- Time of past OR future Camino
- Some in the past; more in the future!
For 2024 Pilgrims: €50,- donation = 1 year with no ads on the forum + 90% off any 2024 Guide. More here. (Discount code sent to you by Private Message after your donation) |
---|
Would you please edit your post to include a map or, perhaps better, a link to a larger map showing these routes.Any feedback, criticism, additions, suggestions or other comments are most welcome!
I am going to try to produce a map but I haven't done so yet as the pros and cons was literally the first thing I did for the article today. My request here is just for people who have walked these routes to chime in with some pros and cons to help get me started with the article.Would you please edit your post to include a map or, perhaps better, a link to a larger map showing these routes.
Thank you! It will be just a summary/overview rather than a comprehensive guide. But hopefully it will be a good starting point for people interested in the Portuguese caminos!jungleboy,
This is indeed a big project that your are planning and a great idea!
Hello NickI am in the early stages of writing an article about the various Camino de Santiago routes in Portugal. As part of this article, I am going to include an 'at a glance' section for each route with basic details (start and end points, distance, approximate stages etc) and as part of this I thought about including pros and cons for each route.
To start with I have included two pros and two cons for each route (I'm open to more but prefer to have the same number for each route for consistency). There is a certain degree of subjectivity in these, of course, and since I haven't walked all of the routes I am going by what I've read in some cases, so I ask for your help in rounding out the lists.
Any feedback, criticism, additions, suggestions or other comments are most welcome!
Caminho Português Central (from Porto)
Pros: Good pilgrim infrastructure, Variante Espiritual
Cons: Walking on cobblestones, possibly too much pilgrim traffic
Caminho Português Coastal
Pros: Coastal views, several options for rejoining the central route
Cons: Not a traditional route, some coastal towns are touristy
Caminho Português (from Lisbon)
Pros: More immersion in Portugal, historic towns of Santarém, Tomar and Coimbra
Cons: Some unattractive road walking, lack of pilgrim infrastructure before Porto
Caminho Português Interior
Pros: Spectacular scenery, historical route
Cons: Lots of ups and downs, inconsistent way-marking
Caminho de Torres
Pros: Douro Valley, historic cities of Guimarães and Braga
Cons: A lot of road walking, lack of pilgrim infrastructure
Caminho da Geira e dos Arrieros
Pros: National Park Peneda-Gerês, welcoming pilgrim atmosphere
Cons: Inconsistent way-marking, lack of pilgrim infrastructure
Caminho Nascente
Pros: Mostly countryside walking, many historic towns and castles
Cons: Lack of pilgrim infrastructure, oppressive heat in summer
Caminho Central
Pros: Easy-to-reach starting point, joins standard CP in Santarém
Cons: Lack of pilgrim infrastructure, oppressive heat in summer
Caminho da Raia
Pros: Several historic towns including Marvão, road less travelled
Cons: Lack of pilgrim infrastructure, way-marking incomplete as of 2021
Camino Zamorano Portugués (Via de la Plata Portugués)
Pros: Historic town of Bragança, detour to see San Pedro de la Nave church
Cons: Lots of ups and downs, lack of English spoken in rural Portuguese sections
I walked the CPI in 2017 in early Aug/September. It wasn’t just inconsistent marking at that point; it was deserted. For 8 days til the border, where I met up with a Camino friend, I was alone on the paths and in the albergues.I am in the early stages of writing an article about the various Camino de Santiago routes in Portugal. As part of this article, I am going to include an 'at a glance' section for each route with basic details (start and end points, distance, approximate stages etc) and as part of this I thought about including pros and cons for each route.
To start with I have included two pros and two cons for each route (I'm open to more but prefer to have the same number for each route for consistency). There is a certain degree of subjectivity in these, of course, and since I haven't walked all of the routes I am going by what I've read in some cases, so I ask for your help in rounding out the lists.
Any feedback, criticism, additions, suggestions or other comments are most welcome!
