The Camino Portugués de la Costa is a breathtaking pilgrimage route that traces the rugged coastline of Portugal and Galicia, offering stunning ocean views, charming fishing villages, and a rich cultural tapestry. This less-trodden path, an alternative to the inland Portuguese route, allows pilgrims to experience a unique blend of maritime scenery and historical landmarks. Choosing the best time to embark on this journey is crucial to ensure favorable weather conditions, making your experience as pleasant and memorable as possible.
In this guide, we will explore the optimal times of year to start your walk from three common starting points along the Camino Portugués de la Costa: Lisbon, Porto, and Vigo. By following our weather-based recommendations, you can maximize your chances of enjoying ideal hiking conditions.
Starting your Camino Portugués de la Costa from Lisboa allows you to experience a full spectrum of the route’s diversity, from urban landscapes to serene coastal paths. The best times to begin from Lisboa are late March to mid May, or late October to mid November:
Starting your pilgrimage from Porto, a city renowned for its wine and vibrant culture, provides a more condensed journey with equally enchanting coastal scenery. The ideal times to start from Porto are May to June, or August to early September:
Vigo, the shortest starting point among the three, offers a more relaxed pace and is ideal for those looking for a shorter pilgrimage experience. The best times to start from Vigo are late June to early September:
Of course, while these recommendations provide a solid starting point, everyone's preferences and circumstances are unique. For example, if you prefer walking in the cooler morning hours to avoid midday heat, you might prioritize dates with drier conditions. On the other hand, if you are more accustomed to colder climates, you may choose to avoid hotter periods - even if it means encountering more rain. Our search tool allows you to customize your journey to align with your specific needs and preferences, ensuring the best possible experience on the Camino.
Furthermore, if your plan differs from walking the standard stages from Lisbon, Porto, or Vigo, then you can edit the Search Settings below accordingly.
This ensures you won’t be walking in overly hot weather.
Similarly, this ensures you won’t be walking in cold weather.
This might sound similar to the first step – but instead of looking at averages, it filters out extreme temperatures that don’t happen every year. In other words, you’re excluding those parts of the year when there might be a heat wave.
Like the previous step, this applies to extremes instead of averages – but this time you’re excluding cold snaps.
This step excludes those times of year which might have storms or intense showers.
If the previous steps haven’t narrowed down the search to 20%, you can further limit the dates by finding the overall driest periods.
Feel free to use this guide as a starting point to find the time of year that best suits your personal needs and preferences. By tailoring the filters to your specific situation, you can discover the perfect time of year for your Camino.
Below is our weather search tool, with the starting point set to Porto, and the filters already set up according to the process above.
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