Portuguese Camino
Part One: Lisbon to Porto
For me, the Camino is about setting yourself a challenge and proving to yourself that you can do it.
I believe that the Camino is whatever you want it to be. Some people walk the Camino for religious reasons, some for spiritual awareness and for others it can be a physical or mental test. For me, it was simply about the journey -taking on something challenging, enjoying everything along the way and seeing where the road would take us.
I have split my blog into 2 parts, as I feel my Camino Journey has 2 distinct stories. I don’t think one was better than the other, they were both amazing, but they were both so different. We walked from Lisbon to Porto on our own, before joining our friends in Porto for the walk to Santiago de Compostela.
It is hard to explain how a walking holiday for 31 days could be one of the most enjoyable things I have done, but the unique combination of beautiful scenery, wonderful food and wine, lovely accommodation with luggage transfers - very important!! - and the people we met along the way just worked.
So this is Part One : Lisbon to Porto
I hope you enjoy following along.
BOM CAMINHO - GOOD CAMINO or HAVE A GOOD JOURNEY in Portuguese.
DAY 1 - LISBON TO SANTA IRIA DE AZOIA
25KM (36,500 steps)
Having picked up our pilgrim passports from the Lisbon Cathedral the day before, we were able to leave our hotel by 8am and make our way through the undulating, cobblestone back streets of Lisbon, walking through some “interesting (not in a good way)” districts before arriving at the river, and a much nicer part of the city. This was where World Expo was held in 1998. We stopped here for a coffee and the obligatory pastel de nata. The next 6 kilometers saw us walking on wooden boardwalk over marsh like terrain. I had read that flamingos frequent the area, but only between November to late March. Being Late April, we didn’t think we were a chance, however, there were 3 flamingos close by, and the common pilgrim saying “The Camino Gives” suddenly made sense.
We had a late lunch at a beautiful riverside cafe, where we met a couple of other novice pilgrims. We were all tired, but smiling and ready to find our accommodation.
To be fair, there is one downside to using a company that books good accommodation, and that is after you have finished for the day, you sometimes have to walk a few more kilometres to your hotel - still, I had my own bed, and bathroom, and that made me happy.
DAY 2 - WALK TO VILA FRANCA DE XIRA
21.56KM (32,164 steps)
We started a bit earlier today, not because we were in a hurry, but because we wanted to beat the horrendous traffic (lots of big trucks!!!) as we made our way back to the track, and I can honestly say it was a great plan. It was not long before we were walking on lovely wooden boardwalk again - we had water on one side, and an airport on the other. The big attraction today was the wildflowers, we really felt like we were walking through a botanical garden.
We do eventually come to an industrial area, and walk for about an hour along side a major roadway ( unfortunately this is the downside of starting from Lisbon, but it does add to the adventure). The beautiful town of Alhandra is our next stop, but we have to get use to not waiting too long for lunch, as siesta time means a lot of the stores are closed. We do find a cafe, and a couple of other pilgrims have stopped here too.
The walk out of Alhandra is along the river, and we can’t complain, the views are beautiful - it is so peaceful, and I love all the Camino signs along the way. We do walk, and walk and walk…..but we eventually arrive in Vila Franca De Xria, and it is beautiful, only our hotel is nearly 3 km away.
DAY 3 - WALK TO AZAMBUJA
18.94KM (29,050 steps)
The day started with a walk through beautiful farmland, but unfortunately thiat was short lived. Before long, we were back alongside the motorway - and to be honest, this was pretty much the rest of our day. It was very underwhelming and, at times, more than a little unnerving.
On the plus side, we made it to the town of Azambuja by 1pm, which gave us plenty of time to look around, and have some lunch before heading to our overnight accommodation.
Azambuja is famous in Portugal for its Feira de Maio, a traditional festival celebrating the region’s strong connection with cattle, horses and The Campinos - the colourful Portuguese cattle herders. We were a couple of weeks early for the festival, but preperations were already underway for the “running of the bulls”. Personally, it is not my thing, but it was interesting to see the infrastructure going up, with narrow streets having substantial fencing installed.
Our tour company had organised a transfer for us, as our accommodation was a country retreat 4km outside of town. It is beautiful, picturesque and wonderfully relaxing - exactly what we needed after a day of walking.
