Walking the Camino Portugues with children!

[shonamccreesh]

Hello all.
My husband and I would like to walk the last 115 Km of the Camino Portugese (from Tui to Santiago) with our 3 children next July 2012. Their ages respectively at that time will be 15, 13, and 11. They are all quite fit and healthy and currently play a lot of sport. Our main concern though is whether they will be fit for the walk factoring in heat, humidity, carrying of bags etc. We would not be under any time constraints. I would love to hear from other pilgrims who have already undertaken such a trip with their children. All other advice would also be appreciated.
Thanking You,
Shona

 

[AlanB]

Shona,
Your children are more than old enough to cope. I walked the route from Porto in July and heat and humidity wasn't a problem.
We came across a group from an Austrian orphanage and they managed fine. Granted they were carrying light loads (adults were pulling sleighs) but the youngest was six years old... Your brood should have no problems

 

[Whalleyranger]

I haven't walked it with children, but based on my experience of walking from Valenca (the town before Tui) last September, I'd be slightly concerned about the long stretches of Camino that run alongside the main road.
Last year there were quite a few diversions (I think due to forestry and construction) that directed the Camino along the hard shoulder of the N550. Not on a separate footpath alongside the road, or even a pavement, but actually on the road.
There were also quite long stretches with no cafes / rest stops. http://www.mundicamino.es is your friend here when it comes to planning your daily stages.

 

[Whalleyranger]

Having just written that - it looks like the Xunta are working on this:


La Xunta estudia tramos alternativos para mayor seguridad de los peregrino.

El trazado del Camiño Portugués a su paso por el municipio de Padrón mejorará de forma considerable en los próximos meses, gracias a la supresión de varios tramos peligrosos para los peregrinos que coinciden con la carretera N-550 y con la vía férrea. Esos tramos serán sustituidos por trazados alternativos, más seguros, que ya están en avanzado estudio.
Para ultimar dichas mejoras, la directora-gerente de la S.A. de Xestión do Plan Xacobeo, dependiente de la Consellería de Cultura y Turismo, Camino Triguero Salas, se reunió ayer en Padrón con el alcalde de este Ayuntamiento, Antonio Fernández Angueira. En el encuentro de trabajo estuvo presente, además, José Antonio de la Riera, en representación de la Asociación Galega de Amigos do Camiño de Santiago (Agacs), la concejala de Cultura de Padrón, Carmen Lois Ferrón, y técnicos del Xacobeo. Tras la reunión en el Concello, hubo una visita a los tramos que se van a mejorar con la puesta en servicio de recorridos alternativos y que se localizan en los lugares de Iria-Flavia, A Escravitude y A Picaraña.
En el primero de ellos, el objetivo es eliminar el cruce sin señalizar de la vía del tren, situado en las inmediaciones de la casa natal del escritor Camilo José Cela. Los técnicos del Xacobeo y de la Agacs tienen en estudio el paso del Camiño por una vía paralela ya existente y de cerca de un kilómetro de longitud, que evitará dicho cruce.
Vistas al santuario
En A Escravitude, los peregrinos están obligados en la actualidad a realizar un tramo por la acera de la carretera N-550. En este punto también existe una propuesta de un recorrido alternativo por un viejo camino que, además, cuenta con excelentes vistas sobre el popular santuario mariano local, del siglo XVIII.
Por último, en A Picaraña, el objetivo es similar: retirar a los caminantes del peligroso tramo de 700 metros que tienen que realizar por la acera de la vía N-550. En este caso, la propuesta que se barajan es llevar el Camiño por el trazado paralelo de la antigua vía férrea. Se trata de un tramo que acaba de quedar en desuso al construirse un trazado nuevo más adecuado a las necesidad del AVE, que va a pasar por la zona.
Padrón reclama desde hace tiempo más seguridad para los peatones que realizan el Camiño Portugués y que, cada año, se consolida más como vía alternativa a la ruta francesa.

The Xunta studying alternative flights for the safety of the pilgrims.