Caminho Português Central (from Porto)
Pros: Good pilgrim infrastructure, Variante Espiritual
Cons: Walking on cobblestones, possibly too much pilgrim traffic
Caminho Português Coastal
Pros: Coastal views, several options for rejoining the central route
Cons: Not a traditional route, some coastal towns are touristy
Caminho Português (from Lisbon)
Pros: More immersion in Portugal, historic towns of Santarém, Tomar and Coimbra
Cons: Some unattractive road walking, lack of pilgrim infrastructure before Porto
Caminho Português Interior
Pros: Spectacular scenery, historical route
Cons: Lots of ups and downs, inconsistent way-marking
Caminho de Torres
Pros: Douro Valley, historic cities of Guimarães and Braga
Cons: A lot of road walking, lack of pilgrim infrastructure
Caminho da Geira e dos Arrieros
Pros: National Park Peneda-Gerês, welcoming pilgrim atmosphere
Cons: Inconsistent way-marking, lack of pilgrim infrastructure
Caminho Nascente
Pros: Mostly countryside walking, many historic towns and castles
Cons: Lack of pilgrim infrastructure, oppressive heat in summer
Caminho Central
Pros: Easy-to-reach starting point, joins standard CP in Santarém
Cons: Lack of pilgrim infrastructure, oppressive heat in summer
Caminho da Raia
Pros: Several historic towns including Marvão, road less travelled
Cons: Lack of pilgrim infrastructure, way-marking incomplete as of 2021
Camino Zamorano Portugués (Via de la Plata Portugués)
Pros: Historic town of Bragança, detour to see San Pedro de la Nave church
Cons: Lots of ups and downs, lack of English spoken in rural Portuguese sections
I assume so - you still get a compostela for it even if you rejoin the central with less than 100km to go, right?Great idea --- very helpful. On the "cons" of the coastal, not traditional, but is it official?
Thank you!This is a little off-topic, for which I apologize. First, I have been listening to your podcast and it is very helpful.
Not that I'm aware of but I haven't looked into it.On your most recent Camino, there were two guidebooks, one for the practical aspects and one for the historical and cultural. Is there a cultural/historic guidebook for the Camino Portugues (coastal/.SV)?
I have found that the best books on Portuguese history are very narrowly focused on a specific time/event, namely Conquerers by Roger Crowley about the first 30 years of the Age of Discovery, and This Gulf of Fire by Mark Molesky about the 1755 earthquake. The First Global Village by Martin Page is probably the best of the general histories but there aren't many in English.Also, is there a book on the history of Portugual/Spain (but mostly Portugal) that you would recommend? One that might appeal more to the pilgrim? I was hoping to find a podcast, but there is a surprising dearth of podcasts on the history of Portugal.
I was thinking about whether to include the so-called Coastal from Lisbon but is it really a Camino de Santiago? I'm not sure, maybe someone else can enlighten us.@jungleboy , in 2020, we were going to walk from Lisbon following the Trilho das Areias, and parts of the Camino do Mar. Do these count as part of the various Caminos in Portugal?
Thank you! Yes, these are two different routes. The Portuguese Interior (CPI) is further to the east, starting at Viseu (and eventually Coimbra) and heading north to Chaves and then crossing to Spain and joining the Sanabrés to Santiago.Hello Nick
Brilliant move!
I just wish to know the two headings
Caminho Portugues from Lisbon
Caminho Portugues ( Interior)
Each a different route ??
as I read the CP from Lisbon to Porto ( interior) is pretty flat, lower gradients but longer stretches as per Señor Brierley
Very Best wishes
Capt Bonnie ( Vivek)
Thanks, good to know. I wonder if the way-marking has improved since then. But in general you would say that there's a reasonable albergue network?I walked the CPI in 2017 in early Aug/September. It wasn’t just inconsistent marking at that point; it was deserted. For 8 days til the border, where I met up with a Camino friend, I was alone on the paths and in the albergues.
"I assume so - you still get a compostela for it even if you rejoin the central with less than 100km to go, right?"Great idea --- very helpful. On the "cons" of the coastal, not traditional, but is it official?
Thank you so very much.I assume so - you still get a compostela for it even if you rejoin the central with less than 100km to go, right?
Thank you!
Not that I'm aware of but I haven't looked into it.
I have found that the best books on Portuguese history are very narrowly focused on a specific time/event, namely Conquerers by Roger Crowley about the first 30 years of the Age of Discovery, and This Gulf of Fire by Mark Molesky about the 1755 earthquake. The First Global Village by Martin Page is probably the best of the general histories but there aren't many in English.
I would have to verify but yes, maybe a rewording is in order - thanks for bringing this up."I assume so - you still get a compostela for it even if you rejoin the central with less than 100km to go, right?"
Then maybe change the description to
Caminho Português Coastal
Pros: Coastal views, several options for rejoining the central route
Cons: Not a traditional route (but still official), some coastal towns are touristy
There are very likely to be some people who read "not traditional" and assume that it is not an official one.
Here goes:Here are routes in Portugal that I downloaded to Maps.me.
Maybe @jungleboy can label them?
View attachment 109514
Thanks NickThank you! Yes, these are two different routes. The Portuguese Interior (CPI) is further to the east, starting at Viseu (and eventually Coimbra) and heading north to Chaves and then crossing to Spain and joining the Sanabrés to Santiago.
