– if you see a blue Fátima arrow (heading south) you’ll know you’re on the right track.
For the most part, the Camino is well waymarked with yellow arrows and scallop shell markers, or an ‘X’ meaning wrong way. Desvio means detour and will often be accompanied by a map displaying the available options.
Extra detailed descriptions have been given in this guide for entering/exiting cities as the arrows (on street lamps, behind road signs, painted on the pavement) can easily be hidden behind cars, posters etc. Outside of built-up areas, arrows may be painted on rocks, trees, signs… you’ll get used to looking for them everywhere! There are new brown waymarks on the pavement through many towns on the Coastal Camino in Portugal, although they’re not as obvious as the blue/yellow waymarks so you may need to look more carefully.
A GPS is not required, although GPX tracks are available online if you would like to download them to a smartphone or tablet: www.cicerone.co.uk/932/GPX.
In an effort to move the Central route away from busy roads and highways, the route has been changing and improving with pilgrim-friendly infrastructure each year. Every effort has been made to provide up-to-date, accurate and clear directions, and further updates will be posted online at www.cicerone.co.uk/932/updates.
Using this guide
Each stage begins with an information box giving the start/finish points, distance, total ascent/descent, difficulty rating (easy, moderate or hard – based on a combination of distance, ascent and walking time), duration, details of any cafés and accommodation, and special notes. Distances for cafés and accommodation are cumulative; for example, ‘Coimbra (28.7km)’ indicates that from the start of the stage to the accommodation in Coimbra is 28.7km, and ‘Conímbriga (12km +210m)’ indicates that the accommodation is a 210m detour off the Camino.
Following the information box is a short introduction with an overview of the stage, and then detailed route directions. Stage maps are provided at a scale of 1:100,000, as well as elevation profiles. Points of interest along the way are noted, as are any facilities that you may pass. (All prices are accurate at the time of writing in autumn 2017. Accommodation prices when stated are based on starting prices for one person, and star ratings are ‘official’ regional ratings rather than recommendations.) Keywords in bold in the route description relate to features that you will also see on the map for that stage, so you can cross-reference where you are. The following abbreviations are used: ‘KSO’ – keep straight on, ‘LHS’ – left-hand side, ‘RHS’ – right-hand side, and ‘NM’ – national monument.
In the route descriptions, distances in brackets (2.2km) within paragraphs measure from the previous given distance, while distances at the end of paragraphs – for example 6.2km/22.8km – represent first the total distance described in that paragraph (6.2km) and then the total cumulative distance for the stage (22.8km).
Throughout the route description, as well as on road signs and many maps, Portuguese national highways have the prefix ‘N’ followed by the highway number (N1, for example), and ‘M’ is used for municipal roads (M538). You may also see the same roads denoted with ‘En’ (Estrada Nacional), ‘Em’ (Estrada Municipais) or CM (Caminho Municipais).
The Galician spelling of names for places such as churches, chapels and bridges, which differs slightly from the Spanish, is used in the Galician section of the route description as this is what you’ll encounter first on signs in that region.
Leave no trace
Pilgrim numbers have been increasing year-on-year and the Portuguese Camino is now the second most-walked Camino after the Camino Frances – which, sadly, also means an increase in rubbish along the way. Zip-lock bags are handy for disposing of tissues/rubbish. Leave only footprints!
CENTRAL CAMINO
Cloister in Convento de São Francisco, Santaróm (Central Camino Stage 4)
LISBON, 2M, POP. 547,733
Europe’s westernmost capital, Lisbon is a hilly cosmopolitan city by the River Tagus with deep historical roots. Known as ‘Olisipo’ to the Phoenicians, it was designated a municipium under Julius Caesar, called Felicitas Julia. In 1147 Afonso Henriques ‘recaptured’ Lisbon from the Moors, and it became the capital from 1255. The city was extensively destroyed on All Saints Day in 1755 by a devastating earthquake (and subsequent fires and tsunami) and rebuilt by the Marquês de Pombal; the Convento do Carmo serves as a haunting reminder.
A ship with two ravens adorns lamp posts, street tiles and Lisbon’s coat of arms; it’s believed to be from the 12th century when the remains of Lisbon’s Patron Saint, St Vincent were brought from the Algarve by ship, followed by two ravens. Lisbon actually has two Patron Saints, St Vincent and the more popularly known St Anthony.
No trip to Lisbon would be complete without visiting the picturesque suburb of Belém, where the caravels set sail on their voyages around the world. Some 8km west of Lisbon’s Praça do Comércio, it is home to the UNESCO World Heritage Mosteiro dos Jerónimos and Torre de Belém. It’s also the location of the MAAT Museum, Pastéis de Belém (custard tarts) and much more.
Tourist office: Praça do Comércio, tel 210 312 810, and Palácio Foz-Praça dos Restauradores, tel 213 463 314. Both open daily 9am–8pm, www.visitlisboa.com.
View of Castelo de São Jorge from Miradouro de São Pedro de Alcântar
Visit Lisbon: cathedral (Sé de Lisboa, NM), built after Afonso Henriques captured Lisbon; the first bishop was the English crusader, Gilbert of Hastings. Successive kings added to the cathedral, contributing to its Romanesque, Gothic and Baroque styles. Archaeological excavations in the Gothic cloister have uncovered Iron Age remains dating back to the eighth century BC, as well as Roman streets and Moorish foundations. Open daily, Mass held Tues–Sat 6.30pm, Sunday 11.30am. Winding up the hill from the cathedral is the church of Igreja de Santiago; originally 12th century, it was largely rebuilt after the earthquake. Castelo de São Jorge (NM), a Moorish castle then royal palace dating from the 13th to 19th centuries; the site includes a museum, archaeological finds dating from the seventh century BC, a restaurant and terrific views – www.castelodesaojorge.pt, open daily, €8.50. Elevador de Santa Justa (NM, 1902), a Neo-Gothic iron elevator designed by an apprentice of Eiffel; open daily, €5. Praça do Comércio (NM) was rebuilt by Pombal after the earthquake; the large riverfront square was known as Terreiro do Paço and housed the Royal River Palace (moved from the castle by King Manuel in 1511). The equestrian statue in the middle of the square is King José I and the triumphant Arco da Rua Augusta (completed in 1875) includes statues of Pombal and Vasco da Gama, among others. There’s also a tourist office, Lisboa Story Centre (interactive museum recounting Lisbon’s history – www.lisboastorycentre.pt, €7), Lisbon’s oldest café ‘Martinho da Arcada’ (1778) and ViniPortugal wine-tasting rooms (www.viniportugal.pt) in the square. Convento do Carmo (NM) was built by Nuno Álvares Pereira in the 14th century; the Carmelite Convent was all but destroyed in the earthquake, and it now houses