The layout of the Portuguese Way as it passes through the town of Padrón improve significantly in the coming months, thanks to the removal of several dangerous sections for the pilgrims that match the N-550 and the railroad. These sections will be replaced by alternative routes, safer, already in advanced study.
To complete these improvements, the managing director of SA of Xestión do Xacobeo Plan, under the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Bunting Road Chambers, yesterday met with the mayor of Padrón this City, Antonio Fernández Angueira. The working meeting was also present, José Antonio de la Riera, on behalf of the Galician Association of Friends do Camino de Santiago (Agacs), the Councillor for Culture of Padron, Carmen Lois Ferron, and technical Xacobeo. After the meeting in the Concello, there was a visit to the portions to be improved with the commissioning of alternative routes that are located in places of Iria Flavia,, A and A Escravitude bite.
In the first, the goal is to eliminate the unmarked crossing the railway line, located near the birthplace of writer Camilo Jose Cela. Xacobeo technicians and are exploring Agacs step of the way by an existing parallel route and about a mile long, which will prevent this junction.
Views sanctuary
In A Escravitude, pilgrims are required now to make a stretch along the pavement of the road N-550. At this point there is also a proposal for an alternative route for an old road that also has excellent views of the local popular Marian shrine, the eighteenth century.
Finally, A sting, the goal is similar: to remove the dangerous stretch of walking 700 meters that have to be carried out by the curb of the road N-550. In this case, the proposal being considered is lead the way along the path parallel to the old railroad. This is a section that has just become obsolete with the construction of a new path best suited to the needs of the AVE, which will pass through the area.
Padrón has long claimed safer for pedestrians who do the Portuguese way and that, each year, more consolidated as an alternative to the French route.

 

[shonamccreesh]

Thank you both for taking the time to reply to my enquiry. Your response has certainly been more positive than what I was expecting. So I can now put a training programme for the kids in action!!
Kind Regards,
Shona

 

[Whalleyranger]

You're more than welcome. Let us know how you get on.

 

[tindora]

Bumping this thread up, although with a very different age group in mind!

I am trying to decide whether to go Coastal vs Inland in September.
The main consideration for us is that we will be travelling with our 13-month-old baby and do not foresee doing more than 15 km on average every day. Mostly because she needs to move around and let off steam and sitting in the backpack is not something that she would be willing to do for a full day of hiking. We are hoping that with naps and breaks and so forth a good half day of hiking should be possible, followed by a half day of whatever sort of excitement 13-month-olds like to get up to (crawling around on the floor, crawling around on the grass, and possibly going to the beach to crawl around in the sand, although we have never tried that).

We can see the attraction of both routes (who knows, perhaps we will return in a few years to do the one we didn’t cover this time), but our questions are focused on a more practical issue; finding accommodation in between where the usual stops are, and, in the event that a pilgrim’s hostel is either not appropriate or not willing to take a couple with a baby, having the possibility of finding private accommodation.

Now, by appropriate, I am certainly not suggesting anything risqué, but since we will be travelling bare bones, and since I doubt that most hostels will have an infant cot available, she will need to sleep with us. For safety purposes (since she tends to flop around a lot) that would be in between us. For logistical purposes, since neither of us is that skinny, this would require something a bit more substantial than one single bed. Say, either two singles pushed together or two mattresses on the floor. This is probably one area in which private accommodation with a double bed would definitely come in handy, although we would like to stay in hostels some of the time for the experience and since it is more in keeping with our budget.

So for those who have experience on this route, is there one that seems a better idea than the other? Coastal seems to have a great deal more accommodation, but the inland seems like it has a lot to offer in terms of tradition and a glimpse of rural Portugal rarely seen otherwise. One last consideration is that we would prefer not to take taxis unless truly necessary since we will not have an infant car seat with us, which makes things less convenient in remote areas if we get stuck with nowhere to sleep.

I have seen the “Camino with a baby” thread and will also post relevant questions there, but I just wanted some advice on choosing the best Camino for our situation.

 

[JohnnieWalker]

Hola - The only deal breaker issue I see is the distance between accommodation on any of the Portuguese routes - especially since you have resolved not to use taxis. If you wish to walk no more than 15kms per day between beds then I wonder if the Camino Frances wouldn't be better for you since the infrastructure is much more developed.

Let us know what you decide please.

John

 

[tindora]

Perhaps the French Camino would be more practical, but Portugal has many romantic sentiments for us since we met there many years ago and have always talked about going back!

We have pretty much decided on the traditional inland route, partially based on the fact that there seems to be more and clearer information about what to expect. Perhaps I should have specified 15 to 20 km per day, since 18 seems to happen pretty regularly and (depending on elevation gain) is still possible in a half day. According to the Brierley guide, accommodation exists for all of our planned stops, the main problem that I could foresee is that sometimes it will be accommodation for 4 people, which would fill up quickly.

So far, for the Portuguese portion of the Camino, starting out slowly so we don't burn out in the first few days, I have planned:

Day 1:Rates-Pedra Furada ~7km
Day 2: Pedra Furada - Barcelos ~9km
Day 3: Barcelos - Lugar do Corgo ~ 19km
Day 4: Lugar do Corgo- Ponte de Lima ~ 15km
Day 5: Ponte de Lima - Rubiaes ~ 18 km
Day 6: Rubiaes - Valença/ Tui ~ 16 or 19 km
Day 7: Rest day

Still working on the logistics of the Spanish part, it looks like there might be one full day necessary...