MY CAMINO: The PORTUGUESE WAY (Part One: Porto to Baiona)

This September Gerry and I did the Portuguese Coastal Camino.  We walked from Porto, Portugal to Santiago, Spain and then on to Finisterre (the end of the world!)  It was a 252 mile trek over 16 consecutive days of walking, which is an average of 15 3/4 miles per day.  We not only survived, we thrived!

We arrived in Porto late in the evening September 3rd and spent the night in the center of town at the Da Bolsa Hotel.

The view of Porto, early evening from our plane.

The nighttime view from our hotel room on the sixth floor.

We didn't get much sleep but were raring to go and begin our Camino on Sunday September 4th.  We took the metro to the outskirts of Porto near the coast for the official start of our Camino.

I take my first steps of the Camino, across this bridge.

We faced dense fog and cool temperatures the first five miles of the Camino, which was along wooden walkways for the most part.

Stormy seas and cloudy skies, with limited visibility.

Gerry approaches the lighthouse in the fog.

Several miles are along boardwalks like this.  Finally, the sun breaks through for a few hours. 

We come across a "fisherman's village" with colorful cottages.

We left the coast and walked inland for a few miles in the afternoon under bright sunny skies with temperatures in the seventies.

A lovely church, one of the first of a hundred we will see over the next 16 days.

 

The River Axe, in the late afternoon, as we approach our destination.

We entered Povoa de Varzim, after walking 17.40 miles, and stumbled upon a local religious parade.  It was 4:45 pm, and my guess was they were carrying the statues to the church for the 5:00 pm mass.

 We join the town's people and watch the procession.

Minutes later we arrived at our hotel, the historic Grande Hotel Povoa, built in the 1930s and which overlooks the ocean.  We checked in and then walked across the street to the beach.  The water was too turbulent and much too cold for swimming, but we did give our feet and lower legs our post-hike ice bath in the surf. 

The hotel is listed as a national monument.  We have a room on the third floor.

The view of the Atlantic Ocean from our hotel room. 

Day Two was our walk from Povoa de Varzim to Esposende, a 15.1 mile day for us instead of the 13 miles we expected.  We missed one of the yellow arrows that mark "the way" at a critical junction when we were so engaged in taking photos of a historic church, that we accidentally left the Camino route for several miles and walked along a noisy industrial road instead.  Ugh.   We did pass through some lovely farmland once we were back on the Camino.

This church is to blame for our navigational goof.   

Blackberry heaven, once we return to the right path. 

Fields upon fields  of greens. 

We share a platter of mussels, and a plate of grilled shrimp for lunch.

We arrived in Esposende, another coastal town, and once again our accommodations were at a seafront hotel,the Suave Mar.  It was very blustery and chilly near the shore, so we spent the late afternoon in the large interior courtyard of the Suave Mar, poolside.  We took a refreshing swim in the pool.

Day Three of our Camino was the 16.2 mile walk from Esposende to Viana do Castelo, with beautiful scenery in 90-plus degree heat, part on trail and part on the cobblestone narrow village roads.  The terrain was reminiscent of last year's Camino.  Highlights of the day included the forested trails which we had to ourselves, and the old stone bridge, Ponte Sebastio, which was in an idyllic setting and offered gorgeous river gorge views.

We start along the coast, near sand dunes.

Within a few miles it is bye-bye coast and hello inland.

I break out my hiking poles for the first time!

Not sure what this monument is about, but it seems photo-worthy.

I walk across the Ponte Sebastio bridge at about mile six. 

 

The view looking back, after I cross the bridge.

We approach this church after a steep climb under bright sunny skies. 

It was close to noon as we approached the church above, and the temperature had soared to near 90 degrees.  We stopped to rest and say a prayer for cooler afternoon temperatures!  It wasn't answered but at least we were given beautiful vistas to enjoy as we sweltered.

Open fields, with small clusters of houses. 

We arrive in Viana do Castelo, our destination. 

At the historic city center. 

An unusual art sculpture near the river. 

We took a pre-dinner stroll before we checked into our hotel, the Pension O Laranjeira, which was the final highlight of the day.  It is a three generation, family-run, quaint 9-room hotel.  The dinner in the hotel's dining room was gourmet, worthy of a 5-star restaurant, in my opinion.  We prefer the small mom and pop hotels with the personal service! 

A lovely city garden in Viana do Castelo.

The elegant dining room at O Larenjeira.

My entree of grilled fish, with vegetables.  Delicious!

Day Four of the Camino (Wednesday) was our shortest day thus far, only 12.65 miles as we walked from Viano do Castelo to the coastal town of Vila Prai de Ancora.  However, we got in an additional 6 miles as we explored town and walked to and from the beach in the afternoon.  Temperatures were in the 70s and 80s so it was warm, but not oppressive like Tuesday.

We walked a stretch upon cobblestone streets and then found ourselves on hiking trails through eucalyptus forests.  We passed many small villages, often upon narrow pathways which were lined on either side by 8-foot high stone walls, so we had to use our imaginations to picture the houses and gardens within.  Those houses we could view were gorgeous, as were the vistas and overlooks toward the coast.

Along the stone path, I walk beneath an ancient water trough.

Gerry makes his way, always with his eyes on the alert for blackberries.

The miles go by all too quickly when it is this beautiful.

A garden in the foreground, with a view that extends to the sea. 

The first operable water fountain we have seen on the trail. 

I love this ancient stone cottage overlooking the creek. 

We are nearing our destination of Ancora.

