If you’re thinking about walking the Camino Portugués for the first time it can be daunting – trying to decide which route to take, how far to walk each day, where to stay, what to pack, all things that can easily leave you feeling overwhelmed.
You’ll no doubt have plenty of questions which is why I’ve put together this Camino Portugués planning guide to explain the steps I followed to plan each of my Caminos and how you can plan yours without needing to use a specialist company to do it all for you. I’ve nothing against companies that plan everything for you but, apart from the fact that they’re expensive, part of the fun of the Camino starts at the planning stage before you even begin to walk.
Now I know there are some people who are happy to wing it and just turn up in Porto with no plan in mind other than to start walking but I’m most definitely not one of those people. I like to know where I’ll be staying each night for one thing and, for me, the planning up front makes for a much less stressful trip.
If you’re like me and want to have at least some plans in place read on!
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Camino Portugués Planning Step One: Deciding which route to take
It’s not simply a case of deciding to walk the Camino Portugués – you also have to decide which route you’re going to take as there are actually three routes you can choose.
Central Route – this is the traditional route from Porto to Santiago which follows an inland path.
Coastal Route – this is slightly longer than the central route and follows the Atlantic coastline for much of the way. However, despite its name, a lot of the Coastal route is actually inland and not as coastal as you would expect.
Senda Litoral – this is a variation of the Coastal route and shares its path for much of the way. However, the Senda Litoral runs totally along the coast so when the Coastal route heads inland the Senda Litoral stays by the ocean.
All three routes do eventually merge in Redondela and, once you leave Pontevedra, you have the option of following the Variante Espiritual (Spiritual Variant) which adds an extra day to your walk but, if you have the time, is worth doing.
Read everything you need to know about the Spiritual Variant
To help you choose the right route for you think about how long you have to walk, bearing in mind that the Coastal route is longer than the Central route so you’ll possibly need an extra day to complete it depending on what your average daily distance is likely to be. However, it’s totally feasible to do either in two weeks (or less if you plan to walk longer daily distances).
If you need help deciding read ‘Camino Portugués – Central or Coastal Route?’
Choose your starting point
Once you’ve decided which route to take you need to decide where you’re going to start which will be dependent on how long you have. This will also impact on the distance you’ll be walking each day.
If you have the time you can start in Lisbon which is a total distance of around 380 miles (615 kms). However, most people start in Porto which is around 150 miles (245 kms) on the Central route and 160 miles (255 kms) on the Coastal route.
If you have two weeks you can easily walk from Porto to Santiago. On my first Camino I walked the Central route and Spiritual Variant and completed it in 14 days while for my second Camino I walked a combination of the Senda Litoral and Coastal route and completed it in 13 days.
If you don’t have time to walk from Porto then you can start in either Tui (on the Central route) or Vigo (on the Coastal route) and arrive in Santiago within five or six days.
Read more about walking the last 100 kms of the Camino Portugués
Do you need a rest day?
From experience you don’t need a rest day but there are some lovely towns where it would certainly be nice to spend more time including Barcelos or Ponte de Lima on the Central route, Viano do Castelo or Baiona on the Coastal route, and Pontevedra after the two routes merge. The Cies Islands would also make a great day trip from Vigo.
Although I didn’t take any rest days I did enjoy spending a few days in Porto ahead of my Camino and then a few days in Santiago at the end so, if you can, factor in some time at the beginning and end of your Camino to enjoy these two very different cities.
Read these posts for things to do in Porto before the Camino and things to do in Santiago after the Camino
You might also decide to go to Muxia or Finisterre at the end of your Camino which can easily be done as a day trip from Santiago. I have a blog post to come about this soon.
Camino Portugués Planning Step Two: Deciding when to walk
I walked the Central route in April/May and, for the most part, had decent weather with just a few wet days. Conversely, when I walked the Coastal route in September/October I was hoping for some pleasant autumnal weather but got a lot more rain than I bargained for.
Spring. This is a generally a good time to walk as the weather is mild and you shouldn’t encounter too many wet days.
Summer. This is the hottest time of year and, if you’re walking the coastal route, it will also be the busiest time for tourists so you might struggle to find available accommodation. Prices will also be higher for hotels if you’re not planning to stay in albergues.
Autumn. Like spring, this time of year generally has mild weather and drier days but, after my last Camino nothing is guaranteed!
Winter. Apart from the likelihood of bad weather, many places will be closed so you might struggle to find accommodation, as well as places to eat and drink along the way.
