Thoughts on staring in Porto or Leon?

[J.T. Turner]

Looking for some advice/shared thoughts. I have a 2 week period of time in October and am just beginning planning a walk. I was looking for some thoughts, opinions, suggestions relative to walking Porto to Santiago, or perhaps Leon to Santiago. I know it is a lot of personal choice here, but welcome advice.

Many thanks,
JT

 

[StuartM]

I did Astorga to SdC in a comfortable 10 days in October 2012, Leon I'd guess is about two days up the line so easily doable. I like Leon, it's a very pleasant city with good travel connections. I'm told the walk out is boring, the walk out to the north on the Salvador is definitely dull so I can believe it.

October is a nice time of year, autumn but still the potential for hot days. It must have been in the 20's when I was in Santiago but cold at night/early mornings.

 

[Albertinho]

Looking for some advice/shared thoughts. I have a 2 week period of time in October and am just beginning planning a walk. I was looking for some thoughts, opinions, suggestions relative to walking Porto to Santiago, or perhaps Leon to Santiago. I know it is a lot of personal choice here, but welcome advice.

Many thanks,
JT

I should say. Read all the items here at the Portugese forum and you'll get excited about the route, the people ,the scenery.
Lot of people start in Lisbon (like I did -you can do it in about a month) others in Porto (takes you about 14 days) both parts are beautiful and easy to do.

Bom caminho

 

[AJ]

I have walked Leon to Santiago several times. I agree that the walk out of Leon is uninspiring, but I very much like most of the rest. O Cebreiro to Sarria is one of my favourite stretches on the whole Camino Frances. I have not walked from Porto. A friend walked this route last year and was unimpressed: too much road walking for him. This would not be a problem for me.

 

[OzAnnie]

I have walked Leon to Santiago several times. I agree that the walk out of Leon is uninspiring, but I very much like most of the rest. O Cebreiro to Sarria is one of my favourite stretches on the whole Camino Frances. I have not walked from Porto. A friend walked this route last year and was unimpressed: too much road walking for him. This would not be a problem for me.

Hi JT
Time to try the Porto>Santiago route. I loved it and wouldn't say there was too much road walking. Maybe the initial 9k leaving Porto itself ? But many people get the metro for a short stretch (me included ). Porto is worth the visit .

 

[Albertinho]

Hi JT
Time to try the Porto>Santiago route. I loved it and wouldn't say there was too much road walking. Maybe the initial 9k leaving Porto itself ? But many people get the metro for a short stretch (me included ). Porto is worth the visit .

So you did not walk the detour from Porto Matosinhos to Vila do Conde and so on to São Pedro de Rates ? You missed the beautiful walk along the ocean side and the walk on a wooden boardwalk instead of tarmac and sometimes a short walk on the beach.
One of the best parts of Porto to Santiago.

 

[OzAnnie]

So you did not walk the detour from Porto Matosinhos to Vila do Conde and so on to São Pedro de Rates ? You missed the beautiful walk along the ocean side and the walk on a wooden boardwalk instead of tarmac and sometimes a short walk on the beach.
One of the best parts of Porto to Santiago.

Albertino,
I'll have to remember that if I do it again .
If you want the whole (story /thruth) and a bit of a laugh - My friend who had walked the Frances a couple of years before was the 'expert' and had read that getting public transport out of the city was the thing to do. We caught the metro and found a pension in villa de Conde ..we did check out the 'Atlantic' and before turning in for the night wondered about whether to go via coast etc.. I knew very little of what to expect as we had just finished 'touring Spain/Portugal ' and I had wanted to walk some of 'that camino '. So, in the morning, I followed my friend for quite a while, waiting to bump into those 'yellow arrows' she had talked about. Eventually I saw a likely gentleman dropping his children off at the local kindergarten and I asked him if he could put us on the right path. Luckily he was a 'friend of the camino' and took pity on us,. He said we had walked way off track - he then drove us quite a way to an intersection on the road where there were arrows! Well before Rates though . An unlikely start!! Ha ha. I really knew little about the camino and had done nil research before my walk and my pack weighed a ton. but loved that part of my holiday . I loved walking through Portugal and the camino experience, so I had to go back last year and see how I'd go on my own and walked the Frances..
Annie

 

[Albertinho]

Albertino,
I'll have to remember that if I do it again .
If you want the whole (story /thruth) and a bit of a laugh - My friend who had walked the Frances a couple of years before was the 'expert' and had read that getting public transport out of the city was the thing to do. We caught the metro and found a pension in villa de Conde ..we did check out the 'Atlantic' and before turning in for the night wondered about whether to go via coast etc.. I knew very little of what to expect as we had just finished 'touring Spain/Portugal ' and I had wanted to walk some of 'that camino '. So, in the morning, I followed my friend for quite a while, waiting to bump into those 'yellow arrows' she had talked about. Eventually I saw a likely gentleman dropping his children off at the local kindergarten and I asked him if he could put us on the right path. Luckily he was a 'friend of the camino' and took pity on us,. He said we had walked way off track - he then drove us quite a way to an intersection on the road where there were arrows! Well before Rates though . An unlikely start!! Ha ha. I really knew little about the camino and had done nil research before my walk and my pack weighed a ton. but loved that part of my holiday . I loved walking through Portugal and the camino experience, so I had to go back last year and see how I'd go on my own and walked the Frances..
Annie

In John Brierley's guide caminho Portuges the coastal detour has been writen down.

