Starting Camino Portugese in September, need some advice

[Arya]

Hi all!
I’ve got my plane tickets in my pocket at last and I’m starting my Camino on September 16th from Porto. Yey!!!
I want to thank all of you for this Forum, I’ve found many answers as well as inspiration. But I still have some questions, maybe you can help me.
1) For the first day I’m planning to take coastal route starting from Matosinhos to Vila do Conde. I would realy like to stay in Rates to meet other pilgrims, but I’m not sure that it would be wise to go 30+km on the first day. So, the question is - how to get from Vila do Conde to Rates? I couldn’t find any information about buses. How about taxi? How much that costs?
2) If I stick to the plan and walk whole way in 10 days, I have one extra day in Santiago. The thought is to get to Fisterra by bus, stay there for couple of hours and then to go back. Is it possible to do this? Where I can find timetables and prices?
3) What are the weather conditions in late September in Portugal and Spain?
Thank you in advance!

 

[Walker-Brother]

Rather than start in Matosinhos, why don't you take the metro up to Santa Clara (it's the stop before Vila do Conde) and start your walk there?

Approximately 12.5 kms walk and a nice way to ease yourself into the Camino.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

http://horarios.monbus.es/

Search Santiago to Fisterra. There are about five buses each way each day.

 

[BCRockies]

Hi Walker Brother, when you say "stop in Santa Clara. It is the sop before Vila do Condo" whose schedule are you following? So far I have note read anything but people starting in matosinhos ? Thanks, Eric

 

[Walker-Brother]

Hi BCRockies.

There's no set or correct way to do the Camino. Some people start from the Cathedral in Oporto, some take the metro to Mercado in Matosinhos and walk up the coast to Vila do Conde spend the night there before cutting inland to Rates or Barcelos.

I was just suggesting another alternative to Arya.

Personally I'm doing the coastal route in September and I'm flying into Oporto then catching the metro north to Povoa de Varzim and starting out from there.

 

[Diogo92]

Hello Arya, and welcome to the Forum

Glad to hear that you are planning your Camino on my country

I'll try to answer all of your questions.

First of all, there isn’t any buses between Vila do Conde and São Pedro de Rates. The Taxi will cost you probably around 30€ I think. Taxi fees in Portugal are a little bit expensive.
I can also advice that if you find this solution very difficult for you, that you could always take the Metro until Povoa do Varzim and go to Rates by foot. I know that this will eliminate your Coastal Route, but it’s some sort of a solution.

For the bus to Finisterra, follow the advice of other pilgrims in this tread, since I don’t know much about it.

Weather in Portugal/Spain in September tends to be a little bit, how can I say it, unpredictable. It usually depends how the summer goes, so you could find a “hot” weather for that season, has you could find some rain and already some wind. Since you are near from the Mountains, temperatures tend to be lower, and it could also rain more.

Hope to hear something from you.

Best regards
Diogo

 

[rawsonc]

Hello Arya,

In July last year I walked the coastal route from Matasinhos to Vila Do Conde, then on the second day walked inland to Barcelos. I saw a few other pilgrims on the first day doing the same route. If you want the albergue experience then it's probaby best to walk directly to Rates from Porto. But the coastal route is really nice and at times peaceful and to end the first day exloring the sights of Vila do Conde isn't so bad at all. I really enjoyed it.

Hope your camino goes well
Chris

 

[Arya]

Muito obrigado for your answers!
The thing is that I realy want to spend some time by the ocean (I've never seen the ocean before ), so, I have to figure out how to do this.
Maybe I can take metro to Mindelo, which is somewhre in the middle of the first stage, then go ~8km coastal route to Vila do Conde and from there ~12km to Rates. What do you think about this idea?

 

[rawsonc]

Hola Arya,

It sounds like a pretty good idea to me. That way you get to see the ocean and get to Rates without walking 30km. You'll have to let us know how it goes.

Chris