Portugal and Spain both have lots of holidays and festivals throughout the year so it’s worth checking if there are any happening while you plan to walk as you might find some, if not all, shops and restaurants closed, and accommodation might be harder to come by.
As well as public holidays and annual festivals, it’s worth checking whether there are any other big events taking place while you walk. For example, I struggled to find reasonably priced accommodation in Vigo as there was a big Champions League football match taking place.
Camino Portugués Planning Step Three: Planning your daily stages
Once you’ve decided whether you’re going to walk the Central route, the Coastal route, or the Senda Litoral (or a mix of all three) you can start to plan your daily walking stages and accommodation, if you’re planning to book it in advance.
While you might be able to comfortably walk 20 miles (32 kms) don’t forget that, on the Camino, you’ll not only be carrying your backpack but you’ll be walking on consecutive days so don’t overestimate your abilities.
My shortest walk was 8.36 miles (13.45 kms) between Pontecesures and Cruces on the Spiritual Variant while my longest was 18 miles (28.97 kms) between Baiona and Vigo on the Senda Litoral.
Over the course of both Caminos I found that around 12 miles (approximately 20 kms) was my sweet spot. The longer days just weren’t as enjoyable, especially in poor weather (hot weather would be another reason not to walk too far) and left little time for exploring my destination at the end of the day.
Sometimes you do have to walk further than you’d like due to accommodation options (or lack thereof). For example, if you’re taking the Senda Litoral out of Porto there isn’t much accommodation after Matosinhos (which is less than 7 miles (around 11 kms) out of Porto so perhaps too short for a first day) and before Vila do Conde (around 21 miles (34 kms) from Porto so a bit too long for day one). Similarly, if you take the Spiritual Variant it’s a long walk between Armenteira and Vilanova de Arousa with not much in between.
To help you plan your stages I’d suggest a downloading an app or buying a guidebook (or both).
Best apps for the Camino Portugués
I like the Camino Ninja app and have used it for both my Caminos. Once you’ve selected the route you want to walk you can select a start and end point for each day and it gives you the distance between the two. It’s also handy to use during the day as you can easily follow the map if you’re unsure of which way to go and can’t find a helpful yellow arrow.
Other popular apps to help with your planning are Wise Pilgrim and Buen Camino. All are available for iPhone and Android.
Best guidebooks for the Camino Portugués
There are a few guidebooks for the Camino Portugués. The John Brierley guide is very popular but I used the Cicerone guide by Kat Davis and Howard Miller.
If you don’t want to carry a physical book with you (remember you’ll need to keep the weight down if you’re carrying your backpack all the way) you can get the Kindle version. Even if you don’t have a Kindle you can download the app to read it on your phone.
Be aware that the stages in the guidebooks are suggestions only. You don’t have to slavishly stick to them – it’s your Camino so only walk distances you’re comfortable with.
Camino Portugués Planning Step Four: Setting your budget
I’ve put this section here as you’ll need to know your budget before you start to think about your accommodation.
How much you’ll spend on the Camino is entirely up to you. If you decide to stay in municipal albergues, make your own lunches, and cook for yourself or enjoy a pilgrim meal in the evening then you can get by on very little.
However, if you’re staying in private rooms and eating at fancier restaurants you can certainly spend a lot.
Don’t forget that as well as the cost of your accommodation and food you’ll also need to think about things like laundry, unless you’re washing everything by hand in the sink, and if you’re planning to do any sightseeing you may have to pay entry fees for museums or other activities.
Don’t forget to factor in the cost of getting to and from Portugal and Spain too. Depending on where you’re flying from you may be able to get cheap airfares – I’m covering this further on in the post.
Think about walking gear too and whether you need to buy anything new or whether you can use what you already have. A good backpack and decent pair of walking shoes will be your biggest expense.
Camino Portugués Planning Step Five: Booking your accommodation
Now that you’ve picked your route and decided how long you want to spend walking it’s time to think about your accommodation options.
There are several types of accommodation and what you choose will depend on how you like to travel as well as the budget you have.
Albergues are hostels specifically for pilgrims. There are two types – municipal and private. Municipal albergues are the cheapest but are only for use by pilgrims so you’ll need to show your pilgrim passport to stay in one. They can’t be booked in advance which is one reason so many pilgrims set off early each day. Private albergues are slightly more expensive but are open to anyone and can be booked in advance.
