Reverse Camino Portugues

[al15e]

Hey there!

My name is Alise and I'm new here Long story short – camino has been on my mind for nearly ten years already (time flies, right?) and I have deiceded that year 2018 is going to be THE year I finally do it! I'm super excited and are doing my research on all the possible topics I can think of to help me prepare for everything (though keeping in mind that every camino is different) and this forum has been a huge help. Thank you!
My plan is to do the Camino del Norte, but I have a felling that I don't want to stop in Santiago, but continue may way down the coast to Portugal. So my question is - when reaching Santiago, has anyone continued their walk? How hard would it be to walk Camino Portugues in reverse?

 

[mspath]

Alison,

Welcome to the forum!

December 2011 after finishing the CF I continued to Finisterre, per usual, and then walked down to the Portuguese border at Tui/Valenca do Minho. This involved going " backward " along the Camino Portugues from Santiago. To go backward is more complicated than you might think; since then the path was hardly well marked, searching for the famous yellow arrows pointing opposite my direction wasn't easy. Viewed backwards the arrows resembled anchors. Thus it all was a bit of a treasure hunt!

However, the Galician Xunta albergues along the route were GREAT in Padron, Caldas de Rei, Pontevedra, Redondela, and O Porrino. At Valenca do Minho where my husband met me by car we stayed within the hilltop 17th c fortress at the elegant Pousada Sao Teotonio which was SUPERB as was the view back to Tui.

Check out this 2010 blog in English by a cyclist who rode 'straight up' from Lisbon to Santiago. His descriptions and photos will give you an idea of the terrain.

Happy planning, Buen camino and Bom caminho!

Margaret Meredith

 

[jsalt]

How hard would it be to walk Camino Portugues in reverse?

Hi Alise, from Santiago you can follow the blue arrows, which will take you on the same path as the yellow arrows, but in reverse, all the way south through Galicia and Portugal to Fatima, which is not far from Tomar, on the Camino Portugués.
Jill

 

[peregrino_tom]

Hi Alise
I agree with Jill - you should often see blue markers for the way from Santiago to Fatima (which follows the same route as the camino going the other way, until a few days short of Lisbon). I saw quite a few of them in 2012 so it's possible they were painted/refreshed after Margaret's walk in 2011. I met a couple of guys going the other way. They were (how shall I say?) quite 'spaced out', but managing nonetheless. Also, you should find that the local people are very friendly and keen to assist - there's a lot of Trail Magic round these parts. Finally, I know this subject has come up on the forum before, so it's worth having a search for earlier threads.
Cheers, tom
this pic is from south of Porto, but it gives you the general idea

https://flic.kr/p/dwmcbz

 

[jsalt]

This one is half way between Tui and Rubiaes:

 

[ParistoCapeCod]

I'll be doing the same, beginning in Muxia in August. Follow the flechas azuls!

 

[mcopeland]

We met several pilgrims this fall on our Libson-Santiago route who were going to Fatima and frequently saw the blue arrows. There is an extensive website detailing all the walks to Fatima from north or south but I can't find it in my bookmarks right now.

 

[al15e]

Thank you for your advice everyone! I have a feeling that it is doable. Who knows if I’ll have any strength left in me after finishing CDN, but it is good to know that it would be possible to continue my way if I felt like it.

 

[cj2003]

Welcome to the forum!

A great idea - and another way to make it easier is to have the route on your phone as a gps-route using maps.me or viewranger og wikiloc - then you can always consult your phone if you are in doubt wether you're on the right way or not!

It probably also means that you have to carry some kind of powerbank, but I found using a gps-map a usefull safety net on my caminos.

....and if you are uncertain on how to set it up technically, I'll be happy to help

 

[Hikethehike]

Welcome to the forum!

A great idea - and another way to make it easier is to have the route on your phone as a gps-route using maps.me or viewranger og wikiloc - then you can always consult your phone if you are in doubt wether you're on the right way or not!

It probably also means that you have to carry some kind of powerbank, but I found using a gps-map a usefull safety net on my caminos.

....and if you are uncertain on how to set it up technically, I'll be happy to help

I will be walking from Santiago to Portugal in August I would love some advice on what app to get going the other way i’m coming from Canada so not sure which apps and how I’m going to make my phone work so technically minded I’m 60 years old and doing it on my own my daughter is getting married in Lisbon so waiting to fly into Santiago and walk to Porto. Would love if you could private message me

 

[Ebethe444]

I will be walking from Santiago to Portugal in August I would love some advice on what app to get going the other way i’m coming from Canada so not sure which apps and how I’m going to make my phone work so technically minded I’m 60 years old and doing it on my own my daughter is getting married in Lisbon so waiting to fly into Santiago and walk to Porto. Would love if you could private message me

Hi! In April of this year, I am planning on doing the Camino De Frances from St Jean Pied De Port to Santiago, before continuing down from Santiago to Porto. If I include the Camino Portugués in reverse/en reves, I will follow up on this board and let you know how it goes!