Portuguese Camino from Lisbon & Camino de Fátima

The Portuguese Camino is a part of the Camino de Santiago route network. It starts in Lisbon, Portugal, and finishes in Santiago de Compostela in Spain. The total distance of 630 km. As an option, you can combine this route with the Camino de Fatima another pilgrimage way that goes to Fatima, a small town in central Portugal.

The distance from Lisbon to Fatima is 157 km. There are several routes leading to the Sanctuary of Fatima from different Portuguese towns, we met some people that walked in the opposite direction from Santiago de Compostela to Fatima after finishing one of the Camino de Santiago routes. This part of the Portuguese Camino sees very few pilgrims compared to the Porto – Santiago route. It’s a perfect route if you’re looking for a solitary walk I’d compare it with walking the Via de la Plata.

The Portuguese Camino from Lisbon route overview

• Distance – 630 km/391 mi from Lisbon to Santiago de Compostela (the Central Route from Porto), 650 km/403 mi on the Coastal Route from Porto.
• The number of days – 28-30 days, 15-16 days from Lisbon to Porto, and 11-13 days from Porto to Santiago.
• Average cost – 25 Euro per person per day.
• Route marking – yellow (Camino de Santiago) & blue (Camino de Fátima) arrows.
• Accommodation – public & private albergues, hotels.
• Walking surface – gravel road, asphalt, occasional cobblestones.

How long is the Portuguese Camino from Lisbon?

The total distance of the Portuguese Camino from Lisbon to Santiago is 630 km/391 mi. One needs between 28 and 30 days on average to complete the route.

Where to start the Portuguese Camino?

Many people have doubts about where to start Camino Portugues in Lisbon or Porto. Here are the pros and cons of starting the pilgrimage in Lisbon.

Pros

The distance from Lisbon to Santiago is three times as long as from Porto, 630 km vs 260 km which is great if you want to walk a longer route.

There are very few pilgrims on this route it’s still quite off the beaten track compared to the Porto – Santiago part.

It goes through non-touristy places in Portugal, you will probably never visit them otherwise.

You can combine two pilgrimage routes; the Camino de Fatima and the Camino Portugues.

Cons

Because few people are walking from Lisbon there is less infrastructure for pilgrims on the stretch between Lisbon and Porto. There are very few public and even private albergues. Not every town or city has one, sometimes they are 50 km apart. It makes your pilgrimage more expensive as often you have to pay between 15-25 Euro pp. for a room in a hotel, compared to 8-10 Euro pp. on the Porto – Santiago part.

Some people say you walk a lot through industrial areas of Lisbon and some other biggish cities, to be honest, we didn’t notice a big difference between this part and the route from Porto. There are more cities and roads on the Portuguese Camino in general than for example on the Camino Primitivo or the Camino Ingles but overall, it wasn’t a big problem.

There are many amazing walking routes in Portugal besides the Camino. The Fisherman’s Trail and the Seven Hanging Valleys Trail in the Algarve are some of our favorites.

How to combine the Portuguese Camino and the Camino de Fátima?

Both Camino routes start at the Sé Cathedral in Lisbon and follow the same route for the first 96 km till Santarém. The distance from Lisbon to Porto on both routes is more or less the same. From Santarém they split; the Portuguese Camino continues through Golegã to Tomar; the Camino de Fátima goes through Amiaix de Baixo to Fátima.

The Fátima route finishes there which is quite obvious but it’s possible to continue walking from there to Santiago. The route is well-marked with yellow arrows. After 50 km in Ansião, the route merges with the Portuguese Camino. If you decide to go through Fátima you’ll walk 4 days on the alternative to the Portuguese Camino route; 2 days from Santarém to Fátima and 2 days from Fátima to Ansião.

Walking through Fátima vs walking through Tomar

The advantage of taking the Camino through Fátima is that on one pilgrimage you get to visit two important Christian sites; the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Fátima and the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. The drawback of taking the Fátima route is the lack of accommodation on the stretches between Santarém and Fátima and Fátima to Ansião.

