Camino Portugués: Stage 1: Lisbon to Santarém

Trip Type:

Pilgrimages | For those looking to follow a path of self-discovery. Our Pilgrimage and Camino routes take you on a journey through diverse landscapes and local flavours, while meeting like-minded adventurers along the way.

Activity:

Inn to Inn Walking | Walk from place-to-place changing accommodations each night. Generally staying in B&B’s, inns, and guesthouses.

Grade & Terrain

The Camino Portugues is graded moderate overall and involves daily walks of between 12-33km. It is suited to regular walkers who enjoy long-distance walking. You will follow a mixture of farm/dirt tracks, woodland paths, minor roads (one-third of the route) and closer to the bigger towns and cities, some busier roads. It should also be noted that on the section out of Porto there is a busy road network but there are some alternatives to avoid this. Much of this route is flat, but there are a few days that are long and some sections on cobbled pavements which can be tough so a good level of fitness is recommended.

Navigation

The route is marked with yellow painted arrows but please take care at intersections where there may be a choice of several different alternative routes, particularly in the latter half of the route from Porto to Santiago. Navigation can become trickier when leaving the busier cities and towns such as Lisbon, Porto and Tui and you will need to pay close attention to your route notes for these sections. We also provide a guidebook and access to the Macs Adventure Smartphone App, which you can use to navigate. We strongly recommend using this App, or at least having it on your phone ready to use should you ever be in any doubt about your direction. There are usually other walkers around in case you are looking for help. A detailed information pack including route notes, local information and maps will be waiting for you at your first accommodation.

• Accommodation in small rural hotels, twin/double rooms with en-suite W/C.
• Daily Baggage Transfers
• Transfers required as per itinerary.
• A detailed information pack, route notes, maps, GPX tracks and access to the Macs Adventure Navigation Smartphone App.
• Emergency support from our local and UK offices in the event of a problem.

• Return travel to Spain/Portugal
• Lunches, snacks or drinks
• Travel Insurance
• Personal Equipment
• Taxi transfers or public transport should you need to skip a stage
• Breakfast is not included in Azambuja

• Additional nights accommodation along the way.

When To Go

This trip is available to start on any day from the beginning of March to the end of October. Option & extension prices will be displayed as part of the booking process.

Time of Year

The weather on the Camino Portugues can be quite varied as it passes through several different regions. We recommend walking between March and October to get the best weather for walking. July and August can be extremely busy on the Camino and very hot (temperatures have reached up to 40 degrees) so we tend to recommend avoiding these months. As some of the route passes close to the coast, this can cool down the temperatures but it can also cause storms and high winds.

Getting to the Start

You can fly into Lisbon from several airports in the UK, with several different carriers. From London, you can fly direct with TAP, British Airways, Easyjet and Thomson.

Getting from the End

From Santarém you are best to return to Lisbon by train with CP Rail

Baggage Transfer

Baggage transfers are included (max 18kg per person). Your main bag will be transferred each day between your overnight accommodation so that you only need to walk with a day pack. There is a supplement applicable for solo walkers on baggage transfers due to the fact that the transfer costs are usually shared.

At Macs Adventure, we work in partnership with many luggage transfer providers who set a limit on how many bags/suitcases they will transfer per person, and also the weight of the bag/suitcase.  Your booking includes transfer of 1 bag per person.  It is very important that you read the luggage information specific to your tour before departure. If you do not adhere to these limits, there is a great possibility that you will be charged locally both for extra bags or if they are too heavy. This limitation can be a challenge, especially as airlines generally have limits that are higher. However, our luggage providers have reasons for these limits (usually due to the Health and Safety of their employees), which we must respect.

General Information

Please be prepared by packing all necessary items, for example, proper rain gear (jacket and pants), sun hat and sun screen. Your information pack has a detailed equipment list which includes standard walking/cycling gear such as good walking boots or shoes, warm and waterproof clothes for the cooler months and lightweight clothing for summer, and a day pack.

Pilgrim's Passport & Compostela

The pilgrim’s passport is issued by the church of St James, you can obtain one at the start of your walk in the pilgrim’s office or the local church in town.  You need to get the passport stamped in churches, restaurants and hotels along the way. At the end of the walk, in Santiago, you can obtain your Compostela Certificate (only if you have walked the last 100km). For the other sections of the trail, the passport is used as a souvenir with all the colourful stamps you will receive.

Equipment

Your information pack has a detailed equipment list which includes standard walking gear such as good walking boots or shoes, lightweight clothes, waterproofs and a day pack.