Although some private albergues do have private rooms, if communal sleeping isn’t your thing you’ll need to book private accommodation whether that’s in a hotel, B & B, guesthouse or apartment.
Are you going to book ahead or be spontaneous?
As I mentioned earlier I’m very much a planner so I booked all my accommodation ahead using Booking.com. There were a few reasons for this. Firstly, I didn’t want to stay in hostels unless I absolutely had to (shared accommodation is really not my idea of fun). Secondly, when I walked the Coastal route I was walking with a friend so we decided to stay in apartments wherever we could. Booking private rooms also meant that, for the most part, I had an ensuite bathroom so didn’t have to queue for a shower or the toilet, and I knew exactly where I would be sleeping every night so I didn’t have to set off early to be sure of getting a bed.
You might also want to think about how you sleep. If you’re a light sleeper then large dorm rooms won’t really give you a good night’s sleep. Likewise, if you snore you’ll be the one stopping others from having a decent rest. Remember too that albergues and hostels are most likely to have bunk beds so, if you’ve got bad knees or frequently need to get up in the night for the loo, having a top bunk won’t be ideal.
In dorms you’ll find that, while people might go to bed early (many albergues have a strict lights out policy of around 10pm) they also tend to get up early so be prepared to be woken at the crack of dawn by pilgrims heading out at first light.
If you do plan to book ahead it’s worth choosing accommodation which offers free cancellation in case something goes wrong. I originally started to walk the Coastal route in September 2023 but had to give up after just a few days due to an injury. It meant that I had to cancel all the accommodation that I’d already booked but, thankfully, all offered free cancellation so I didn’t lose out on any money.
You can read about my accommodation choices on the Central route and Coastal route in these posts
Camino Portugués Planning Step Six: Making travel arrangements
Once you’ve picked your route, decided when you’re going, and sorted out your daily stages it’s time to consider some of the other logistics of walking the Camino Portugués.
Getting to Porto
Chances are you’re going to be flying into Porto. Porto’s airport has direct flights from many countries within Europe and further afield.
If your local airport doesn’t fly to Porto you might have to fly into Lisbon and then travel to Porto. Fortunately public transport within Portugal is very good and reasonably priced.
Once you’re at the airport the metro has regular trains (every twenty to thirty minutes) into the city centre (Trindade Station) on the purple line (Line E) which take around half an hour.
You can buy an Andante ticket from the kiosks at the airport – don’t forget to validate it before your journey.
Getting from Santiago de Compostela
Like Porto Santiago de Compostela has regular flights within Europe and worldwide. To get to the airport from the city centre there are regular buses.
If you’ve booked a return flight from Porto you can get back there by bus or train. While the buses are direct, the train journey generally involves a change in Vigo.
Try Omio to find reasonably priced buses and trains within Portugal and Spain.
Camino Portugués Planning Step Seven: Deciding what to pack
This is one area that can make or break your Camino. Packing too little isn’t a problem – there are plenty of places along the way where you can buy anything you’ve forgotten, and you can easily wash your clothes each night. Packing too much, on the other hand, and you’ll be in for a miserable time as you trudge along with a heavy pack on your back.
Getting the right footwear is key – it has to be right for you so don’t be swayed by what everyone is planning to wear. I wore Nike trail runners on my second Camino and loved them but others might not find them as comfortable as I did.
The same goes for your backpack. I used an Osprey Tempest 30 – it wasn’t perfect but it wasn’t far off. This review I wrote has all the details – good and bad.
When it comes to the rest of your gear you can rush out and buy all new (but make sure you try it out fully before the Camino) or you can use whatever you already have at home. The Camino definitely isn’t a fashion show and, after a few weeks of wearing the same clothes, you’ll be glad to get home and into something different!
This is my tried and tested packing list of everything I took on the Camino
Camino Portugués Planning Step Eight: Training
Now the fun begins – it’s time to start preparing for the journey ahead. As well as the physical preparation you need to think about the mental side of your journey too.
Physical preparation
No matter how fit you are you need to remember that, on the Camino, you’ll be walking for anything between four and eight hours a day every day, and on some days even longer.
Make sure that you’ve practiced walking longer distances, preferably on consecutive days and, if you’re going to be carrying your backpack, you must practice walking with it at the weight you’re likely to be carrying.
It’s worth trying out some stretching exercises too to prevent any injuries along the way.
