An 8,5 day itinerary on the Camino Portuguese from Lisbon to Coimbra

Not many people start the camino in Lisbon. It may have something to do with the distance of 630 km to reach Santiago de Compostela in Spain. It takes a while… I made the spontaneous decision to start walking after my hike on the Rota Vicentina and unfortunately didn’t make it all the way to Santiago because of the pandemic. However, I do not regret starting in Lisbon and I’m so keen to head back soon and pick up where I left off in Coimbra. Here’s what you need to know about the first 8 stages.

My schedule
Day -1: Lisbon cathedral to Oriente – 8 km – Draft hostel and rooms €10
Day 1: Oriente to Vila Franca de Xira – 28 km – Suite & Apartments DP VFXira €14
Day 2: Vila Franca de Xira to Azambuja – 18 km – Casa da Rainha €34
Day 3: Azambuja to Santarém – 33 km – Santarém Hostel €20
Day 4: Santarém to Golegã – 30 km – Inn Golegã €15
Day 5: Golegã to Tomar – 30 km – Hostel 2300 Thomar €15
Day 6: Tomar to Alvaiázere – 32 km – Residencial o Bras €18
Day 7: Alvaiázere to Rabaçal – 33 km – O Bonito €10
Day 8: Rabaçal to Coimbra – 32 km – Change the world hostels Coimbra Almedina €10

Starting the Caminho

The camino, or caminho in Portuguese, is about the total experience. It’s about getting to know a country in a new way, about meeting other pilgrims and sharing stories, about the locals that will put a smile on your face and about the challenge you give yourself and all the things that will go through your mind.

There is some debate about where exactly the camino starts in Lisbon. There seems to be even more debate about whether or not it’s worth it to start the camino in Lisbon. I don’t regret walking from here. Many people said it would be boring. They said it was too hard, because there is not enough accommodation and because the days are long. But that’s just the thing: the camino, or caminho in Portuguese, is about the total experience. It’s about getting to know a country in a new way, about meeting other pilgrims and sharing stories, about the locals that will put a smile on your face and about the challenge you give yourself and all the things that will go through your mind. Don’t do these 8,5 days if you’re just after a scenic hike, but if you want to do a pilgrimage and you have the time, start your caminho in Lisbon. If you are looking for an experience that is a bit quieter and gives you a look into country life of Portugal with some historic monuments along the way, then starting in Lisbon is a great option for you.

I started walking from Sé cathedral in Lisbon. It was a bit hard to pick up the trail since the signage here is basically yellow arrows spray painted on the walls. I was glad I’d downloaded the maps.me route onto my phone. It gets much better when you are out of the city and it certainly was a lot better than my guidebook described. I think they’ve improved the signage a lot in the last years. Note that there are also signs for the Fátima pilgrimage, which takes a different route from Santarém.

Breaking up the first leg in manageable pieces

The first day from Lisbon to Vila Franca de Xira is incredibly long. I don’t think it’s a great way to start and it is hard to find accommodation along the way. I solved the problem by walking to Oriente on the day of my arrival in Lisbon. You could look for some accommodation around that area, but I found the cheaper places are in the center, so took a metro back. The next day I just picked up the trail where I left off. I also met people who walked to Alhandra, then took a train to Vila Franca de Xira and the next morning went back to Alhandra to pick up the trail.

Camino Portuguese – Lisbon to Coimbra: the good, the bad and the ugly

• The distances on this stretch of the camino are very long. Most days are over 30 km and when you just start walking you will definitely feel this. Come prepared and plan a rest day if you need it.
• The first two days are pretty boring, with some exceptions, since you are making your way out of the city and the industrialized area surrounding it. Push through and you’ll be rewarded by the stretch between Tomar and Rabaçal, which I thought was incredibly beautiful.
• There is a fair amount of ‘road walking’. Drivers here don’t really care and many will not give you much space. Be alert and stay safe!
• There are some beautiful historical places along the trail. I recommend making sure you have a few hours to check out Santarém. Tomar has more to offer, so you could plan a rest day here to explore the surroundings. Towards Coimbra there are some Roman archeological sites. If you arrive in Rabaçal early enough, you can visit the small museum and the Villa Romana do Rabaçal. On the last day, when you walk to Coimbra, you pass the Ruínas de Conímbriga archeological site. This is much bigger, well worth exploring, and you’ll get a pilgrim’s discount.
• Finding accommodation can be hard, but there are a lot of options. It just takes some planning and phone calls.
• I ran into some pretty angry dogs. Once I even decided to take a small detour because of it. Be careful!
• You are truly off the beaten tourist path and can get a look into Portuguese life in the country. By walking you can truly appreciate all the changes, from city to country. I also had many short but positive interactions with local people.
• Unlike the stretches of the camino closer to Santiago the Compostela, this part is still quiet. There are other pilgrims, but you won’t be walking in a conga line.

