Reset search
Camino Portugués
  • Lisa Kaletta
  • Lisa Kaletta

Camino Portugués

A 28-day adventure by Lisa Read more
FollowInsightsInsightsCalendarCalendarPhotosPhotosShareShareBucket list
InsightsCalendarPhotos
  • Trip start
    April 24, 2025
    Lisa KalettaCamino PortuguésLisa Kaletta

    Goodbye Santiago

    April 24, 2025 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    Funny to see Santiago in the sun and with 26 degrees on my 2nd visit! 😂
    We walked a bit through the city, marveled at the gigantic cathedral and enjoyed a piece of the popular Tarta de Santiago before my partner left to catch his flight back to Germany.Read more

  • Lisa KalettaCamino PortuguésLisa Kaletta

    Pontecesures

    April 24, 2025 in Spain ⋅ 🌙 17 °C

    After saying goodbye to my Love, I was down in the beginning. Dismissing him for another month was tough...
    My remedy - walking!
    So, I followed my plan to go the Camino Portugués and hiked as much as I could.
    Definitely, this route is way more crowded than the Camino del Norte. Also, it is flatter which makes it easier to advance.
    The landscapes are different but not less beautiful than the ones of the Camino del Norte.
    I took advantage of the sunny and warm (26°C) weather and walked until it became dark. My accommodation today is located in Pontecesures.    Read more

  • Lisa KalettaCamino PortuguésLisa Kaletta

    Camino individual - Vilanova de Arousa

    April 25, 2025 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    The apartment I chose last night was amazing!
    The bed was comfortable, the hospitalero was really nice and prepared breakfast today and...they had shower gel smelling of "Campino" candy ("Fresas y nata" for the ones understanding spanish 😂😂).

    Speaking about the hospitalero, he was very interested in my journey and since there were again 2 options today, he helped me a lot with the planning (again thanks to my Spanish skilks, he was probably feeling very comfortable talking to me 😂).
    The yellow route leads straight to Pontevedra but is kind of monotoneous.
    The blue route can be done half by boat (Pontecesures to Vilanova de Arousa) and half by feet (Vilanova de Arousa to Pontevedra).
    Since I am doing the Camino the other way around, it was tricky with the boat trip (first boat left at 1pm).
    Therefore, I decided to simply walk and on my way, I found a beautiful place to stay close to an Island which looked very interesting to me (somehow, I am attracted by islands and love to discover them 🥰).
    My hike to the city was not very spectacular, the majority on concrete and along busy roads but tomorrow should be a lot better!    Read more

  • Lisa KalettaCamino PortuguésLisa Kaletta
    2
    21

    A Illa de Arousa

    April 25, 2025 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 15 °C

    As mentioned, I wanted to discover this island and I wanted to see a beautiful sunset.
    Therefore, I left my backpack in the hotel and went outside for another walk.
    What a stunningly beautiful island 🥰!
    A lot of solitary spots and beautiful nature! And the sunset...see for yourself! 🩷

    And, I want to mention that the locals on the Camino Portugués are as imterested / caring as the ones from the Camino del Norte.
    For the umpteenth time, a woman started talking to me (not sure whether she was worried that I might be hungry or that I am walking alone as a woman or both 😅).
    But definitely, within the 2 days that I am on the way, people offered me food (maybe I look terribly hungry?! 😂) and something to drink (should've asked for Estrella Galicia!). And again...whenever they realize your Spanish is more than "una cerveza por favor", they start talking to you and asking you questions. I am incredibly happy that my Spanish skills pay off and that people are also appreciating them here. 🥰 (I even started thinking in Spanish a while ago 🤪!).    Read more

  • Lisa KalettaCamino PortuguésLisa Kaletta

    Camino Espiritual

    April 26, 2025 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    I was frequently asked whether I will be doing the Camino Espiritual while walking to Portugal but to be honest, I didn't know what this was since I did not really plan any of that. 😂
    Today, I realized that I AM actually walking on the Camino Espiritual variant which starts in Pontevedra and ends in Pontecesures (for me, the other way around of course 😊).