We arrived early afternoon and checked into our accommodations for the evening, the Hotel Meira, which was located on the main street of Ancora.  Then it was time to head for the beach!   Within fifteen minutes we were in "rest and relaxation" mode, parked in the sand.  We chickened out with full immersion in the ocean, but we did go into the water as deep as our knees.  We took a brief snooze and hung out at the beach until the clouds started to roll in, around 5:00 pm.

I'm giving Praia de Ancora a "two thumbs up." 

Gerry is in relaxation mode, too. 

Dinner that evening in the Hotel Meira featured "fresh off the boat" delicious seafood.  Gerry ordered a monk fish kabob, which was served with grilled shrimp.  I selected the grilled octopus.  I have eaten octopus maybe 6 or 7 times in my life.  Tonight's was as tender as could be, the best, ever!

Gerry offers a toast to our gourmet meal. 

Gerry's kabob on the left and my grilled octopus is on the right.  Bon Apetit!

How did we follow-up with a gourmet dinner at the Hotel Meira?  Why, with an extravagant breakfast buffet, of course.  Which was fine with me on our last morning in Portugal.

The walk on Day Five (Thursday) was our shortest Camino day of the entire trip.  It was only 10.80 miles from Ancora, Portugal to A Guarda, Spain.  But sight-seeing beckoned in the late afternoon in A Guarda, so we added another 4-plus miles of walking.

We began the day with a walk along a path which hugged the coast for 3 miles.  Then we turned inward and passed through a few small villages before we reached our final town in Portugal, charming Caminha, at about mile six.  We caught a ferry ride from Caminha to the shores of Spain, a 1.5 mile, scenic 20 minute excursion.

We faced a short steep climb from the boat dock and soon were upon a trail that took us through an eucalyptus forest.  We arrived at A Guarda by noon.  We walked along the riverfront and explored the city before we checked into our hotel,  Vila Da Guarda, in the center of town.

Street art as we leave Ancora is on display as we exit the city.

Artisans are working the adjacent street.  They use colored sea salts.

A lovely view as we walk along the ocean.

Suddenly we are surrounded by a herd of goats.

They are the weed clearing crew, as they chomp away on coastal brush.

Our final coastal mile in Portugal.

Stone sculptured water fountains in a small village where we fill our bottles.

Near the town square in Caminha, our final town in Portugal. 

From the ferry:  Portugal on the left as we head toward Spain on the right.

We approach the dock in Spain.

Minutes later, Gerry discovers blackberries, keeping our 4 day streak alive.

The view from the trail as we head toward A Guarda. 

Along the waterfront south of A Guarda, as we explore the city.

I meet a woman in the center of town, an avid reader just like me!

Late afternoon we took a taxi to Monte Santa Trega, a prehistoric fortified Celtic hill settlement which dates back to 500 BC, but wasn't discovered until 1913.  It was high above town and offered amazing views.  Remnants of dozens of the original huts remain.  A few have been restored, with thatched roofs.  Seeing the ancient ruins was fascinating.  It reminded me of Machu Picchu.  We walked (instead of taxi) back to our hotel along a pedestrian route, which was scenic and all downhill.  Day Five was another fun and adventurous day.

High above the town. 

We can see for miles and miles.

The ancient remains of the 500 BC huts. 

A restored hut with a thatched roof.

Gerry peers inside this restored hut, which replicates the ancient one, which is long gone.

Day Six on the Camino was extra special because it was my birthday!  I celebrated my 57th birthday on Friday, September 9th, with a 20 mile walk as we traveled from A Guarda to Baiona.  I couldn't have asked for a better birthday!

What better way to celebrate than to walk through coastal Spain with the love of your life on a gorgeous day, stopping for a seafood lunch and finishing the hike with a mango and coconut gelato?  We also kept our blackberry eating streak alive.  We each probably consumed a pint.  (The multiple handfuls do add up.)

Berry breaks are always welcome.

There were plenty of gorgeous ocean vistas and some climbing on trails above the towns in solitude.  We saw only a few other pilgrims until we reached Baiona.

In the morning we walk for miles along the coast.

 We were fascinated by the granaries.  Gerry especially found it difficult to walk by them without taking a picture or two.

This granary is colorful with its red door, surrounded by flowers.

We like the combination of wood and stone on this one.

A granary with an ocean view!

We stopped for my birthday lunch at a cafe where we were the only customers.  We sat outside and enjoyed mussels and Padron peppers.

Nothing fancy about the Aguncheiro.

...but they do serve generous portions.  The bill came to $10.

It was a pleasure to be on these ancient trails and not see a soul.  I felt like I was taking steps back in time.  It was like I was in a different era, instead of our real modern world filled with technology. 

A fine looking horse.

We have views of the ocean most of the day.

...but not always.  This particular stretch seems ancient. 

When we arrived in Baiona our first stop was a well-deserved gelato cone!

Coconut and mango go together better (in my opinion) than peanut butter and chocolate.

We checked into our hotel, the Anunciada Baiona, and quickly changed into our bathing suits then crossed the street to the beach by the bay.  We waded into the calm bay waters up to our waists, then relaxed on the sandy beach, near the iconic fortress of Monte Real, which dates back to the 11th Century.   Later that evening we went out for my birthday dinner at O Refuxo d'Anton, for their famous grilled octopus, fried calamari and Padron peppers along with frosty mugs of Spanish beer.

Monte Real, the ancient stone fortress, is a block from our hotel.

We heard this place was great - and it did not disappoint.

I'm a happy and well-fed birthday girl.

And so ends the first six days of our Camino, from Porto to Baiona - a distance of 92 miles.