Pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela

[Wilmer]

JUST COMPLETED CAMINO FROM LISBON TO SANTIAGO, VIA SANTAREM AND TOMAR, WAY MARKING IS COMPLETED, A LOT OF THIS CAMINO IS ON ROADS.

[Guest]

Wilmer, welcome home! How's the infrastructure of albergues along the Camino Portugues? What about signals? When u say: " A LOT OF THIS CAMINO IS ON ROADS," do u mean highways? Many pilgrims? How was the weather? Share with us as much as u can, we need 1st hand, updated, info, re: the C. Port! Buen camino, peregrino. xm

[Ulysse]

Wilmer,

Please tell us about your Camino in Portugal. This is one which I would REALLY like to do as my second one.

Pictures and your impressions are welcome.

[Guest]

Ulysse, check out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rqors2BXaB4

[Ulysse]

Thanks a lot xm, quite a nice "appéritif".

God willing, next spring I shall go from Lisbon to Santiago !

[Guest]

God willing, next spring I shall go from Lisbon to Santiago !

U may find this Spanish/Galego languages web page interesting: http://www.amigosdelcamino.com/ Even if unfamiliar with either language, the maps may give u ideas of the portion of the Camino Portugues in Galicia. It's beautiful. Best, xm

[Ulysse]

Muchas gracias xm

[Ann Davidson]

XM

Thanks for the link. I'm planning to walk the Camino Portugues in September. After seeing these images, I'm even more excited about getting out there.

A.

[Guest]

Ann, thanks for ur post, u'll love it. U may want to do some readings on the Camino Portugues, it's got quite a history. BTW, caminos in Scotland? Is there a Rd to St James association in Scotland? Is the chapel at Rosslyn a pilgrimage site? Best, xm

[lesley wallis]

Did we ever find out how Wilma went on the Camino this year? What was the weather like? What are the albergues like? Are there many othe rpilgrims - how are the waymarkings? Do you get lost all the time? - all the usual stuff.

I am planning to walk it next year in the Spring with my ( not very fit)husband and two adult ( well they think they are!!!) children but there is not as much information around as for the Camino Frances. Grateful for anything I can get. L

[Wilmer]

HI LESLEY
I LEFT LATE MARCH WEATHER HOT AND SUNNY, BUT COLD AT NIGHT.
THERE ARE NO ALBERGUES UNTIL PORTO STAYED MOSTLY IN HOTELS, PENSIONS AND B AND B.
AFTER PORTO ALBERGUES ARE FREQUENT.
MET ONE PILGRIM IN TWO WEEKS TO PORTO,HE WAS WALKING TO FATIMA SO IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION TO ME, AFTER THAT MANY, AS LOTS OF PEOPLE START IN PORTO
WAYMARKING IS EXCELLENT,BUT NON EXISTANT ON THE FIRST DAY OUT OF LISBON, AFTER THAT VERY GOOD,DIDNT GET LOST AT ALL.
TOMAR COIMBRA AND PORTO ARE WORTH SPENDING TIME IN,THE STRETCH FROM PORTO TO SANTIAGO IS WELL WALKED AND YOU WILL PASS THROUGH SOME BEAUTIFUL SMALL TOWNS.
WALKING IS MOSTLY ON QUIET COUNTRY ROADS,HARD ON THE FEET,BUT NOTHING TOO STRENUOUS MOUNTAINS ETC.
I SPEAK NO PORTUGUESE WHICH WAS NOT A PROBLEM AT ALL.
HOPE SOME OF THIS IS USEFUL
WILMER

[Ulysse]

Thanks Wilmer for the info as I intend to leave in early April from Lisbon. I am reading a lot to decide which road to take. I am not sure if I'll take the Fatima route at this point. Could you tell me which road you took ?

I am planning to walk it next year in the Spring

Lesley, I hope to see you and your group in Portugal next year.

[Wilmer]

Thanks Wilmer for the info as I intend to leave in early April from Lisbon. I am reading a lot to decide which road to take. I am not sure if I'll take the Fatima route at this point. Could you tell me which road you took ?