DAY 4 - WALK TO SANTAREM
35.2KM (50,100 steps)
After our country breakfast, we were transferred back into town, to pick-up from where we finished off the day before. We were dropped off in front of the Pastelaria, so took the opportunity to buy some things for a picnic lunch.
Our walk was picturesque, through farmland, vineyards and along the river. Wild flowers were everywhere, and most prominent were the beautiful red poppies. It was a hard day though, as the kilometers were many, and the sun was hot.
Santarem is a beautiful town, and our accommodation was amazing. We stayed in a room in an old manor house, within the walls of an ancient castle. After 35 kilometres of walking in the heat, the swimming pool was an extremely welcome sight!
We were also fortunate to find a Michelin-recommended restaurant close to our accommodation - beautiful surroundings, amazing food and wine, and the perfect end to another very satisfying day.
DAY 5 - WALK TO GOLEGA
31.5KM (47,000 steps)
We decided to start early, as we had another day of more than 30km ahead of us. Our accommodation hosts had delivered breakfast to us the night before, knowing we would be making an early start. We we very grateful - and I can honestly say I had the best strawberries and yoghurt that I have ever tasted.
There were noticeably more pilgrims on the track today, and we discover that many people choose Santarem as their starting point to avoid the industrial areas and heavy traffic - definitely worth considering. The walk was pleasant, taking us past farms, vineyards and through our first eucalyptus forest. There were a lot more places to stop for morning tea and lunch, which helped break up the journey.
It is hard to explain the feeling of arriving into Golega. It is an equestrian town, and it looked to me like little expense had been spared on the stables, accommodation and infrastructure. Needless to say, I loved it.
Our accommodation looked as though it belonged in the pages of a high-end travel magazine - and it didn’t disappoint. I could easily have stayed here for an extended period of time. The room was beautiful, and with an indoor heated pool, jacuzzi and steam room, there was really only one place we were going to spend our afternoon.
We dinned in at the hotel restaurant that evening, and again it was exceptional. Breakfast the follwoning morning was equally impressive. It really was hard to leave Golega.
DAY 6 - WALK TO TOMAR
32.7KM (47,775 steps)
It was very hard to leave our beautiful hotel, but the walk out of Golega was delightful, with everything around us reflecting the town’s equestrian heritage. We walked along a main road for a while, but being a Sunday, the traffic was thankfully quiet. We did enjoy spotting the Storks, which had built enourmous nests on the electrical towers along the way.
We walked through little villages, where people’s gardens were the showpieces - from roses to fruit trees. Later, we followed the river, with beautiful weeping willows and fig trees lining the way. It was sad to see so many abandoned houses, you couldn’t help but imagine restoring one of them.
We hiked through another eucalyptus forest, before we started to see the signs for Tomar.
Tomar is a charming city, and is know for it connection to the Knights Templar. I really wish we could have spent an extra day there, as there was so much to see and explore, but it will be a good excuse to revisit Portugal in the future.
Once again, our travel company has provided spectacular accommodation, complete with an indoor heated pool, a bar and a restaurant. After another 32 km day, the pool didn’t take too much convincing.
DAY 7 - WALK TO ALVAIAZERE
32.5KM (47,750 steps)
Today’s walk was more strenuous than the previous few days, with plenty of hills to contend with. It was still beautiful, and we walked over ancient bridges, along the riverbank and through olive groves. The beautiful wild flowers were todays main attraction - they seemed to be everywhere.
Our accommodation was simple but perfectly suited the small village we were staying in. There was no swimming pool, but we did have a bath tub and that worked wonders for sore muscles.
Being a small village, there wasn’t a lot of choice for dinner, but the restaurant attached to our hotel was lovely and had a real home-cooked feel to it. A few other pilgrims were staying and dining there too, so it was nice to sit and share stories with them.
DAY 8 - WALK TO ALVORGE
26.1KM (39,166 steps)
It was a lot easier to get going this morning knowing we didn’t have quite as far to walk - we have put our 30+ km days behind us for a while. The scenery was very similar to the day before, with eucalyptus forests, olive groves and tiny villages where even the smallest houses seemed to have the most amazing gardens.
A herd of sheep follow us for a while before they decided they weren’t silly enough to walk the Camino! A lot of our fellow pilgrims had a much shorter day, finishing in the town of Ansiao. For us, this was our lunch stop and a chance to stop at the local supermarket for a few supplies.
We continued on to Alvorge, only to discover that reaching the village didn’t quite mean we had finished - we still had another 2km of uphill hiking to reach our accommodation.
