LISBON TO SANTIAGO

[Wilmer]

JUST COMPLETED CAMINO FROM LISBON TO SANTIAGO, VIA SANTAREM AND TOMAR, WAY MARKING IS COMPLETED, A LOT OF THIS CAMINO IS ON ROADS.

 

[Anonymous]

Wilmer, welcome home! How's the infrastructure of albergues along the Camino Portugues? What about signals? When u say: " A LOT OF THIS CAMINO IS ON ROADS," do u mean highways? Many pilgrims? How was the weather? Share with us as much as u can, we need 1st hand, updated, info, re: the C. Port! Buen camino, peregrino. xm 8)

 

[Ulysse]

Wilmer,

Please tell us about your Camino in Portugal. This is one which I would REALLY like to do as my second one.

Pictures and your impressions are welcome.

 

[Anonymous]

Ulysse, check out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rqors2BXaB4

 

[Ulysse]

Thanks a lot xm, quite a nice "appéritif".

God willing, next spring I shall go from Lisbon to Santiago !

 

[Anonymous]

God willing, next spring I shall go from Lisbon to Santiago !

U may find this Spanish/Galego languages web page interesting: http://www.amigosdelcamino.com/ Even if unfamiliar with either language, the maps may give u ideas of the portion of the Camino Portugues in Galicia. It's beautiful. Best, xm 8)

 

[Ulysse]

Muchas gracias xm

 

[Ann Davidson]

XM

Thanks for the link. I'm planning to walk the Camino Portugues in September. After seeing these images, I'm even more excited about getting out there.

A.

 

[Anonymous]

Ann, thanks for ur post, u'll love it. U may want to do some readings on the Camino Portugues, it's got quite a history. BTW, caminos in Scotland? Is there a Rd to St James association in Scotland? Is the chapel at Rosslyn a pilgrimage site? Best, xm 8)

 

[lesley wallis]

Feedback from this year - any hints for good information?

Did we ever find out how Wilma went on the Camino this year? What was the weather like? What are the albergues like? Are there many othe rpilgrims - how are the waymarkings? Do you get lost all the time? - all the usual stuff.

I am planning to walk it next year in the Spring with my ( not very fit)husband and two adult ( well they think they are!!!) children but there is not as much information around as for the Camino Frances. Grateful for anything I can get. L

 

[Wilmer]

HI LESLEY
I LEFT LATE MARCH WEATHER HOT AND SUNNY, BUT COLD AT NIGHT.
THERE ARE NO ALBERGUES UNTIL PORTO STAYED MOSTLY IN HOTELS, PENSIONS AND B AND B.
AFTER PORTO ALBERGUES ARE FREQUENT.
MET ONE PILGRIM IN TWO WEEKS TO PORTO,HE WAS WALKING TO FATIMA SO IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION TO ME, AFTER THAT MANY, AS LOTS OF PEOPLE START IN PORTO
WAYMARKING IS EXCELLENT,BUT NON EXISTANT ON THE FIRST DAY OUT OF LISBON, AFTER THAT VERY GOOD,DIDNT GET LOST AT ALL.
TOMAR COIMBRA AND PORTO ARE WORTH SPENDING TIME IN,THE STRETCH FROM PORTO TO SANTIAGO IS WELL WALKED AND YOU WILL PASS THROUGH SOME BEAUTIFUL SMALL TOWNS.
WALKING IS MOSTLY ON QUIET COUNTRY ROADS,HARD ON THE FEET,BUT NOTHING TOO STRENUOUS MOUNTAINS ETC.
I SPEAK NO PORTUGUESE WHICH WAS NOT A PROBLEM AT ALL.
HOPE SOME OF THIS IS USEFUL
WILMER

 

[Ulysse]

Thanks Wilmer for the info as I intend to leave in early April from Lisbon. I am reading a lot to decide which road to take. I am not sure if I'll take the Fatima route at this point. Could you tell me which road you took ?

I am planning to walk it next year in the Spring

Lesley, I hope to see you and your group in Portugal next year.

 

[Wilmer]

Thanks Wilmer for the info as I intend to leave in early April from Lisbon. I am reading a lot to decide which road to take. I am not sure if I'll take the Fatima route at this point. Could you tell me which road you took ?

