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Caminho Português

April - May 2024
Two old friends from Albury walking from Porto to Santiago de Compostela Read more
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  • Caminho Português
    1
    121
    Day 2–3

    Lisbon

    April 12 in Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    Dave and Kevin met in Lisbon today. We will travel to Porto tomorrow, stay overnight, and then start walking north to Santiago.

    Dave had a 29 hour trip from home in Australia and is jet lagged. Kevin is better off after his brief 5+ hour hop from Boston.

    Today after meeting at the airport we walked to the Moov Hotel in the Oriente district. Later a brief visit to the huge Decathlon shop nearby to buy hiking poles and shorts. We hoped to dine at the well reviewed “Esta no papo” but it was too early. We made do with sandwiches and beers in a fairly seedy bar nearby.

    The weather is expected to be warm and sunny for the next week or more so we are looking forward to the walk in good conditions.    Read more

  • Caminho Português
    2
    2
    Day 3

    Porto

    April 13 in Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

    We woke pretty early after a good sleep. Just after 7am we headed out for a walk in search of coffee along the Rio Tejo toward the Vasco da Gama tower.

    Not much opens before 8am it seems. So we looped back to the train station area and had a light breakfast there just after 8am at Jeronymo’s on the main plaza.

    Back to the hotel then, we showered, packed and walked to the bus station. The 10:10am FlixBus got us to Porto by about 1:30pm.

    The route was a good 4-lane freeway through farmland. Lots of olive trees and tall slender eucalyptus groves.

    On arrival in Porto we walked the 3km to our hotel, stopping off for a very good lunch (falafel sandwich & shakshouka) in a Middle Eastern place in a very busy part of town.

    Our hotel is opposite the Trindade metro station.

    In the evening we took the metro down to the Cathedral where we need to collect our credencial tomorrow to officially start our “caminhada”.

    After a stroll through the very steep and labyrinthine back streets of old Porto we found a place to dine: octopus with a good local (Douro) red wine.    Read more

  • Caminho Português
    1
    113
    Day 4–5

    Matosinhos

    April 14 in Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    An 11km day, all flat along the water.

    A gentle start, brekkie recommended by gendarmes nearby, packed and off to the 12th century cathedral, obtained our stamped Caminho credentials, attended Mass with full choir, then took narrow lanes downhill to the River Douro.

    We turned right, fought the wild crowds along the river for about 5km and stopped for lovely lunch. Further along river and another right turn to follow the Atlantic and Porto’s western beaches north, weather perfect, lots of beach goers and a few swimmers and board riders. Beaches very wide and quite crowded.

    Now in our micro studio contemplating the beach and maybe a swim. Probably a small ale to follow. . . the first large one.
    A long day tomorrow an early start planned. Day One completed!

    After unpacking we returned to the beach and had a swim. The water was clean and clear, with a nice regular 2 foot swell and the water temperature a brisk 14.5c.    Read more

  • Caminho Português
    1111
    Day 5

    Vila do Conde

    April 15 in Portugal ⋅ 🌬 20 °C

    A full sized day at 24km.

    We left Matosinhos at 8:30am and did 6km before stopping for breakfast at Cabo do Mundo. It took about 40 minutes to get out of Matosinhos and onto the ocean promenade.

    Most of the rest of the day was walking on wooden boardwalks over the dunes behind the beach with wonderful views of the ocean.

    Towards the end the sand had shifted to cover up the boardwalk so we had to slog through deep sand for a few stretches.

    The weather was sunny and perfectly clear with a cooling breeze, making for excellent walking conditions.

    We had lunch and a foot airing at Vila Chã, in a bar/bakery. Kev ordered a “Cachorro da Padaria” not knowing how big the thing was. With Dave’s help we did it justice.

    Then it was about 8km to Vila do Conde. We passed the very long and wide beach south of town where lots of surfers were enjoying the nice regular swell rolling in.

    We’ve checked in to Hotel Brazão near the centre of town.

    After getting clean and washing clothes we dined on some big prawns cooked in garlic, washed down with the house vinho verde. It was a tiny family run restaurant, Adega do Testas.    Read more

  • Caminho Português
    Day 6

    Fão

    April 16 in Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    Another full size day at 22km, near perfect weather and flat.
    A wholesome brekkie at our hotel then on the path at 8.00am. Planned a break for coffee around 7km but nothing open until after 8km, then coffee but no snack. Carried on past multiple market gardens and greenhouses to Apulia, was pretty warm and cobblestone roads were tough on feet. A basic late lunch and on to Fao via rustic farm lanes. Revised plan for a few days time, we’re going well. Our Fao boarding house has a pool, looks enticing.Read more

  • Caminho Português
    1
    2124122
    Day 7

    Castelo da Neiva

    April 17 in Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    A 16km day nearly all inland, hot sun and some cobblestones, and one small climb.

