urbanhiker
Member
- Time of past OR future Camino
- Camino Frances (2012)
Le Puy to Moissac (2013)
Camino Portugues (Sept 2014)
Camino del Norte/Irun to Luarca (April 2015)
Camino Inglés/Camino Finisterra/Muxia (Oct 2015)
Moissac to St. Jean (2016)
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Any thought would only be helpfull if somebody walked both routes. I justed walked the inland and can only say, from Porto do NOT walk out of the city. Take the coastal route, at least until vila do conde. After that......
I spoke to people who walked the complete coast and some said it was great and another said it was nice, but everything on your left gets a bit boring after a while.
It's a choice you have to make. I really liked the inland route, but regretted walking out of Porto to Vilarhino instead of vila do conde. The walk out was horrible. Even more then walking in and out ofBurgos and Leon....combined. Thats saying alot.
Oh and i am not one to say quickly that a certain road or crossing is dangerous, as long as you use some common sense, but MAN!!! There are some dangerous roads on this section. Really!
Unbelievable that pilgrims are even aloud to walk on certain roads. Crazy.
Hi Ray. I'm walking the same at the end of Sept from Lisbon to Santiago. I'm doing the inland route myself for no other reason than cause I want to. Might see you along the wayHi,
I have posted before. I am doing the Camino Portuguese in Sept and will go from Lisbon to Santiago. I am using John Brierley's book as a guide. My thought is to do the Alternate coast route from Vila de Conde to Tui instead of the recommended, or more common inland route. Any thoughts on which would be easier, less car traffic, better vistas, lodging? Any help would be great.
Thanks,
Ray
Any thought would only be helpfull if somebody walked both routes. I justed walked the inland and can only say, from Porto do NOT walk out of the city. Take the coastal route, at least until vila do conde. After that......
I spoke to people who walked the complete coast and some said it was great and another said it was nice, but everything on your left gets a bit boring after a while.
It's a choice you have to make. I really liked the inland route, but regretted walking out of Porto to Vilarhino instead of vila do conde. The walk out was horrible. Even more then walking in and out ofBurgos and Leon....combined. Thats saying alot.
Oh and i am not one to say quickly that a certain road or crossing is dangerous, as long as you use some common sense, but MAN!!! There are some dangerous roads on this section. Really!
Unbelievable that pilgrims are even aloud to walk on certain roads. Crazy.
We walked 32 days from Lisbon to Santiago with one extra day for rest/sightseeing in Coimbra, Porto and Barcelos (bus detour to Braga ) we skipped day 3 from Alverca de Ribatejo to Azambuja and took the train due to a lot of walking alongside a busy roadHi Dutch. Thanks for that advice I have noted it down to remember for when I'm there. Also can you tell me how long did it take you to do the walk from Lisbon to Santiago? I'm just not sure if I have allowed myself enough time as I first read it was 610km's now I'm hearing it's more like 670km's. To me that is a huge difference in km's. I allowed myself 25days. Do you think that would be enough without rushing? Also when I walked the Del Norte Route some years back the water fountains were quite good to drink from and there were a lot along the way. Is this the same on this route? Thanks
Michelle.
It is a beautiful route along the coast, you get the gist from my profile photo looking towards Castro de Sao Paio. While there is no ferry service at moment between Caminha and A Guarda, there are alternative boat service options which you can use until the ferry starts again which fingers crossed should be soon, I will post an update when the local mayors whom I am in regular contact confirm everything. I thought everyone would like the video I've taken of the shoreline route from Porto to Santiago de Compostela see linkBuen camino
I started my walk on Tuesday from Porto along the coast. Although I heard that taking a bus to Matosinhos was easier, I enjoyed my walk starting frelm the harbour instead. First stay was in Vila Chà at a "campismo" where I paid €4 to sleep with my sleeping pad/bag near the bathing facilites. Hot shower.
Clean washrooms. Available outlets to charge phone. Snack shop and mini market on site too. Highly recommended for the budget. Today I made it to Esposende. Caution: if you have any literature you collected along the way that said there is a campismo here - there isn't! It's in Fão or further north. I ended up getting in late and getting a hotel because of it. Btw, this town has free wifi everywhere! View attachment 10975
Hi . I live by the coast in southern Portugal and will be walking from Porto to Santiago beginning mid September and using the inland route. The reasons for my doing this as opposed to the coastal route is accomodation inland appears to be cheaper. The weather changes around early October, sometimes bringing very heavy weather off the Atlantic. Walking the coastal route in heavy weather might be extremely hard work,almost horizontal rain and vicious wind.That being said,the weather may remain clement. Come what may,Bom caminho.Hi,
I have posted before. I am doing the Camino Portuguese in Sept and will go from Lisbon to Santiago. I am using John Brierley's book as a guide. My thought is to do the Alternate coast route from Vila de Conde to Tui instead of the recommended, or more common inland route. Any thoughts on which would be easier, less car traffic, better vistas, lodging? Any help would be great.