I am planning to walk it next year in the Spring

Lesley, I hope to see you and your group in Portugal next year.

HI ULYSSE
I WALKED LISBON,ALVERCA ,AZAMBUJA,SANTAREM,GOLEGA,TOMAR,ALVAIAZERE,ANSIO,COIMBRA ONTO PORTO.
I DID NOT GO TO FATIMA,THE CAMINO DE FATIMA STARTS IN ALVERCA AND RUNS WITH THE TOMAR ROUTE SPLITTING NORTH OF SANTARAM.
FOR ME ONE OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THIS CAMINO WAS VISITING THE TEMPLAR CASTLE IN TOMAR,YOU CAN WALK TO FATIMA AND THEN WALK EAST TO TOMAR.

BUEN CAMINO

 

[Ulysse]

Thanks Wilmer.

I will study that route and if I have further questions I will contact you, if I may.

 

[Javier Martin]

Hi, Ann, as you probably know, now it's available in http://www.amigosdelcamino.com a free guide in spanish/portuguese of this Camino, from Lisbon to Santiago. Enjoy it ...

I visited Ponte de Lima a week ago and no pilgrims there ... only from Tui to Santiago.

Buen Camino Portugues,

Javier Martin
Marid, Spain.

 

[Ann Davidson]

This is the first chance I've had to read replies to my posting. Thanks to everyone who answered. My flights are booked and I have read various guides. I'm really looking forward to starting out on the Camino.

There are pilgrim sites in Scotland, but not really any pilgrim routes, except for a Holy Week walk to Iona - see http://www.scottishcross.org.uk. Iona is an island off the west of Scotland and it is very beautiful. St Columba came here from Ireland and this is where he founded the fisrt Scottish Christian community. Some of the Scottish kings are buried there too. You can stay on the island with the Iona community - see http://www.iona.org.uk

There are 4 long distance walks in Scotland. They are:

West Highland Way - Glasgow to Fort William (152k and the most popular)
Great Glen Way - Fort William to Inverness (117k)
Speyside Way - Aviemore to Buckie (135k)
(There are train and bus services between Inverness and Aviemore)
Southern Upland Way - Portpatrick to Cockburnspath (340k)

I've only walked the West Highland Way and a bit of the Speyside Way and can recommend them both. I'm sure the others are worth doing too.

Although they are not pilgrim routes, the experience of walking them is definitely spiritual, whatever your personal beliefs are.

Hope this is useful,

Ann

 

[JohnnieWalker]

This is interesting - thanks. There are other pilgrim, routes in Scotland for example have a look at: http://www.stcuthbertsway.fsnet.co.uk/

 

[Peter Robins]

Pilgrim routes in Scotland

St Cuthbert's Way isn't a pilgrim route, simply a route - an attractive one - linking a couple of places associated with Cuthbert. Plenty of pilgrims went to Holy Island (which is of course in England!), but it's highly unlikely any of them followed this route!

The markings for the Whithorn Pilgrim Way (from Glenluce abbey) are still in place, even though the book is no longer in print, and it's never been properly promoted.

 

[JohnnieWalker]

Peter - as ever, I bow to your superior knowledge of matters pilgrimage. To save your blushes may I recommend this site to anyone interested in the subject:

http://www.peterrobins.co.uk


:lol:

 

[loristiff]

Hi, I just registered and am not too savvy about posting messages. I do want information, however, about the Camino Portugues...This is my first walk, but I'd rather not do a pilgrim walk on mostly roads. Please let me know how it is, walking on roads, as opposed to trails...Thanks!

 

[Ann Davidson]

The guide book by John Brierley gives a detailed description of each section setting out how much of each day's route is on roads. Walking on the busy roads from Porto to Barcelos is quite scary, but after that the camino is mostly paths and very quiet roads. Don't be put off though - walking the Camino Portugues is a great experience.

Ann

 

[Paulro]

I have recently completed Leon-Finnisaire by foot and was thinking doing Lisbon-Santiago on Bike. Could anyone give me some idea of distance between the two and how long it might take?

 

[sharon w]

We walked the Camino Frances in 2007 and will be walking the Portuguese Camino in September this year. We are going to start in Lisbon. Any updated info would be appreciated.Is there a route from Lisbon that isn't along main roads?