There are enough places including one public albergue in Fátima itself. The main route of the Portuguese Camino through Tomar has more places to stay than the route through Fátima.

Travel insurance for the Camino. Walking like any outdoor activity involves a risk of getting an injury. It’s recommended to have Camio travel insurance. The Portuguese Camino from Lisbon is not a high-altitude wild hike through remote areas but it’s still a physically challenging experience. You walk long distances, with a heavy backpack, on all sorts of grounds, and in all kinds of weather. Having travel insurance makes the walk less stressful. You know that you will be able to get medical assistance any time you need it.

When is the best time for walking?

We started at the beginning of May and the weather was great; sunny, warm but not hot yet, and no rain at all, plus very few people but this part of the Camino is never too busy. The fields along the route were covered in wildflowers, overall spring is our favorite time for hiking in Portugal. We walked a couple of multi-day routes in Portugal during the spring including the Camino and the Rota Vicentina. The weather in June will be similar to May with less rain. 

The summer months July and August might be too hot for long walking days this part of Portugal is in general hotter than the northern part. Most of the time you walk through open areas and fields with not much shade to hide. September can be a nice time; still warm and not much rain.

The shoulder seasons (April and October) can surprise you with some rainfalls though it’s nice and cool. From November to March, it might be rainy and chilly, there will be probably nobody walking, and some albergues might be closed for the offseason.

How much does the Portuguese Camino from Lisbon cost?

We spent more or less 20-25 Euro per person per day. It included accommodation, food, and several coffee stops. Some days we spent less, some days more depending on accommodation prices. In some places, we had to stay in hotels because there were no albergues, and in some places, accommodation was for a donation. 

• Accommodation – between 8 and 25 Euro per person. 
• A set menu in a local restaurant (Menu do Dia) – 8-10 Euro pp. The Menu usually includes a starter, a main with sides, a cool drink or house wine, and dessert or coffee. 
• Food shopping – 6-8 Euro pp. per day.
• A cup of coffee – 1 Euro. 

In general, the cost of traveling in Lisbon is higher than in other places on the Camino Portuguese from Lisbon.

What is the accommodation like on the route from Lisbon?

Like any other Camino, the route from Lisbon has a network of albergues. Albergues are special hostels for pilgrims with bunk beds and shared facilities (showers, toilets, etc.). They can be private or public (municipal). Private albergues belong to a person or a company, public albergues are run by municipalities or churches.

Private albergues usually have better facilities and are a bit more expensive 10-14 Euros per bed vs 8 Euros in public albergues. Public albergues are exclusively for pilgrims with a Credential.

Public albergues vs private albergues on the route from Lisbon

Features	Public albergues	Private albergues
Exclusively for pilgrims	yes	no
Need a Credential	yes	no
Can be booked	no	yes
Price	8 Euro	12-14 Euro
Can stay more than 1 night	no	yes
Accept luggage delivery	usually no	usually yes

On the Lisbon – Porto stretch there are significantly fewer albergues compared to the Porto – Santiago part or the French Camino. Sometimes you’ll have to stay in hotels or guesthouses.

In small villages bars/restaurants usually have one or two rooms for rent, they give special prices for pilgrims, it’s not expensive, 20 Euros for a single room, 30-40 for a double. In bigger towns and cities there are more accommodation options including hostels and hotels.

What to pack for the walk?

You can find a detailed packing list for men and women for different seasons in our Camino de Santiago packing list post.

Disclosure: Stingy Nomads take part in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. When you buy something recommended in this post, we may get an affiliate commission — but it never affects your price or what we pick.

The best guidebook for the Camino Portuguese from Lisbon

Camino guides by ohn Brierley are our all-time favorite. We’ve used his guidebooks on different Camino routes and they’re always helpful and accurate. I can highly recommend his Pilgrim’s Guide to the Camino Portugués: Lisbon – Porto – Santiago / Camino Central, Camino de la Costa, Variante Espiritual & Senda Litoral for this route.