I guess Lisbon -> CPI hasn't really been thought of as a continuous route in the past. As I understand it, Viseu is the usual starting point for the CPI but it's being extended to Coimbra, though I'm not sure to what extent there is way-marking or facilities between Coimbra and Viseu at this stage. But yes, theoretically you could walk Lisbon-Coimbra on the CP and then switch to the CPI from there. The new Gronze page for the CPI has Coimbra as the starting point, with four stages to Viseu.Thanks Nick
I was not aware.. meaning there are really
THREE ROUTES FROM LISBON to Santiago de Campostela?!
Very Best Wishes
What about the path starting in Faro?Here are routes in Portugal that I downloaded to Maps.me.
Maybe @jungleboy can label them?
View attachment 109514
Excellent, there so many ways. Even more if the Caminhos de Fatima are added. Don't take that as an annoying suggestionHere goes:
The black route in the south is the Caminho Nascente.
The purple route starting from Salamanca is the Camino Torres (Caminho de Torres).
The brown route is the Portuguese Interior.
The light green route starting in Braga is the Caminho da Geira e dos Arrieros.
The dark green route from Lisbon is the standard Caminho Português whereas the lighter one also starting in Lisbon but further west is what AJ was talking about ('Lisbon Coastal').
The light blue routes are related to Fátima rather than Santiago.
The pink/blue overlapping routes from Porto are the Portuguese Coastal.
The pink route to the east is just the VdlP/Sanabrés in Spain.
There are a few missing from my list in the OP - the Central (from Faro), the Raia and the Zamorano Portugués.
How did I do?
I walked from Lisbon in 2016. I do not agree that there is an excess of unattractive road walking compared with other Caminos. I also walked the CF from SJPDP, the Primitivo and the Sanabres from Granja. The reality is that they all had their fair share of unattractive road walking.I am in the early stages of writing an article about the various Camino de Santiago routes in Portugal. As part of this article, I am going to include an 'at a glance' section for each route with basic details (start and end points, distance, approximate stages etc) and as part of this I thought about including pros and cons for each route.
To start with I have included two pros and two cons for each route (I'm open to more but prefer to have the same number for each route for consistency). There is a certain degree of subjectivity in these, of course, and since I haven't walked all of the routes I am going by what I've read in some cases, so I ask for your help in rounding out the lists.
Any feedback, criticism, additions, suggestions or other comments are most welcome!
Caminho Português Central (from Porto)
Pros: Good pilgrim infrastructure, Variante Espiritual
Cons: Walking on cobblestones, possibly too much pilgrim traffic
Caminho Português Coastal
Pros: Coastal views, several options for rejoining the central route
Cons: Not a traditional route, some coastal towns are touristy
Caminho Português (from Lisbon)
Pros: More immersion in Portugal, historic towns of Santarém, Tomar and Coimbra
Cons: Some unattractive road walking, lack of pilgrim infrastructure before Porto
Caminho Português Interior
Pros: Spectacular scenery, historical route
Cons: Lots of ups and downs, inconsistent way-marking
Caminho de Torres
Pros: Douro Valley, historic cities of Guimarães and Braga
Cons: A lot of road walking, lack of pilgrim infrastructure
Caminho da Geira e dos Arrieros
Pros: National Park Peneda-Gerês, welcoming pilgrim atmosphere
Cons: Inconsistent way-marking, lack of pilgrim infrastructure
Caminho Nascente
Pros: Mostly countryside walking, many historic towns and castles
Cons: Lack of pilgrim infrastructure, oppressive heat in summer
Caminho Central
Pros: Easy-to-reach starting point, joins standard CP in Santarém
Cons: Lack of pilgrim infrastructure, oppressive heat in summer
Caminho da Raia
Pros: Several historic towns including Marvão, road less travelled
Cons: Lack of pilgrim infrastructure, way-marking incomplete as of 2021
Camino Zamorano Portugués (Via de la Plata Portugués)
Pros: Historic town of Bragança, detour to see San Pedro de la Nave church
Cons: Lots of ups and downs, lack of English spoken in rural Portuguese sections
Thanks, I may have to revise my thinking on that. When I walked this route in Sep 2020 the municipal albergues were all closed, and a year later I had misconstrued that in my head to think that there basically were no albergues before Porto. I will adjust it.I completed the central route Lisbon to Santiage via Porto in 2019. I found the pilgrim infrastructure more than adequate.
