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Lisbon to Santiago October

karlyk

New Member
Time of past OR future Camino
Frances 2019
Portuguese from Lisbon 2019
Thinking of doing the Portuguese costal route october 1-31 in a few weeks

Ive heard a lot of the albergues are closed in Oct., especially from Lisbon to Porto. Is that true? Can anyone confirm?

Also should I expect more expensive albergues? Im hoping for plenty of 5/6 euro spots or donativos, like on the CF. Is that realistic?

Thanks☺
 
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Thinking of doing the Portuguese costal route october 1-31 in a few weeks

Ive heard a lot of the albergues are closed in Oct., especially from Lisbon to Porto. Is that true? Can anyone confirm?

Also should I expect more expensive albergues? Im hoping for plenty of 5/6 euro spots or donativos, like on the CF. Is that realistic?

Thanks☺

Hi, there are enough budget places to stay that are open all year round, but it helps to know where they are, otherwise it may be a long way to the next one.

In October last year the cheapest places I stayed at were Alpriarte (first stop after Lisbon) for 8 euros, and Cernache (about 12kms before Coimbra) was also 8 euros. Nothing below that. Rabacal (Albergue Bonito) was 10 euros and so was Albergue Albergaria-a-Nova. Alvaiazere (Albergaria Pinheiro) was 11 euros. Then I paid 15 euros each at Ribatejano (Vila Franca de Xira), Santarem Hostel, Quartos Lagar (Golega), Hostel 2300 Thomar (Tomar), and Albergue San Antonio (Agueda).

Note that some of the 15 euro places included breakfast, so they were worth the extra few euros.
 
According to their website, the Alpriate albergue will be open till Oct. 15. Whoever is hospitalero/a there will be able to help you with figuring out what is open going forward. But as Jill says, you are not likely to have a problem given that so much of what’s on offer is private anyway. Another great place to get help would be at Santarem Hostel. Mario the owner is in touch with all the other places up and down at least till Coimbra. I am sure you will be fine!
Bom caminho, Laurie

Good list on the Via Lusitana website, too. https://www.vialusitana.org/caminho/albergues
 
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The albergue in Alpriate will close October 15. The cost is 10 euros. We just finished as hospitaleiros Monday. The information we give you is from the local association. Great people and a wonderfully welcoming little community. We loved it there and serving the pilgrims.
The cathedral in Lisbon opens around 10 so you can get your stamp there and then walk to the albergue.
 
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If you bring a sleeping bag, it's always a good option to sleep at the fire stations.
 
I will be starting Sunday, Oct 6 from Lisbon. I have not been to Portugal except for airport layovers but I have made 3 Pilgrimages in Spain: CF, VdlP and Levante. How are the customs in Portugal different from those in Spain? I.e., meal times, ordering food, etc. I know that even though both countries are on the Iberian Peninsula, they are NOT the same and I do not want to offend or be seen as rude... What should I be aware of? Thank you
 
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I will be starting Sunday, Oct 6 from Lisbon. I have not been to Portugal except for airport layovers but I have made 3 Pilgrimages in Spain: CF, VdlP and Levante. How are the customs in Portugal different from those in Spain? I.e., meal times, ordering food, etc. I know that even though both countries are on the Iberian Peninsula, they are NOT the same and I do not want to offend or be seen as rude... What should I be aware of? Thank you

Hi, drvnsmiln,
Well, Portuguese people are probably the least likely to take offense at any gaffe you unintentionally commit. But here are a few differences from Spain.

Meals are earlier, you can get lunch as early as 12:30, dinner as early as 7 or 7:30 (but you will be the only one in the restaurant at those early hours unless you are in a tourist destination).

Fish is likely to be served whole, but you can usually get a waiter to debone it for you.

