Metro outa Porto

[Cicada]

My wife and I are walking from Porto starting early September.
We want to avoid the "industrial" area out of the city. Can anyone tell me where to take the metro from and where to get off? Thanks. Can't wait to get back on a camino

 

[Kiwi-family]

We walked right from the cathedral alongside the river and thought it was lovely (if you look to your left). Not quite sure why people say to take the metro.

 

[Cicada]

We walked right from the cathedral alongside the river and thought it was lovely (if you look to your left). Not quite sure why people say to take the metro.

Wow that was quick Kiwi family must be cause you're just across the ditch bro!
We are walking the central route does the river trai head that way or is that the coastal way?

 

[Anamya]

When people want to avoid some of the industrial area in the Central route, you can take the Subway in Station Porto Campanha (or Bolhão, or Casa da Musica). The line is Povoa de Varzim, and you hop off at Vilar Pinheiro. According to google, it's a 40 min ride, +- 20 stops.

This will leave you just after the Maia industrial area, near the airport, more or less 300m from the Camino. Just follow Street Antonio Costa e Neiva (that changes name to Street Do Mirante) and you should be on the right trail

EDIT: that is all if you want to stick all the time to the central route. Coastal is a different story, as Kiwi-family mentioned.

 

[Anamya]

You can see some a nice map of both routes (Coastal and Central) in this website by forum member @Elle Bieling:

https://www.pilgrimagetraveler.com/camino-portugues.html

 

[Cicada]

When people want to avoid some of the industrial area in the Central route, you can take the Subway in Station Porto Campanha (or Bolhão, or Casa da Musica). The line is Povoa de Varzim, and you hop off at Vilar Pinheiro. According to google, it's a 40 min ride, +- 20 stops.

This will leave you just after the Maia industrial area, near the airport, more or less 300m from the Camino. Just follow Street Antonio Costa e Neiva (that changes name to Street Do Mirante) and you should be on the right trail

EDIT: that is all if you want to stick all the time to the central route. Coastal is a different story, as Kiwi-family mentioned.

Thanks very much for that

When people want to avoid some of the industrial area in the Central route, you can take the Subway in Station Porto Campanha (or Bolhão, or Casa da Musica). The line is Povoa de Varzim, and you hop off at Vilar Pinheiro. According to google, it's a 40 min ride, +- 20 stops.

This will leave you just after the Maia industrial area, near the airport, more or less 300m from the Camino. Just follow Street Antonio Costa e Neiva (that changes name to Street Do Mirante) and you should be on the right trail

EDIT: that is all if you want to stick all the time to the central route. Coastal is a different story, as Kiwi-family mentioned.

Thanks very much for that Ireally appreciate it fantastic cheers Roger

 

[Determined lass]

I'm on the metro now- very easy to follow. I'm going as far as Povoa de Varzim, as I only have 10 days. However, I usually find the walk out of a city is never as bad as people say.

 

[Cicada]

I'm on the metro now- very easy to follow. I'm going as far as Povoa de Varzim, as I only have 10 days. However, I usually find the walk out of a city is never as bad as people say.

Wow you're on the metro answering my questions!!!!!
Obrigado Buen Camino

 

[Deleted member 36903]

Hello @Cicada, on the day prior to starting the Camino I travelled to Matosinhos as a recce because I had intended to walk part of the coastal route then turn inland to join the Central route. I decided against the coastal route as the start of that walk looked so much like any popular seaside resort and was especially crowded then because it was a holiday weekend. I walked back to Porto that night and the next day had a late start as needed to visit Post Office to send stuff to Ivar in SdC for storage. Then took the metro to Vilar Pinheiro where you turn downhill from the station, it's a busy road so take care. At the bottom of the hill is a small village with a café - very friendly owners. This is on the Camino and it is straightforward from then on.
Bom Caminho!

 

[Cicada]

Hello @Cicada, on the day prior to starting the Camino I travelled to Matosinhos as a recce because I had intended to walk part of the coastal route then turn inland to join the Central route. I decided against the coastal route as the start of that walk looked so much like any popular seaside resort and was especially crowded then because it was a holiday weekend. I walked back to Porto that night and the next day had a late start as needed to visit Post Office to send stuff to Ivar in SdC for storage. Then took the metro to Vilar Pinheiro where you turn downhill from the station, it's a busy road so take care. At the bottom of the hill is a small village with a café - very friendly owners. This is on the Camino and it is straightforward from then on.
Bom Caminho!

Thank you Seb ! Yes we thought about the coastal route but as we live near the coast in Sydney decided to go central and if it's half as spectacular as the Frances we'll be happy!

 

[Anamya]

Yes we thought about the coastal route but as we live near the coast in Sydney decided to go central and if it's half as spectacular as the Frances we'll be happy!

Imho, CP does not have such espectacular landscapes as CF (although it IS very pretty), but it ties in amount of hystorical places and wins in food
I would highly recommend two days in Porto to recover from the jet lag and explore the city before you start walking. I travelled there from Canberra last year, and OMG, this camino was one of the best gastonomical experiences of my life

 

[hel&scott]

agree with you on the landscapes @Anamya , but not so much the food, kinda got sick of custard in everything and missed the great bread you usually get in Europe (sadly sliced white toast bread appeared to be the staple). Still you can't go wrong with port and figs to fuel your walk, have a great trip.

 

[Via2010]

Hi,

I did start from Porto last August, walking the first one and a half day along the coast to avoid the industrial outskirts of Porto.

