LIVE from the Camino On the way from Matosinhos to Vigo

[jayceebee]

Thanks everyone for all your kindness and good wishes on the intro thread I posted a couple of days back! As promised, here's a report from our journey so far...

Day 1: Matosinhos - Vila do Conde
We're here! After landing in Porto from Manchester last night, we hurtled through misty rain towards Matosinhos in a hair-raisingly fast cab, finding our first camino one-night home in a double attic room at the clean and cosy Fishtail Seahouse. We woke early to the sound of more downpours (and the sound of presumably insomniac pilgrims getting on their pre-dawn way), but by the time we were ready to hit the road things were looking brighter.

We followed the tram tracks out of Matosinhos and over the bridge, getting caught in yet more showers and being forced to don our aesthetically ridiculous but thankfully pleasingly functional waterproofs within our first half hour of walking. But then we saw the sea! The coastal views and the returning sunshine had our spirits high as we followed the coastline to Boa Nova lighthouse and beyond. On and off showers and sum kept us company throughout the day, as did the wild white orchids and other flowers along the path. The vast majority of today's walk was on beachside boardwalk which - after slipping and sliding through a lot of treacherously boggy British mud on some of our recent training hikes - my feet were mostly appreciative about.

The stretches just after Labruge and Gafa had sections of boardwalk that were out of action for maintenance - with a small but signposted detour in each instance - but in both cases even after rejoining the path there were parts that were rotten through or uneven, so extra caution and care definitely advised! Between Gafa and Avore it looks like the dunes have shifted, partially burying the boardwalk in place, so be prepared for some walking through sand. It was somewhere along here that we came across a small bay with a makeshift garden of wood drift sculptures, hanging seashell mobiles, mosaics and symbols. Would love to learn more about its creator if anyone knows any more about it!

As a heads-up to anyone following in our footsteps: a few of the toilet blocks along the front were locked when we came to them, so take your chances to use other facilities in cafes when you get them, otherwise you might be waiting a wee while (pun intended!) for the next. But even so! Happy to report that the path's scenic views were not once marred - as far as I saw - by the toilet paper hedge streamers that were sadly all too present during the stretch of the Frances I walked last year.

On traipsing over the bridge into Vila do Conde we took an immediate detour to gawp at the pirate-looking ship docked by the park, which we soon learned is the Nau Quinhentista, a museum located on a replica 16th-century caravela. It wasn't open despite signs saying it should be, so we mooched onwards to tonight's accommodation, B&B Vila do Conde, which despite the name is actually much more of a hotel, with a humongous supermarket next door (always a bonus for us; both of us have ludicrously specific and contrasting dietary restrictions which can make eating out - especially when we're not as confident or fluent in the local language as we'd like to be - a bit of a palaver, so we're big fans of the supermarket picnic), and luxuriously massive bed which I'll be making use of very soon. Early night tonight! We're zonked, but very grateful for all we've experienced so far and looking forward to tomorrow.

 

[SueFalls]

Enjoyed your report about your first day on the Portuguese coastal route. I hiked it on Sept last year, and recall how the boardwalk along the beach was unusable in some areas. Had to switch to hiking sandals and ended up with blisters my first day. But I loved the sea breeze and views! Bom Camiño!

 

[Walkingat70]

I walked from the airport at Porto to Vila Cha on 18 April. The coast was grand. I walked on to Vila Conde on 19 April. It was a dry hot day and walking on the loose sand was tiring. I then switched to the Central Route to Rates .

Is the Coastal route north of Vila Conde good, I.e. no loose sand etc as I plan to do the Porto to Santiago route again next year

 

[Albertinho]

I walked from the airport at Porto to Vila Cha on 18 April. The coast was grand. I walked on to Vila Conde on 19 April. It was a dry hot day and walking on the loose sand was tiring. I then switched to the Central Route to Rates .

Is the Coastal route north of Vila Conde good, I.e. no loose sand etc as I plan to do the Porto to Santiago route again next year

No sand north of Vila do Conde. Lots of road walking and after Esposende a nice rural dirt path with a nice river crossing an a narrow bridge .
Further north you could hit the beach in Vila Praia de Âncora but thereafter i is roadwalking to Caminha.

