If you could pick only 5-6 days any where on the trail ....

[Jenny]

Would like to get recommendations for the most scenic sections of either the Camino route in Portugal or in Spain. Can be any section of the walk without having to go to Santiago de Compostela. Mountains, coast, remote villages are all things that interest us. Won't have a car so the start and finish would need to be near public transportation. Trip is planned for mid July 2014 so heat may/will be an issue. Look forward to hearing ideas.

 

[tyrrek]

Hi! You could do a lot worse than the Camino Ingles from Ferrol to Santiago. It usually takes 5-6 days. You start by the coast then go inland. It's much quieter than the Camino Frances, but there should be enough other pilgrims around in July to enjoy some of the camaraderie. There's easy access to the start and finish via Santiago or A Coruna airports and good bus/train links. A possible downside is that the options for places to stay are more limited compared with the Camino Frances, so you can't 'tailor make' your Camino to the same extent as some of the other routes. Buen Camino!

p.s. Sorry - just noticed that this post was in the Portuguese forum!

 

[DurhamParish]

I walked from Porto to Santiago last September and it took me 10 days. If I had to pick a 5 or 6 day spread along that route that was interesting walking and easy access, I would start in Barcelos, Portugal and walk to Pontevedra, Spain. Both are big towns with good rail service, so your need for public transport would be satisfied.

Here is a link to my photo album from my walk.

http://www.blurb.com/books/3762387-camino-portugues

 

[Jenny]

Thanks, for those great ideas and really enjoyed your photo book!! Looking at the amount of time to get from Madrid (where we fly into to drop our daughter at camp) seems like 10 hours or longer on a train to get to the coast would cut into our time walking. Maybe the route from Madrid and start in Segovia. We've never been to Portugal and that's why our search started there.

 

[DurhamParish]

Bite the bullet and fly from Madrid to Porto. That's what I did (after flying in from the US). When planning, I searched in vain to find a convenient train or bus from Madrid to Porto but to no avail. By air it's a quick hop, and in my opinion, well worth it. (Maybe even spend an extra day in Porto and take a trip up the Duoro Valley to see the vineyards where they grow the grapes for Port.)

Then you can catch a Portuguese train up to Barcelos. You'll need to catch the metro to the correct train station (there are two in Porto), I think you need the Porto Campanha station. But it appears there are plenty of trains from there to Barcelos each day. Or, you might even look into catching a cab from the airport to the train station (it would probably save a lot of time). For that matter, you might even look into what a cab would cost from the airport directly to Barcelos.

If you were to take a cab, you might even consider starting your walk in Rates, which is a few kilometers before Barcelos. You could walk a significant part of the Camino between Rates and Barcelos by the time you figured out how to use the Metro (which runs from the airport every half hour, if I remember right, and you'll probably miss one waiting in line at a ticket machine, then trying to figure out how to use it, I did) then get to the train station, then get to Barcelos. It would be much more pleasant walking through the Portuguese countryside from Rates to Barcelos that putzing around with metro and train connections in Porto, and probably not cost all that much more, if any.

Then, there are trains that run directly from Pontevedra to Madrid (at least that's what it looked like on the Renfe website).

These are just my suggestions. You know what would be best for you. But the Portuguese countryside is amazing and the people are wonderful.

 

[Diogo92]

I would do has DurhamParish advised. Take a flight from Madrid to Porto.

Take a Taxi to the Campanhã station, that's the station where you have to take the train to Barcelos. Proably you will have to change train, ate least once. Check cp.pt for the schedules for the train between Porto-Campanhã and Barcelos.

I would not take a taxi from Barcelos to Rates, because it will stay a little bit expensive. It will cost you around 30 to 50€.

But yes, at the final, it's you that should see what it's the best for you.

I would go untill Santiago, but hey, that's me. I think that the best for you, if you need to return to Madrid, it's to finish it in Pontevedra.

Ohhhh, and don't forget that if you don't carry the Credential, you will not be able to sleep in the Albergues.

Best Regards
Diogo

 

[Jenny]

What is the web site to check trains in Portugal? I know the Renfe site once we get to Spain. Taxis are not in the budget.

 

[Diogo92]

Jenny, check cp.pt It's the portuguese train companie website.

Best Regards
Diogo

 

[Jenny]

Thanks, figured it out. Maybe the coastal route would be a good choice. Could follow up the coast and turn inland towards Valenca then catch a train back to Porto so we could catch a return flight back to Madrid.

 

[naplesdon]

No one should do the Camino Portugues without a stopping for a night at Casa Fernanda in Lugar do Corgo, the walk to the next town Ponte de Lima is marvelous. Tui, Porrino, Redondela and Padron are just as remarkable.

 

[Jenny]

I was looking forward to walking thru Ponte de Lima. Could easily hop over to Tui from Valencia. Where is Casa Fernanda in Lugar do Corgo? Don't see that on the map I was looking at, but it only has the Camino Portugues routes on it. The more I learn the harder this becomes.....

 

[Diogo92]

Jenny, Casa Fernanda in Lugar do Corgo, it´s located after Barcelos. It's a little bit complicated to find on the map, and somebody once told me that you pass it if you are doing the Caminho. Why don't you start in Ponte de Lima, and go untill Pontevedra and catch the train back to Madrid?

Best Regards
Diogo