Balugães to Ponte de Lima. Day Five on the Camino Portugués Central Route

Day five would see me walk from Balugães to Ponte de Lima. At a reasonable 12.16 miles (19.57 kms), and with the sun shining the whole way, it proved to be my favourite day on the Camino Portugués so far.

Day Five: Balugães to Ponte de Lima
Date: Monday 25 April 2022
Start Point: Quinta de Cancela, Balugães
End Point: Terraco da Vila, Ponte de Lima
Distance Walked: 12.16 miles (19.57 kms)
Time Taken: 4 hours 45 minutes (including rest stops)
Weather: Mostly sunny with some clouds

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One of the perks of staying in the countryside is that, apart from a few dogs barking in the distance, there were no other sounds to be heard through the night at Quinta da Cancela so I slept like a baby, waking up early to a low mist hanging over the fields outside my bedroom window.

The six American pilgrims I’d met on day four had also stayed at Quinta da Cancela and were just setting off as I was going for breakfast. We chatted about our plans for the day and then they were off, although our paths did cross a few times during the day’s walk.

Pamela joined me again in the dining room and, I have to say, breakfast was just as good as dinner the previous evening – bread, cheese, pastries, orange juice, fruit, granola and yogurt, and coffee. It was a veritable feast and Joana was happy for us to take what we couldn’t finish so that we had some snacks for the road.

I was ready to set off shortly before 9am and Joana showed me a shortcut through the grounds which would take me straight to the Camino.

Leaving Balugães

I hadn’t been on the road for long when I came across a table set up in front of someone’s house with baskets full of goodies for weary pilgrims. As I’d only just had breakfast I didn’t take anything (there was an honesty box on the table) but I love the idea of helping pilgrims on their way.

I passed the tiny church of São Martinho and then, leaving Balugães behind, walked through vineyards and lush green countryside.

It wasn’t long before I passed Casa Fernanda in Vitorino dos Piães. Casa Fernanda is legendary on Camino forums and in Facebook groups as one of the best places to stay on the Camino Portugués and, as I walked past, Fernanda’s husband was tending to their vegetable garden – presumably picking veg for that evening’s dinner.

A mile or so later I passed the church in the village of Vitorino dos Piães.

By now I’d been walking about two hours and, apart from some pilgrims in the distance up ahead, the only other life I’d seen were sheep.

On the road

Walking along a mixture of dirt tracks, cobbled paths and, occasionally, some paved roads, I was really enjoying my day. The sun was shining, the birds were singing, and the hedgerows and gardens I passed were a riot of spring flowers.

A sign told me I was 9 kms from Ponte de Lima with the yellow arrow pointing to a downhill track through woodland where there was some respite from the sun.

Along the path was a shaded seating area with a fountain and shrine where, as well as the usual collection of rocks left by pilgrims, there was a copy of Dale Carnegie’s book ‘How to Win Friends and Influence People’. An unusual choice of reading matter for the Camino perhaps…

Eventually I reached the small Capela de São Sebastião and the nearby shrine to St James alongside vineyards stretching into the distance.

Continuing through Facha there’s a tree where pilgrims have left rocks and other items including boots, rosary beads, scallop shells, and photos of loved ones, and a little further along the road, there’s a lovely seating area for weary pilgrims.

Shortly after, there’s a large pilgrim statue and, as I reached Seara, a pilgrim shrine on the corner of the N203.  

By now I was starting to feel a little peckish so I stopped at Mariaestina. As I was arriving, the two Danish women who I keep bumping into along the way were just leaving, having spent the night at Casa Fernanda.

I ordered a coffee and two pasteis de nata and took a seat outside under the shade as, by now, the sun was beating down.

My elevenses were just what I needed for the next stage of my day so I hoisted my pack on again and set off, but not before getting a sello for my credencial – I’m getting much better at remembering to ask for these!

The rest of my walk took me through more lovely countryside and small villages where there were more shrines at frequent intervals along the way.

Walking through the parish of Correlhã I passed a mural of Countess Teresa de Leão on her pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela in the 11^th century.

I crossed a small bridge by the small Nossa Senhora das Neves chapel and stopped here to get a sello for my credencial. The church was empty but there was a small table set up for pilgrims to stamp their own credencials.

Here the path goes underneath grapevines and carries on alongside the Rio Lima. When I reached the Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Guia I knew I was almost there. I stopped to take a few photos and had a little look inside.  

Reaching Ponte de Lima

I turned on to Avenida dos Platanos, a wide, sycamore tree-lined avenue, to find that the way was lined with market stalls selling everything you could possibly want (and plenty of stuff you probably didn’t)!