If you want to cross the Minho river into Spain it is all roadwalking
Except the mountain before A Guarda.
Furthermore all away to Baiona roadwalking
After Baiona towards Nigrán and Ramalhoso just after the Nigrán you can leave the waymarked road en turn left to the beach where you can walk a part on the beach instead of the road alongside. Follow the GREEN waymarkers and you’ll end up in Vigo. Very nice

 

[jayceebee]

Day 2: Vila do Conde to Esposende

Weird one today! Set off early with the hope of avoiding the rain forecast for later in the day, heading out of Vila do Conde with more lovely beaches to our left and making it to Aguçadoura not long after 10am. No toilets or water fountains that we saw between the two but we got a brew at a beachfront cafe at Aguçadoura, used the facilities and refilled our water bottles there. We were glad we did, as the next 7km stretch to Apulia had next to nothing, including very few shady spots or places to rest, as the path funnelled us along boardwalk around the edge of a fancy golf course and then into what felt like the middle of nowhere. Waymarkers were definitely lacking here, and the Wise Pilgrim app was consulted on numerous occasions and thankfully always got us where we needed to be... and helped us realise that we'd somehow taken an unintended alternative detour - even now I'm not sure which 'official' turning point we missed, but there were a few other pilgrims scratching their heads at several unmarked junctions, and we were far from alone on the path we took so who knows!

After refuelling at a beachfront bar in Apulia we found identifying the right path out of town similarly baffling, so we again referenced Wise Pilgrim to help guide us to Fao (past the now-bankrupt Portuguese outpost of legendary Ibiza megaclub Pacha) and then beyond - after a nerve-wracking crossing of the narrow pedestrian part of the bridge over the river - into Esposende. We managed to avoid the rain for almost the entire day of walking today but then got absolutely soaked while doing laundry and food shopping in Esposende. The combo of being cold, wet and tired had me a bit grouchy earlier but having eaten a massive burger and being under a blanket as I type this are both helping now.

We've had far fewer chats with other pilgrims so far this trip than on the section of the Frances we did last year and I think I'd put that down to there being far fewer places to stop between towns, and then the towns themselves being more spread out. Not sure! I'm reminding myself to be here and experience it on its own terms but perhaps it's inevitable that I can't help but draw comparisons between the two. Weather forecast for tomorrow is looking sunnier though (after some predicted showers in the morning) and I'm ready for more sunshine so here's hoping for that!

 

[jayceebee]

Day 3: Esposende to Viana do Castelo

Brighter weather and with it a much brighter mood for me
We left Esposende around 9am, a later start than previous days but strategically timed to avoid the morning showers. We had a bit of drizzle while plodding out of town and the ponchos remained to hand, but overall it was much clearer today and that made it much more enjoyable!

The first 9k or so through Marinhas, Belinho and Antas is all through residential neighbourhoods but the many yellow arrows kept us confident in the route. I absolutely loved the forest stretches before and after Castelo do Nieva, with the path weaving through lush green undergrowth, high trees and along a rushing but gorgeously clear river, and lots of clear waymarkers even in the woods.

As someone mentioned above the route is otherwise almost all road, but it was mostly scenic enough in the second half of the day to have plenty to look at, including a magical sighting of our day's destination - Santa Luzia - visible from many miles away. My feet were grumbling at all that road walking as the day wore on though, and after another hair-rising bridge crossing at Ponte Eiffel (incredible views but the pedestrian crossing is a bit narrow for my liking so it felt in very close proximity to the traffic!), we were excited to ransack the nearest Pingo Doce for dinner supplies then locate the Elevador de Santa Luzia. This is the funicular up the Mount of Santa Luzia, with its grand church - the Sanctuary of the Sacred Heart of Jesus - and our albergue for the night. From memory I think I read about the funicular on here and I remain indebted to whoever shared that tip as climbing the steep hill at the end of a long day's walking would have been a real challenge! Instead, we spent 3 euros each for a return ticket and rumbled up the rails in about five minutes. Last trip up at 17.45, first trip down at 9am. Get any bits you need beforehand as there's no food or shops at the top other than a vending machine.