    The first half of today's leg, I kept walking through vineyards. I guess, I crossed a whole wine region! What an amazing atmosphere, especially, with the sun shining all day! 🌞    Read more

  • Lisa KalettaCamino PortuguésLisa Kaletta
    111

    Ruta de Piedra y Agua

    April 26, 2025 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    The second half of today's leg was the so-called Ruta de Piedra y Agua (Route of Stone and Water).
    It definitely lived up to its name!
    Imagine you walk on a rocky trail, the sound of the roaring stream always in your ears (not so beautiful when you need to pee 😂).
    The path lead along the river Rego da Armenteira and was full of postcard motives, especially with its uncountable cascades.    Read more

  • Lisa KalettaCamino PortuguésLisa Kaletta
    212

    Redondela

    April 27, 2025 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    I started pretty early today, knowing that it will be a hot day.
    The first half of today's leg again lead me through forests, along small streams and through lovely little villages.

    A big difference to the Camino del Norte: There were hundreds of pilgrims on the way. I now keep seeing many Spaniards and Portugueses as well as Asian people. Most of them greeted me very friendly and looked with curiosity at me why I swim against the stream. Some told me I was walking in the wrong direction (do they really think I ignored the mass of pilgrims going the opposite direction if I was to go to Santiago?!).Read more

  • Lisa KalettaCamino PortuguésLisa Kaletta
    122

    Vigo

    April 27, 2025 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    After crossing the 30kms and seeing that I still would have quite a bit to walk, I decided to take another rest day in Vigo. I had already spotted an appartement close to the sea and cheap so I gathered my last bit of power and walked there. 😉Read more

  • Lisa KalettaCamino PortuguésLisa Kaletta

    Vigo - Restday

    April 28, 2025 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C

    I've done quite some long distances during the last days and therefore decided to stay one additional day in Vigo.
    I planned to see one of the big fish markets since Vigo is well-known for its variety of seafood and is also one of the biggest fish exporters in Europe.

    Well, my plan did not work out in the end. Due to the power cut all over Spain, most markets were closed. No electricity, no cooling, no fish 🫤
    A true pity but still, I enjoyed my restday with a lot of sun, 28°C and some (cool) beers. 🌞🍻    Read more

  • Lisa KalettaCamino PortuguésLisa Kaletta

    Baiona

    April 29, 2025 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    With only 22km, it was a very short leg for me today.
    However, being now sure that I will walk to Lisbon and that I still have 3 weeks time, this daily distance will be sufficient to reach Lisbon by the 22nd May.

    Baiona is surprisingly beautiful!
    It is more touristic than the cities I saw so far but I got so attracted by this castle located at the beach that I put on my shoes again in the evening to discover the whole peninsula.    Read more

  • Lisa KalettaCamino PortuguésLisa Kaletta

    A Guarda

    April 30, 2025 in Spain ⋅ 🌧 14 °C

    Today it rained almost all day.
    Still, the distance I walked did not feel so long since most of the time I was walking on solitary ways along the rough sea.
    Since finding a cheap place to stay becomes more and more difficult, I started to plan a bit more and stay in A Guarda today, 2km from the border to Portugal.Read more

  • Lisa KalettaCamino PortuguésLisa Kaletta

    ¡Adios, España!

    May 1, 2025 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 13 °C

    After more than a month walking through beautiful Spain, I crossed the border to Portugal today in the morning.
    I will keep my time in Spain in good memory and I will miss it a lot!!!
    But for sure, it was not my last time.
    ¡Hasta muy pronto, España! 🌞    Read more

  • Lisa KalettaCamino PortuguésLisa Kaletta

    Vila Praia de Âncora & Afife

    May 1, 2025 in Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    Within 10 minutes, the ferry crossed Rio Miño which is the border between Spain and Portugal. And within 10 minutes, I gained 60 minutes since there is 1 hour time difference between the 2 countries.

