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Message: <blockquote data-quote="ekas" data-source="post: 128940" data-attributes="member: 24744">Greetings Anna, I walked the Portugues backwards from Santiago to Fatima last year. Perhaps the direction isn't the same but maybe some of my experiences can help you. First of all it took me 3 weeks to walk that distance (Lisbon is almost 130km further). That being said, Lisbon to Santiago in 3 weeks is going to be physically challenging (one thing to also consider is that it could get rather hot in Portugal during the summer months which adds to fatigue). This route should be divided into two portions - the first is south of Porto, and the second is between Porto and Santiago. I divide it this way because south of Porto (and in Porto itself) there is little to no accommodations specifically for pilgrims. Until you pass Porto you have to depend on pensions/motels/or the best option of the bombeiros voluntarios (Volunteer Firefighters who will often let you sleep on the floor in the fire station). South of Porto - there is a pilgrims hostel in Fatima (though its open all day and unmonitored so don't leave any valuables there) and there are new hostels in Mealhada and Agueda (between Coimbra and Porto). North of Porto there are pilgrim's hostels (albergues) along the route. Also one thing to consider is that most people do the Portugues starting in Porto, so do keep in mind that south of Porto you will see very few pilgrims, if any. Basically, as you progress north the Camino Portugues gets better in many ways - more fellow pilgrims, more accommodations, better marked routes, etc. If three weeks is the time you have allotted for your trip I would consider taking the bus from Lisbon to Fatima and then from Fatima to maybe Coimbra. Coimbra to Santiago is roughly 18 days (15 stages I believe but some of them are worth breaking up). If you choose to take the bus from Fatima to Porto you will have 10 stages between Porto and Santiago, which you can break up into 12 days easily. If you are going to Fatima for religious reasons and your schedule is somewhat flexible, I recommend trying to be in Fatima Saturday night (the evening candle-lit rosary is attended by the townspeople and a wonderful experience) and stay for the noon Sunday Mass where you can experience the Adeus, a rather moving experience (don't forget your white handkerchief =P). There is a fair amount of walking along roads so I would recommend that you take a reflective vest so drivers can better see you. I do not know what experience your sister has with walking 'off-road' (i.e. non-paved road) but keep in mind that the Camino Portugues is a real mixed bag of terrain. There are some sections of it where the terrain gets rather rough with steep slopes and jagged rocks for footing (I believe the worst is both north and south of Redondela - someone correct me if I'm remembering wrong). Do not let this discourage you, but if this is something your sister hasn't done before perhaps a trial-run would help. Hope this helped some  <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" /></blockquote>