The Portuguese route from Lisbon is a quiet Camino with not many pilgrims if you walk along you’ll have a lot of time for reading. We always bring our Kindle readers on the Camino. It’s a great thing for traveling you can download as many books as you want and always have something new to read. If you read a lot it might be worth joining the Amazon Kindle Unlimited program that gives you access to thousands of books. You don’t even need a Kindle device you can read and listen to music or podcasts using your phone or tablet.

Backpack transfer on the Camino from Lisbon

As I already mentioned above there are very few pilgrims on this part of the Camino Portuguese as a result it’s more difficult to arrange a backpack delivery. On the Camino from Porto, several companies offer the service but on the Lisbon – Porto part it’s only Taxitemplarios. They don’t cover the entire route, only the Santarém – Coimbra part which means that some parts you’ll have to walk with your backpack even if you don’t feel like it.

It’s very important to pack as lightly as you can. As an option, you can send some of your stuff from Lisbon to Porto and keep it in storage facilities. From Porto on it’s easy to arrange luggage delivery service on both the Central and the Coastal Route.

Lisbon, the beginning of the walk

There are many options in the city for different budgets from hostels to fancy apartments and luxury hotels. We’d suggest if you go in season from May to September book places in advance there are all sorts of events happening in the city during this period, thousands of tourists, best places are often sold out.

Places to stay in Lisbon

• Budget | Avenue Rooms & Suites | We Hate F Tourists | SafeStay Lisbon |
• Middle price | Brasilia | Be Lisbon Residence Marquês | Guest House Guerra Junqueiro |
• High-end | Hotel Convento do Salvador | The Visionaire Apartments |

Tours and activities in Lisbon

There are hundreds of places to see and things to do in Lisbon if you have time I’d recommend spending a couple of days in the city.

• Explore the city with the Lisbon card  (it includes public transport and entrance to 23 museums) or with the Lisbon 72-Hour Hop-On Hop-Off Bus, Tram and Boat Ticket.
• True 4Hour/Half day TukTuk Tour of Lisbon. A Remarkable Overview. Leave town as a Local
• Lisbon: History, Stories and Lifestyle Walking Tour
• Small group tour to Sintra, Pena Palace, pass by Regaleira, Cabo Roca, Cascais
• Eats, Street Art and Undiscovered Lisbon Food Tour

The Camino Portugues from Lisbon – walking stages

Day 1. Lisbon – Alpriate, 23 km/14,2 mi

It took us quite a while to get out of the city we enjoyed walking through Lisbon, we did walk through the industrial/harbor area but it wasn’t for too long and it looked fine, either ugly or dirty.  

Highlights

• The Old Town of Lisbon is worth staying for a couple of extra days and wandering around it.
• Parque das Nações, a modern area of Lisbon.
• Fields of flowers on the way between Sacavém and Alpriate.

Challenges

• Don’t miss the turn-off in Sacavém, right after the bridge the path goes left and follows the river.
• On the stretch from Sacavém to Alpriate, there is nothing, for about 10km you walk through the fields if you want to stop for lunch, rest or coffee do it in Parque das Nações, there are many nice places. Make sure you have enough water for this stretch.

Alpriate

A small and cozy village with a local restaurant and an albergue, basically nothing else.

• Municipal albergue – yes
• Private albergue  – no
• Hotel, guest house – no
• ATM – no
• Restaurant, café – yes
• Shop – no
• Pharmacy – no

Albergue Alpriate, private

A small albergue in an old house, a relatively new place, can accommodate 12 people. Opens at 1 pm.

• Location – 5 out of 5
• Comfort level – 4 out of 5

Day 2. Alpriate – Vila Franca de Xira, 20 km/12,4 mi

In the beginning, you walk through the fields till reaching Santa Iria, a strange industrial/residential area luckily the path takes you through the fields on the wooden boardwalk.

Highlights

• Vila Franca de Xira is a small nice town on the bank of the Tejo River.

