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Non seafood availability on coastal route?

Kev

Active Member
Time of past OR future Camino
Camino Frances Sept-Oct 2015
Camino Portuguese Sept-Oct 2018
Camino Portuguese Oct 2020
My wife and I are leaving on the 22nd from Porto and we are curious as to the availability of non-seafood options. There is a potential allergen issue with my wife, so all seafood is off the menu. We are still undecided on exact path, going to let the Camino direct us, but do have interest in walking at least partially along the coast and in my experience, coastal areas heavily favor seafood.
 
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You should find Chicken & Pork options almost everywhere you go. I can’t recall anywhere we ate that were strictly seafood only.
 
You are likely to find pork and beef on almost every Portuguese restaurant menu. In my experience, chicken is almost never on the menu; most residential neighborhoods have a place or two where you can buy roasted chickens (with piri piri sauce if you like spicy), but for some reason chicken is not a popular restaurant food. You are also sure to find bacalhau dishes, which always means something made from dried salted cod. Not sure how dried and salted would affect the allergy issue. Bom caminho!
 
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I had the best spaghetti Bolognese at the beach in Laburge just before we settled in at S.Tiago school house albergue. Can't recall the name of the place but I did remember to take a picture
 
A bummer on the lack of chicken, but glad there is an abundance of Non-seafood options. Thank you all for your responses.
 
Keep an eye out for that piri-piri chicken that @peregrina2000 mentions. There are often casual shops or stands selling it ... worth asking about ... it’s really delicious!!
 
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A bummer on the lack of chicken, but glad there is an abundance of Non-seafood options. Thank you all for your responses.
Don’t worry, I think you’ll probably be able to find chicken from time to time...
1536472078824.jpeg
 
Don’t worry, I think you’ll probably be able to find chicken from time to time...
View attachment 46170

Great picture! Where did you find that place? It reminds me that there is a roast chicken place called Bomjardin, close to Restauradores in Lisbon, where that is all they serve. It’s touristy but yummy and cheap. But unfortunately the OP won’t be there.

I eat a lot of chicken and am always on the lookout in Portugal for good restaurants with chicken, so if you remember any specific names, please share! There are some Indian, Goan, Angolan, etc restaurants in Lisbon with good chicken dishes but I’ve had trouble finding it in what I guess I’d call “Portuguese” places.
 
Great picture! Where did you find that place? It reminds me that there is a roast chicken place called Bomjardin, close to Restauradores in Lisbon, where that is all they serve. It’s touristy but yummy and cheap. But unfortunately the OP won’t be there.

I eat a lot of chicken and am always on the lookout in Portugal for good restaurants with chicken, so if you remember any specific names, please share! There are some Indian, Goan, Angolan, etc restaurants in Lisbon with good chicken dishes but I’ve had trouble finding it in what I guess I’d call “Portuguese” places.

This was in a BBQ restaurant in Vila Franca de Xira, called A Canoa. *approx* Av. Pedro Víctor 94. They BBQ the chicken right in the front window, so it should be easy to spot. Or just follow your nose...
 
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A bummer on the lack of chicken, but glad there is an abundance of Non-seafood options. Thank you all for your responses.

You should be able to get a steak too. We ordered a steak in this place, and the lady took out this enormous lump of meat and carved off 2 huge steaks in front of us, then took them away to be BBQd. In Valada.

1536547045248.jpeg
 
Sorry OP, I realise I’ve posted photos of food in towns Pre-Porto... But they’re just illustrative - By the time we were past Porto, I was taking fewer photos of food, and most of those I did take were of Seafood (we’re fortunate not to share your allergies...)
 
Thank you all for your input. I am much more comfortable walking along the coastal route with my wife with the knowledge that I don't have to worry as much about her potential food allergies.
 
The 2024 Camino guides will be coming out little by little. Here is a collection of the ones that are out so far.
My wife and I are leaving on the 22nd from Porto and we are curious as to the availability of non-seafood options. There is a potential allergen issue with my wife, so all seafood is off the menu. We are still undecided on exact path, going to let the Camino direct us, but do have interest in walking at least partially along the coast and in my experience, coastal areas heavily favor seafood.
Besides the nearly ubiquitous "Frango" places (Frango is the BBQ Chix) we saw all over Portugal (not walking though) there were many open air and permanent markets in towns and cities that always had several places to buy wonderful Jamon and Cheese along with fresh bread. Chorizo there is unlike the stuff we have in US as it is often cured and ready to eat as is, no cooking needed. More like a pepperoni. Pork seemed to be served in every single establishment we entered, including places that specialized in grilled Sardines. In markets you can ask (even in Portuguese, Comer agora, I think) if what you are buying can be eaten as is.
 
And what about non-animal options for vegetarians on the Coastal Portugues? And water? are people finding places (fountains or in cafes?) along the different routes where they can fill up their water bottles? Are you carrying more than a liter at a time? I'm not finding consistent info. Thanks for any help.
 