Yes you can. I agree that part was not well worded, I merely meant that there might be a language barrier. Having not walked that route, I wasn't sure what else to put and I had read about a lack of English. I'll adjust it if not remove it entirely.Could I humbly suggest not including the speaking of English or not as either a pro or a con? It hints at cultural superiority. I'd be disappointed if Portuguese folk were deterred from visiting my city or region because a publication listed the fact that hardly anyone speaks their language here as a "con".
This is the 'Caminho Central' of the Caminhos de Santiago Alentejo and Ribatejo (official site in Portuguese here). It's not on the map trecile posted but is on the one I posted further upthread.What about the path starting in Faro?
Yes I will, although as you suggest, this information is not widely available for all these routes. Thanks!Perhaps list numbers of pilgrims walking at different times of year, if this information is available. Then those seeking company can plan to find it and those seeking solitude can also find it without valuing one over the other.
She usually does have something useful to add!Perhaps also message @peregrina2000 as she probably has something useful to add but is unlikely to be actively scanning the Forum as she is currently seeking solitude as she walks her Camino.
Thanks for your feedback Elle!Nick, some comments from me:
Yes, I knew that and realised as I was doing it that it was a bit weird to put it as a pro for one and not the other. I just didn't want to double up but I can see how it makes it seem like the VE is not accessible from the Coastal. I'll rethink this, thanks.The Variante Espiritual is accessible from both the Coastal and the Central routes, just after Pontevedra, so not sure that is a "pro" for only the Central route.
Good point, maybe I can just add a sentence at the end of the Coastal spiel indicating that the Senda Litoral is another, similar option. If I can do that for the Lisbon Coastal path too at the end of the CP from Lisbon section then that gets me out of having to add two more caminos to this thing!Also are you interested in adding the "Senda Litoral" as an added Portuguese option on the list? It is different, but not entirely different from the Coastal. It may add a bit more confusion, as this way is not always well-marked, a "con," but if you like the coast, it hugs the coast more than the Coastal, a "pro."
Thank you, it's getting bigger by the minute! It was supposed to be a harmless overviewGood luck on your project - sounds big, but fun!
Very annoying, thank you!Excellent, there so many ways. Even more if the Caminhos de Fatima are added. Don't take that as an annoying suggestion
Point taken but in fairness I put 'some unattractive road walking', not an excess. I think that came more sharply into focus for me more this year because the Caminho Nascente, which we walked about six months after the CP from Lisbon, had very little road walking in comparison.I walked from Lisbon in 2016. I do not agree that there is an excess of unattractive road walking compared with other Caminos.
Completely agree here. We spent a fair amount of time talking about this very point in the first season of our podcast, specifically in Episode 1.2 - Walking in Portugal.I would point out that in my opinion most of the true Portugal is before Porto. Thereafter it was very much like Galicia.
Caminho Português Central (from Porto)
Pros: Good pilgrim infrastructure, Variante Espiritual
Cons: Walking on cobblestones, possibly too much pilgrim traffic
Thank you!Nick, looking forward to reading your future article & it is really nice to learn more about the Portuguese caminho's.
Good point, I added historic towns. Considering places such as Barcelos, Valença, Tui and Pontevedra as well as the two you mentioned, there were too many to list by name.I have only walked the CP from Porto (not the VE) and would definitely include the historical towns (Ponte de Lima, Padron) as a pro - but that is my personal opinion.
Another good point, I can see how that is confusing and I have adjusted the pro in the second draft to say 'friendly and welcoming locals'. Basically, there's only one albergue and sometimes food can be a bit difficult to come by, which is the lack of infrastructure part (in addition to the way-marking), but the local people who promote the camino are incredibly welcoming and we had some wonderful experiences with them. It's a 'bottom-up' camino so with that comes with passionate and lovely people at a grass-roots level but a lack of funding to really improve the infrastructure.Apart from that, one little thing. Your listing of pros and cons of Da Geira is a bit confusing to me. A welcoming pilgrim atmosphere (pro) vs. lack of pilgrim infrastructure (con) comes across as a bit contradictory.
Excellent again, by the time you have finished you will have enough material for a full on travel guide. Stand aside Brierley!Very annoying, thank you!
I think I will mention Fatima caminos and other long-distance trails (e.g. the Rota Vicentina) in passing so that it doesn't look like I'm ignorant of them but it gets me out of having to expand this to fully include them.
It looks really, really good. It should help a lot of people.My article giving an overview of the Portuguese caminos is now finished! Here is the link for anyone who is interested: The Camino de Santiago in Portugal
We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
Do you accept cookies and these technologies?
We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
Do you accept cookies and these technologies?