An extraordinarily perfect day!

We knew the distance today was going to be less than yesterday but we had no idea how beautiful today’s route would be. We were in no hurry this morning so we strolled the narrow streets of Viana do Castelo and then headed out to the walkway along the ocean. It was already busy with Pilgrims, but being Sunday, hundreds of locals were out walking, running and cycling. The new trail way heading north was on fine crushed stone or on boardwalks, and it went on kilometre after kilometre.
The trail passes historic forts, archeological sites, small beaches and coves and there’s always the pounding surf and waves on the rocky shore.
We stopped for a delightful lunch at an oceanfront café and continued north. There are a few parts of the new trail development that have yet to be completed but we eventually found our way to Vila Praia de Âncora. Near the end, the boardwalk abruptly ended and we were forced to cross a few hundred metres of beach sand and feel the cold Atlantic waters on our feet. We washed the sand off in a little stream that empties into the ocean in front of the town. Our hotel, another classic European hotel was a few streets up from the water and next to the town square. When we finally put our feet up we’d walked 19km but were thrilled with the sunshine, the ocean views, and the extraordinary beauty of the Portuguese Atlantic coast.En savoir plus