Sorry, I'm not a veggie, so I order the plate of the day without thinking. If it comes with meat it's ok and if not it's also fine.
Oats had been better available than in spanish supermarkets. Fruits can be bought easily, no matter the season. But in Spring you can pick oranges from the trees.

Water is not a problem. Near the beaches you can often find drinking fountains and bars. Tap water is afaik OK everywhere. The greater Porto area is still commercialised, so you can find bigger supermarkets with not much detour (somestimes just the other side of the road, in Lavra Continente is only a few blocks away (but not visible).
What I like about Portugal is the high amount of bakeries/cafes where you can get something to drink and eat all day round (inexpensive as well). And breakfast is a meal, not an aumented coffee like in Spain and Italy!
 
The one from Galicia (the round) and the one from Castilla & Leon. Individually numbered and made by the same people that make the ones you see on your walk.
I'm not a vegetarian but I've noticed the options are scarce. Mostly the entrance would be a salad (with eggs and tuna) and main pork with potatoes, or cod with cooked vegetables. Sometimes chicken with either potatoes or cooked vegetables. Breakfast in Spain there is bread and fresh tomato with olive oil, which is really nice but most common options are ham, cheese and salami/chorizo, cake and fresh fruit. The small markets selling fruits and vegetables are very common and nectarines/plums/oranges had never tasted better than after walking uphill. I drank approximately 1L of water during walking plus another litre during the evenings. They sell 1.5L bottles in the supermarkets (Froiz) for 37c.
 
You should find Chicken & Pork options almost everywhere you go. I can’t recall anywhere we ate that were strictly seafood only.

There are some strict fish & seafood places on the coastal coastety coast, but I think you'd typically need to go deliberately out of your way to get to them, let alone eat there on your Camino ...

Perhaps there are some more inland, but you'd hardly be forced to eat in a fish place existing in the sort of urban environment with multiple eateries that would support that type of specialty restaurant.
 
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And what about non-animal options for vegetarians on the Coastal Portugues?

Vegetarians should be OK with eggs and dairy options avoiding meat, fish, poultry, but veganism might require preparing your own food in many cases.

My typical advice to vegans is just switch to vegetarian during their Camino -- basic protein and fat needs are deeper than usual on the Camino than off.
 
The 2024 Camino guides will be coming out little by little. Here is a collection of the ones that are out so far.
And what about non-animal options for vegetarians on the Coastal Portugues? And water? are people finding places (fountains or in cafes?) along the different routes where they can fill up their water bottles? Are you carrying more than a liter at a time? I'm not finding consistent info. Thanks for any help.
My wife and I walked in Sept-Oct of 2018 and true to the comments above, always found plenty of non-seafood options available. What worked particular good for us was making allergy warning cards on business card stock with English/Spanish/Portuguese text on one side and pictures on the second side with slashes thru them. If we had any question, we had our cards handy and would hand them to the staff and never had any issues.
The water is plenty available, I usually filled up in the morning before leaving and at any bars that I stopped at I always refilled my bottles or bought a bottle.
Non-Animal might be difficult, order the salads without Tuna. Watch the soups, most have a meat based broth, even the vegetable soups. You might be best advised to shop the stores when in town and pack your own meals like others have stated.
 
Thanks, all, for your comments about vegetarian food and getting water. I live in the desert so I try to get close to a gallon a day of water, and to my mind will need the same while hiking. I have my water bladder built into my pack so plan to keep it topped off--just wasn't clear where people were getting their water. Hopefully if I need to ask at a shop or restaurant for tap water, they will happily accommodate. Today I realized that in my previous Caminos, the guide books I read/studied tended to add info about markets, where there are potable-water fountains, specialty shops, etc, and at what mile marker they could be found, but Brierley doesn't list such things--at least not in my copy. Any recommendations of what I can read that does provide such info--especially if it can be accessed online?
 
And what about non-animal options for vegetarians on the Coastal Portugues? And water? are people finding places (fountains or in cafes?) along the different routes where they can fill up their water bottles? Are you carrying more than a liter at a time? I'm not finding consistent info. Thanks for any help.

Most Spanish and Portuguese restaurants now provide vegetarian options, although you might want to reinforce that you want your dishes "sin carne"-- in some places there is still a sentiment that a bit of ham is there to provide flavour and is not to be counted as meat. In places without fuentes, the bar at which you are taking your coffee will normally refill your bottle. I used a camelpak which held 3 litres, which usually lasted me the day. Your water intake level may be different but a need for water is universally acknowledged in Iberia and I have found farmers and householders very helpful if I were in need.

For online advice, I tended to use gronze.com, which would indicate if a village had cafes, restaurants, and shops.
 
The 2024 Camino guides will be coming out little by little. Here is a collection of the ones that are out so far.

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