I am planning to walk it next year in the Spring

Lesley, I hope to see you and your group in Portugal next year.

HI ULYSSE
I WALKED LISBON,ALVERCA ,AZAMBUJA,SANTAREM,GOLEGA,TOMAR,ALVAIAZERE,ANSIO,COIMBRA ONTO PORTO.
I DID NOT GO TO FATIMA,THE CAMINO DE FATIMA STARTS IN ALVERCA AND RUNS WITH THE TOMAR ROUTE SPLITTING NORTH OF SANTARAM.
FOR ME ONE OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THIS CAMINO WAS VISITING THE TEMPLAR CASTLE IN TOMAR,YOU CAN WALK TO FATIMA AND THEN WALK EAST TO TOMAR.

BUEN CAMINO

[Ulysse]

Thanks Wilmer.

I will study that route and if I have further questions I will contact you, if I may.

[Javier Martin]

Hi, Ann, as you probably know, now it's available in http://www.amigosdelcamino.com a free guide in spanish/portuguese of this Camino, from Lisbon to Santiago. Enjoy it ...

I visited Ponte de Lima a week ago and no pilgrims there ... only from Tui to Santiago.

Buen Camino Portugues,

Javier Martin
Marid, Spain.

[Ann Davidson]

This is the first chance I've had to read replies to my posting. Thanks to everyone who answered. My flights are booked and I have read various guides. I'm really looking forward to starting out on the Camino.

There are pilgrim sites in Scotland, but not really any pilgrim routes, except for a Holy Week walk to Iona - see http://www.scottishcross.org.uk. Iona is an island off the west of Scotland and it is very beautiful. St Columba came here from Ireland and this is where he founded the fisrt Scottish Christian community. Some of the Scottish kings are buried there too. You can stay on the island with the Iona community - see http://www.iona.org.uk

There are 4 long distance walks in Scotland. They are:

West Highland Way - Glasgow to Fort William (152k and the most popular)
Great Glen Way - Fort William to Inverness (117k)
Speyside Way - Aviemore to Buckie (135k)
(There are train and bus services between Inverness and Aviemore)
Southern Upland Way - Portpatrick to Cockburnspath (340k)

I've only walked the West Highland Way and a bit of the Speyside Way and can recommend them both. I'm sure the others are worth doing too.

Although they are not pilgrim routes, the experience of walking them is definitely spiritual, whatever your personal beliefs are.

Hope this is useful,

Ann

[JohnnieWalker]

This is interesting - thanks. There are other pilgrim, routes in Scotland for example have a look at: http://www.stcuthbertsway.fsnet.co.uk/

[Peter Robins]

St Cuthbert's Way isn't a pilgrim route, simply a route - an attractive one - linking a couple of places associated with Cuthbert. Plenty of pilgrims went to Holy Island (which is of course in England!), but it's highly unlikely any of them followed this route!

The markings for the Whithorn Pilgrim Way (from Glenluce abbey) are still in place, even though the book is no longer in print, and it's never been properly promoted.

[JohnnieWalker]

Peter - as ever, I bow to your superior knowledge of matters pilgrimage. To save your blushes may I recommend this site to anyone interested in the subject:

http://www.peterrobins.co.uk

[loristiff]

Hi, I just registered and am not too savvy about posting messages. I do want information, however, about the Camino Portugues...This is my first walk, but I'd rather not do a pilgrim walk on mostly roads. Please let me know how it is, walking on roads, as opposed to trails...Thanks!

[Ann Davidson]

The guide book by John Brierley gives a detailed description of each section setting out how much of each day's route is on roads. Walking on the busy roads from Porto to Barcelos is quite scary, but after that the camino is mostly paths and very quiet roads. Don't be put off though - walking the Camino Portugues is a great experience.

Ann

[Paulro]

I have recently completed Leon-Finnisaire by foot and was thinking doing Lisbon-Santiago on Bike. Could anyone give me some idea of distance between the two and how long it might take?