Our Walk Along the Camino Portuguese

Camino Portuguese Tips, Advice and Information Camino Pilgrimage  While the Camino Portugués bears many similarities to the Camino Francés and other routes on the Way of St. James (shells, yellow arrows, signage, and albergues), it is also profoundly different. For example, while pilgrims on the Camino Francés are familiar with many of the key landmarks (geographic, cultural, historical, and religious), such as crossing the Pyrenees, the monument of the Pilgrims on the Sierra de Perdón, crossing the Meseta, visiting the site of the Cruz de Ferro, admiring the Burgos Cathedral, and climbing O'Cebreiro.  By comparison, while the Camino Portugués crosses many beautiful historical, cultural and religious landmarks, the trail seems more defined by the major urban areas along the route such as Lisbon, Santarém, Tomar, Coimbra,  Porto, and Valenca/Tui on the Spanish border.   Perhaps the largest difference most people notice when planning and setting out on ...

Reflecting on the Camino Português  Pilgrimage Reflections and Considerations We have already mentioned in detail throughout our blog many of the ways in which Camino Português is similar to and yet differs from Camino Francés.   As such, we don’t think that you can hike the Camino Portugués , thinking it will simply be another Camino Francés. While it is one of the countless routes on the Way of St. James with similar signage, stamps, and symbols, it is ultimately its own trail with its own sites, culture and challenges. In short, they are different hikes, in different countries, with different levels of trail development and a completely different pilgrimage focus – as such, your expectations have to shift accordingly. Lisbon to Porto There is a great deal of naysaying about the Lisbon to Porto section – in guidebooks, online forums, blogs, Facebook, etc. – and it is hard to tell if this is a “chicken and egg” situation or merely a Camino section in development – ...

Getting your Compostela in Santiago Camino Portugués Compostela While not necessarily the goal of walking any of the Camino routes, the Compostela is the official attestation given to any individual or pilgrim who has (as of 2019) walked, hiked, or trekked more than 100 km to the cathedral in Santiago (There are different rules for cyclists). In addition to travelling at least the minimum distance to Santiago, pilgrims must also ensure that they have had their Pilgrim Credential (Credencial del Peregrino) or Passport stamped once per day prior to the last 100 km and twice per day in the final 100 km. Traditionally, these stamps are the official seals of Churches, Cathedrals, Monasteries, Convents, and Albergues/Gites/Hostels along the Camino; however, they often include stamps from cafes, bars, and hotels along the various Camino Routes. The Credential is a small booklet carried by pilgrims on any Camino route that identifies them as pilgrims on the Way of St. James, gives them acce...

Exploring  Santiago de Compostela Santiago and the Cathedral We had intended to get up early this morning and attend the English pilgrims' Mass at Santiago Cathedral, but sadly our alarm clock went unheeded in the dark, cozy warmth of our room.   Apparently, we were a lot more exhausted than we realized.   By 9 AM we were awake and heading down to St. Martin's restaurant below our hostel for a breakfast of small pastries and cafe Americano.   Afterwards, we made our way to the Cathedral through streets that were already heating up under a bright, hot sun.   On our last visit to Santiago following the Camino Frances , we took a tour of the Cathedral, which we enjoyed greatly. On our first tour, we were able to explore the Cathedral museum, as well as being taken 'behind the scenes' and up onto the roof.   This year, the tour didn't include a trip to the Cathedral's roof, but it offered a tour of the Portico of Glory, which we were also excited to ...