As you leave Porto you have a few different options of which way you will continue on your way to Santiago: the Central Route or the Coastal Route. The Central Route is the “official” more established route of the two. It is well signed and will take you out of the city of Porto and eventually through the beautiful Portuguese countryside and farmland. The Coastal Route is an option if you’d like to walk along the ocean. In recent years it has become better signed for pilgrims who choose this route to Santiago. Basically, for much of it, remember to keep the water to your left and head north!
On your first day of walking out of Porto – many take the metro to the town of Matonsinhos and start walking from there – you will walk along boardwalks next to the sea to the town of Vila do Conde. It is a much lovelier walk than walking out of Porto past the outskirts of the city on pavement along roadways which is the Central route, certainly. You do have the option at different points along the Coastal Route to cut across back to the Central Route. So, you might choose to start on the Coastal Route for the first day, or two, or three … and then cut across to rejoin the beauty of the Portuguese countryside that makes up the Central route. That is always an option!
To help you plan your Coastal journey, the WisePilgrim app for the Camino Portugues does now include the coastal route!
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