Sunday, 28 February 2010

Practical Pilgrim – The Camino Portugués


Another route which has quite different characteristics is the route from Porto in Portugal to Santiago. The CSJ Guide needed updating so having identified a two week gap our diaries the Big Man and I set to the task. This time he was the Guidewriter and I was the scout.

Travel to Porto was easy with a direct flight from London and I was impressed with the ease of travel into the city on the clean and efficient train service. I had learned in advance that a lot of Portuguese people speak English. Being in an Hispanic country for the first few times I lapsed into Spanish. They replied in English. I soon came to learn that the relationship between the two countries is much like Scotland and England and stuck to English from then on. I have heard some theories as to why English is so universally spoken in Portugal. Some say it was a deliberate thrust of the school curriculum others that there were so many films on TV in English is rubbed off on everyone!

I had also read that there was a lot of road walking on this route. That turned out to be somewhat of an understatement. As well as walking along the side of very busy roads there is a considerable amount of walking on hard, cobbled paths. In fact in the first couple of days there is almost 40 kms of continuous concrete walking. That is why guidebooks give an alternative of taking public transport (including the Porto Metro) and missing out the first stage.
You can judge for yourselves but I was left feeling a little ambivalent about this route. Parts are ugly and the walking can be tedious. But on balance I think there is just enough good walking and scenery to redeem this route. And of course the fellowship with other pilgrims is always there.
If you have two weeks to spend then walking the Camino Portugués from Porto to Santiago for 10 or 11 days plus a day or so in Santiago may be ideal.

If you think I’m being unfair about this route, let me know!


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3 comments:

  1. Anonymous28 February 2010 at 19:03

    Well John, I can't complain or say your unfair...for one it's the only route I've taken thus far! So what do I know. But I guess we weren't surprised by the amount of road travel, as it's closer to the coast and "civilization" as a whole. And there truly was enough beauty to compensate. And allowing for time constrain it worked for us. My favorite picture was long the estuary...looking down and seeing a scarecrow in a field, wearing, what else in Galicia, a yellow rain slicker! Got a good photo of it and it's one of my all time favorites. Did you stop in the cathedral in Padron and see the stone St. James ship tied up too??

    Well, thanks for the memories, and thanks for your wonderful blog. Wishing you as always, Pax, Karin

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  2. Anonymous1 March 2010 at 00:54

    Hi John



    Like Karin, who was walking at the same time as ourselves, we felt there was a reasonable balance of road and path walking. It was the delight in finding wildflowers on the verges, another religious icon in an unexpected place, or a tiny chapel that was open as you walked by that soon overshadowed any dark thoughts you had of the long road through an industrial estate or the highway walking. It was all part of the fabric of our camino. My favourite memory of the CP is of a largish church with an adjoining run down farmhouse where the vines still flourish in the foreground. Thank you for your refreshing comments on the CP. Cheers Rose Louise

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  3. Unknown2 January 2014 at 15:11

    Hi John, you accurately describe the CP. I walked it last September from Coimbra. It is all that you described. I wouldn't reccomend this Camino for a beginner. But I loved it so much that I'm going to do it again next September. I loved the friendliness of the Portuguese people , and the beauty of the country.

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