Thanks,
Ray
I would love to send you an email to receive your spreadsheet with info on the Camino and your stops! How do I email to ask you??Go Coastal - beautiful, tranquil, lovely locals-I walked it last September
Take Metro from Porto to Matosinhos Mercardo,cross the bridge and you will
pick up your first arrow.
Have an Excel spreadsheet ( accommodation ) - mainly small hotels, very reasonable prices
if you would like it - send E- mail address.
Best.
Hello Musicman,Go Coastal - beautiful, tranquil, lovely locals-I walked it last September
Take Metro from Porto to Matosinhos Mercardo,cross the bridge and you will
pick up your first arrow.
Have an Excel spreadsheet ( accommodation ) - mainly small hotels, very reasonable prices
if you would like it - send E- mail address.
Best.
Hi Rickster, I am preparing my camino from Porto to Santiago first weeks of september. Read about a coastal route and a littoral route. I assume the littoral route is next to sea. I read about green and yellow marks. What have you seen? Is it possibe to walk with a little chart and the markers. i have not found a good description and don't like to get lost often.Can only share my experience with the coastal route.....it was beautiful, gave me a flavor of the Atlantic coast along portugal. The locals were very helpful and friendly. If I had it to do all over I still would not take the first half of the inland route. My first stop on that route would still be Redondela and will probably even skip that town. The coastal route gives you an experience with people who live off the land and the sea on a daily basis. I live near water now, but this is different. Personal choice, you won't go wrong either way.
Hi Annie, I am preparing my camino from Porto to Santiago first weeks of september. Read about a coastal route and a littoral route. I assume the littoral route is next to sea. I read about green and yellow marks. What have you seen? Is it possibe to walk with a little chart and the markers. i have not found a good description and don't like to get lost often.Please , feel free to ask anything if you need any advice.
I did the coastal from Porto/ Matosinhos to Caminha and from Caminha to Valenca/ Tui and all the way to SDC 5 weeks ago.
Bom Caminho.
Hi Rickster, I am preparing my camino from Porto to Santiago first weeks of september. Read about a coastal route and a littoral route. I assume the littoral route is next to sea. I read about green and yellow marks. What have you seen? Is it possibe to walk with a little chart and the markers. i have not found a good description and don't like to get lost often.
Other question: is it necessary to reserve in the albergues or is there most of the time place to stay/sleep?
Did you meet many other pilgrims?? Is it lonely sometimes?
Thanks a lot for answering.
Hi Rickster, I am preparing my camino from Porto to Santiago first weeks of september. Read about a coastal route and a littoral route. I assume the littoral route is next to sea. I read about green and yellow marks. What have you seen? Is it possibe to walk with a little chart and the markers. i have not found a good description and don't like to get lost often.
Other question: is it necessary to reserve in the albergues or is there most of the time place to stay/sleep?
Did you meet many other pilgrims?? Is it lonely sometimes?
Thanks a lot for answering.
Hola @Kittie_Drente,
I am traveling right now and don't have access to a computer so trying to answer your questions by using a mobile phone.
When I walked the coastal Portuguese in May I did not really know anything about it in beforehand. I used google maps screen shots on my iPad and walked day by day from village to village. I did not have knowledge of any guide book.
Now afterward I know that the first two days I walked on the Senda Littoral which is not way marked very well but you follow the coast line and walk on board walks mostly close to the Atlantic Ocean.
Later I followed the yellow arrows which take you away from the ocean a bit but you can still see it and feel it a couple of kms away to the left. This is what is called the coastal route and you are walking through agricultural areas on cobble stone smaller country roads, narrow paths sometimes through villages and wood more up and down the hills than you can imagine.
So I was mixing the Littoral and The Coastal route without really knowing it.
I never got lost - I always knew where I was thanks to the google maps.
There are not so many albergues on the coastal route as on the Central Portugues or the Frances. I could not make reservation in the albergues I stayed at and most of the times there were I and two other Pilgs i met on the route overnighting in the albergues at nights. This was the two first weeks in May.
The albergues are rare and you maybe have to walk longer than you thought the reach an albergues for the night. You can always book a room - about €30 -40 in May. It is possible to walk from albergue to albergue - but you maybe have to some long distance or taxi back and forth you route a bit (I don't taxi - if I do I have return and walk to taxied parts of the route later). Whatever - you do it your way...
September still being a holiday season in Portugal there are more tourists and maybe some pilgrims en route. I met only two other pilgrims so it was a lonely route in May for me.
It is quite common that pilgrims/ hikers take a train/ bus from Porto up along the coast and start walking from for instance from Vila do Conde or Lavra. Also common that walkers walk back to the central route after one or two days on the coastal. It is your choice but there is no need to do so.
I liked the Coastal a lot and will return in September.