Accommodation on the Caminho

As said before, it can be tricky to find accommodation but it is certainly possible. Many smaller pilgrims hostels are not on booking.com. Some use Facebook, others you’ll just have to call. On this page you can find files for maps.me which have markers with lots of accommodations along the trail. Do you research, so that you know which ones are open and plan where you intend to stay. It will make your walk a lot more relaxing. Since I walked during the pandemic, a lot of the small albergues were closed. This may also be the case in the low season.

My favorite places to stay
Inn Golegã: a very comfortable place to stay. They have private rooms and dorms. There is a self service washing machine for a good price. There is a nice kitchen/lounge area. Perfect pilgrim hostel!
O Bonito: run by a hard working woman who also does the bar attached. It’s visited by a lot of locals which is great. I had a dinner including soup and a cider, a breakfast role and a bed, all for €18! This was the real camino experience for me.
Santarém hostel: a hostel in the old town of Santarém. The living room is super cozy and I loved the quirky artwork throughout the hostel. It is obvious that a lot of care and love was put into this place. The owner also gave some nice suggestions of things to do in the afternoon.
Hostel 2300 Thomar: the staff was fabulous. The hostel is comfy, with lots of space, a good kitchen and a lounge. It’s in the center so you can easily visit places like the Convent of Christ.

Packing for the Caminho

Of course you want to pack as light as possible, but there are some things you simply need to take.

Credencial: this is the official pilgrims passport where you gather all your stamps. You can buy them before you leave at the organization that is responsible for St James’ Way in your country or you can try to get one on the way at a church or albergue. During your walk you’ll have to gather stamps in case you want a proof of the amount of kilometers you’ve walked from the pilgrim’s office in Santiago de Compostela. If you want to earn the official compostela, the certificate issued by the pilgrim’s office, you’ll need two stamps each day for at least the last 100 km. Even if you don’t care about any certificates, the credencial makes for a really nice souvenir of your trip.
The credencial also proves that you are a pilgrim. Some of the albergues may require you to have a credencial, although I didn’t have a problem walking this stretch without one.
Scallop shell: pilgrims walking the Camino can be recognized by the scallop shell they carry. Not every pilgrim does this and on this stretch people will recognize you as a pilgrim anyway, but it’s a nice symbol that you’ll see a lot.

The pilgrim’s hostel in Alvaiazére has a particularly cool stamp because they still use wax like in the old days. Most hotels/hostels will have stamps, but don’t expect anything fancy. I liked the stamp at the albergue in Rabaçal.