Challenges

• After Alverca there was a part of walking on a busy road for about 2km.

Vila Franca de Xira

A nice and quiet town on the river with a couple of hotels and restaurants.

• Municipal albergue – no
• Private albergue  – no
• Hotel, hostels – yes, from 10 Euro pp.
• ATM – yes
• Restaurant, café – yes
• Supermarket – yes
• Pharmacy – yes

Places to stay in Vila Franca

• Budget | Suites & Apartments DP VFXira | Estação Real |
• High-end | Leziria Parque Hotel (past the town close to the Camino) |

Day 3. Vila Franca de Xira – Azambuja, 20 km/12,4 mi

Some pilgrims walked from Alpriate to Azambuja in one day, not a very good idea to walk 40km on the second day, they were very tired afterward and took a day off from walking.

Highlights

• Caminho Pedonal Ribeirinho is a nice 4km long walking/cycling trail in Vila Franca de Xira along the Tajo River with some interesting and creative wall paintings.
• Azambuja is a pretty little town with cobblestone streets.

Challenges

• On the stretch between Vila Franca de Xira and Vila Nova da Rainha there is nothing, make sure you have enough water.
• There is a shortcut/scenic route, at the cargo train station don’t turn left to the bridge over the railway like the sign shows, instead turn right, the gravel road goes along the railway through the fields, and it’s a bit shorter. At Vila Nova de Rainha the official trail joins the alternative one and continues along the railways till Azambuja.

Azambuja

Bigger than the two previous towns with some steep narrow cobblestone streets, a nice church, and a couple of small squares. 

• Municipal albergue – yes
• Private albergue  – no
• Hotel – yes
• ATM – yes
• Restaurant, café – yes
• Supermarket – yes
• Pharmacy – yes

Albergue Abrigo Do Peregrino, municipal

A small place with only 12 beds, wi-fi, a small kitchenette, shared bathroom, 6 Euro pp. Opens at 1 pm.

• Location – 5 out of 5
• Comfort level – 4 out of 5

By the time we arrived, there were no spots available. Luckily there is a place that belongs to a local lady (Rosa) where pilgrims can stay for a donation if the albergue is full. It is a house with a couple of rooms, a bathroom, and a kitchen. We were 7 people staying there. As a couple, we even got a private room. The lady owner cooked a Portuguese dinner for all of us.

The next morning we had sandwiches and fruit for breakfast and she even packed some food for lunch. In the morning she opened a church for us. It was the best place we stayed on this Camino. 

More places to stay in Azambuja

• Budget | Casa da Rainha | Herdade da Hera |
• Middle price | Residencial flor da primavera |

Day 4. Azambuja – Santarém, 33 km/20,5 mi

A long walking day with some charming small villages on the way. The main recommendation if you walk this route is in summer make sure to start very early. The last part of the walk, about 10km to Santarém, is through the open fields where there is nowhere to hide from the sun. Remember to take enough water, you can refill your bottle at one of the cafés on the way.

Highlights

• Three small villages; Reguengo, Valada, and Porto de Muge.
• Fields covered in flowers (we walked in May).

Challenges

• A long stretch with nothing through the fields for about 10km from Porto de Muge to Santarém, refill your water on the way there will be water fountains in the towns. Each town has a coffee shop where you can get food, good coffee, and a cool drink.
• Santarém sits at the top of the hill, preparing for a steep uphill walk right at the end of the long day.

Santarém

A quite big and beautiful city with a nice historical center, and many cafes, restaurants, shops, and hotels. If you have time and strength we’d recommend walking around its narrow cobblestone streets and visiting the Castle of Santarém, it’s on the Portuguese Camino but off the trail from Camino de Fatima.

• Municipal albergue – no
• Private albergue  – yes
• Hotel – yes
• ATM – yes
• Restaurant, café – yes
• Supermarket – yes
• Pharmacy – yes

Albergue N1 Hostel

N1 Hostel, you’ll see many signs pointing to it. It can be booked online. The place is more like a hotel than an albergue or hostel, with no kitchen to use, you can get a set dinner for 10 Euro or use a microwave and plates in the restaurants. There is a nice supermarket at the mall where you can get pre-cooked food for quite cheap.