Our accommodation was pretty and authentic, complete with a swimming pool. The hosts also owned a restaurant 900 meters away, which was where we had our dinner and breakfast. These last two nights hadn’t been Michelin recommended restaurants, but the warmth and simplicity of home cooking made them every bit as memorable.
DAY 9 - WALK TO CONIMBRIGA
20.6KM (31,000 steps)
A sunny but crisp start to our day - perfect walking conditions. We took our day packs with us to breakfast, as we don’t want to add any more kilometres to our trip by backtracking to our accommodation.
The walk was again through farmland, vineyards, olive groves and eucalyptus forest. The towns were small and lovely, but we couldn’t find any cafe’s for morning tea. We were thankful for our supermarket visit the day before, and enjoyed our trail mix sitting by the river.
We passed ancient bridges and the famous Roman Ruins of Conimbriga, one of the largest and best preserved Roman settlements in Portugal. We then arrived in the large town of Conimbriga, and there are plenty of cafes, and eating places. However, we were not technically staying in Conimbriga, our accommodation was in Condexia ( a couple of kilometres further on), so we decided to keep walking and see what happend. To our delight, we entered an upmarket suburb, and come across a beautiful modern cafe - heaven!!! The gourmet sandwiches and fresh juice really hit the spot.
Our hotel was outstanding and once again we had a heated pool, spa and jacuzzi. The restaurant and bar were also first class, and it was lovely to finish the day sharing a wine with a few fellow pilgrims.
DAY 10 - WALK TO COIMBRA
18.7KM (30,00 steps)
Our walk today felt like a stroll in the park. After leaving our beautiful accommodation, we walked past properties that are on larger parcels of land, with amazing vegetable gardens and fruit trees.
Then we hit repeat…farm land and eucalyptus forests, until we reached the outskirts of the university town of Coimbra. We did have a few main roads to navigate, but we are experts now, and the yellow arrows kept us on track. Interestingly, the freeway was built through the old Roman walls, and there were houses built on Roman foundations.
The first view of Coimbra was stunning - and even better, it was all downhill from this point. We passed church after church, and threw in a monastery for good measure.
The cafés were fantastic, so we stopped for lunch and a cheeky rosé ( we didn’t have far to go to our hotel). The World Rally Car Championship was in town, which added to the buzzy atmosphere. Coimbra has plenty of restaurants, and, amazingly we had friends staying in town, so we all shared an outstanding meal at a quality Michelin-starred restaurant.
Our hotel was in a good area, easy to find, and it had a pool. Breakfast was great and the room and bed were 5 star. We spent 2 nights here.
DAY 11 - A DAY IN COIMBRA
As we had booked our journey through a tour company, they had very sensibly given us a rest day in Coimbra.
We wandered the streets, found a laundromat and did our washing, stocked up on snacks for the days ahead and generally enjoyed not having to walk 30 kilometres! There was plenty more we could of done - including exploring the university - but sometimes a rest day really does need to be a rest day. - And with the same hotel for more than one night, it felt like a luxury not having to pack our bags in the morning.
Dinner was in the main square at a lovely Italian restaurant, where the atmosphere was fantastic. Graduating students filled the streets and the whole city seemed to be celebrating.
DAY 12 - WALK TO MEALHADA
24.5KM (36,665 steps)
Feeling very refreshed, we started the day with a bounce in a step, but it didn’t take long for the bounce to disappear when we discovered roadworks, and the map on our app didn’t quite match up. We had to back track a little bit. The weather forecast was for rain, but most of it was light and very manageable. The only time it was heavy was just before lunch, and the downpour had us stopping at the closest restaurant - which fortunately, had wonderful food. The sun came out just as we were ready to leave, and it became very hot.
An absolute highlight of the day was in a small village where a church group had set up a tent with food and drinks for both Fátima and Camino pilgrims. With Fatima day approaching, we were meeting quite a few pilgrims walking in the opposite direction. The church group were so welcoming and were very excited to stamp our pilgrim passports. When they heard we were from Australia, a group photo was essential - it’s these little things that mean so much.
The rest of the walk was pleasant - a familiar mix of towns and eucalyptus forests. When we arrived in Mealhada, we have about 400 metres to walk to our beautiful accommodation, when the rain started, and ….it was heavy. There was plenty of thunder too, so we walked pretty fast. We didn’t see any lightning until we were safely in our room.