It was the Freedom Day public holiday in Portugal, as well as market day in Ponte de Lima, so the town was buzzing with activity.

I was staying at Terraço da Vila close to the bridge over the river. I put the address into Google Maps so that I could find it easily and, when the app told me I’d reached my destination I must admit to being a bit doubtful as the building really didn’t look like a guesthouse. Just as I was about to ring the bell anyway, a woman came running out of the bakery across the road waving her arms in the air and shouting something in Portuguese. I managed to tell her where I was looking for and she pointed in the right direction as it turns out that it wasn’t where Google Maps said but, luckily, it was just along the road so I didn’t have far to walk.

I had a small single room with a private bathroom and a shared kitchen/living area, and there was also a small roof terrace.

You can read about all my accommodation choices on the Central route of the Camino Portugués here.

Exploring Ponte de Lima

I have to admit, my feet were killing me by the time I reached Ponte de Lima. Those cobbles don’t do anyone’s feet any good so I was happily counting down the days until I reached Spain and sealed roads! Only two to go!

Sore feet weren’t going to stop me having a look around the town and doing some sightseeing though. One of the perks of only walking quite short distances is that it gives me more opportunity to explore my destination each day.

I’d already had a look at the market stalls as I walked into Ponte de Lima so my first port of call was to check out the bridge that gives the town its name.

The crossing over the Rio Lima is actually made up of two bridges – the medieval bridge dates back to 1368, but there are also five arches from a Roman bridge dating from the first century.

At the far end of the bridge is the Igreja de Santo Antonio da Torre Velha with a pretty tiled façade.

On the banks of the Rio Lima there’s a statue of a Roman Captain on horseback, on one side, while on the other side his troops are lined up facing him.

The Legend of the Roman Soldiers

Legend has it that in AD 135, the soldiers refused to cross the river due to its similarities to the river Lethe (river of forgetfulness) one of the five mythical rivers of the Underworld. They feared that, if they crossed or drank from it, the river would erase their memories.

In order to show the soldiers they were mistaken, the Captain, Decius Junius Brutus, crossed the river and, once on the other side, called to the soldiers by name to prove that this wasn’t the river of forgetfulness.

After stopping for a bite to eat I had a wander around the pretty historic centre of Ponte de Lima just before sunset.

By this point the market traders had packed up so I was able to get a better view of the statues on Avenida dos Platanos and admire the views across the river.

Ponte de Lima would make a good place for a rest day as there seems to be a lot to see and do – I would have liked to visit Museu do Brinquedo (the toy museum) and have a stroll around Parque do Arnado. There’s also the Centro de Interpretação e Promoção do Vinho Verde, a museum dedicated to Vinho Verde, Portugal’s famed wine.

In addition, every year between May and October Ponte de Lima hosts an International Garden Festival – I was just a week too early unfortunately.

Today’s Credencial Sellos

Three sellos for me today – the first from my pastel de nata stop, the second from Nossa Senhora das Neves (not the most exciting of sellos it has to be said), and the third from my accommodation for the night.

If you want to walk the Camino but don’t know where to begin I’ve written this Camino Portugués planning guide which tells you everything you need to know and outlines all the steps you need to take to get you on your way.

Highlights of Day Five

The countryside between Balugães and Ponte de Lima is beautiful – calla lilies grow along the roadsides and all the gardens I passed were in full bloom. Spring is definitely a good time to walk.

Lowlights of Day Five

I honestly can’t think of anything that I didn’t enjoy on day five. Well, the cobbles obviously, but I think I’ve made my thoughts on them very clear on previous days! Fortunately, my blister from day three hasn’t given me any issues whatsoever and the Compeed plaster I put on in Barcelos is still in place and working its magic.

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Bom Caminho/Buen Camino

Follow my Camino Portugués Central route adventure:
Day 1 – Porto to Vila Chã
Day 2 – Vila Chã to São Pedro de Rates
Day 3 – São Pedro de Rates to Barcelos
Day 4 – Barcelos to Balugães
Day 5 – Balugães to Ponte de Lima
Day 6 – Ponte de Lima to Rubiães
Day 7 – Rubiães to Tui
Day 8 – Tui to O Porriño
Day 9 – O Porriño to Redondela
Day 10 – Redondela to Pontevedra
Day 11 – Pontevedra to Armenteira
Day 12 – Armenteira to Vilanova de Arousa
Day 13 – Vilanova de Arousa to Cruces
Day 14 – Cruces to Santiago de Compostela

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