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I walked Porto to Santiago in Apr last year, loved the country and people so much that I returned to walk Santarem to Porto at the end of Oct. Porto to Santaigo is a very safe stretch to walk on your own, it's always busy and you see pilgrims ahead or behind a lot, especially after Tiu. I started alone from Porto but then walked on and off with some people. If you don't feel like walking alone you could always find a walking companion on the road. Lisbon to Porto stretch is a bit different though, longer stages, fewer pilgrims. I started walking there on my own, felt safe, then met some people on the way and felt very comfortable walking with them, so 4 of us decided to walk together to Porto. That was the very end of Oct, at the end of the season, and apart from our group there were 2-4 more pilgrims on the same stage at a time, so you are never alone. We'd talked to hospitalieros on the way and they said that Lisbon to Porto is getting very popular now, there will be even more people walking next year. I came back to walk Portugues Interior route from Viseu this June, we walked alone for 8 days, very rural, very picturesque and also felt very safe. Now am looking at other caminos in Portugal for the future as the country is beyond amazing! Bom Camino!
I've done a report on CPI recently, you can have a look here: https://www.caminodesantiago.me/com...rtugues-interior-june-2018.56758/#post-641067Hello Surya8, I am leaving for my third camino on the 18th of September and trying to decide on the CP starting in Viseu also. How is the terrain? I have done the CP coastal and central and loved them both in different ways. Would love to hear more about the start in Viseu.
Many thanks!I agree with those who advise not getting too concerned about walking alone, and echo some of the words of @peregrina2000.
I walked alone from 2012 to 2017 and never had a moment of personal danger that I was aware of but then I am a bit short sighted. Although I would never dismiss any of the reports on this forum or elsewhere about things that have happened to some people which are both upsetting and in some cases truly awful, I know they are so infrequent given the number of people who walk these wonderful paths in Spain, Portugal and other countries, that we should try to keep believing in the fact that it may be safer being on a Camino than walking in our own neighbourhood!
I walked Porto to Santiago partially alone in 2016 and felt very safe but then I sort of believe that I will be okay and I was always aware of other people either in front of me or behind. For extra reassurance maybe think about having the app- alertcops.es on your phone?
Enjoy the wonderful Portuguese Camino whichever trail you take.
I walked solo the entire Camino portugués from Lisboa in September 2016 and did not have any issues, encounter any trouble or at any time feel threatened or frightened. I mostly walked with other pilgrims but there were a few days when I was on my own.After reading threads reporting some pretty scarey experiences by solo women on CP, and I know its impossible to really know, but I am wondering how isolated or common these incidents might be. Could women who have walked any of the Camino Portugues routrs solo please relay your experiences? I am planning to walk from Lisbon alone early next year. I, and im sure others, would be keen to hear. Muchos Gracios mi amigas.
Don't we, though! And I'm there, even before 71!at almost 80 years old you have better things to think about.
@JillGat , thank you so much for your message. Planning to walk solo the beautiful Baztán next month. I remember walking part of the Mozárabe in December 2017 and being overjoyed one day to meet one other peregrino!Levi: [[For me, I love to walk alone and I intend to keep doing so - life isn't safe and there are risks in everything we do that keeps us alive and give our lives meaning. ]]
Amen.
So glad to hear that @Jennifer1959 . It's a joy to walk alone and trust that all will be well and have that experience of it being so. I am off myself in a couple of weeks to walk solo the reportedly gorgeous but short, Baztan.
So where next for you...…….?
Will be walking Porto to Santiago this September and can simply say to be prepared for the uneasiness of a few of the worlds undesirables. I met exhibitionists in Italy, was pinned against an alburgue wall in the night by a drunk pilgrim in Spain, was grabbed and kissed right on the mouth by a local in Burgos out of the blue, and woke up in an albergue to a man touching my neck....All of these were in the presence of others. I also had the very unfortunate scare of being followed slowly by a car with two men in it , catcalling and making lewd gestures , as I walked to the lighthouse in Finesterre when I was completely alone. You will find bad/sick people everywhere in the world. It's not worth worrying about things you cannot change, but prepare tactics to react. I took a completely dead cell phone out of my hip pack in Finisterre and put it up to my ear pretending to have a conversation with someone for nearly the entire way as I was being followed. I think that prevented the uglies in the car from approaching me. ( I might add...I was a nurse in a maximum security prison for men and am not at all an over-reactor ) Trust your gut. Don't be afraid to latch onto others. Alert others and authorities if anything scary happens. Always be aware of how much trail is ahead and how much you've left behind, so you can assess which direction to run in if needed. Do not walk with earbuds and music/podcasts in...be aware of surroundings. Be alert and it will be alright
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