Unfortunately, the storm ruled out swimming in the pool, and we opted to stay in for the night and eat some of our supplies rather than venture back into town for dinner.
DAY 13 WALK TO AGUEDA
26.1KM (37,880 steps)
The weather was a mixed bag today, - small amounts of rain, but no sooner had we put on our wet weather gear, than the sun would come out and sunglasses and hat were needed.
The walk was pleasant, through small towns - I love the signs and murals dedicated to the Camino - , as well as some industrial areas, vineyards and wineries. But it was Sunday, so everything was closed, including the churches !! The cafes that were open weren’t particularly appealing, so we chose to keep walking to Agueda.
Agueda is a beautiful town, famous for its Umbrella Street - but there were no umbrellas!! We discovered that they don’t go up untily July , Luckily, there were a few Umbrellas on the bridge as we arrived into town, so we didn’t miss out completely.
Our hotel was perfectly positioned - right next to Umbrella Street - and met all our requirements - comfortable bed, nice bathroom, bar…although no swimming pool here! The only problem was that the hotel restaurant was closed on Sundays.
The receptionist told us of two restaurants that were open on a Sunday, so we went for a walk along the river to see what we could find. We ended up discovering a brand-new restaurant that had only been opened for two weeks. They were incredibly welcoming, and the food and wine were very enjoyable - a lovely way to finish the day.
DAY 14 - WALK TO ALBERGARIA A VELHA
16.5 KM (24,00 steps)
An interesting concept today - as there is no accommodation up to our standard ( I do love this !!) in Albergaria A Velha, we walk there and then get a taxi transfer back to Augeda. It is an added bonus to stay two nights in the same hotel.
The weather forecast was grim, with rain and storms predicted, but we manage to time our walk to perfection, arriving into town moments before the downpour.
Todays travels are a walk in the park…although the first park, is an industrial one!! We soon walk through small towns with a few big hills to challenge us. The other challenge is having to cross two major roads without a crossing or lights. At this point, I am pleased that we are getting a transfer back.
We walk through pine and eucalyptus forest, and over a beautiful stone bridge across the Rio Marnel. This part I liked.
In town, we find a beautiful pastelaria where we enjoyed lunch and keeping dry, until our taxi arrived to transport us back to Agueda.
DAY 15 - WALK TO OLIVEIRA DE AZEMEIS
21.5 KM (31,313 steps)
After breakfast, we were transferred back to Albergaria A Velha. From here, we had an enjoyable walk through the backstreets of town before reaching yet another eucalyptus forest. I was told that the reason there are so many eucalyptus plantations in Portugal is because they are a cheap option for making paper.
There are a lot of smaller villages to walk through and a few main roads to cross - but we are experts at negotiating the traffic now. Today, the path takes us parallel to the railway line - we’re not experts at that yet!!
We had a short heavy rain shower, and were fortunate enough to be close to an enclosed “foot bathing” pavilion - these are everywhere along the track. So we sat and waited for the sun to reappear. We still had about 7km to go before we reached Oliveira de Azeméis.
Our hotel is 4 star, and has a great bar and a great restaurant. The maître d’ puts on quite a show slicing the leg of ham ever so finely. It was also fun to meet some fellow Australians who were cycling the Camino.
DAY 16 - WALK TO MALAPOSTA
17.21 KM (26,300 steps)
Todays walk was all urban. I still loved looking at all the houses and admiring the flower and vegetable gardens. The smell was like walking through pot pourri - with jasmine and roses everywhere.
There were lots of churches today, and even some that were open - so we were able to get our pilgrim passport stamps. The distance was short but there were enough hills to ensure we still did a proper workout.
Our hotel was small but very comfortable, with an indoor pool and jacuzzi - so we were very happy. The restaurant was fun, with lots of locals dining there.
DAY 17 - WALK TO PORTO
32.5 KM (47,500 steps)
It was an early start. We knew the day would be long, but we were excited to meet up with our friends in Porto.
Most of the day was urban, with a combination of cobblestone streets and main roads. In this part of town, everyone seems to own a dog, so we can add barking to our sensory input for today. We do have one section of forest - and we have to go off-piste quite often to avoid huge mud puddles. There were also some large downhill sections that definitely required walking poles.