Sleeping bag: in some of the pilgrim’s hostels and albergues you need to bring own sleeping bag. I didn’t stay in any of these, but it’s usually required for the cheaper places. Especially during the COVID-19 pandemic the rules have gotten stricter on this. Only in Rabaçal I wished I had a sleeping bag liner since there were blankets, but no sheet for under them.
Towel: if you stay in more expensive places, a towel may be provided, but if you are traveling on a budget, be sure to bring one!
Poles: I would say poles are completely optional on this trip. I didn’t use them, but I’ve seen others who brought them. There are no difficult stretches up or down.
Clothes: as a luxury hiker I had 3 sets of clothes with me, as well as a whole bunch of toiletries, first aid supplies etc. Again, depending on time of year you’ll need more or less layers to wear. The weather wasn’t perfect, so I couldn’t rely on things drying overnight. Therefore I wear my clothes several days in a row. The cheapest laundry was in Golegã, but there is also laundry available in Tomar, which would be perfect if you take a rest day there.
Depending on the time of year you’ll also need to bring plenty of sunscreen, sunglasses, a hat and rain gear. I brought insect spray too, but didn’t end up using it at all.
Headlamp: you may want to carry some sort of torch, especially if you are walking in fall or winter. The distances are long and depending on when you start, your speed and how many breaks you take, you may end up walking in the dark. Since many streets are not well lit, a headlight could be useful.
Guidebooks/maps: On the Dutch website for the camino you can download files with coordinates so you can follow the route on your phone. I use maps.me since you can use it offline and downloaded the KML file. You see the complete route in your maps.me app. You can also download a file with accommodation options that show up as markers on your map. I found this very helpful! They are not always 100% correct since changes in the route are made locally, but it is a great resource.
I did get a guidebook on my Kindle. It helped me prepare for what would come the next day. I wouldn’t say it’s essential, but I liked having it with me. I noticed the signage was a lot better than my guidebook described, so I think the region has done some improvement work on the trail recently.

When packing, keep in mind that you need to carry water and food each day as well, which quickly adds 2 – 3,5 kilos or even more to your weight. There are not many places where you can fill your water bottle unless you ask in cafés or restaurants! The water fountains you see along the way mostly don’t have potable water. You will walk through towns and villages, so it’s often possible to buy food or a coffee along the way. In all the towns where I stayed I could find a restaurant in the evening. Some hostels even offered a kitchen to prepare food myself.

Walking in November, during a pandemic…

Well, November… It may not be the best month, since fall/winter is really kicking in in central Portugal. Several people asked me if I was sure about starting this walk when I was in Lisbon. Unfortunately I did have my fair share of bad weather, including lots of rain, thunderstorms, strong winds and even hail. But I also had moments where I could walk in a T-shirt and shorter pants. Let’s just say there are no guarantees in November and you need to prepare for everything. Also, nights are a lot colder than the days.

What I liked was that it wasn’t busy on the trail. Mind you, this stretch is not so popular in general and I was walking during the pandemic as well. In the first 3 days I didn’t see any other hikers! I did notice a lot of the cheaper accommodations were closed, but I still managed to find places to stay, and those places were nice and quiet. Sometimes I had a whole dorm to myself! Of course some were closed because of the pandemic, but others always close for the winter months.

Although walking in November is totally possible, it would probably be more pleasant during April, May, September or early October.

Interesting places to see along the way

• Santarém is a small city just North of Lisbon. It has a really cute inner city and I totally recommend strolling through the small streets and visiting some of the churches. Before sunset, be sure to make it out to the Jardim das Portas do Sol for an amazing view over the surrounding countryside. If you arrive around 3PM you will have plenty of time to explore the main monuments.
• Tomar is a city which is well known for the history of the knights Templar. Here you can visit the beautiful Convent of Christ, home of the order, as well as several small museums and a Roman aquaduct. Tomar has a bit more to offer than Santarém and could make a great rest day for the camino. If you don’t have so much time, at least be sure to visit the Convent of Christ!
• There are Roman archeological sites, the Villa Romana do Rabaçal in Rabaçal and the Ruínas de Conímbriga at Conímbriga. Rabaçal is a very small town and the villa lies about 1 km from the Main Street. On the Main Street you’ll find a small museum about the excavation of the Roman villa. I found the people to be very friendly and enthusiastic. I didn’t have time to visit the ruins themselves, but learned a lot about them. If you want to visit the ruins, you can ask for more information here.
  The bigger Roman site is in Conímbriga, where a whole city has been excavated. Even though I visited the site in the middle of a walking day, I really enjoyed the break from walking. There is a lot to see and the most beautiful thing is the mosaics you can see in the various buildings.
• Optional: somewhat off the trail is Castelo de Almourol. It’s meant to be very beautiful. Unfortunately I couldn’t get there, but look it up and see if you want to take the time to go there. It’s probably easiest if you plan to sleep in Vila Nova da Barquinha.

And there you go! I hope this information answers some questions you may have about the camino between Lisbon and Coimbra. If there’s anything else you’d like to know, don’t hesitate to place a comment 😀