Rates to Barcelos. Day Three on the Camino Portugués Central Route

The plan for day three was to walk from São Pedro de Rates to Barcelos. According to my guide it was only about 10 miles (16 kms) which would mean plenty of time for sightseeing in Barcelos – the first big city since leaving Porto.

Day Three: São Pedro de Rates to Barcelos
Date: Saturday 23 April 2022
Start Point: Casa Anabela, São Pedro de Rates
End Point: Top’Otel, Barcelos
Distance Walked: 11 miles (17.70 kms)
Time Taken: 4 hours 32 minutes (including rest stops)
Weather: Mostly cloudy

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It had been a cold night and I hadn’t had the best sleep in the world but, looking out of my bedroom window, I could see that the sun was shining after yesterday’s rain so I was looking forward to getting on the road.

First things first though – breakfast! I was staying at Casa Anabela, where the dining room table was spread with a feast to get me through a morning of walking.  

There was a group of cyclists also enjoying their breakfast and I got chatting to them about their plans. They had cycled from Porto yesterday (although one had been on the road for longer having cycled from Lisbon) and were planning to reach Tui tonight and cycle into Santiago tomorrow.

I had another filling breakfast – bread, cheese, orange juice, coffee (of course!) and some delicious cake, home-made by Anabela – and was on the road again just before 9am.

Leaving São Pedro de Rates

Getting out of São Pedro de Rates was easy (just follow the main street up the hill) and, as  I passed D’Volta on my way out of town, I was tempted to pop in and stock up on treats to nibble on throughout the day but there wasn’t much space in my backpack and I didn’t fancy squashed cake, delicious though it had been yesterday.

The road soon became a dirt track, passing through farmland and forested areas, and it wasn’t long before I reached the first official way marker – I had 208 kms to go before Santiago. These way markers were like buses – you wait ages for one and then suddenly you get three in quick succession.

I also passed the first (of what would be many) pilgrim shrines.  

Although the early part of the day was on cobbles or stony ground, the route did go along some busy roads including the N306 – luckily there were signs warning motorists to be aware of pilgrims and I never felt in any danger from passing vehicles.

After passing through Pedra Furada, where there’s a church and a stone with a hole in the middle (hence the name – Pedra Furada literally means pierced stone) I somehow missed an arrow and took a wrong turning.

Thankfully, I realised quickly that I was heading in the wrong direction and got back on track without adding too much distance. On the plus side, I got to see this cheeky chap.

Variante da Franqueira

Further along the N306 I spotted a sign for a detour, the Variante da Franqueira. According to the sign this variant would take me uphill through forests of oaks, pines and cork oaks to the top of Monte da Franqueira.

Taking the detour would mean leaving the main road which cuts through Pereira before re-joining the Camino in Carvalhal. It was a no-brainer to get off the main road and take the detour, especially as I only had a short walking day planned.

After almost two miles of uphill walking I reached the Sanctuary of Nossa Senhora da Franqueira. It was a beautiful sunny day at this point and there were lots of very smartly dressed people heading into the Chapel, presumably to a wedding.

There are a couple of viewing areas at the summit with great views as far as the Atlantic Ocean. It was strange to see the sea again as, although I feel like I’ve walked a vast distance, in the grand scheme of things I’ve hardly made any inroads at all into central Portugal.

I then started my descent through woodland. While the uphill had been mostly on tarmac, the downhill was mainly uneven paths and steps, so I was certainly thankful that I’d brought my walking poles with me.

I hadn’t used my poles since leaving Porto but they were very helpful for the downhill stretch and took some of the weight off my knees.  

About halfway down I stopped at the 16^th century Convento dos Frades for a look around (it was closed so I couldn’t go inside unfortunately) before eventually reaching the bottom where I crossed the motorway bridge and walked to Carvalhal where I re-joined the Camino path.

There’s a pretty church in Carvalhal as well as another way marker – this one proclaiming that there are now only 199kms to Santiago!

The rest of the way was through small towns before reaching the N103 where there’s an underpass to cross the motorway. It was then just a short walk through the outskirts of town to Barcelos.

Reaching Barcelos

I arrived in Barcelos (strictly speaking I was staying in Barcelinhos) shortly after 1pm. I was staying at Top’Otel which is right on the Camino just before you cross the bridge into Barcelos.

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

After checking in and showering it was time to tend to my feet as today was the day that I felt my first blister forming on the ball of my left foot. I covered it with a Compeed plaster and crossed my fingers that it wouldn’t get any worse!

I changed into my Izas walking sandals that were so comfortable I didn’t even notice that I had a blister, and then headed out to see the sights – and find some food!

Exploring Barcelos

Barcelos, and its twin town Barcelinhos, sit on opposite banks of the Rio Cavado.

From the Barcelinhos side, I was rewarded with a view of the ruined Paço dos Condes de Barcelos (Counts of Barcelos Palace) just across the medieval bridge.

The palace dates back to the 15^th century and although it’s now in ruins it was worth a wander through – there are some interesting tiles and stonework.

I wandered up through the main shopping area to Campo da Republica where the annual Festa das Cruzes (Festival of the Crosses) is held. Although not due to start for another few days, a funfair was already in full swing and, as it was a Saturday afternoon, the area was buzzing with activity.

I would have loved to have been in Barcelos for the festival as, apparently, it has carpets of petals and a battle of flowers, not to mention processions, parties and fireworks.

On the corner of the fairground I passed the Igreja do Bom Jesus da Cruz – I’ll be seeing it again tomorrow as the Camino passes this way – and the beautiful Jardim das Barrocas .

Walking round the city it was impossible to miss the giant rooster sculptures dotted around. If you’ve ever been to Portugal on holiday, you’ll have spotted the rooster emblem in souvenir shops whether as fridge magnets, keyrings or on tea towels.

The Legend of the Barcelos Rooster

A pilgrim on his way to Santiago was falsely accused of stealing and condemned, by a judge, to hang.

The pilgrim protested his innocence and asked for an audience with the judge. The judge agreed to meet the pilgrim while he was eating dinner with friends.

The pilgrim again protested his innocence and, pointing at a roasted rooster on the dining table proclaimed “it is as certain that I am innocent as it is certain that this rooster will crow when they hang me”. And would you believe, as the pilgrim was taken to the gallows, the rooster jumped up and crowed!

The judge rushed off to the gallows where the pilgrim was still alive thanks to a poorly tied knot. The pilgrim was set free and returned to Barcelos at a later date to sculpt the Cruzeiro do Senhor do Galo – a carved stone cross outside the Palace ruins.

I stopped for food at Historial Cafe which opens on to a small square – all the tables were full of people enjoying the late April sunshine so I took a seat inside and had a delicious tuna salad.

Today’s Credencial Sellos

I totally forgot to ask for a sello when I ate in Barcelos so today’s sole sello was from my accommodation.

New rules mean that pilgrims now have to collect two stamps per day throughout their entire Camino and not just for the last 100 kms.

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 Three

The quite literal highlight was reaching the summit of Monte da Franqueira and I’m glad I took the detour rather than continuing along the main road.

I also loved my afternoon just wandering the streets of Barcelos.

Lowlights of Day Three

Getting my first blister wasn’t much fun. It doesn’t hurt at all but I just hope that I’ve caught it in time and the Compeed will work its magic. I guess only time will tell!

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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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