Walking backwards

[nicholas ridiculous]

I've been walking the Camino Frances for the past month and am thinking of continuing I was hoping to see Portugal and was thinking of walking the reverse Camino Portuguese. I was hoping to be able to stay in albergues on the way keeping the trip cheaper but I've heard that it's hard to go in reverse and that I may not be given a Compostella. Anyone have any thoughts? Or suggestions ?

 

[mspath]

nicholas,

You could obtain your Compostella when you arrive in Santiago and finish the CF. Next you might walk south from SdC following the Camino Portuguese.

In December 2011 after finishing the Camino Frances I continued to Finisterre, per usual, and then walked to the Portuguese border at Tui/Valenca de Minho. This involved going " backward " along the Camino Portuguese 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!

Although the weather was cold and very WET the Galician albergues were great and generally well heated; often I was the only pilgrim. There was no problem using the same Credential as on the CF. I particularly enjoyed walking across the river Minho from Tui on the 19th century bridge designed by Eiffel of Parisian tower fame to Valenca de Minho and its Vauban fortress.

Buen Camino and eventual Bom Caminho!

 

[natefaith]

Welcome to the Forum, Nicholas! Hope you're enjoying your journey so far.

If your goal is to see Portugal and you don't want to deal with not being able to find arrows as you walk backward, you could take a bus or a train from Santiago to Porto and then walk the Camino Portugues back to Santiago. Transportation to Porto is pretty reasonably priced.

If you wanted to go farther south in Portugal, you could take the train from Santiago up to La Coruña (about 6€ for a 40-minute train ride) then find a TAP Portugal flight down to Lisbon.

I have met pilgrims who walk down to Portugal from Santiago, but they're usually poring over maps and trying to plan it out really well before starting the route in reverse. You could walk into Santiago, enjoy it and rest a couple days, then see what your energy and interest level are like and decide what your next steps are.

For now, though, have a wonderful time on the Camino Frances. Buen Camino!
Faith

 

[Glenn Rowe]

It all depends, mi amigo, on the purpose of your 'reverse Camino'. Is it the Compostella that's important, or is it your journey and experience?

Now, to be quite clear, I have not yet walked ANY Camino. I do, however, understand the general mindset of the public servant. Yes, walking any Camino "backward" is marvelous. However, expecting to receive an acknowledgement of the 'reverse pilgimmage" at the end (which, in the public servants' eyes, is the beginning) may be food for squirrels. In the American lexicon, that means "nuts"; and that means "crazy."

 

[lunna]

There are blue markings that lead to a Fatima, I believe, going south from Santiago, but I can't remember for sure. If so, the two routes (Camino Portuguese and the trail to Fatima) overlap and you'd have no problem finding your way.

 

[stratophile]

If you have an iPhone / iPad, take a look at TrailSmart (it's listed in the forum's Resources area). My favorite feature in the app addresses exactly your sort of situation. You can toggle the routes / sections to go either way. Then you can just follow the handy yellow arrow inside the app. Any time you aren't sure about which way to go, pull your phone out, hold it in front of you, look up and smile at the satellites (optionally waving to the friendly folks at the NSA), orient yourself so you are facing the direction of the arrow, put your phone away (until you need to check you position again), and start walking. No data connection required. The arrow will even point you back to the trail when you are off-route.

The app is free and there is no advertising / gimmicks. The only thing with a price tag is the optional offline maps but those aren't really needed for your purposes (Google's online maps are supported free too). Disclosure: I'm the developer. I don't have the trail to Fatima in the app yet, but the Portugués is covered all the way to/from Lisbon (though the coverage of albergues / attractions is still sort of sketchy south of Porto - working on that now!). Hope that helps.

 

[HighlandsHiker]

If you have an iPhone / iPad, take a look at TrailSmart (it's listed in the forum's Resources area). My favorite feature in the app addresses exactly your sort of situation. You can toggle the routes / sections to go either way. Then you can just follow the handy yellow arrow inside the app. Any time you aren't sure about which way to go, pull your phone out, hold it in front of you, look up and smile at the satellites (optionally waving to the friendly folks at the NSA), orient yourself so you are facing the direction of the arrow, put your phone away (until you need to check you position again), and start walking. No data connection required. The arrow will even point you back to the trail when you are off-route.

The app is free and there is no advertising / gimmicks. The only thing with a price tag is the optional offline maps but those aren't really needed for your purposes (Google's online maps are supported free too). Disclosure: I'm the developer. I don't have the trail to Fatima in the app yet, but the Portugués is covered all the way to/from Lisbon (though the coverage of albergues / attractions is still sort of sketchy south of Porto - working on that now!). Hope that helps.

You have just made my reverse Camino extension to Porto easier, stratophile, and thank you so much for developing the app!!

 

[natefaith]

I've been walking the Camino Frances for the past month and am thinking of continuing I was hoping to see Portugal and was thinking of walking the reverse Camino Portuguese. I was hoping to be able to stay in albergues on the way keeping the trip cheaper but I've heard that it's hard to go in reverse and that I may not be given a Compostella. Anyone have any thoughts? Or suggestions ?