The one custom that frequently catches foreigners off guard is that restaurants typically serve a bunch of little plates of appetizer-type foods before the meal. Many non-Portuguese think that since the customer didn’t ask for them, they are complimentary. That is not the case. If you eat them, you will be charged for them. The charges aren’t usually exorbitant, but if you get four or five little plates and eat a little nibble off each of them, that can add up. There is absolutely nothing wrong with refusing them when the waiter brings them to the table, or being selective. This is not a “let’s gouge the foreigner” tactic, this is what restaurants do in Portugal. There have been threads here over the years of pilgrims who think they are being tricked or cheated, but this is just the standard practice. So if you don’t want to pay for the appetizers, don’t eat them!

And one big difference to help the monolingual English speaking pilgrim is that English is spoken far more widely in Portugal than in Spain. Maybe that’s because the Portuguese assume no one will learn Portuguese, or maybe it has to do with the fact that the TV and movies have never been dubbed, just use subtitles. But whatever it is, particularly in the younger generations, you will find English is spoken very well and very widely.

Hope you enjoy your walk, I love Portugal! Bom caminho, Laurie
 
The bombeiros— fire stations are currently NOT accepting pilgrims. We were always having to tell that to the pilgrims last week.
 
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If you bring a sleeping bag, it's always a good option to sleep at the fire stations.

As @edandjoan said, that is no longer the case. You might get lucky but don’t rely on it nor expect it. In 2012 I met several people who were sleeping at the bombeiros, but it's not possible any more. Maybe too many people were abusing the “free” system.

As for the appetizers, mentioned by @peregrina2000 , as soon as the waiter brings them to the table, and the bread (that’s not free either), I immediately say I don’t want them and ask that they be taken away, so that there is no misunderstanding about whether I am going to eat them or not. It’s not a problem.
 
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As @edandjoan said, that is no longer the case. You might get lucky but don’t rely on it nor expect it. In 2012 I met several people who were sleeping at the bombeiros, but it's not possible any more. Maybe too many people were abusing the “free” system.
when I made the pilgrimage from Lisbon to Fatima in 2017, I slept at the fire department in three city.
I don't think it should be rejected bombeiros. :cool:
 
when I made the pilgrimage from Lisbon to Fatima in 2017, I slept at the fire department in three city.
I don't think it should be rejected bombeiros. :cool:

As hospitaleiros last week the local association said they were not taking in pilgrims. They will take pilgrims in May during the month long Fatima celebration. But people make no donations and currently they are busy with many fires. We were told to let the pilgrim know that that is currently not an option.
 
As hospitaleiros last week the local association said they were not taking in pilgrims. They will take pilgrims in May during the month long Fatima celebration. But people make no donations and currently they are busy with many fires. We were told to let the pilgrim know that that is currently not an option.
Certainly the fire season is very demanding in central Portugal right now, with the risk medium high to high just east of the central route through Portugal. Also, keep in mind that the bombeiros in most small to medium towns also run the ambulance service for the locals. Their crews are busy! Count yourselves lucky if you find groups that will house pilgrims this time of year.
 
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The albergue in Alpriate will close October 15. The cost is 10euro. We just finished as hospitaleiro Monday. The information we give you is from the local association. Great people and a wonderfully welcoming little community. We loved it there and serving the pilgrims.
The cathedral in Lisbon opens around 10 so you can get your stamp there and then walk to the albergue.
I would live to hear more about your hospitalero/a experience. How did you spend your days in Alpriate?

Any idea on numbers of peregrin is from Lisbon this year?
 
In October last year the cheapest places I stayed at were Alpriarte (first stop after Lisbon) for 8 euros, and Cernache (about 12kms before Coimbra) was also 8 euros. Nothing below that. Rabacal (Albergue Bonito) was 10 euros and so was Albergue Albergaria-a-Nova. Alvaiazere (Albergaria Pinheiro) was 11 euros. Then I paid 15 euros each at Ribatejano (Vila Franca de Xira), Santarem Hostel, Quartos Lagar (Golega), Hostel 2300 Thomar (Tomar), and Albergue San Antonio (Agueda).

Note that some of the 15 euro places included breakfast, so they were worth the extra few euros.
And keep in mind the other costs--groceries, and cafes for stops along the way--are considerably less than they are in France or Spain. So that may help make up for slightly more expensive nightly stops.
 