    I felt a bit sad to leave Spain and honestly, I had a hard time today to not speak Spanish to the people here 😂 I got so used to it during the last weeks 🥲
    On the other hand, I was curious to see Portugal for the very first time in my life!
    Definitely, Portugal made some impression on me on the very first kilometers! After passing the first city and its suburbs with luxurious houses, I followed a path along the sea which is - you will know already - the most beautiful facet of the pilgrimage for me!    Read more

  • Lisa KalettaCamino PortuguésLisa Kaletta
    2

    Viana do Castelo

    May 1, 2025 in Portugal ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C

    The final kilometers to Viana de Castelo were exhausting for my feet since they lead me through cobblestone roads most of the time.
    However, after reaching my destination of today, I took some rest and treated me to a nice dinner after mostly living on supermarket stuff and tostadas (😩) the last days. And look at the last picture...these guys serve white wine from the tap 😂Read more

  • Lisa KalettaCamino PortuguésLisa Kaletta
    2
    2

    Apúlia

    May 2, 2025 in Portugal ⋅ 🌧 18 °C

    Also for tonight, I had already pre-booked my accommodation so I knew exactly where my way would lead me today. I actually intended to start early and to kill as many kilometers as I can seeing that rain is expected from the early afternoon onwards.
    However, I preferred to sleep and I still felt a bit weak from yesterday's walk so I needed to stop in a café to drink my remedy ☕️.
    After that, it all went way smoother and I especially liked that the indications in "my" directions were pretty good (blue arrows).
    However, the second half of today's leg was again pretty heavy since I mostly walked on cobblestone again 😩
    However, I arrived to my pilgrims hostel at some point, and again it is a very cosy place to stay. Fingers crossed that all the snorers chose different accommodations 🤭    Read more

  • Lisa KalettaCamino PortuguésLisa Kaletta
    2

    Vila do Conde

    May 3, 2025 in Portugal ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    After another night in a pilgrims hostel with many interruptions, I got up at 5.30 and left at 6.
    Seeing that the weather forecast promised no rain in the morning and thunderstorms as of 2pm, I made use of the fact that I could not sleep anymore and tried to walk as much as possible without getting wet.

    Today's leg re-confirmed to me that this Camino was an excellent choice!
    I walked 80% on wooden footbridges along the beach.
    Not only did I stay dry, there were even quite some sunny phases inbetween. Easily, I killed the first 20km and knew that I would not have more than 10km left.    Read more

  • Lisa KalettaCamino PortuguésLisa Kaletta
    23

    La Bruge

    May 3, 2025 in Portugal ⋅ 🌧 18 °C

    Another reason, I didn't mind starting and finishing my walk early today was that I planned to stay in a public albergue which you cannot reserve. The rule here is: First come, first serve!
    The one in La Bruge was the last opportunity before entering Porto.

    Indeed, I managed to arrive around 2 when they started their check-in. There were already a good 30 pilgrims queueing up in front of the building so I guess my plan was not the worst. 😉
    The Camino remained as beautiful on the last kilometers as before! 30km walking rarely felt so easy! 🩷    Read more

  • Lisa KalettaCamino PortuguésLisa Kaletta
    22

    Porto

    May 4, 2025 in Portugal ⋅ 🌧 16 °C

    I slept surprisingly well in the albergue accommodating 180 people 😅 I fell asleep before the light was switched off (10pm) and with only a few interruptions got up at 5:45.

    At 6, I started my hike which again lead me along lonely beaches and over wooden footbridges. The only thing bothering me a bit was the rain that kept starting and stopping but at some point, I was just determined to reach Porto and to enjoy the city as much as possible!

