Caminho Português – my experience

I walked the Portuguese Way of Saint James from Porto to Santiago de Compostela along the coast on the Senda Litoral and Camino da Costa. The length of the route is about 270 km, the walking time is 13 days from September 11 to September 24.

Sites

• https://stingynomads.com/ – lots of useful information and guides on the Way of St. James
• https://oficinadelperegrino.com/en/sigle-register/ – here you need to register to receive the Compostela in Santiago
• https://caminoways.com/camino-portugues – information about the Portuguese Way of St. James
• https://www.beportugal.com/ – useful information about life in Portugal

Transport companies

• https://www.jacotrans.es/
• https://tuitrans.com/contract/?lang=en

In the morning you leave your suitcases with special forms at the reception. When you arrive at your next place to stay – your suitcases are already waiting for you. And so on every day. More information on the company websites. There are also lists of hotels and albergos that the companies work with.

Books

Guide A Pilgrim’s Guide to the Camino Portugués Lisbon – Porto – Santiago: including Camino Central, Variente Espiritual, Camino da Costa, & Senda Litoral

Maps

I used offline maps mapy.cz – you need to download all the necessary maps in advance. I also used Google Maps – don’t forget to turn them on in roaming. I also had offline maps.me, but they were useless. I also used a paper guide.

Living on the Way of St. James

I booked most of the hotels a month before departure. I changed some hotels on the way to Santiago. I recommend booking accommodation in advance on the way from Vigo and definitely in Santiago, because there are a lot of pilgrims on this part of the route. The day before my arrival in Santiago there were no options at all on booking except for whole houses for 300 euros per night.

On the Way of St. James I stayed in hotels, guesthouses and apartments. I always tried to book a private room with my own bathroom. I did not stay in a classic albergo with a bed in a shared room.

Hotels in Portugal are paid in advance, about a week before check-in. In Spain, I often paid on the spot or when booking.

In my experience, it was more convenient for me to live in apartments where there was a kitchen, then you don’t depend on the opening hours of local restaurants and cafes.

List of hotels, guesthouses and apartments where I stayed

How much does it cost to walk the Way of St. James

• Hotels 717 euros on the way + 164 euros for two days in Porto
• 400 euros spent on food and other expenses for all days of the journey

Transportation costs

• 6 euros for the ferry from Caminha to A Guarda
• 27 euro bus from Santiago to Porto (bought in Omio app)

Food on the Way of St. James

Initially, I thought that I would eat in local restaurants. But, as it turned out, this option did not suit me for two reasons:

• many local restaurants in Portugal and Spain are open until 15:30-16:00 and then they close until 19:30-20:00 and I usually didn’t have time for lunch and it was too late for me for dinner
• too big portions

So I mostly bought groceries in supermarkets and ate in fast food restaurants and pilgrim gastropubs. The accommodation option with a kitchen was ideal for me.

Things I took with me

In September, it was still very warm in Portugal, during the day it warmed up to 28-30 degrees, and I walked the whole way in denim shorts and a T-shirt. In Spain, my way fell on the twenties of September, besides, these are mountains and in the morning it was already quite cold. I put on a sweatshirt and a windbreaker, then took it off by the middle of the day. On the last day of the way in the morning it was +9, so here I really regretted the lack of trekking pants.

• Osprey Hikelite 28L Backpack
• Lightweight windbreaker
• 5 t-shirts
• denim shorts
• pants
• socks
• underwear
• outfit for going out on the town
• pajamas
• home clothes set – t-shirt and shorts
• flip flops
• ecco soft 5 sneakers
• sandals
• sweatshirt
• a first aid kit with the medicines I need
• the towel turned out to be unnecessary
• charger for phone and tablet
• tablet
• shoulder bag

My list of things included a shoulder bag – I was the only one with one, and it was a real nuisance, as the strap was pressing on my shoulder. But since my trip was not limited to the Way of St. James, I needed a bag, and it did not fit in my backpack.

It is necessary to take a spare charger for gadgets. My charger burned out on the second day and I had to buy a new one for 29 euros.

My list doesn’t include a sun hat – I bought a bandana at a souvenir shop on the way. I also bought a folding knife-can opener – a very useful thing.

It is better to take cosmetics with you in plastic tubes. When I weighed my cosmetic bag, it turned out that all my glass jars weighed 900 grams. Therefore, already in Porto, I bought face cream and deodorant in plastic.

A second pair of shoes is a must – to give your feet a rest and for hygiene. You also need flip-flops for walking in hotels and albergos.

I saw thermal socks and thermal underwear on other pilgrims’ lists – they are not needed in September.

Things I’ve been missing

• spoon, cup, fork
• trekking pants
• sun cream and sunburn ointment
• raincoat
• anti-allergy pills
• spare cord and charger

Safety on the Way of St. James

Before the hike I was a little worried about how I would walk alone on the road. In fact, I was definitely not alone – there were always pilgrims ahead and behind me, and from Vigo there were whole crowds of pilgrims on the road. Portugal is considered one of the safest countries in Europe, everyone is friendly and welcoming. In Spain, I also felt completely safe, even when I walked alone along the highway or in the forest. I read about stray dogs on the road – I did not see a single one.

Difficulties in translation

In Portugal, all the people I met in hotels, shops, restaurants spoke English well and I had no problems with understanding. In Spain, the situation is worse. I met three people who spoke English well – the administrators at the hotel and the pharmacist at the drugstore. I used google translator to the rest as best I could. Therefore, for Spain, it is better to learn a basic set of words.

How to Prepare for Walking the Way of St. James on Your Own

First of all, you need to outline the stages of the journey and decide on the dates. You can use the option here or my version. If you are not used to walking 20 km a day regularly, then it is better to plan rest days. Once you have decided on the stages of the route and dates, you can choose places to stay overnight. I made myself a table in Google Sheets, it is very convenient, as it is available anywhere from any device.

Some pilgrims go without any advance booking and look for accommodation on the spot, but this is not an option for me. I want to be absolutely sure that I will have my own room with a shower. I spent a lot of time on booking.com looking for ideal options, but you need to be prepared for the fact that on the spot some options can be disappointing, so it is better to choose in advance what can be cancelled later without a penalty.

When booking accommodation, it is best to choose hotels as close as possible to the city center and the Way of St. James. I booked a hotel in Caldas de Reis, which was 3 km away from the Way of St. James, which I later cancelled, since for a pilgrim an extra 3 km of the way is too much. Hotels on the outskirts are not the best option also for the reason that you will arrive at the hotel around 3 pm, and what will you do then for the rest of the day.

I printed out all my reservations and tickets and put them in a folder. I didn’t really use these printouts, I mostly covered my hotel bedside table with them so as not to stain it with beer. But just in case, let these printouts be there.

Currency exchange and cash

Naturally, you should travel to Europe with euros. But if you don’t have euros, the main rule is not to change money at airports. The exchange rate there is simply extortionate. At Porto airport, the exchange rate is 0.76, at a shopping center in Porto, 0.89. You need a passport for currency exchange in Portugal and Spain.

Generally speaking, on the Way of St. James, cash is only needed for the laundry, some pilgrim bars, coffee and drink vending machines, and souvenir stalls. The rest can be paid by card.