Mental preparation
Doing the Camino for the first time is a massive undertaking so it’s important to manage your expectations. A lot of people talk about finding their Camino family – a group of other pilgrims that they met along the way and formed strong bonds with. If it doesn’t happen to you don’t worry – I met lots of people along the way on my first Camino but only kept in touch with one who I didn’t even meet until the last few days. I certainly didn’t finish the Camino with a big group of lifelong friends.
If you’re walking alone you might feel lonely at times, or uncomfortable. I’m happy travelling solo but I absolutely hate going out to eat at night on my own so I have to push myself out of my comfort zone.
The more you can think about any situations like these upfront the more you’ll feel able to handle them if and when they arise, and the easier you’ll find it to stay motivated.
Camino Portugués Planning Step Nine: Panic!
I’m joking of course, but the closer it gets to your departure date the more the nerves are likely to kick in and you’ll start to have all sorts of questions running through your head. Here are some tips for all those questions that you might not have thought of – yet!
Pilgrim Passport
If you’re starting in Porto it’s easy to pick up your credencial (pilgrim passport) at the Cathedral. However, if you’re starting elsewhere it may be easier to buy one in advance.
The website of the Pilgrim Office in Santiago has all the details of where you can buy one before you set off. Under new rules you will need to collect two stamps per day – you can get these from churches, bars and restaurants, plus your accommodation in most cases.
Keeping in touch
If you’re coming from outside Europe it’s likely you won’t have free data roaming so it’s probably going to be worth getting an eSim for your mobile phone so that you can stay connected to family and friends back home. You’ll find plenty of wifi along the way but having an eSim is an extra comfort particularly if you’re travelling solo.
Airalo is a good choice and has multiple options for Portugal, Spain and Europe as a whole.
Money
All the main towns have banks and you’ll find plenty of ATMs along the way too but don’t carry too much cash as most places will accept debit and credit cards.
I have a Revolut card which means I can easily transfer between currencies and withdraw cash from ATMs, plus it acts as a debit card too. Wise is another alternative which works on the same principle.
Travel Insurance
Don’t even think about travelling without insurance. You might think that nothing bad is going to happen to you but never say never. My partner got bitten by a dog in Australia and our travel insurance covered all the costs involved which included two visits to a doctor, a hospital visit, and medication. It’s definitely better to be safe than sorry.
I use Globelink International who offer value for money insurance for travellers worldwide.
Luggage Transfer
If you’re not planning on carrying your own backpack you’ll need to factor in the cost for luggage transport. Although I carried my pack on my first Camino, I used a luggage transfer service on my second. I used Pilbeo and wasn’t disappointed. We had to have our luggage ready for collection by 8am each day and, without fail, it was already waiting for us in our next accommodation. The cost per bag was €7 per stage for the first ten stages and then €6 per stage for the remainder.
Other options I considered were Caminofacil and Tuitrans.
Safety
If you’re a solo traveller you might be worried about the safety aspect of walking the Camino alone. While Portugal and Spain are generally safe countries to travel in, you should take all the usual precautions that you’d take at home. If you do need the emergency services for any reason the number is 112 or you can download the Alertcops app.
Speaking the language
You don’t have to be fluent but it’s always a good idea to have a few phrases under your belt before heading to a new country.
I’ve found that English is more widely spoken in Portugal than it is in Spain but it might be worth buying a phrasebook to help with the basics so that you can at least ask for directions, order food and drink, and book accommodation if you need to.
If you do want to do some more in depth language learning have a read of this post about learning Spanish for the Camino. The methods can easily be used for Portuguese too.
Travel Adaptors
Unless you’re coming from within Europe you’ll need to bring a travel adaptor as Portugal and Spain have different plug sockets than many countries including the UK, USA, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and South Africa.
You can pick them up cheaply from Amazon including ones that will let you plug in USB cables too.
This is a long post but I’ve hopefully covered everything you need to know to plan the Camino Portugués and make your trip a success. If you’ve got questions that I haven’t covered drop me a line and I’ll get back to you with an answer and update this post so that it becomes a useful guide for future pilgrims.
Better still, why not come and join the Camino Portugués Planning Facebook group and chat with others preparing for their Camino.
Buen Camino
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Hello Alison.
We are considering using e-bikes and taking the coastal route, but so far we have only found guide books for walkers.
Do you know if there is a book for e-bikers?
Best regards.
Paul
Hi Paul, I haven’t seen any guides for e-bikers I’m afraid.
Sorry I can’t help.
Alison