Half and Half - Portuguese routes

[JoJoPee]

Good day all

Pilgrims I need your advise. I’m planning my first Camino Portugal.
I want best of both world meaning I would like to do half inland and half costal. Which half is better? For example, inland protgual and coastal Spain?
Thanking you in advance.
Jo

 

[Vacajoe]

Huh? Or to put it more bluntly…HUH?!?!! Are you suggesting you do part of one Camino and then switch to another? If so, then no…just…no.

Choose a path to walk. You’ll meet people. You won’t want to leave, embrace a region you won’t want to abandon, and adopt a frame of mind that you won’t want to disrupt.

If you are saying that you want a mixture of costal and inland walking, then either the Norte or the Portuguese can fulfill that for you without having to fully switch routes. The former is much longer and more difficult, while the latter is simpler and has waaaaay better food!

 

[HumanistHiker]

I get the impression lots of folks combine the Portuguese Coastal or Littoral & Central routes. I'm going to do 2 days Littoralv& switch to Central at Vila do Conde as I've read the Littoral is the nicest way out of Porto. Others carry on further north up the coastal & switch to the central around Vigo.

Another option us to switch further north around Pontevedra to the Variante Espiritual which adds around 20 km more to the total length but is supposed to be really beautiful. Some English peregrinos I met a couple of weeks ago recommended this.

The 3 routes of the Portuguese Camino from Porto

A detailed description of three different routes on the Camino Portuguese from Porto. The Central Route, the Coastal Route, and Senda Litoral

stingynomads.com

The Spiritual Variant of the Portuguese Camino de Santiago

The Spiritual Variant of the Portuguese Camino de Santiago - a 2023 guide and walking stages. Distances, route maps, GPX files of the route.

stingynomads.com

 

[dougfitz]

Walking the CP from Porto there is the opportunity to leave Porto on any of four routes, but if one does choose to leave on the Litoral or Coastal routes, there is the option of walking across to the Central route in a number of places. These two routes will join the Central route eventually in any case. As for what is best, well the OP has given not hint to what things she might be considering here, and unless someone is one of those who has walked several of the routes north of Porto, most of us wouldn't have practical experience on which to base such advice anyhow.

Further north, there is the option of doing the Variante Espiritual, which I do think is worth considering as an alternative to the traditional route going north from Pontevedra.

 

[woody66]

I agree with Dougfitz !!!
I did Coastal , Senda Littoral and Espiritual; don't miss the Espiritual you won't regret it i will walk it again one day!!!

 

[Antonius Vaessen]

I did like the walk out of Porto, along the sea to Vila the Conde. To be honest I did not like the inland route very much. Much asfaltwalking on roads with narrow shoulders, much cobblestones. Of course there were beautifull stretches too and staying at Casa de Fernanda. The Variante Spiritual I liked very much, the landscape, much less crowded than the central after Tui and the boatride. ( Be sure to wear warm clothes if you take a boat that leaves before the sun has risen above the hills)

 

[David Tallan]

Good day all

Pilgrims I need your advise. I’m planning my first Camino Portugal.
I want best of both world meaning I would like to do half inland and half costal. Which half is better? For example, inland protgual and coastal Spain?
Thanking you in advance.
Jo

I did just a bit Coastal and came inland at Vila do Conde. But that doesn't get you half and half. You could come inland later from Caminha to Valença or Tui, but you'd miss some of the best parts of the Central.

One option to consider is to follow the river and the seashore from Porto on the Senda Litoral up to Vila do Conde, switch over to the Central there and follow the Central to Valença or Tui, and then switch back to the Coastal and follow the Coastal in Spain the rest of the way until the two join in Redondela. I've heard that this would be a "half and half" Camino and that the Spanish coastline is really nice which would make that a "best of both" Camino. But it does mean two crossovers instead of just one.

 

[David Tallan]

Huh? Or to put it more bluntly…HUH?!?!! Are you suggesting you do part of one Camino and then switch to another? If so, then no…just…no.

Choose a path to walk. You’ll meet people. You won’t want to leave, embrace a region you won’t want to abandon, and adopt a frame of mind that you won’t want to disrupt.

If you are saying that you want a mixture of costal and inland walking, then either the Norte or the Portuguese can fulfill that for you without having to fully switch routes. The former is much longer and more difficult, while the latter is simpler and has waaaaay better food!

You say this like it is unheard of or frowned upon by the community. I don't believe this is the case. Many people leave Porto on the Senda Litoral and then switch to the Coastal or Central. Many people start on the Norte and switch to the Primitivo, or start on the Frances and then switch to the San Salvador or the Invierno. There are many, many more such examples. The Caminos and signage are set up to support this with the connecting routes fully signed.

The suggestion to embrace a region and not want to leave or abandon it seems to challenge longer Caminos. Sure, embrace the regions. But the essence of many Caminos is to walk from one region to another: we leave the Pyrenees behind for the vineyards of La Rioja, which we leave for the plains of the Meseta, etc.

You say "no...just...no". My experience on the Portugues after Porto is "yes...just...yes" to taking the fork that will lead to the path you want, even if it is a route variant that has a different name than the one you've been on.

 

[Vacajoe]

You say this like it is unheard of or frowned upon by the community. I don't believe this is the case. Many people leave Porto on the Senda Litoral and then switch to the Coastal or Central. Many people start on the Norte and switch to the Primitivo, or start on the Frances and then switch to the San Salvador or the Invierno. There are many, many more such examples. The Caminos and signage are set up to support this with the connecting routes fully signed.

The suggestion to embrace a region and not want to leave or abandon it seems to challenge longer Caminos. Sure, embrace the regions. But the essence of many Caminos is to walk from one region to another: we leave the Pyrenees behind for the vineyards of La Rioja, which we leave for the plains of the Meseta, etc.

You say "no...just...no". My experience on the Portugues after Porto is "yes...just...yes" to taking the fork that will lead to the path you want, even if it is a route variant that has a different name than the one you've been on.

I was trying to decipher if they meant walking the CP the entire way or we’re planning to walk the CP coast and then switch over to the CF or a different route - kind of a “best of” journey.

 

[Wolfinho]

Good day all

Pilgrims I need your advise. I’m planning my first Camino Portugal.
I want best of both world meaning I would like to do half inland and half costal. Which half is better? For example, inland protgual and coastal Spain?
Thanking you in advance.
Jo

Hi Jo, the first half from Porto to Caminha at the coast is lovely with a lot of wonderful views, charming small villages (like Fão) and the relaxing noises from atlantic ocean all time at your side. Than I would recommend to go along the river Miño (border to Spain) till Valença, where you meet the central way, cross the river to resch Spain and continue via Tui, Porriño, Redondela, Padron to Santiago. i took this way in June and I think, that was one of my best decisions in this summer. Alternatively you can take the spiritual way, but there I don‘t have any personal experiences. Buen Caminho, Wolfinho