Just to be clear, Nicholas, the Cathedral in Santiago will only give you a Compostela certificate if you walk at least the last 100km on a Camino route *into* Santiago. They don't give out Compostelas for walking *away* from Santiago and ending up somewhere else. Hope that helps!
Buen Camino,
Faith

 

[alipilgrim]

If you have an iPhone / iPad, take a look at TrailSmart (it's listed in the forum's Resources area). My favorite feature in the app addresses exactly your sort of situation. You can toggle the routes / sections to go either way. Then you can just follow the handy yellow arrow inside the app. Any time you aren't sure about which way to go, pull your phone out, hold it in front of you, look up and smile at the satellites (optionally waving to the friendly folks at the NSA), orient yourself so you are facing the direction of the arrow, put your phone away (until you need to check you position again), and start walking. No data connection required. The arrow will even point you back to the trail when you are off-route.

The app is free and there is no advertising / gimmicks. The only thing with a price tag is the optional offline maps but those aren't really needed for your purposes (Google's online maps are supported free too). Disclosure: I'm the developer. I don't have the trail to Fatima in the app yet, but the Portugués is covered all the way to/from Lisbon (though the coverage of albergues / attractions is still sort of sketchy south of Porto - working on that now!). Hope that helps.

Hi Stratophile, what route(s) does your App cover? Just the Portugese Central route or does it also cover the Coastal and Senda Littoral?

Thanks...

 

[stratophile]

Currently it covers the Francés, Primitivo, Finisterre, and Portugués. For the Portugués, it covers the Central from Porto northwards, though also with the Coastal as far as Vila do Conde (with a connecting path from Vila do Conde to Rates). From Lisbon to Porto it has the route plus geo-located communities and some of the albergues but not much other detail (yet). We're adding more steadily -- if there is one you specifically need, let me know and I will try to prioritize it. We have four people on various Camino routes actively gathering info for us right now.

 

[alipilgrim]

Thank you. I had planned to walk the Senda Littoral starting April 28th but I think I'm going to postpone that for a while...

 

[mobamo]

Thank you. I had planned to walk the Senda Littoral starting April 28th but I think I'm going to postpone that for a while...

Hello from Porto!
Just did the way up and down for 3 weeks. It's great to stay close to the waves!!
The iOS app Maps 3D helped me a lot!
Pousadas de Juventude are quality choice for sleeping especially the one from Fao.

Boom Camino

 

[azzy]

Currently it covers the Francés, Primitivo, Finisterre, and Portugués. For the Portugués, it covers the Central from Porto northwards, though also with the Coastal as far as Vila do Conde (with a connecting path from Vila do Conde to Rates). From Lisbon to Porto it has the route plus geo-located communities and some of the albergues but not much other detail (yet). We're adding more steadily -- if there is one you specifically need, let me know and I will try to prioritize it. We have four people on various Camino routes actively gathering info for us right now.

I want to walk the Portuguese coastal route including the Variant Espiritual backwards in June. Do you have a map for the Variant route as well? Thank you for any help you have.

 

[jsalt]

Do you have a map for the Variant route as well?

http://www.caminador.es/

Scroll down the page quite a long way to find the Variante Espiritual maps.
Jill

 

[stratophile]

I want to walk the Portuguese coastal route including the Variant Espiritual backwards in June. Do you have a map for the Variant route as well? Thank you for any help you have.

Hi @azzy - I don't have that branch of the Portugués done yet. I added the coastal / litoral options a few months ago but haven't gotten to that path yet. I haven't personally walked that one myself. However, Luis do Freixo (the author of the site Jill referenced above -- generally considered the expert on all routes coming out of Portugal) has kindly given me permission to adapt his maps and other reference materials to TrailSmart. That will take a while, of course, (especially since my reading comprehension of Portuguese isn't great) but I will prioritize the Variant Espiritual if I know someone is waiting on it. Since you are walking in June that should give me plenty of time!

 

[azzy]

Hi @azzy - I don't have that branch of the Portugués done yet. I added the coastal / litoral options a few months ago but haven't gotten to that path yet. I haven't personally walked that one myself. However, Luis do Freixo (the author of the site Jill referenced above -- generally considered the expert on all routes coming out of Portugal) has kindly given me permission to adapt his maps and other reference materials to TrailSmart. That will take a while, of course, (especially since my reading comprehension of Portuguese isn't great) but I will prioritize the Variant Espiritual if I know someone is waiting on it. Since you are walking in June that should give me plenty of time!

Thank you!!

 

[stratophile]

Hi @azzy - just a follow-up on our discussion from earlier in the year. I've added the Variante Espiritual to TrailSmart now. It's available in the current version of the app on both Android and iOS. The app and the Camino content are free and there is no advertisements, sponsorships, or other nonsense.

Note, though, that I haven't created offline maps for it yet. Those are still probably a few weeks away.

Have a great walk in June. If you use TrailSmart, feedback is always appreciated!