I would live to hear more about your hospitalero/a experience. How did you spend your days in Alpriate?

Any idea on numbers of peregrin is from Lisbon this year?

There are many pilgrims currently on the route. We were complete (10 beds) every night except for one. We saw pilgrims pass during the day or at the cafe that did not stop. One day we saw 20....10 in our beds and 10 walk by. Some days we had to call ahead 8-20 Kilometers to get beds for pilgrims. There is a man in town, Miguel, that has a taxi to help take them. The registry book was up to about 1200 entries and I assume that was for this year. We had our first pilgrim from Uruguay since opening almost four years ago. We do not take cyclists. They can wait until 8pm and if we have a bed then they can stay.

We blogged about our time so you can read more. Once we saw the pilgrims off in the morning (most were gone before 8am as it has been hot) we cleaned. After that we went for walks to the little towns around. We were out for a couple of hours then back to bathe and wash our clothes. We opened at 2pm and hung out if pilgrims needed anything. Probably one of the easier albergues to work in.
Hope that helps. We are currently in Alsace walking some the the chemin—backwards! We are just relaxing and taking it easy.
workalpriatewalkalsace.wordpress.com
 
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The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.
Also should I expect more expensive albergues? Im hoping for plenty of 5/6 euro spots or donativos, like on the CF. Is that realistic?

Would you expect to pay less for a donativo than a municipal or private albergue? I would encourage people to pay more to make up for those who can't or won't pay what they are worth. Donativo's can't survive on 5-6 euros a night
 
Thank you, everyone! Glad to hear about the meal times... The Spanish schedules took me at least a month to adjust to... Also the info on the little appetizer plates... good to know in advance.
 
I walked between Santarem and Porto at the end of Oct in 2017. There was enough infrastructure on the route even then and now much more albergues have been open. It might be slightly more expensive then the Frances, but comparable. I walked on a budget of 17-20 euros a day, 10 walking days from Santarem to Porto, mostly stayed in municipal albergues, some private, one donaivo, eat out most of the days, cooked in a couple of times as well. Spent 210 euros for 10 walking days, encluding misc. Most of the albergues are open in Oct, some of them close from Nov onwards. It's won't be similar to the Frances for many reasons, so try not to have expectations and be grateful what what the day brings you. Yes, most of the bombeiros between Lisbon and Porto won't host now, but they did in the past when there was little infrastructure there. Now there are plenty of budget pensions and hostels apart from the albergues. There is a possibility to cook in the albergues to cut down the spendings, all the albergues on the route are well equipped for it. There is one great donativo on the way, providing a dinner and breakfast for pilgrims. Called Casa Catolico, located in Branca, between Albergaria-a-Velha and Sao Joao da Madeira, about 50km before Porto. A very special place where a true pilgrim spirit lives! https://www.facebook.com/CasaCatolicoBranca
Places where I stayed:
Santarem: Casa de Misericordia, 5 or 6 euros,
Golega: albergue Solo Duro, 10 euros
Tomar: hostel Tomar 2300, 15 euros including breakfast
Alvayazere: Albergaria Pinheiro, 11.5 euros
Rabacal: Albergue O Bonito, 10 euros
Coimbra: albergue Convento Santa Clara: 10 euros
Melhada: albergue Hilario, 10 euros
Agueda: albergue Santa Antonio, 12 euros,
Albergaria-a-Nova, albergue Albergaria, 12.5 euros
(now there is Casa Calolico albergue, between Albergaria-a-Velha and Sao Joao. Donativo, I'd rather stay there)
Sao Joao da Madeira: Casa de Misericordia, donativo
Porto: hostel
My blog starting from Santarem onwards, google translate, pics are international :) https://anna-camino.livejournal.com/1580.html
I loved walking there in Oct!
Bom Caminho! :)
 
A selection of Camino Jewellery
Last year we walked from Porto to Santiago. It wasn't a problem to find free beds. If You will stay in Vila Praia de Ancore, prepare 13 euros (last year's price) for albergue. It's rather expensive, but it is really good albergue on the ocean shore!
 
