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Thanks a lot for your advice! I'm just worried that your suggested route it too long seeing I only have 8 real walking days..?Start out from Porto by walking towards Matosinhos and onwards to Vila do Conde. This will bring you along the coast and is about 34KMs.
From Vila do Conde you can join the central route as it heads towards Barcelos and onwards.
If you want to stay on the coastal route for longer then you'll need to stay on it from Vila do Conde all the way to Valenca which is just before the route enters Spain.
Wow, sounds great! I guess you are an experienced hiker / in good shape? Do you know if the coastal route is well marked? I read a lot of people saying that it's not very clear...I'm planning to walk Porto to Santiago in 7 days and that will walk via Matosinhos to Vila do Conde on my first day.
I think I'll then join the central route until Santiago. It makes for some long days but I think it's possible.
Hi,
I did this trip over eight walking days this Easter:
Metro from the centre of Porto to Matosinhos, then:
- Vila do Conde (along the coast) (22)
- Barcelos (via Rates, crossing inlands to the Central Route) (28)
- Ponte de Lima (32)
- Tui (38)
- Redondela (32)
- Pontevedra (21)
- Valga (33)
- Santiago (28)
Definitely catch the metro out to Matoshinhos - Porto is a lovely city but it's a waste of two and a bit hours just to walk through a city.Hi,
Here's my recent trip from: Porto (with the metro to Matosinhos) - Santiago in the Easter in 8 (long!) walking days.
I walked the first day from Matosinhos to Vila do Conde along the coast; then crossed inlands to the central route as described in John Brierley's guide (from the 7th edition).
And yes, the Atlantic is impressive to walk along. But so are the hills, valleys and small towns, you pass on the central route! I'm pleased, I got a sence of both types of landscape.
Apart from those experiences, I'll add a warning for the long stretches of cobblestones on the first stages in Portugal - on the central route. Those are particularly hard on your feet, meaning blisters for the majority of walkers.
Bom Caminho!
/Martin
Hi Lynsmio, I am just back from my first ever camino. I walked the Coastal Route from Porto. I originally planned 12 days, but managed to walk all the way in just 10 days. The coastal route is well signposted and easy to follow.
These were my stages:
Porto - Matosinhos (10 km)
Matosinhos - Povoa de Varzim (25 km) [not many arrows but easy to walk on wooden boards along the coast]
Povoa de Varzim - Esposende Marinhas (25 km) [not many arrows but easy to walk on wooden boards along the coast]
Esposende Marinhas - Viana do Castelo (22 km)
Viana do Castelo - La Guarda (32 km)
La Guarda - Ramallosa (37 km)
Ramallosa - Redondela (37 km)
Redondela - Pontevedra (18 km)
Pontevedra - O Pino, San Miguel de Valga (32 km)
O Pino - Santiago (35 km)
As you can see, it took me 10 days and bear in mind I am NOT an experienced hiker and not particularly strong. The first few days I really struggled but after a while your body just gets used to the challenge.
Of course I don't recommend that you walk 30 km every day... I only did it because I felt like I wanted to carry on, but I did have the option to stop earlier if I wanted.
With this in mind, and bearing in mind that I "only" walked 10 and 18 km on two different days, as you can see it is doable despite perhaps difficult.
I haven't walked the central route, but once the coastal route joins back up with the central I found the way a bit "boring". The coastal, for me, is much more rewarding in terms of scenery.
Don't be worried about being completely on your own. I walked at the very beginning of April and I did meet plenty of people. I expect in May you'll find even more.
My favourite days in terms of scenery were Povoa de Varzim to Esposende, and the whole stretch that goes from Viana do Castelo to Ramallosa. They are breathtaking. So I'd suggest you don't miss those, especially if you like the ocean. Perhaps you could start from Viana do Castelo, although if you do that you are going to miss out on the first two "easy" days which for me were essential as easy training.
Don't pack a thick outdoor jacket. A week ago, in the morning the temperature was as low as 3°C. Still, I was fine walking with a long-sleeve merino top, a merino fleece and my rainjacket. In fact, I would get warm very soon and take the rainjacket off.
Definitely no thick coat.
Hope this helps and buen camino,
Sara
Hi Lynn,Hi Sara,
Thanks a lot for the advice!
I'm planning on doing the same route you described but because I have two days less - I will be starting in Pavoa De Varzim!
I do have a few more questions if you don't mind
- Do you still remember where you stayed overnight? Which albergues? Perhaps a list?
- Also, did you manage to cross over the river with the ferry between Caminha and a Guarda? I heard it depends on the tide...
- Do you have a packing list of all the essential things you packed for the camino?
- Were you able to walk in tshirt and shorts?
- On the two days you walked 37kms, how many houres did you walk? I'm just wondering if you had the time to look around, make a few stops, have lunch etc...
Thanks in advance!
Kind regards,
Lynn
Hi Everyone!
I plan on doing my FIRST Camino Portuguese (starting from Porto) in May, I'm so excited and can't wait!!! I do have a few questions and hope you guys can help me out:
I'm arriving in porto on 8 May and flying back home from Santiago the 17th of May..so that gives me 8 days to walk the camino.
- Any suggestions from where I should start? Viana Do Castelo for example?
- Also wondering if I should take the coastal route or the main route? I read that the coastal route is less crowded than the main route..Seeing it's my first camino I don't want to walk alone all the time but I'm also very found of the coast so if I could combine both that would be great.. Any suggestions how I could combine both routes (in this limited time of 8 walking days)?
- Will it be crowed on the camino in the month of May? Just to know if I should book some albergues/pensions/hostels in advance..?
- I read that May can be quite rainy so I will definitely prepare myself to this but what about the temperature? Should I pack a thick outdoor jacket or will a raincoat be sufficient?
So sorry to overwhelm you with all these questions but I hope you guys can help me out
Greetings,
I walked the coastal route two years ago this month with my son, I was 62...he was 24. He set a brisk pace and it took us 10 days to walk from Porto to Santiago. That included having one day completely rained out due to a very severe storm. We spent the day in Oia, which turned out to be a fun day together in a very pretty little town. I would recommend getting the metro from Porto to Matosinhos, we walked from the Porto cathedral and got lost several times, signage on the route is not perfect. This is a website/blog that has the route we followed. It appears many of the links are now broken but if you scroll down the route is there. There were very pilgrims on the route until after Vigo. From that point in to Santiago there more but not a huge crowd. http://johnniewalker-santiago.blogspot.ca/2013/02/camino-portuguese-coastal-route-latest.html Good luck FredHi Everyone!
I plan on doing my FIRST Camino Portuguese (starting from Porto) in May, I'm so excited and can't wait!!! I do have a few questions and hope you guys can help me out:
I'm arriving in porto on 8 May and flying back home from Santiago the 17th of May..so that gives me 8 days to walk the camino.
- Any suggestions from where I should start? Viana Do Castelo for example?
- Also wondering if I should take the coastal route or the main route? I read that the coastal route is less crowded than the main route..Seeing it's my first camino I don't want to walk alone all the time but I'm also very found of the coast so if I could combine both that would be great.. Any suggestions how I could combine both routes (in this limited time of 8 walking days)?
- Will it be crowed on the camino in the month of May? Just to know if I should book some albergues/pensions/hostels in advance..?
- I read that May can be quite rainy so I will definitely prepare myself to this but what about the temperature? Should I pack a thick outdoor jacket or will a raincoat be sufficient?
So sorry to overwhelm you with all these questions but I hope you guys can help me out
Greetings,
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