• Location – 5 out of 5
• Comfort level – 5 out of 5.

More places to stay in Santarem

• Budget | Santarem Hostel | Tagus Host |
• Middle price | António Bastos 57 |
• High-end | Villa Graça |

Day 5. Santarém – Amiais de Baixo, 28 km/17,3 mi

Here you have to choose between following Camino de Santiago and heading to Golegã or going through Fatima. Most pilgrims stick to the main Portuguese Route there are very few that go to Fatima, and for this reason, there is less infrastructure on the Fatima route. We decided to walk through Fatima. Camino de Fatima is marked with blue arrows, in Santarém the trail turns left at Capelo e Ivens street and goes through Praça Sá Bandeira.

Highlights

• Several small cozy Portuguese villages/towns. Most of the day you walk between towns and villages, no need to worry about food or water.

Challenges

• The trail was waving and looping around hills and villages a lot adding a couple of extra kilometers.

Amaix de Baixo

Shops and restaurants are quite far from the trail and the hotel where you stay. We were very tired when arrived so the owner took us there so we could get some food.

• Municipal albergue – no
• Private albergue  – no
• Hotel, guest house – yes
• ATM – no
• Restaurant, café – yes
• Shop – yes
• Pharmacy – yes

Hotel Rural Amiribatejo, Amaix de Baixo

There were no pilgrim albergues in Amiais de Baixo, we stayed at Hotel Rural Amiribatejo, it’s a big hotel with private rooms. The rooms are quite nice and neat, more expensive compared to albergues and more comfortable, we got a nice sleep here. You’ll see the sign pointing to the hotel approaching the town. The owner was very nice and drove us to the nearest shop to buy some groceries, we were too tired to walk.

• Location – 4 out of 5, 700m away from the trail
• Comfort level – 4 out of 5.

Day 6. Amiais de Baixo – Fátima, 30 km/18,6 mi

Most of the day walking through the fields and small towns with a little bit of forest and a road walk at the end.

Challenges

• About 2 hours after the start there is a steep and quite long uphill, make sure to have enough water. Once on the top, you start going down to a town where you can stop for lunch as there will be no places to stop further before Fatima. 

Fatima

It’s a strange town that was built exclusively around the sanctuary, its official status is “parish”. Before the appearance of the Virgin, there wasn’t even a village here only pasture fields. Fatima does have some sort of artificial feeling; all you see around is built for tourists and pilgrims; hotels, guest houses, restaurants, souvenir shops, huge parking spots for RVs and caravans where you can “camp” for free, etc. Very different from traditional European religious centers like Santiago de Compostela or Rome.

• Municipal albergue – yes
• Private albergue  – no
• Hotel, guest house – yes
• ATM – yes
• Restaurant, café – yes
• Shop – yes
• Pharmacy – yes

Albergue de Peregrinos São Bento de Labre (Casa São Bento de Labre)

Behind the cathedral at Rua Dr. Sebastiao street. We stayed here for two nights without any problem but some people could stay for only one. I wasn’t feeling well maybe that’s why they allowed us to stay. There are separate dormitories in separate buildings for men and women. Price – donation. The albergue has a kitchen with some cooking utensils. A supermarket is less than 5min. walk, there are a couple of cafes and restaurants nearby.

More places to stay in Fatima

• Budget | Pereira Guesthouse | PinoyHouse Fatima |
• Middle price | Hotel Santa Maria | Hotel Santa Isabel |
• High-end | Consolata Hotel |

Day 7. Fatima – Caxarias, 22 km/13,6 mi

It was a nice walk through the beautiful countryside and small cozy villages with many coffee shops. We enjoyed it quite a lot till we arrived in Caxarias where there was no accommodation available. There are several rooms above restaurants that locals rent out for pilgrims but they all were occupied. The only option we got here is to sleep on the floor in an event-storage building next to the church. There is electricity, showers with hot water, and toilets but nothing else, not even mattresses. You pay 1 Euro to stay here.

