we found the arrows back and soon after that we continued walking towards Vila Cha.
Of course there was a detour, following the normal road sometimes we did,avoiding walking on the wooden shelves and avoiding many runners and bikers using the narrow boardwalk to !

 

[Camembert]

In addition to the "sandy " discussion I checked my Brierley book about the walk over the sandy beach- what was in fact the question of @mishlove- and I quote Mr.Brierley -3,7 kms after the bridge of Matosinhas there is the Obelisco-the concrete pillar momument- . Take the boardalks wherever possible but be selective (?! We just followed the yellow markings ) e.g. It might be preferable to take the sandy beach here for 100 meters to rejoin the boardwalk further on rather than take the boardwalk back to the road. Looking back on the map in his book , is it a kind of (heavy duty) shortcut over the beach With a bonus for your climbing efforts on top of the dunes , a nice view over the ocean and the coastline on top of the rock where the monument is.
Take care not to get sand into your shoes,avoiding blisters.
this said I continue concentrating on our new adventure within less than 5 months , the Camino Inglès.So Iam reading in all the fantastic comments, advises,remarks etc at this great forum to be prepared for what is coming .

Bom caminho from this side of the world
Albertinho

 

[mishlove]

In addition to the "sandy " discussion I checked my Brierley book about the walk over the sandy beach- what was in fact the question of @mishlove- and I quote Mr.Brierley -3,7 kms after the bridge of Matosinhas there is the Obelisco-the concrete pillar momument- . Take the boardalks wherever possible but be selective (?! We just followed the yellow markings ) e.g. It might be preferable to take the sandy beach here for 100 meters to rejoin the boardwalk further on rather than take the boardwalk back to the road. Looking back on the map in his book , is it a kind of (heavy duty) shortcut over the beach With a bonus for your climbing efforts on top of the dunes , a nice view over the ocean and the coastline on top of the rock where the monument is.
Take care not to get sand into your shoes,avoiding blisters.
this said I continue concentrating on our new adventure within less than 5 months , the Camino Inglès.So Iam reading in all the fantastic comments, advises,remarks etc at this great forum to be prepared for what is coming .

Bom caminho from this side of the world
Albertinho

Thank you....






Mishlove
Sent from my iPhone using Camino de Santiago Forum

 

[Gailsie]

Has anyone taken the Metro to Maia and continued from them northwards? I see that suggestion as a way out of Porto in Brierlely.