Walking the Portuguese Camino in Comfort - Hotels, Luggage Transfers and a Little Luxury

Walking the Camino doesn't have to mean sleeping in albergues, carrying a heavy backpack or organising every detail yourself.

When I first started researching the Portuguese Camino, I found plenty of information about traditional pilgrim accommodation, but very little about walking the route while staying in comfortable hotels.

I loved the idea of walking the Camino, but I also liked the thought of a comfortable bed, my own bathroom and a good glass of wine at the end of each day!

Then there was the planning. How far should we walk each day? Where should we stay? How would we arrange luggage transfers? And how could we be sure everything would come together?

We decided to book through Macs Adventure, who organised our accommodation, daily walking itinerary and luggage transfers.

It meant we could enjoy the independence of walking the Camino at our own pace, without having to worry about all the arrangements along the way.

And for us, that was exactly the experience we were looking for.

The best of both worlds

For us, one of the greatest advantages was having the planning taken care of before we left home.

We knew how far we would be walking each day, where we would be staying and that our luggage would be waiting for us at our next accommodation. All we needed to carry was a daypack.

And after a long day of walking, there was something rather lovely about arriving at a comfortable hotel, having a hot shower and heading out to find somewhere for dinner and a glass of wine.

We still had the freedom to stop for coffee, explore little villages and enjoy the journey at our own pace. We simply didn't have to worry about the logistics.

Would I recommend this way of walking the Camino?

Absolutely. If you love the idea of walking the Camino but aren't particularly enthusiastic about shared accommodation or carrying a heavy backpack, it's worth considering a self-guided walking holiday with accommodation and luggage transfers arranged for you.

For us, it made the experience enjoyable without taking away the sense of achievement.

Read about our Portuguese Camino adventures

We walked the Portuguese Camino in two parts, and I've shared our experiences, photographs and favourite moments in the following stories:

Camino Portuguese — Lisbon to Porto

Our first adventure, walking independently from Lisbon to Porto.

Camino Portuguese — Porto to Santiago de Compostela

The next stage of our journey, walking with friends and eventually arriving in Santiago de Compostela.