Camino Portuguese 20: Oia to Nigran

21.06.2025 - 21.06.2025
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Saturday, June 21, 2025

Camino Portuguese: Day 20 – Oia to Nigran

I woke up at 05:45 this morning and struggled to get out of bed. I just wanted to stay in bed and continue sleeping, but I knew I needed to get started on the day’s walk. It was going to be another short day, covering 20km or so. I had hoped to meet with John this morning and we’d tentatively planned to message one another when we got going. However, I had a message from him waiting for me when I got up. He had awoken at 04:00 and started early, so we’d miss one another today. He was stopping in the town before my final destination, so there was a chance that we’d see one another either at a break today or in the next few days. It was slightly disappointing to not have some company during today’s hike along the Camino.

At 06:15 I headed out on the road to get the day started. The Camino route itself went off of the main road numerous times, but it always wound its way back to the road, so I just stuck to the road for much of the morning. This let me walk along the coastline more, rather than strolling through some small villages (of which I’ve seen plenty during the past three weeks). It was cool out this morning, especially since the mountains to the east kept the sun at bay even after dawn.

There were numerous inclines throughout the morning and the first one followed along a path covered with large stones. It was hard work to climb to the top of the hill, but the views overlooking the ocean made it well worth the effort. Soon the Camino turned and I was distressed to see that the climb continued much longer than I had anticipated! It became very steep and seemed never-ending. I was well and truly out of breath by the time I eventually reached the true top. I regretted not sticking to the coastal road, which remained level and went around the damned hill.

There was supposed to be a coffee shop in the small town just after the crest of the hill, but it was closed when I arrived (giving me flashbacks to the Camino Frances…). I decided to take a small deviation to break from the main Camino trail and head back to the proper coastal route. This was a brilliant decision as I was now walking along the rocky coast – a level pathway! The route followed a major road, but it had the wonderful pedestrian walkway lining it so I felt quite safe.

Around 09:45 I reached the city of Baiona, which had several cafes along the waterfront. I stopped off at one café to enjoy my first coffee of the day, as well as replenish my water supply. The waitress was very friendly, but spoke almost no English, so I had to rely upon my terrible Spanish to communicate. I was surprised that I managed to both understand what she was saying to me, and to answer her questions. She kindly stamped my pilgrim passport as well! A Dutch woman arrived as I was resting and we struck up a conversation. She began the Camino in Porto and was having a difficult time of the journey. She was going to take the bus to Vigo today rather than walk. We spent about 30 minutes talking and I enjoyed the chat.

When I left the café, I only had two hours left to walk to reach my hotel in Nigran. The walk through Baina continued along the coast, where I was able to admire a pretty stone fortress along the coast, and the views over the marina. It was bright and sunny out by this point, but the temperature was mercifully not too hot. It was a very pretty stroll throughout Bainoa, which then blended into the neighboring city of Nigran.

I had to once again deviate from the Camino itself to reach the hotel as it was off of the main route. Having made very good time walking, I arrived around noon – earlier than expected! It was too early to check in, so I went to a nearby café to have a cold Coke and rest for about an hour. The hotel was adjoining a small restaurant, which is also where the reception was located. The staff were all very friendly, though I once again had to rely upon my subpar Spanish skills to communicate. I enjoyed the experience though! I cannot claim to have had any deep conversations with anyone in Spanish, but I was very successful in all of my interactions. The room was small, but it had a private bathroom and a small desk, so I was pleased.

I spent much of the afternoon relaxing in the room and nearly dozed off at one point. I then went out for a short walk around town to play some Pokemon Go before returning to the hotel restaurant for a late lunch. It was my dad’s birthday today, so I made sure to call him once I knew my parents would be awake back in the States. After stopping off at the grocery store, I returned to the hotel to relax for a little while longer before dinner. I was not very hungry when, at 20:30, I went down to the restaurant for dinner. I ordered a sandwich and a Radler beer, which was almost too much for me this evening.