The reason all the rooms were occupied is that we were there just two days before the annual big celebration in Fatima there were more people than usual walking to Fatima from Coimbra or Porto. The next hotel was 9 km away we didn’t feel like walking that far and we’re not sure about available rooms there. It was the only time on the Camino Portuguese when we arrived somewhere and couldn’t find a bed to sleep in.

Caxarias

• Municipal albergue – no
• Private albergue  – no
• Rooms – yes
• ATM – yes
• Restaurant, café – yes
• Shop – yes
• Pharmacy – yes

Day 8. Caxarias – Ansião, 28 km/17,3 mi

In Ansião both Caminos join again, and you’re back to the main Portuguese Route with a bit more accommodation options than on Camino de Fatima. Most of the time the route goes through pastures and small villages, with beautiful green, and tranquil scenery.

Ansião

• Municipal albergue – no
• Private albergue  – no
• Hotel – yes
• ATM – yes
• Restaurant, café – yes
• Supermarket – yes
• Pharmacy – yes

Places to stay in Ansião

Again ask around in restaurants there are some rooms for pilgrims there. Our guidebook says you can stay at Bombeiros Voluntairos (volunteer firemen association) for 5 Euro we didn’t try to find out. If you prefer a more comfortable stay check Ansiturismo Alojamento. The hotel is situated on the Camino route. Staying here was a real treat after sleeping in dormitories.

Day 9. Ansião – Zambujal, 20 km/12,4 mi

Zambujal

There is nothing here except for the albergue to bring food for cooking from Rabaçal, which is 5km before.

• Municipal albergue – no
• Private albergue  – yes
• Hotel – no
• ATM – no
• Restaurant, café – no
• Supermarket – no
• Pharmacy – no

Albergue Casa das Raposas, private

A very nice albergue in the middle of nowhere with good facilities; a fully-equipped kitchen, a hot shower. Very friendly and helpful owners. It can accommodate 18 people. Price 15 Euro.

Day 10. Zambujal – Coimbra, 23 km/14,2 mi

First part till Condeixa-a-Nova is a nice walk through the country past some ruins, old houses, and tiny villages. After Condeixa there was more of a road and town walk and two up-hills.

Highlights

• Ponte Filipina, a 16th-century bridge
• The historical center of Coimbra

Challenges

• 100m uphill right after Cernache
• 110m steep uphill to Cruz de Mouroços, 210m

Coimbra

A beautiful city with many interesting sights to see if you have time we’d suggest staying here for an extra day to have a break from walking and to explore Coimbra.

• Municipal albergue (convent) – yes
• Private albergue (hostel)  – yes
• Hotel, guest house – yes
• ATM – yes
• Restaurant, café – yes
• Supermarket – yes
• Pharmacy – yes

Points of interest in Coimbra

If you’re not too tired after the walk you can go out and enjoy the Portuguese fado show with Port wine tasting.

• Convent Santa Clara
• Santiago church
• Almedina Gate and Tower
• monastery Santa Cruz and its church
• Old Cathedral of Coimbra
• The Joanina Library
• Quinta das Lagrimas gardens
• Sao Miguel chapel
• National Museum Machado de Castro
• Coimbra University.

Accommodation on Coimbra

Albergue de Peregrinos Rainha Santa Isabel is a nice and clean albergue with good facilities; a hot water shower, a well-equipped, kitchen, and a dining area. Opens at 2 pm. Capacity 20 people. If you’d like to stay in a private place there are several nice hotels and guest houses in Coimbra.

More places to stay in Coimbra

• Budget | Change The World Hostel | NN Guest House |
• Middle price | Hotel Larbelo | Epic Days |
• High-end | Sophia Residences | Solar Antigo Luxury Coimbra |

Day 11. Coimbra – Mealhada, 23 km/14,2 mi

An easy walking day with typical for this region scenery with a long and not steep uphill walk to Santa Luzia, 145m.