I have generally found siesta times shorter or non-existent in Portugal when compared to Spain. This is a definite advantage for Pilgrims! Also, it would seem to me that more shops, grocery stores, etc. remain open on Sundays in Portugal where one is often surprised to find anything at all open in Spain on Sundays (outside of larger urban areas).
 
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This depends on where you are, in Portugal. In the smaller towns, independent grocery stores will likely be closed on Sunday. As for the siesta--again, in small towns that are not tourist oriented, you will possibly find small shops closed between 1 and 3, or 1:30 and 3:30, or similar, every day but Sunday. Most people go for lunch at 1:00, and lunchtime tends to be a big deal--the main meal of the day for many! (Tip: usually you can get a better, and cheaper, "menu de dia" at lunchtime than at dinner, and sometimes in the small cafes that don't otherwise serve meals.)

So if you arrive in a town for your nightly stay at 3 or 4 o'clock, get yourself settled in, and then go out for your shopping, etc. The towns tend to be at their liveliest as people get home from work or school.
 
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I want to thank everyone for their input! I completed the walk and wanted to write a follow-up post for future walkers. Any questions, let me know.

I walked with a male friend, both of us in our late 20s. Took the Central Route after Porto. Walked Oct 3- Nov 3. Tooke several rest days.

We followed the John Brierley book (2017 version... could not find an updated one in Lisbon at the time). It was almost impossible to find a guidebook in Lisbon (we called 10+ book shops, finally got an english copy, last one); I recommend purchasing one before you begin your walk. It was mostly accurate, with the exception of at least one map being very off scale. The book suggests long days, especially in the beginning, like 30-34km. This was a challenge for us. Even for me, having just finished the CF before beginning this walk. For reference, my sweet spot is 20-22km, and anything over 25km feels like a push for me.

It was difficult or near impossible to break these days up, due to lack of accommodation. 5/6 euro albergues do not exist Lisbon to Porto. Average cost for a hostel or private albergue was 12-15 euros. After the first week of Oct (I think the hospitalera said the 8th) the prices for municipal albergues in Galicia, Spain increase from 6 to 8 euros. @surya8 's summary post above is excellent, I would echo everything she says, as I find it to be accurate based on our experience. We stayed at Casa Calolico donitivo and did find it to be lovely. The host and his brother were very kind, generous, and relaxed.

Bombeiros did accept us in the following Portuguese cities:
- Santa Iria (the first night of the walk)...free
- Vilafrance de Xira...free
- Santarem (costs 10 euros)...free
-Golega...free

After that, everyone we tried turned us down because they do not accept pilgrims or were under special circumstances (e.g. station in Agueda was under construction, but usually hosts pilgrims, apparently).

Yes, some albergues were closed, usually they were donativos in smaller towns. That meant we had to walk on or hitchhike if we could not physically go further. Still, we always found a place to stay and did not run into issues with hostels/albergues being full.

I will note that after Porto, the walk got much busier. The albergues were much more full, completely at least once (after the coastal and central routes reconnect). I was completely surprised by how many walking pilgrims there were for the end of October and beginning of November. Felt like an average day on the CF, pre- Sarria. Others might disagree.

Couple final notes:
- No pilgrim office in Lisbon meant there was very little support for the journey. The Cathedral, which we stopped into twice, was not helpful in the least. They sold the maps (not full guidebook) and could offer no advice/ wisdom for the journey.
- The trip from Lisbon to Porto isn't particularly beautiful. There's some nice cities (Tomar, Coimbra, Ponte de Lima, & Valenca), but the stretches from the towns are often on paved roads and not always on green nature paths. Plenty of Eucalyptus forests though. If you're deeply effected by your physical surroundings and need lots of stunning nature, the CP from Lisbon to Porto would not be for you. If you can focus on your inner journey and not let your surroundings change your mood, then you won't have an issue with the route.
- We saw almost no pilgrims Lisbon- Porto. Maybe 3 in a day, but not every day.

Bon caminho to anyone who takes on this journey :)
 

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