There are 4 Options to do this:

1. from the Cathedral walk down to the river and then walk on with the river/the sea on your left side until you get to the moving bridge in Matosinhos
2. take the historic tramway (linea 1) to "Passeig Allegre" (4 km less) and then continue with the sea on your left side
3. take a bus (line 500, it starts in front of San Bento Railway Station) to Castillo de Queixo and then continue with the sea on your left side (6 km less)
4. take a Metro to Matosinhos Mercado - the stop is just opposite the moving Bridge (8 km less)

Then walk over the moving Bridge and follow the main street to the roundabout. There you should see the first yellow arrows. It is not straight across the roundabout but a bit lefthand. The street leads to the seafront, where you can get a nice stamp from Matosinhos Tourist Office.

Follow the beach with the sea on your left side. You can either sleep on the campsite in Angeiras where they rent mobile homes to pilgrims or continue to the new albergue in Labruge.

The next day you follow the seaside to Vila do Conde. After crossing the river by a bridge you have to turn right and to continue with the river on your right side. The yellow arrows will lead you to Rates where you meet the Camino Central again.

BC
Alexandra

 

[Kiwi-family]

We walked to Matosinhos on our first afternoon (after a couple of days in Porto - highly recommended), then followed the cost to “not as far as Vila do Conde) and turned inland using google maps to take us to the monastery at ??? (Also recommended for the warmest welcome)
We also live by the coast (which to us means bush that creeps down the hill until I meets with a grassy verge by the sand). People had raved about the coastal so we started it but were flabbergasted!! We should have been expecting “European beach” but had our “natural beach” expectations. In this case, beach means high rise apartment blocks/hotels lining a road to your right, a boardwalk under your feet and a tractor smoothing the sand to your left. It sure was an experience! Not bad, just different. It also meant easy walking and lovely little fishing village.
So it was not the rural beach we were anticipating but neither was it an industrial mess that requires taking a metro! (Of course, you’ll find plenty of others who disagree with that sentiment - I just wanted to point out we didn’t find it to be as miserable as what we had read before walking it)

 

[Gail Dickson]

We did exactly the same as kiwi family and loved every minute. We also live near the coast in Oz.

 

[Anamya]

turned inland using google maps to take us to the monastery at ??? (Also recommended for the warmest welcome)

Rates?

 

[Kiwi-family]

Rates?

OOPS sorry, forgot to rack my brain! Vairao actually is where we stopped at the first monastery and we took a right turn from the Coastal Camino at Vila Cha right by the Pucinho Restaurante e Snack-Bar.
Another monastery well worth staying at is at Herbon, a day or so before Santiago.

 

[camino07]

We took the metro to Forum Maia from the Trinidade stop and walked the Central way,stayed in Rates the first night. this was in 2010 when there was no coastal option. I see enough coast at home

 

[Elle Bieling]

Please consider walking along the river Douro to Matosinhos instead of taking the metro. It is lovely!! See my recommendations here: Day Fifteen, Porto to Vila do Conde.

 

[stinmd]

My wife and I are walking from Porto starting early September.
We want to avoid the "industrial" area out of the city. Can anyone tell me where to take the metro from and where to get off? Thanks. Can't wait to get back on a camino

Last year I took the metro to Vila do Conde, getting off at the Santa Clara station. There was a well-marked route from there leading back to the main (central) camino. It was just 14 km to Rates, the next stop with an albergue.

 

[Deleted member 36903]

Please consider walking along the river Douro to Matosinhos instead of taking the metro. It is lovely!! See my recommendations here: Day Fifteen, Porto to Vila do Conde.

Hello @Elle Bieling I only wish that I had taken this route but didn't understand that I had to cross over the bridge from Porto and walk alongside the river on the opposite bank - perhaps next time?

 

[walking sticKs]

Hello, you can take the B line from the Trindade station to the Vilar do Pinheiro station, walk NE on the main road a couple of KM and pick up the Camino to Rates which is about a 23KM walk. If not then the coastal route.
I walked out of the Hotel Aeroporto to Rates last year about this time and made it to the albergue by 13:30

 

[Marcus-UK]

My wife and I are walking from Porto starting early September.
We want to avoid the "industrial" area out of the city. Can anyone tell me where to take the metro from and where to get off? Thanks. Can't wait to get back on a camino

Porto Metro information can be found here:
https://en.metrodoporto.pt/frontoffice/pages/396

There are a number of options that have been covered by various postings over the years.
These include:
1) Take the metro line Povoa de Varzim and you get off at Vilar Pinheiro. This avoids most of the outskirts of Porto and takes you on the central route.
2) Take the metro to Matosinhos market place, cross the bridge and follow the coastal path to Vila do Conde and overnight stay. From here you can pick up the link path to the Central via Junqueira, Arco, Rates. Alternatively on day 2 continue on the coastal path to Povoa de Varzim and hop on the regular bus to Barcelos to pick up the Central route again. This avoids the sometimes dangerous roads on the link from Vila do Conde.
3) In my own opinion. The best route from Porto is to follow the estuary from Porto cathedral to Foz do Douro and pick up the coastal path and overnight in Matosinhos. Where there are plenty of Restaurants and cheap hotels. It is also possible to use the trams from Porto along this route. Then follow the coastal path as in (2) above.

BTW In Barcelos there is a massive market every Thursday which is well worth the visit. There is also a Pilgrims mass each evening where the parish priest and the Friar mad everyone very welcome and gave us shells and stones decorated by the parish children.

Good luck on your Camino.

 

[Elle Bieling]

Hello @Elle Bieling I only wish that I had taken this route but didn't understand that I had to cross over the bridge from Porto and walk alongside the river on the opposite bank - perhaps next time?

Yes, SEB, certainly a reason to go back!