 

[Wilmer]

hello sharon,

see my post 22 july 2007
the route, if i remember correctly,is mostly on minor roads apart from the first day out of lisbon.
it is/was well signed in spring 2007.
you can of course design your own route, as i did in places, by taking a large scale map of portugal with you .

accommodation is in small hotels/pensiones, until Porto,as there are no Albergues.

Buen Camino

wilmer

 

[sillydoll]

If you go on John Breirley's website http://www.caminoguides.com you can click on Updates and download two strip maps which are supplements to his Portuguese guide. One is from Lisbon to Coimbra and the other is from Coimbra to Porto.

There is a youth hostel in Lisbon:
R. Andrade Corvo, 46
Tel: 21 353 26 96 Fax: 21 353 75 41 E-mail: lisboa@movijovem.pt

http://www.pousadasjuventude.pt

Or you could stay at the Hostel Oasis, Rua de Santa Catarina, 24 http://www.hostelsoasis.com
ph: (00351) 213 478 044

For a 68 page guide with stage maps etc. http://www.amigosdelcamino.com/
Click on Caminos: Portuguese : Then on one of the Guide docs - Guía en Español [PDF] or Guía en Portugués [PDF]

Visitors to Lisbon can contact the Confraternity of Saint James in Lisbon. The Priest there is Chaplain, Canon Armando Duarte.

http://www.paroquiadosmartires.pt/html/ ... tiago.html

 

[Anniesantiago]

There are many nice places to stay in Lisbon. I have stayed in the youth hostel there and it is very large and noisy, but nice and centrally located. It's easy to find bus transport just a block or two away if you would like to see the wonderful sights in Lisbon. I would HIGHLY recommend the Museum of the Coaches where you'll see beautiful gilded coaches that you only dream of in Cinderella stories. Nearby are several other sights, including archeological museums and maritime museums, which are worth seeing. The one thing some people miss is a military museum which is fascinating. Jeronimos Monestary is interestings, as is the St. George Castle, where you can walk through the Alfama district. I would plan 2 days in Lisbon (not Sunday/Monday as most places are closed) and take the train (or walk) to Sintra, where there are other magnificant sites to see such as Pena Palace and an old fascinating estate built by a Master Mason called Quinta Regalaria. Take the tour, it's worth it! The hostel in Sintra is lovely, but small, so book ahead.

Other places to stay in Lisbon include very inexpensive hostels in the range of $35-40 for two up near the castle. You can also stay in the OTHER youth hostel, which is near the coast. It is very nice, but a bit of a hike into Lisbon... but hey... we're walking, right? We really enjoyed the walk. Here is a link to Lisbon Hostels: http://www.europeanhostels.com/hostels/portugal/lisbon/

 

[sharon w]

Thanks Wilmer,Sillydoll and Anniesantiago for all your info. Hopefully, our journey will be as amazing as the Camino Frances.
Sharon

 

[Javier Martin]

We walked the Camino Frances in 2007 and will be walking the Portuguese Camino in September this year. We are going to start in Lisbon. Any updated info would be appreciated.Is there a route from Lisbon that isn't along main roads?

All the route is perfectly marked from Lisbon to Porto since 2,007. From Porto is marked at least since 2,004 when I walked it. There's a free guide that you can download in http://www.amigosdelcamino.com but only in spanish and portuguese. And, CSJ is working in another guide, in english, but I don't know when it will be ready.

Buen Camino,

Javier Martin
Madrid, Spain.

 

[hecate105]

Re:

Ann, thanks for ur post, u'll love it. U may want to do some readings on the Camino Portugues, it's got quite a history. BTW, caminos in Scotland? Is there a Rd to St James association in Scotland? Is the chapel at Rosslyn a pilgrimage site? Best, xm 8)

There are many pilgrimages!

 

[analeise]

I want to start my walk in Portugal so where's the best town to start in for inexpensive hostels? I'll be walking for about 3-4 weeks so I want to see many towns and take my time to savor the pilgrimage through Portugal and northwestern Spain.

analeise volpe

 

[JohnnieWalker]

The Confraternity of St James has published the MOST up to date guide to this route, written by a Forum member. It is excellent. And of course being an on line guide it will be kept up to date. It is available for a donation:

http://www.csj.org.uk/guides-online.htm