Camino Portuguese 09: Coimbra to Sernadelo

Tuesday, June 10, 2025

Camino Portuguese: Day 09 – Coimbra to Sernadelo

This morning I was moving a bit slower than normal, and I reluctantly dragged myself out of bed so I could get ready. The room was very stuffy this morning and quite warm – there was only a small fan for cooling the room. Once I had my bags packed, I dropped my backpack in the lobby for the transfer pickup and hit the road.

Today was going to be slightly cooler than yesterday, thankfully, and I also had a shorter walk to reach my next destination. To leave Coimbra, the Camino stuck to the road and I was surprised at how many people were walking around so early this morning. I spotted two pilgrims slightly ahead of me as well! When the path went under the highway, the other pilgrims nearly missed the turn, so I shouted after them so they wouldn’t get off the route.

Despite walking on the side of the road for the majority of the way this morning, it was a very pleasant walk. The weather was cool and there were plenty of trees around to shelter me from the sun. After walking about 10km I reached the first town that had a café, but it was closed. Today was a national holiday (Portugal Day) and I knew that many places would probably be closed today. I continued walking in the hopes that the next town would have an open café.

The next town was only 45 minutes away and happily the café was open! As I entered town, I admired a large mural dedicated to the Camino on the side of the road. The further I walked through Portugal, the more the towns and villages appeared to embrace the Camino. The café was very small and attached to a tiny convenience store, but I was able to get my morning coffee (and that’s all that mattered!). While I was enjoying my coffee, the older couple that I had seen in Coimbra passed me by and said hello.

Feeling refreshed, I was ready to start walking again. I enjoyed walking through the many small towns and villages along the way today, though there were again many dogs barking in every one of them. I was happy when the yellow arrows directed me onto a dirt path – finally something different from the road! This path was perfect: soft dirt without any rocks to hurt my feet. I followed along this route for quite a while, with wound through some farms and wooded areas. It was starting to get hotter as the morning dragged on and I was glad to not be directly under the sun. I soon overtook the couple from earlier. It was nice knowing that there was company along the Camino today – a better feeling of safety with others around. The Camino is very safe, but having others on the route just in case something happens puts ones mind at ease.

Alas, the dirt road was short lived and soon I was back on the road. As I approached the next town, where there was supposedly another café open today, I saw a stray dog lying on the side of the road. It began to bark as I got closer, so I backed away. Luckily the couple I’d passed were not far behind me, so I waited for them and then followed them past the dog, who turned out to be perfectly harmless.

The café in town was indeed open so I decided to take another short rest to replenish my water supply and to have some apple juice. The couple also ducked in for a break, and soon after a few more pilgrims appeared. The man who I had been bumping into periodically on the Camino (the one ahead of me a few days prior) walked by and said hello. He and I talked briefly and I learned that he is from Portgual. An older French man also stopped at the café and we talked for a few minutes. While I wasn’t exactly hitting it off and making friends with anyone quite yet, this was finally starting to feel more like the Camino!

The rest of the walk lasted about an hour until I reached the town of Mealhada. From there it was only 2km to my hotel, but, since it was only 11:30, it was far too early for check-in. I decided to have a leisurely lunch at Burger King as I entered town. The coolness of the air-con as I entered was instantly refreshing. I enjoyed my meal and sat watching some Netflix to help pass the time. Before heading to the hotel, I swung by the large supermarket next door to get some snacks and drinks. I was overjoyed to finally find some Powerade drinks! I had been searching every store for them since I started back in Lisbon and now I could finally buy some. I drank these quite a bit during the Camino Frances – they are the best way to rehydrate after a long day walking under the sun. Yes, I drink plenty of water throughout the day and that does hydrate me… but the Powerade is a nice change from the water every now and again.

It was very hot when I set off on the final 2km stretch to the hotel. I walked through the town, taking advantage of the shade offered by the buildings. When I left those behind me, I was baking under the sun. By the time I finally reached the hotel, I was feeling slightly overheated and drenched in sweat.

The hotel turned out to be a converted house, though it was very modern and luxurious. House isn’t the right word to describe the property – mansion would be a better descriptor. It’s a huge property with a very nice pool, dining and kitchen area, and a common area to relax. My room was the nicest one of the Camino thus far and I was a bit sad that I only had the one night to enjoy at the hotel. The only negative was that there are no restaurants located nearby.

After relaxing at the hotel during the afternoon, I considered walking back to town for dinner, but I preferred to stay in to rest my legs and feet. I checked on Uber Eats and was shocked to find that it operates in Mealhada, so I ordered a pizza for delivery.

Once I was done with dinner, I showered and spent the rest of the night relaxing with some Netflix before bed.

Distance Walked: 26.35 km
Steps Walked: 35,584

Total Distance: 279.14 km
Total Steps: 371,672