    Since I was only allowed to check-in at 3pm, I used the time to enjoy some fresh fish and to finally try portuguese wine    Read more

  • Lisa KalettaCamino PortuguésLisa Kaletta
    1

    Miradouro da Vitória & cable car

    May 4, 2025 in Portugal ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    After checking in to my hostel, I decided to go for a walk through Porto. The sun was now shining and I had found many things that I am inrerested to see upfront.
    First I went to the Miradouro da Vitória to enjoy the spectacular view on the city.
    While walking to the urban cable car leaving from the other side of the river Douro, I ran into one of my room mates from the hostel and we ended up going there together. From the cable car you see Porto from a different perspective, especially the picturesque district of Ribeira with its colorful houses.    Read more

  • Lisa KalettaCamino PortuguésLisa Kaletta
    1

    Porto - Livraria Lello

    May 5, 2025 in Portugal ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    Early in the morning, I went to the Livraria Lello, one of the most beautiful book shops in the world.
    Rumor has it that J.K. Rowling was inspired by this place for her famous Harry Potter books.
    And as a big fan of the books (and the movies), I needed to go there. 😉

    Indeed, a beautiful and extraordinary spot, especially the wooden staircase in the centre of the store!
    You can use the value of your ticket to buy a book. However, since I need to seriously consider each gram in my backpack, I thought better of it and just enjoyed the experience.    Read more

  • Lisa KalettaCamino PortuguésLisa Kaletta
    2

    Porto - Jardins do Palácio de Cristal

    May 5, 2025 in Portugal ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    After leaving the book store, I walked to this big park that I read about.
    You could see numerous types of birds there: peacocks, roosters, geese and many more. Additionally, the park with its terrace-like gardens offered another fantastic view on Porto!Read more

  • Lisa KalettaCamino PortuguésLisa Kaletta

    🍷 Porto - Cálem Caves 🍷

    May 5, 2025 in Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    "You cannot go to Porto without trying the port wine," they all said.
    Well...I tried it. 😂

    Since I am not into sweet drinks, I feared already that this is not for me. I was right with my assumption but still I drank the 3 glasses since I was in good company.

    Having had a horrible food base of some milk roll-crap and a few cod croquettes that I quickly gulped down before the tour since it was the only thing I found for take away, the wines went straight to my head. 😵‍💫😵
    But instead of making me feel funny and happy, they made me feel tired and heavy-footed. 🥱🥴

    Apart from that, it was truely interesting to learn more about port wine and what makes it so special.    Read more

  • Lisa KalettaCamino PortuguésLisa Kaletta
    112

    Porto - Boat trip & walk to the beach

    May 5, 2025 in Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

    With my head still dizzy from the wine, I went on the boat trip I had pre-booked to see Porto from the river Douro.
    They couldn't have made it more impersonal since they just played a recorded text that gave us some background information. This plus the soft back and forth rocking of the boat made me almost fall asleep.

    In general, I still did not feel a 100% good so I had some lunch and went for a longer walk to the beach afterwards.    Read more

  • Lisa KalettaCamino PortuguésLisa Kaletta
    1

    São João da Madeira

    May 6, 2025 in Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    Though Porto was a beautiful city, I was looking forward to continue my hike today!
    Again, I started shortly after 6 in the morning and my leg today was the complete contrary of all my hikes before.

    Firstly, you had possibilities to eat every few hundered meters (cafés, bars, restaurants, supermarkets).
    On the Camino del Norte you sometimes knew you need to walk 15km before you get something to eat. And there you really took whatever you could get 😂

    And secondly- and this was kind of paradox- people suddenly stopped speaking and understanding English 😂 So I ordered my food by speaking Spanish, pointing on stuff and gesturing. 😅

    Today I also noticed streams of pilgrims in warning vests moving in "my" direction. They will be walking to Fatima which is one of the most famous pilgrims' destinations in Portugal. Since the motives to go there seemed purely religious to me, I decided to skip this place though.    Read more

  • Lisa KalettaCamino PortuguésLisa Kaletta
    42

    Águeda

    May 7, 2025 in Portugal ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C

    Gradually I am really getting used to these albergues! I fell asleep early yesterday and woke up very fit at 5am today. Knowing that I have quite a distance ahead of me, I got up and started walking.

    Today was again a very monotoneous hike, 75% along a busy street and the remainder also all on concrete.

    And again, I was running into the masses of Fatima-pilgrims which I overtook one by one (took me at least two hours and with my break I did, I had them again in front of me 😅).

    I arrived early in my albergue, again a fantastic one! It has a beautiful terrace, some chill out areas and a nice kitchen. I had a really nice afternoon and evening here!    Read more