Camino Portuguese 14: Porto to Labruge

Sunday, June 15, 2025

Camino Portuguese: Day 14 – Porto to Labruge

I set my alarm for 05:30 this morning and I was loathe to get up when it sounded. I had slept surprisingly well in the hostel, despite the fact that many of the people in the room had come back well after midnight (I woke up briefly when they came back and saw the time, but I went right back to sleep). After quietly getting my belongings together, I left the hostel so I could start the day’s walk.

Today was a relatively shorter walk covering around 25km, and the route was mostly flat. I set off at 06:15 and was looking forward to some changes in the Camino. Heading out of the city was much nicer than any other major city along either this Camino or, indeed, the Camino Frances. Porto is a beautiful city and I enjoyed walking through the streets as I headed to the riverfront.

I was delighted to see the large river as it was such a nice change from the rather dull and repetitive scenery of the Camino this far. The route followed along the road, though there was a pleasant pedestrian walkway along the water. At one point I had to walk over a metal walkway/bridge that I didn’t find very nice, but that is mostly due to my fear of heights. It was suspended over the water and half of the metal path was grating, so I could see directly down to the water below.

It did not take long to follow the river until it emptied into the Atlantic Ocean, at which point the Camino turned north. The ocean was beautiful in the early morning light. Waves crashed against the giant rocks lining the various beaches and there was a cooling breeze coming off of the water. I had to head back into the city for a few minutes in order to cross a small bridge. The route back to the beach took me to a nearby café, which was my first rest stop of the day.

At 09:00 I sat down at the café to have some coffee and fruit juice. The breeze was making the morning quite cold, so I welcomed the warmth of my coffee. Arriving just behind me was a large group of pilgrims. They had obviously just started the Camino because they were so energetic and bubbly… whereas I was haggard and tired from walking the past 13 days. There were a few other pilgrims at the café as well, but no one seemed in a social mood this morning. I had hoped and wished to have more pilgrims on the Camino, but now that they were here… I had some slight disdain for them.. at least the ones at the café.

After leaving the café, the Camino began following along beside the beach. A wooden boardwalk soon appeared, and I was happy to see yellow arrows directing me onto that path. It was a nice relief after walking on the sidewalk and not as hard on my feet. The beach stretched on for kilometers and there were already many people out enjoying their Sunday. More and more pilgrims appeared as I walked along the boardwalk. They were easy to spot because they all had their large backpacks on, while the locals just had beach attire. Not a single one of the pilgrims I encountered was talkative or friendly, so I just moved on, hoping that I would soon find someone to befriend.

Roughly 90 minutes later I decided to take another break. I had walked about 20km by this time and I was making very good time today. I had found a donut shop just off of the boardwalk, but sadly there were no available tables when I arrive. Returning to the boardwalk, I ended up going to a beachside restaurant that was happily open. I had another cup of coffee, mainly to warm me up some more. Despite the sun being out, it was rather chilly today. I would much rather have a day like today though – I prefer cooler temperatures.

I only had a few more kilometers before reaching my hotel, which I covered with ease. I still had about two hours before check-in time, so I decided to stop for some lunch at a restaurant along the boardwalk. I ordered pasta carbonara that more than filled me up. I then ordered a slice of lemon merengue pie for dessert, along with another coffee.

I finally arrived at the hotel right at 15:00, when check-in began. The hotel was in reality a house that had been converted into a guest lodging. The man who owns and operates the place warmly welcomed me and gave me a small beer as a welcome drink. The house had a small pool, laundry facilities, and a nice common area. Breakfast was included in the morning and I selected what I would like to eat on a small checklist. My room was very comfortable, and it even had a balcony with a sea view!

Desperately needing to do laundry, I gathered up my dirty clothes and the owner helped me get the wash started. He urged me to take a long rest in my room, assuring me that he would put my clothes in the dryer and bring them to my room when it was done. He was truly amazing! I did indeed take a long rest throughout the remainder of the afternoon.

When it came time for dinner, the owner told me that only a few places in the area were open tonight since it was Sunday. I ended up returning to the same place where I’d had lunch (and was waited on by the same waiter!). I sat on the outdoor deck this evening so I could watch the setting sun out over the ocean. I ate a small pizza that was very good, though nowhere near as good as the pasta at lunchtime.

The rest of the evening was spent relaxing at the hotel. I packed away my clean clothes and blogged for a little while. I was finally going to be able to sleep in tomorrow morning because I had a much shorter walk ahead of me (only 15km or so). Breakfast was scheduled for 07:30, so I set my alarm for 07:00 and drifted off to sleep.

Overall today had been a dramatic improvement of the Camino. The scenery was markedly better and there was now an abundance of pilgrims walking as well. While I may not have made any new friends yet, I hoped that would change over the coming days.

Distance Walked: 26.01 km
Steps Walked: 34,431

Total Distance: 414.18 km
Total Steps: 551,480