 

[OzAnnie]

In John Brierley's guide caminho Portuges the coastal detour has been writen down.

We started without a guide (as if you couldn't tell!) and found the Brierley guide for sale in an albergue about 2 days later.
I like the format. Thanks Albertinho.

 

[Albertinho]

We started without a guide (as if you couldn't tell!) and found the Brierley guide for sale in an albergue about 2 days later.
I like the format. Thanks Albertinho.

So Annie. "The preps are half of the things to do " as a Dutch proverb says

My wife and I are almost packed for the journey to Ferrol in the north of Spain to walk the camino Ingles within two or three weeks.

 

[David]

I think it depends on what or whom you stare at

 

[jmcarp]

... I agree that the walk out of Leon is uninspiring, but I very much like most of the rest...

Take the city bus out to La Virgin del Camino on the outskirts of Leon and start walking from there. Follow the alternate route through Vilar de Mazarife to avoid walking along the highway to Hospital de Orbigo.

 

[JennyH94]

Is this your first Camino JT? If it is, you might be interested to do what I did in 2012 ...

I walked with a small group of friends in April/May from Hospital de Orbigo to Santiago, having had two days in Leon prior to starting our Camino. We caught a maxi-taxi to the start point, the Puente de Orbigo, the wonderful medieval bridge which dates from the 13th century which was built over an earlier Roman bridge. The bridge has a ton of history which is worth reading up on - a short account can be read in John Brierley's excellent guidebook - A Pilgrim's Guide to the Camino de Santiago. The distance from Hospital de Orbigo to Astorga is roughly 17 kms so it makes for an easy first day. On the way to Astorga you will pass David's Cantina - a rest stop for pilgrims. David has given up everything in his former life in Barcelona to live on the Camino and be of service to pilgrims. At his rest stop he has a refreshment stand where you can help yourself to hot and cold drinks, cookies, fruit etc for a small donativo. David is such a gentle person - stopping by to chat with him is a 'must' in my view.

The stages we did were Astorga for the first night, then Rabanal / Molinaseca / a short 10 km walk to Ponferrada so we could visit the magnificent 12th century Templar Castle / Villafranca del Bierzo / O'Cebreiro / 2 nights in Sarria so we could have time at the beautiful monastery at Samos - again we used a maxi taxi / Portomarin / Palas de Rei / Arzua / Lavacolla and finishing up of course in Santiago.

Every day brought forth stunning scenery and a sense of being in the most special, sacred and magical place imaginable. I had read many, many Camino memoirs before I left and so I knew that I would find the Camino to be exceptional - it was - and it has stayed with me and grown in ways I could never have anticipated.

Whichever Camino you decide on, very best wishes and take joy in every step -

Cheers - Jenny

 

[Stephen Nicholls]

"Thoughts on staring in Porto or Leon?"
I had to do a double take .... I think it's rude to stare if you're in Porto or Leon .... but I'm sure the locals would be understanding
You can't really expect a sensible response from me, as I've never walked from Leon. But I absolutely love the camino from Porto, and hope,one day, to walk it again.Wherever you decide to start ... buen camino!

 

[PEI_Heather]

"Thoughts on staring in Porto or Leon?"
I had to do a double take .... I think it's rude to stare if you're in Porto or Leon .... but I'm sure the locals would be understanding
You can't really expect a sensible response from me, as I've never walked from Leon. But I absolutely love the camino from Porto, and hope,one day, to walk it again.Wherever you decide to start ... buen camino!

Hahaha! Stephen, you are very funny! Happy Friday to you! I hope there are lots of stars out tonight so you can star(e) at them without anyone thinking you (or anyone else) are rude!

 

[PEI_Heather]

JT, it really depends on why you are walking the Camino, I guess. Do you want to meet lots of people and have a wonderful social time, while experiencing Spain? That's what you can have from Leon->Santiago/Camino Frances. Or are you looking for a quiet, contemplative time without seeing many pilgrims at all? That's what you could have walking from Porto->Santiago/Caminho Portuguese. We (my Caminho friends, Sebastian and Sheila) walked a great deal of time by ourselves without seeing a pilgrim soul and many times, when we did, they had walked the Frances and were on their way to Porto, to Fátima, or to Lisbon.

I loved Leon and I loved Porto. I returned to Porto after I said goodbye to Sebastian and Sheila, after we finished our respective Caminhos. There I celebrated my birthday with a walk on the beach and boardwalk, a bus tour (the best way to get to the beach, if you don't want to walk, haha!) a trip to Liveraria Lello & Irmao (most beautiful bookstore in the world, and what JK Rowlings based Hogwarts in her Harry Potter series on) and a cafe com leite at the little out of the way cafe that Rowlings wrote the first Harry Potter.
Leon has just as awesome sights and things to do--the cathedral is breathtaking.

So as I said, it depends on what you are looking for...

Perhaps you should just flip a coin!? (No matter what, you will love both places and your walk, I am sure!)

 

[naplesdon]

Perhaps you should just flip a coin!? (No matter what, you will love both places and your walk, I am sure!) [/quote]
Totally agree!

 

[J.T. Turner]

Hi JT
Time to try the Porto>Santiago route. I loved it and wouldn't say there was too much road walking. Maybe the initial 9k leaving Porto itself ? But many people get the metro for a short stretch (me included ). Porto is worth the visit .

THANKS SO MUCH!

 

[OzAnnie]

Good choice for this one JT. You'll be back again
Annie