After some umming and ahhing we decided to walk the Camino Portugues.

With 3 routes on offer, the 243km Central route was chosen. We had seen quite a bit of the coast line while biking to Porto and had enjoyed the little villages that we had passed through.

Bikes: In storage, tick

Walking Packs: Bought from Porto’s only dedicated outdoors shop, The Camping Shop, tick

Training: Ridden our bikes from Lisbon to Porto and some tourist walking around Porto. To be fair not a lot, but tick

The days have very similar progressions – leaving town or suburbia behind, and a mix of walking through or on the outskirts of small villages, and through wooded areas, and arriving in the next town, but it’s never the same. The vista is ever changing and curious for my antipodean eyes.

Many village homes we pass have a sizeable vege patch and well tended grapes vines that have seen many a season.

A church is ever present, not surprising given the Camino pilgrimage has been around for over a thousand years, since the remains of Saint James the Greater were discovered in Santiago de Compostela in the 9th century. Saint James, the patron saint of Spain, was one of the 12 apostles and the first to martyred

Many are small, befitting the size of the community and many tall crosses are found at cross roads. They seem to depict a reference point for the pilgrim to know they were on the right path.

Fortunately our Camino is marked. It is like a treasure hunt as we look for the next yellow Camino arrow to show us the way.

Pilgrims come from all over the world. We have met pilgrims from Germany, UK, the Netherlands, Finland, Canada, Belgium, Eritrea, Korea, Italy and France. And I’m sure there are many others as the languages heard seem plentiful.

And everyone’s Camino is different. Where you stay – municipal or private Albergue, hostel or hotel. How far you walk each day.

Having rest days or not. Walk with day packs only and have your bags arrive at your destination while you walk. Or carry it all everyday as we have.

The days have been long and bodies tired but they are simple – eat, walk, eat, walk and sleep. Repeat.

I’ll let the pictures do the talking…

Day 1: Porto to Vairão 30k

Our first lesson from day one was to book ahead, as we arrived in Vilarinhos to find there wasn’t any accommodation available at either of the Albergues in town.

Feeling and probably looking fairly desperate, the owner of the second Albergue took pity on us and drove us back to the village Vairão that we had passed a couple of kms back to the monastery for the night

We were so grateful to be so warmly welcomed and given a bed for the night.

Day 2: Vairão to Barcelos 30k

Barcelos is a beautiful medieval town dating back to 1177. The streets are so well cared for and the local church was stunning inside. The best restoration we have seen.

Day’s 2 lesson is there are no public toilets, making a pastelería stop a necessity. Oh dear, a coffee and a pastry too please!

Day 3: Barcelos to Sobreiro 29k

Day 4: Sobreiro to Rubiães 24k

Day 5: Rubiães to Tui (Spain) 22k

Day 6: Tui (Spain) to O Porriño 16k

Halfway there – 6 days done and 6 to go….

The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.

Lao Tzu