    We had breakfast at our hostel, The Spot Ofir, and then an hour’s walk along the river Cávado.

    Setting out at 9:30 and had a few foot rest stops. We detoured along the beach as much as was possible, maybe 3km.

    Lunch at the 9km mark in Belinho was a “tosta mista” and a Coke at a bakery.

    Another 6 circuitous kms led us to where Google maps said our place was but it was not marked and took some finding behind a large unmarked locked gate. At the 3pm check-in time I phoned the owner and he provided a combination to get us in.

    The place is quite a nice apartment with a balcony overlooking a lush garden.

    The fridge has breakfast supplies too and we can make coffee.

    A short day but not as easy as expected. Great to have space to spread out in tonight.

    After cleaning up and a rest we dined at Restaurante Encosta do Monte, 500 up the hill, on the recommendation of the owner. Good grub, good value.    Read more

  • Caminho Português
    111
    Day 8–9

    Viana do Castelo

    April 18 in Portugal ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C

    About 16k today and mostly off piste.

    We left our apartment about 9:30 after a continental brekkie and decided to follow the beach to our next stop, rather than the more inland official route.

    This required a bit of bush bashing early on to get into Amorosa for coffee but was far more scenic.

    We walked the last half along the packed sand just beyond the waves, including removing boots and socks to cross a stream. Water was very nice. Lunch of fillet fish. Then an inland detour on the south bank of the river Lima to cross the bridge into the town of Viana. A comparatively snazzy hotel. David had swim and sauna downstairs.

    Good dinner nearby of grilled squid and salad.    Read more

  • Caminho Português
    111
    Day 9

    Vila Praia do Âncora

    April 19 in Portugal ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    A 20km day, much of it near the beach. Our last day hugging the coast.

    After a good buffet breakfast at our hotel, AP Dona Aninhas, it was a 20 minute walk across town to the beach to the north.

    8km further was a coffee stop right off the beachside path.

    The track left the beach and climbed a headland at one point.

    After a dire (forgivable) navigation error by Kevin, incurring an unpleasant 2km trudge along a highway we found a lunch spot, Camarão, within sight of our goal, Vila Praia do Ancora.

    A couple of km later we were checking into Hotel Meira. Looks good.    Read more

  • Caminho Português
    22
    Day 10–11

    Vila Nova de Cerveira

    April 20 in Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    A long day at 24km in warm dry conditions.

    We left our hotel after a hearty buffet breakfast. It was a delicious 14 Celsius as we proceeded up beside the beaches.

    Soon the mouth of the
    Minho River came into view . It forms the border with Spain. A big mountain looms over the inlet from the Spanish side. A big old fort, presumably Spanish sits on an island right at the mouth of the river.

    We walked about 10k to Caminha, situated a bit upstream on the Portuguese side. There was a very pleasant section through tall forest as we approached the south bank of the Minho.

    At the bank a water taxi service was available to take pilgrims directly across into Spain if they are walking the coastal route to Santiago.

    We farewelled some Irish blokes we’d met here and headed inland into Caminha proper for a juice and coffee. It was a long walk around the riverbank to get there.

    After our coffee we continued another 14km upstream on the south bank of the Minho. It was a pretty long hot trudge in 24C temps and not a lot of shade. In much of it were on an “ecopista” bike/foot path right beside the river. Fairly scenic at times.

    We found a restaurant open just uphill from the Esqueiro train stop and had some lunch.

    Finally reached our digs 2km beyond the town of Vila Nova de Cerveira about 6pm. It’s the Initel hotel.

    Washing, buffet dinner and off to bed. Next few days are shorter. Tomorrow we cross the river near Valença into Spain.    Read more

  • Caminho Português
    115
    Day 11

    Tui

    April 21 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    16km.

    A slow start after our big day yesterday, a hearty hotel breakfast then we headed north-east along the Portuguese bank of the Minho River, with Spain always in sight. Our vista was very pleasant. Temp rose from 13c to 25c with strong sun, testing us a bit, 16km had seemed easy! Regular drink stops, we had coffee and juice at Bar de S. Paio, and trudged on to Valença, lunch options limited on a Sunday, had cafeteria snack then final push across the river border into Tui, Spain. Settled into our apartment, with a very welcome bier provided.Read more

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