Bom Caminho
Hi Rickster,Hi Kittie_Drente,
Sorry for the delay responding. It is difficult to add to Annie's post. I did walk the coastal route alone and it did get a little lonely the first 4-5 days, however, I used that time to get to know the locals. It really wasn't until I connected to the main route in Redondela that the pilgrim population picked up.I unfortunately did not have access to google maps or a guide, and was determined to stay close to the coast as much as possible, so I did get somewhat lost a few times. You are never really lost because you know you have the ocean on your left and major highways on your right; all you really lose is time. There are plenty of albergues or if you choose to treat yourself, hotels, etc are very reasonably priced. The coastal route is beautiful with a lot of very interesting towns. I strongly advise this route and plan to do it again sometime in the future.
Bom Caminho, Rick
musicman,Go Coastal - beautiful, tranquil, lovely locals-I walked it last September
Take Metro from Porto to Matosinhos Mercardo,cross the bridge and you will
pick up your first arrow.
Have an Excel spreadsheet ( accommodation ) - mainly small hotels, very reasonable prices
if you would like it - send E- mail address.
Best.
Um carimbo por favor ! Just show your credentialHow do you ask for a stamp in Portuguese?
That is not my experience Annie. We got them everywhere on the Portugese. Restaurants,bars,churches etc.If you walk the Coastal Portugues the stamps will be a rarity. Not all the bars or hotels have a stamps for your credential. And if they have they can't find it.
You can get a stamp in every albergue.
Yes It is not a matter of stamps by the way.! You have to aprove that you travelled your way (walking, biking,horse riding) and if a stamp is not available , even somebody who wants to confirm you were there, may even write on your credential, as a very nice lady did on ours the other day.Even along the coastal route?
musicman,
Did you stay in Vila do Conde if so can you give us the place. We then plan on walking to Arcos the next day and getting back on the Camino there. Did you stay on the coast.
I should say walk from Porto to Matosinhos. To Vila do Conde and head for São Pedro de Rates and on to Barcelos and so on. The interior !I'm trying to decide which way, between the two. Do you have a recommendation? I'll be traveling with my son.
Also, I'm in love with the stamp designs I've been seeing. Would anyone care to share photos of their Portuguese stamps?
I'm trying to decide which way, between the two. Do you have a recommendation? I'll be traveling with my son.
Also, I'm in love with the stamp designs I've been seeing. Would anyone care to share photos of their Portuguese stamps?
In addition to Musicman's advise ( are you musician like me ?) there is an app AIRBNB on the smartphone. With this app you can book rooms in the places you want to be. We did this a.o.in Lisbon,Porto an Santiago.Just go to the Turismo and ask for town plan,then ask her to plot cheap b& bs.
Hi Annie,Please , feel free to ask anything if you need any advice.
I did the coastal from Porto/ Matosinhos to Caminha and from Caminha to Valenca/ Tui and all the way to SDC 5 weeks ago.
Bom Caminho.
Hi! did you ge that Excel Sheet? I'd be interested also please... Thanks!I would love to send you an email to receive your spreadsheet with info on the Camino and your stops! How do I email to ask you??
Thanks!
Pokey
Hi, I would definitely would love to have your sheet. I will be doing the same route in April 2015. Cheers,Go Coastal - beautiful, tranquil, lovely locals-I walked it last September
Take Metro from Porto to Matosinhos Mercardo,cross the bridge and you will
pick up your first arrow.
Have an Excel spreadsheet ( accommodation ) - mainly small hotels, very reasonable prices
if you would like it - send E- mail address.
Best.
Look back on this forum to the beginning of 2013. There was an American guy who walked with his Korean wife or girlfriend and her nephew and walked from Lisbon to Santiago. Somebody on this forum mentioned his name the other day here but I cannot find it back for the momentHas anyone walked from Porto to Santiago in winter (November through February) or early spring (April)?
Hi Annie,
awesome! I have done SJPDP to Santiago last year and planing the POrto to Santiago for spring 2015 - I can only spare 2 weeks this time. At first glance the coastal route sems the most interesting to me, but than again I might change my mind. For now that's the one I am aiming for and just saw that someone did it in 13 days. One questions comes immediatly to mind: language.... What is the scoop? I apseak French and English fluently and have some decent Spanish.
Cheers,
Dan
OK, awesome, thanks! ... and enjoy! DanHola Dan,
I am walking the Portuguese Coastal again - staying tonight in the Albergue Agucheiro in Mougas.
We'll keep in touch.
Download the maps www.caminador.es
Buen Camino
Go Coastal - beautiful, tranquil, lovely locals-I walked it last September
Take Metro from Porto to Matosinhos Mercardo,cross the bridge and you will
pick up your first arrow.
Have an Excel spreadsheet ( accommodation ) - mainly small hotels, very reasonable prices
if you would like it - send E- mail address.
Best.
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