Mealhada

A nice town with many restaurants and shops, a couple of hotels and one private albergue.

• Municipal albergue – no
• Private albergue – yes
• Hotel, guest house – yes
• ATM – yes
• Restaurant, café – yes
• Supermarket – yes
• Pharmacy – yes

Albergue/residencial/restaurant Hilário, private

The place has different accommodation options and a restaurant for that reason you can see it sometimes called a hotel, sometimes albergue but it’s the same place. The place is very nice and clean with good facilities. There is a dormitory (10 Euro) for 16 people and 15 private rooms (15 Euro single, 10 Euro double).

• Location – 5 out of 5
• Comfort level – 5 out of 5.

Day 12. Mealhada – Águeda, 25,5 km/15,8 mi

Again a little bit of everything on the way; fields, forest, vineyards, road walks, small towns, and a little bit of walking through industrial areas. Slight up and downhill but nothing challenging.

Águeda

• Municipal albergue – no
• Private albergue – yes
• Hotel, guest house – yes
• ATM – yes
• Restaurant, café – yes
• Supermarket – yes
• Pharmacy – yes

Albergue Santo Antonio, private

Albergue and Residencial Celeste are both located in the same place and run by the same people. The albergue is nice and clean with good facilities; a hot shower, kitchen, wi-fi, beautiful garden, and washing facilities.

• Location – 5 out of 5
• Comfort level – 5 out of 5.

More places to stay in Águeda

• Budget | Águeda Hostel & Friends |
• Middle price | XPT Águeda – Alojamento Local |

Day 13. Águeda – Albergaria-A-Nova, 22 km/13,6 mi

The main challenge is two uphill walks; first about 100m+ to Albergaria-A-Velha and the second 100m+ to Albergaria-A-Nova. The rest of the day walking past small towns and through the eucalyptus forest. In the second half of the walk, there is a couple of inter-crossing with the N1 highway not for long but this walking along a busy road is always quite unpleasant.

Highlights

• Ponte de Marnel – an old Roman bridge just before the first uphill walk.
• Main square and center of Albergaria-A-Velha.
• Eucalyptus forest

Albergaria-A-Nova

The place is much smaller than Albergaria-A-Velha with fewer facilities but we’d suggest walking here in order to make your next walking day shorter.

• Municipal albergue – no
• Private albergue – yes
• Hotel, guest house – no
• ATM – no
• Restaurant, café – yes
• Shop – yes
• Pharmacy – no

Albergaria, private

Located a bit away from shops and restaurants. There is one dormitory room and a couple of private rooms. The place is quite cozy with a good kitchen, comfortable and neat, more like a guest house kind of place than a typical albergue. It can accommodate 12 people. Phone for booking 234-547-068.

Day 14. Albergaria-A-Nova – São João da Madeira, 24 km/15 mi

A couple of up-and-down hills to conquer but nothing hectic, with several towns and villages on the way where you can stop for lunch or coffee.

São João da Madeira

A big place with modern buildings except for a couple of churches and oldish houses around.

• Municipal albergue – yes, sort of albergue, very basic place 
• Private albergue – no
• Hotel – yes
• ATM – yes
• Restaurant, café – yes
• Shop – yes
• Pharmacy – yes

Albergue Santa Casa da Misericórdia in  São João da Madeira

Santa Casa da Misericórdia – a very basic place where you can stay for donation, a room with mattresses on the floor. If you’re up for this tough pilgrim’s life it’s a place for you. If not you can have a more comfortable stay at one of the city hotels.

Places to stay in São João da Madeira

• Budget/middle price | Central Suites | Central Suites 3 |
• High-end | Golden Tulip São João da Madeira Hotel |

Day 15. São João da Madeira – Grijó, 21 km/13 mi

A day of walking through towns with several coffee shops on the way. Time to get excited about arriving in Porto soon. The road keeps going up and down with one climb to Malaposta and then mostly down till Grijó.

