Camino Portugués 2015
I already had a plan before landing in Lisbon. First of all I wanted to walk from the airport in to central city so I did. I stayed in town for a couple of days for some sightseeing before I got my first stamp and credential in the cathedral and followed the yellow arrows out of town. The first days of my pilgrimage I walked with a woman from Canada and we had a great time together but in the end we had different timetables and I had to leave her behind. Before my flight from Sweden I talked to a lovely girl and we decided to meet up in Porto for a couple of days to talk some more. We joined a run called Urban Trail Run and it was really fun. Sightseeing while running in the dark alleys with a lot of other people. Why not! From Porto I walked along the riverside out to the coast and then followed the coast up to Caminha. This part of the trail is wonderful and I think you should walk this part if you’re able to. I can’t say that I followed the yellow markers every day and every hour, and I think it’s supposed to be like that. Follow your heart and bounce on and off the trail every now and then. Collecting shells while listening to the birds and the waves is good for the soul and when you’re thirsty you just take the first coffee shop you see. When I reached Caminha I followed the river inland and re-joined my planned route from Tui, Spain. Over all I think this trail is great! You meet less pilgrims on this trail compared to the French one and you have more time for yourself and the nature around you. Overall I walked ~620km (~385miles).
Notes from my field journal
“On Camino Portuguese you will have a lot of time alone with your thoughts. I walked with 5 people in total between Lisbon and Santiago. It’s less crowded then the French Way, or at least it was for me. From Porto I talked to other pilgrims but they took the inner route and I decided to walk along the coast.”
“I payed between 6€ – 50€ a day. In albergues and hostels around 6-15€ and along the coast from Porto to Caminha I stayed in hotels and therefore payed much more. From Tui to Santiago I payed average 10€ per night. In bigger cities I also chose to pay a little bit more in general. A nice place to stay could for example be Tattva Design Hostel in Porto.”
“Another day at the office. We didn’t follow the coastal route today because it was to far away from the beach.”
“Emelie and I will off course join the race this evening. Proper sightseeing! Headlights on!”
“Woohoo I did well so far.. I’m alive, I’m happy, I’m in Porto!”
Map
My days
- Lisboa – Alverca do Ribatejo
- Alverca do Ribatejo – Azambuja
- Azambuja – Santarém
- Santarém – Golegã
- Golegã – Tomar
- Tomar – Alvaiázere
- Alvaiázere – Rabaçal
- Rabaçal – Coimbra
- Coimbra – Anadia
- Anadia – Albergaria-a-Velha
- Albergaria-a-Velha – São João da Madeira
- São João da Madeira – Porto
- Porto – Vila do Conde
- Vila do Conde – Esposende
- Esposende – Viana do Castelo
- Viana do Castelo – Tui
- Tui – Arcade
- Arcade – Caldas de Reis
- Caldas de Reis – Padrón
- Padrón – Santiago de Compostela
My gear
- Waterproof bag, 30 liters
- Sunglasses and regular glasses
- John Brierleys guidebook
- Cellphone with charger and headphones
(for notes, torch, maps, music, camera, calling home, bills) - Passport and Visacard
- Toothbrush and toothpaste
- Small soap
- Shirt (long sleeves) wool
- T-shirt wool
- Small first aid kit
- Underwear x2
- Buff for my head
- Fleece
- Socks x2
- Shell jacket
- Shorts
- Runners (Salomon)
- Liner to sleep in
- A shell
- Towel
Testimonials
“Even though Daniel has a great sense of humor and is always up for joking around, I would say still waters run deep! On the size of his little backpack – sometimes less is more – you could immediately see that Daniel is an experienced walker, hiker or pilgrim whatever you want to call it. You would never hear a complaint from Daniel, but only acknowledging the bright side of life!”
Judith Ta, Germany
“I met Daniel from Sweden through his post on the Camino pilgrims forum. We met for an morning beer in Lisbon and decided that we would start our Camino together. Daniel speaks excellent English and made me laugh at everything. His comedic sense of timing was much appreciated as was the fact that I know he slowed his pace down dramatically so that we could walk together.”
Kari Gale, USA
“I had the pleasure of walking with Daniel for a few days on the Camino Portuguese this October. During that time I came to realise he is quite an insightful person with the ability to be very task focused but at the same time thoughtful of other people. It was a walk where we shared interesting conversation and comfortable silences.”
Peter O’Meara, Thailand
Emelie and I started in Porto some time later and got engaged. You can read about it here.