My partner has a blister and tendonitis so we're evaluating taking public transport partway to shorten today's planned walk but no decisions yet! We're definitely waiting until at least the first funicular ride down at 9am to get our day underway whatever we decide so it's another slower start so far...

 

[Albertinho]

Day 3: Esposende to Viana do Castelo

Brighter weather and with it a much brighter mood for me
We left Esposende around 9am, a later start than previous days but strategically timed to avoid the morning showers. We had a bit of drizzle while plodding out of town and the ponchos remained to hand, but overall it was much clearer today and that made it much more enjoyable!

The first 9k or so through Marinhas, Belinho and Antas is all through residential neighbourhoods but the many yellow arrows kept us confident in the route. I absolutely loved the forest stretches before and after Castelo do Nieva, with the path weaving through lush green undergrowth, high trees and along a rushing but gorgeously clear river, and lots of clear waymarkers even in the woods.

As someone mentioned above the route is otherwise almost all road, but it was mostly scenic enough in the second half of the day to have plenty to look at, including a magical sighting of our day's destination - Santa Luzia - visible from many miles away. My feet were grumbling at all that road walking as the day wore on though, and after another hair-rising bridge crossing at Ponte Eiffel (incredible views but the pedestrian crossing is a bit narrow for my liking so it felt in very close proximity to the traffic!), we were excited to ransack the nearest Pingo Doce for dinner supplies then locate the Elevador de Santa Luzia. This is the funicular up the Mount of Santa Luzia, with its grand church - the Sanctuary of the Sacred Heart of Jesus - and our albergue for the night. From memory I think I read about the funicular on here and I remain indebted to whoever shared that tip as climbing the steep hill at the end of a long day's walking would have been a real challenge! Instead, we spent 3 euros each for a return ticket and rumbled up the rails in about five minutes. Last trip up at 17.45, first trip down at 9am. Get any bits you need beforehand as there's no food or shops at the top other than a vending machine.

My partner has a blister and tendonitis so we're evaluating taking public transport partway to shorten today's planned walk but no decisions yet! We're definitely waiting until at least the first funicular ride down at 9am to get our day underway whatever we decide so it's another slower start so far...

Interesting to read your experiences at the Coastal.
One remark , not to confuse others who follow you here and the first timers , walking after you :
Santa Luiza is the rock on which is built the sanctuary, the Parador and the albergue in Viana do Castelo as well is the so called Ponte Eiffel, the long brigde over the Minho river.
If you search e.g. on Google Maps and give in Santa Luiza you end up at the Mirador in Lisbon or at some place in Brazil.
so you are talking about Viana do Castelo. Nice place by the way .
And all the best for your partner.
The next part takes you to Vila Praia de Âncora where are all facilities.
Just walk the road nearest to the ocean all the way. It is flat and easy to do.
Bom caminho

 

[jayceebee]

Day 4: Viana do Castelo to Caminha

Lots of pilgrims visible at the train station this morning, including a couple we spoke to who were giving up on the remainder of their planned pilgrimage and concocting a new itinerary with the hope of warmer weather.

After another cold and showery start we were opted to take the train from Viana do Castelo to Ancora Praia, and in fifteen minutes we were back at the beautiful but blowy coastline, where we promptly got yet another soaking and subsequently took refuge in Cafe Nicola, a cosy and authentic place where the staff couldn't do enough to feed and take care of us (including making a special off-menu meal for my vegetarian partner).

Fortified, we headed back out into the drizzle, which thankfully eased as we headed out of Ancora along the coast, witnessing wild waves on one side and misty forest on the other. From Moledo we were back to roads, following the train tracks and dodging traffic to bring us into Caminha, where we realised there was a triathlon taking place, seeing athletes racing along by bike and foot far faster than we could manage. Stunning backdrop for their race though! (I've only ever done one triathlon but the event I participated in was nowhere near as scenic).

