Camino Portuguese 10: Sernadelo to Agueda

Wednesday, June 11, 2025

Camino Portuguese: Day 10 – Sernadelo to Agueda

The early morning dawn slowly brightened the Portuguese landscape as people in the tiny town of Sernadelo awoke. The birds chirped to greet the day, just as they have for countless days before. It was a day like any other… or was it? That’s how Keith Morrison may start an entry in my blog and, since I’ve been listening to his Dateline episodes as I walk each day, it seemed fitting to start today’s entry that way… or was it?

I slept in slightly this morning, waking up at 05:15 and it was a struggle to get out of bed. The bed at this amazing hotel was insanely comfortable and I could have happily stayed snuggled under the covers for several more hours. Alas, the Camino called and I needed to hit the road to reach my next destination… or did I?

After leaving my back at the front for the transfer pickup, I left the hotel behind – and completely forgot to get the breakfast they had laid out for me in the kitchen! I was several kilometers into the day’s walk before I remembered the food back at the hotel and I was so disappointed. I have been leaving so early each morning and I’ve missed all of the included breakfasts at the hotels, but this one had put my food in the kitchen early specifically for me.

Today’s walk was one of the most unremarkable and dull days of the Camino. Every step of the way followed along one road or another today, with not a single bit of the route along the familiar dirt paths. When I set out this morning there were some dark and ominous clouds on the horizon and I feared that it may rain, but the forecast reassured me that the day would be dry.

As with most previous days, there weren’t many cafes along the route and I had to walk nearly 13km before reaching the first one that was open. I was aching for a rest by the time I arrived and I was delighted that the place was actually open this morning. I ordered a salami sandwich, coffee, and a Coke to drink. The staff helped me by taking everything out to a table on the patio for me (my hands were full with my walking poles, bag, wallet, etc). I took a long, 30-minute break at the café and then decided that I should get back on the road.

I was tired of walking along the streets, especially since most of them lacked a proper sidewalk for pedestrians. Cars were constantly driving past me and I had to scoot as far over on the narrow shoulder as possible each time. Many of the drivers waved and pulled towards the center of the road to give me some space (something I very much appreciated), but there were plenty of times where this wasn’t possible either.

I took another short break at a café close to my final destination, Agueda. As I sat enjoying my iced tea, I took off my hiking sandals to give me feet a rest. I then noticed a large reddish spot on my right sock, where it appeared I had bled during this morning’s walk! I did have a large blister that had popped of its own accord a few days ago, so I assumed that it must be that which was bleeding. I wasn’t feeling any pain, aside from the normal soreness from the long walks, which I took to be a good sign.

At 12:30 I left the café and walked the final 2.5km to reach Agueda and my hostel for the night. Agueda is a cute little town with a nice pedestrian zone full of shops and cafes. My hostel was located in that part of town, though it was closed when I arrived. I went to a café around the corner, where I had a coffee while waiting for the hostel to open. As I sat drinking my coffee, an Australian named Carl approached me. He had seen me last night at the hotel – he and some friends had stayed there as well! They were a group from around the world, walking the Camino together. We chatted for a few minutes and he seemed very friendly. The further I get on the Camino, the more pilgrims I meet – though usually in the evenings, never out on the walk itself.

Tonight’s lodging was my first hostel of the Camino. I have been spoiling myself with private rooms thus far, but this hostel had great reviews and the dorm rooms seemed good when I made the booking. There is a large dining area on the second floor, along with a common area on the first floor. My dorm room was basic, but nice and the bunk beds had privacy curtains (always a plus!). The only other person sharing the room with me was the older French man I had met yesterday along the Camino. He speaks decent English and is quite nice – I was happy not to have a bunch of younger people sharing the room.

I spent the afternoon relaxing at the hostel, hanging out in the dining room. Breakfast is included at this hostel and, while I was chilling, the woman at reception laid out several places for tomorrow’s breakfast. Each guest has their own place setting and a little nametag! Thankfully tomorrow’s walk is the shortest yet (only 17km), so I plan to sleep in a bit and enjoy the breakfast. Later on, I went out to get a burger for dinner and stopped by a supermarket to get another Powerade (yes, they had them in stock!). When I got back to the hostel, I returned to the dining room so I could do some writing before bed.

At the hostel there is a group of five or six young men running all around, lounging in the dining room and/or reception, talking extremely loudly, and playing videos/music loudly on their phones. They don’t seem like regular guests or tourists either, so it’s very strange. Several of them have been walking around shirtless as well. Do they live here? They treat this place as though it was their own and it’s quite disrespectful to the rest of the guests.

I went to bed at my usual time this evening and was looking forward to sleeping in tomorrow morning… or was I?

Distance Walked: 26.90 km
Steps Walked: 35,669

Total Distance: 306.04 km
Total Steps: 407,341