Grijó

• Municipal albergue – yes
• Private albergue – no
• Hotel – yes
• ATM – no
• Restaurant, café – yes
• Shop – yes
• Pharmacy – yes

Albergue São Salvador de Grijó, municipal

A good albergue with basic facilities; bunk beds, shared bathroom, kitchen, and a nice garden. Run by the local church, fits 14 people. Price donation.

Day 16. Grijó – Sé Cathedral, Porto 14 km/8,6 mi

We’d recommend starting this day early to arrive in Porto and have some time to walk around the city if you feel like walking after 380km behind. Porto is a great and beautiful city if you have time stay here for two nights and enjoy its beautiful architecture, delicious food, and great wines.

Highlights

• Calzada Romano – an old cobblestone Roman road
• Dom Luis I Bridge
• Se Cathedral and historical center of Porto

Challenges

• Walking along the highway through the outskirts of Porto

Suggested tours and activities in Porto

If you have time I’d suggest staying in Porto for an extra day or two. To rest a bit before starting the second part of the Portuguese Camino and to explore the city. Porto is an amazing place with many beautiful places to visit and amazing things to do. There are several city tours and excursions that you can join to visit the most interesting parts of the city and its surroundings.

• Authentic Douro Wine Tour Including Lunch and River Cruise
• Porto: Pastel de Nata Cooking Class with Grandma’s Recipe
• Porto: 3-Hour Food and Wine Tasting Tour – Guided Experience
• Private Electric Tuk Tuk Sightseeing Tour of Historic Porto

Places to stay in Porto

There are two albergues in the city; one municipal and one private. Albergue de Peregrinos do Porto is a private albergue, for donation. The place is nice and big, it can accommodate 30+ people. The facilities are good; a well-equipped kitchen, hot showers, a garden, and wi-fi, the only drawback of the albergue is its location, quite far from the Cathedral and the Camino, about 3 km away but close to the metro.

The municipal albergue N.S. do Rosario de Vilar. It is situated about the same distance from the Cathedral and the city center.

More accommodation options

There are many great places to stay for different budgets in the center of Porto.

• Budget | Travel & Live Porto Hostel | Supernova |
• Middle price | Guest House Triunfo | Stay in Apartments – S. Bento |
• High-end | Porto By The River Apt | House of Artists |

Our final thoughts about the Portuguese Camino from Lisbon

It is quite off the beaten track, especially the part from Santarem to Fatima, we were no more than 10 pilgrims on the road.

Portuguese people are very friendly and helpful.

We walked through many small old towns and villages that we would probably have never seen just traveling through Portugal. 

We walked Camino de Fatima in May, fields were covered in flowers. 

It felt very safe to walk through both rural areas and cities, even past the industrial areas of Lisbon.

As big coffee addicts, we loved Portuguese coffee, every tiny village has a local café with good coffee and it’s cheap, 1 Euro. We stopped 2-3 times a day.

Useful apps for the Camino Portuguese

• Portuguese Way Premium. Cost US$4, available for Android and Apple.
• Camino Assist Pilgrim Santiago. Free download, available for Android and Apple.
• Buen Camino de Santiago. Free download, available for Android and Apple.
• Wisely + Camino Portugues; a Wise Pilgrim guide. The cost is US$6, available for Android and Apple. We haven’t used it but I saw many unhappy users complaining about the app, I’d recommend reading the reviews before buying it.

Pilgrimage planning resources

• Find out about different route options on the Portuguese Camino | The Portuguese Camino – a detailed guide and itinerary |
• Learn about the Coastal Route of the Camino from Porto | The Portuguese Camino Coastal Route |
• Plan your Camino budget | The cost of walking the Camino de Santiago |
• Get useful tips for planning the pilgrimage | The best Camino de Santiago tips |
• Prepare for the pilgrimage | Instructions for pilgrims on foot |

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