We're staying just outside of Caminha tonight and are looking forward to crossing into Spain tomorrow. Although I'm definitely only an amateur my Spanish is much better than my Portuguese so I'm hoping that will be helpful on the journey onwards from here!

 

[jayceebee]

Day 5: Caminha to Oia (almost)

¡Viva Espana! First day in Spain, first day without getting rained on. Coincidence? Probably. But nevertheless after a damp few days in Portugal I was grateful today to give my trusty poncho a break and embrace the Spanish sunshine! We stayed last night in Caminha in the cute Litos guesthouse, where the overnight stay came with a generous breakfast included. I happily indulged in this while my partner got a delicious looking vegan bowl at Trincaria Happy Food Bakery about ten minutes walk away, which they reported to be the highlight of their camino eating so far.

The staff at the guesthouse also helped us sort our passage to Spain: for six euros each we were collected in a car, driven a few minutes back down the road along Rua da Foz do Minho and deposited at the end of a small jetty where Mario drove us across with a couple of other pilgrims in a little motorboat. This allowed us to take the flatter coastal path to A Guarda. Amazing views on this stretch and for all of today except a couple of stretches along a main road, and even those had amazing sea views for most of the way.

I'm writing this from a hammock in a garden with another glorious sea view in our accommodation for the evening: Aloxamento A Mariña. We'd pre-booked a room for the night before Oia with the intention of giving ourselves a shorter walk after what would have been a long day yesterday. After ending up taking the train for a chunk of yesterday's route, we've instead had a couple of relatively gentle days (only 8km yesterday and about 16km today) and I'm grateful for the chance to chill and rest tonight and soak up some much-needed afternoon sun!

 

[jayceebee]

Interesting to read your experiences at the Coastal.
One remark , not to confuse others who follow you here and the first timers , walking after you :
Santa Luiza is the rock on which is built the sanctuary, the Parador and the albergue in Viana do Castelo as well is the so called Ponte Eiffel, the long brigde over the Minho river.
If you search e.g. on Google Maps and give in Santa Luiza you end up at the Mirador in Lisbon or at some place in Brazil.
so you are talking about Viana do Castelo. Nice place by the way .
And all the best for your partner.
The next part takes you to Vila Praia de Âncora where are all facilities.
Just walk the road nearest to the ocean all the way. It is flat and easy to do.
Bom caminho

Thanks for clarifying, and for the tip about the route from Ancora, we loved the sea views on that stretch!

 

[jayceebee]

Day 6: Before Oia to Baiona

Mostly loved the walk from before Oia to Baiona: apart from a few stretches along the highway and the last relatively uninspiring bit through the residential outskirts of Baiona the views were beautiful, taking us from our gorgeous hideaway of the night before along the coast, then up through the hills. Mougas was a total ghost town, but we were glad to find the cafe at the O Muino campsite open as a last fuel stop before Baiona. Our accommodation for the night, Altos de Baiona, was massive, modern and lovely, located just off the route before town, though we did head into town later on for supplies and to explore the grounds around the parador.

Day 7: Baiona to Vigo

The next morning was misty and drizzly again, making the previous two days of sunshine feel like a distant dream, but we nevertheless trekked dutifully on to A Ramallosa and then followed advice on here to turn left at the bridge and follow the green waymarkers along the coast into Vigo. Although parts of this route were absolutely beautiful, taking us past tranquil turquoise-waved and white sand bays, it was a long walk (I'd estimate around 30k total today), and lots of it less scenic than the standout highlights. In all honesty I wish we'd opted for a rest day in Baiona, which I really liked, then taken public transport to Vigo, which I'm less struck on so far. But we made it! We're in Vigo and this camino ends here. Cies Islands day trip tomorrow then back to Porto for our flight home. Elements of the past week have been brilliant, though the weather has been a literal and metaphorical dampener and I've felt much less connected to a sense of community than on the Frances. But grateful for the chance to give it a go! Thanks for reading.