Eventually, we reached the outskirts of Porto. We walked close to eight km in a straight line to arrive in the city centre. It was buzzy and beautiful. Michael got his directions wrong, and we climbed a huge hill, instead of crossing the river - lucky for him, the views were amazing.
After recalculating our route, we crossed the Douro River, walking side by side with the trains over the Dom Luis 1 Bridge - we can confidently do this now. Our hotel was still a little way off, but the sights and the atmosphere of the city made this part of the walk so enjoyable.
Our hotel was, once again, beautiful, and a two night stay here is just what we needed,
Dinner was at a Michelin-starred restaurant overlooking the Douro river. It was nothing short of fantastic - and felt like the perfect celebration for completing Part 1 of our Portuguese Camino.
Continue the journey: A Day in Porto
Next: Portuguese Camino - Part 2: Porto to Santiago de Compostela
The Things I loved
Carefree travel. Having accommodation pre-booked, and knowing your luggage was being transported to your next hotel was definitely a luxury.
Hotels. No Albergues for this pilgrim. White sheets, fluffy towels and comfortable beds made for a very pleasant journey. It was an added bonus if the hotel had a swimming pool and/or jacuzzi.
My Michelin App. Many of the towns we stayed in had at least a Michelin recommended restaurant. These are the little details that make a trip special.
People greeting you with Bon Dia (Good day) or Bom Camino ( Good Camino). Everyone was genuinely supportive and friendly, and it just made you feel special.
Pastel de nata’s - Portuguese Tarts. Lucky for me, I walked these off.
Towns with Laundromats. - The Laundromats were so easy to use, and who doesn’t love fresh clothes, even if you are walking.
Appreciating all the beauty that was around us. We were never in a hurry to get to point B. Half the fun is the discoveries along the way.
The Things I didn’t love
Busy Roads. For some of this hike, you are walking alongside major motorways, and the trucks and cars are travelling at high speed.
Industrial Estates. This is a necessary part of the hike, they weren’t scary, I just didn’t like them, and they don’t mention them in the brouchures. I would much prefer to be walking through beautiful forests, farmlands and quaint towns.
Thunderstorms. There was nothing we could do about them, again, I just didn’t like them. It is always good to be prepared and know how far away you are from a nice cafe or pastelaria to wait it out.
Recommendations
Good socks ( I used merino wool toe socks - no blisters!!) and good shoes. Everyone is different, but you do not need hiking boots. I would recommend a trail running shoe that is light and bouncy.
Comfortable clothes. Layers are a great idea, depending on the time of year you walk. In April / May we had lovely temperatures, but sometimes the mornings were a little bit cool. Merino wool is a great option for your shirt.
A good rain jacket. We used the poncho style, as it also covered our day pack. It was lightweight, and was easy to fold up. Another advantage was that we could use them as a picnic blanket.
Pick up your Pilgrim Passports from Lisbon Cathedral the day before you start your walk, otherwise you may have to wait until 9.30am to get your credentials started. Your Pilgrim passport is where you collect stamps from your accommodation, places you stop to eat, or other places you visit, such as churches. To get your certificate at the end of your walk, you have to present your Pilgrim passport to the official office in Santiago de Compostela. Generally, you require one stamp per day, until you are 100 km from Santiage de Compostela - then you require 2 stamps per day.
Download a few audio books or podcasts. During the day, it is great to have time to yourself and listen to something else besides your travelling companion. I highly recommend “Mad Mabel” by Sally Hepworth.
Snacks. It is amazing what a few little snacks can do when you are feeling really tired. We bought snap lock bags, and would fill these every couple of days with supplies purchased in different towns.
Power bank. It is easy to recharge everything overnight at your hotel, however, your phone will use up a lot of power during the day, and you don’t want it to be flat when you see that amazing photo opportunity, or need to check the maps because you haven’t seen a yellow arrow for a while.
E-sim. A great option to have access to everything on your mobile phone, without worrying about data usage. We signed up before we left Australia and activated it at the airport.
Michelin App. As I already mentioned, this is a luxury accessory, and one that comes in very handy.
Stretching. I can’t stress this enough. It became our routine, and was the first thing we did when we entered our hotel room. AI can write you a personalized plan.
Rest day in some of the large towns. Don’t be in a hurry to do the Camion fast. It isn’t cheating if you have a rest day, and discover the town you are staying in - you will still walk about 10 km !!
Walk slow and enjoy the scenery.
