First timer, Camino Portuguese Coastal Route late Sept 2023

[ElCee]

Hi all! I’m from Toronto, 60 years old, retired early not by choice but I’m settling into it. I travelled a lot for business in China and some in Europe and I miss it incredibly. I am in reasonably good shape. I’ve already started informal training with long city walks in my new hiking shoes. I will be walking the Camino with a Canadian friend who lives in Madrid. We have discussed this for years in the abstract but it really feels right at this point for me. Looking forward to pushing myself and doing a lot of thinking. I’m overwhelmed by all the information here and losing sleep weighing all the options. I will have tons of questions but for now I’ll leave it here and just say hi! I’m so excited!

 

[Delphinoula]

So lovley to here from you. My very first was the one along the ocean, the costal one is the old costal road that people took because there was no continuous way along the coast. I walked the beach one and partly the costal one. just in case you were wondering Atlantic windy rainy and cold but pretty flat, costal less windy but still rainy.
Whatever you choose it will be the right Camino for you. Best hint I gotten from a fellow pilgrim. You will feel your backpack the first 7 days. Then you body adjusts and you mind will stop milling. Then you are in the flow. Good Luck

 

[ElCee]

We might walk the Central route. The towns sound so lovely and there are more options for lodgings. Either way, I definitely want to do the Variante Espiritual. It sounds so lovely. I have calmed down about planning and am trying to let things flow. Thank you for your advice!