Pilgrimage on the Camino Portuguese : Esposende to Viana do Castelo

Pilgrimage on the Camino Portuguese

The Camino is not just a journey of physical endurance but a space where attitudes and opinions collide with humility. Today, we were reminded of the importance of remaining humble when it comes to helping fellow pilgrims. As we walked, we encountered a hiker who declared herself an "expert pilgrim," lecturing others at each stop and each café about what it meant to be a "real pilgrim”.   Detailing in particular what attributes she had that she felt made her “a real pilgrim”, and what “others had to do to be real pilgrims”.

While it's natural to want to share knowledge, this experience reinforced the idea that though helping others is valuable, and it's crucial to avoid becoming an overbearing director of others' spiritual paths. As pilgrims, we must respect boundaries and offer assistance without judging others' experiences.

The notion of what makes someone “a real pilgrim” is both a fascinating and tiresome debate. Having trekked the Way of St. James along a number of routes over the years I could not honestly detail “what makes someone a real pilgrim”, or what the difference is between a pilgrim and a tourist.  In fact, I think these types of declarations and debates are somewhat beside the point. 

Everyone walks their own walk, in their own way and for their own purposes.  

To set out is to be a pilgrim. 

Departing Esposende

Having enjoyed a quiet and relaxing evening we awoke this morning to beautiful weather! 

Leaving the hostel, we weren’t sure if there would be a café open along the way, so we each purchased a slice of cake (1 Euro) for breakfast and made coffee in the common room.  This turned out to be an excellent choice. 

Depositing our key we walked along the waterfront in Esposende.  Here beyond the shoreline, the tidal mudflats were exposed and we spotted a family of European rabbits foraging.  In addition around the marina, we found a family of Mallards with ducklings, several Common Ringed Plovers and a number of Little Ringed Plovers.  The morning’s bird sightings did not end there however as we encountered magpies calling overhead.

Further along the Cavado River, we passed the Museu Maritimo de Esposende which is a nice green space nestled near a skate park and some lively restaurants.

Birding the Camino

Still tracing the shoreline we soon came upon a well-designed birding blind overlooking the local marsh named the Observatorio de avifauna da foz do rio Cavado. From here we sighted a European Greenfinch perched on a rowboat and a few other notable species like the Western Yellow Wagtail, Spotless Starling, and Eurasian Blackbird.

As we continued on, an Englishman approached and asked if we were "birding the Camino," which he thought was fascinating and speculated that he would “bring binoculars next time”.

Beyond the bird-packed marshlands, we could see tall letters spelling the town’s name – Esposende.  Besides these, at the mouth of the river way, stood the Forte de São João Baptista  - also called the Castelo de São João Baptista and Fort Esposende. Built between 1699 and 1704, this irregular star-shaped fort is one of the historical jewels in the region, with its 18th-century chapel and hexagonal guardhouse.

Leaving these fortifications behind we followed Camino markers along the Atlantic coastline and in the process also continued to see flocks of Eurasian Blackbirds.

Camino de Costa and Marinhas

Our host last night had warned that along today’s stage, some decisions would have to be made.  Purportedly between Esposende and Viana do Castelo the Litoral is known to be poorly marked, hard to follow and broken at river crossings.  The message being that it was not practical to follow the Senda Litoral or to stay directly on the coast for the day.  As such we were advised to follow the Coastal Route, which (somewhat ironically) would lead us inland.  Despite our initial disappointment at leaving the Atlantic shoreline this route with its varied landscapes and hills offered a refreshing change of scenery.

Departing Esposende we tracked the seaside promenade to a paved road, which then turned into a cobblestone lane that took us into the suburb of Cepaes before finding ourselves in Marhinas.  Here we located a café and enjoyed an energizing café con leche on the shady patio which we shared with other pilgrims. It was the perfect place to pause before the day’s trek got into full swing. 

Ready to set off again we navigated streets and crossed a highway passing beautiful churches, including the tiny Capela de Sao Sebastiao, en route.  Afterward, we followed quiet cobblestone streets into the charming village of Sao Joao do Monte where we stopped at the Igreja Sao Joao do Monte.  While we had hoped to take a few minutes inside the church we instead stayed in the courtyard as the bells were ringing to call people to mass.  Interestingly this beautiful structure had loudspeakers outside and began broadcasting mass to people seated in their cars rather than attending mass in the chapel.   Taking a few minutes we stood at the base of a large stone cross outside and listened to the singing within.  A few feet behind us a lady with a van parked just beyond the walls of the church was selling donuts, pastries and other sweets to the people leaving mass.

With all of our stops and starts between birds, coffee and mass we soon found ourselves trekking amid a massive stream of pilgrims tracing the quiet village streets. In such moments all you can do is fall in step and continue on.  As a result, this part of day had a more traditional pilgrimage feel as those on the Way of St. James ventured forth surrounded by quaint stone homes whose yards were filled with lemon trees and flowering shrubs on one side and steep forested hills on the other. 

Belinho and Beyond

In short order, we passed through the small village of Oteiro before arriving in Belinho.  Here we were drawn to the onion-domed São Pedro Church but it too was ringing its bells for the commencement of mass. 

So rather than visiting and disrupting services we stopped for what was perhaps the best breakfast of any pilgrimage we have undertaken.  Here large bowls of yogurt, granola, fresh fruit and dark coffee were served up.  While enjoying our repast we chatted with a couple of American pilgrims and a group of retired birders from the UK who were travelling the region on an ornithological tour!

Heading on we soon stopped to look at Capelo de Santo Amaro, a beautiful chapel nestled under a stand of tall pines.  From our position, we could see out over the local homes and pastures to spot the waves in the blue sea below.  Following a long track the Camino bordered by high stone walls ventured through a forest.  

Here we walked along what seemed to be the property of a sprawling convent or monastery and lots of delicate flowers including Purple Foxglove (bee balm), Green-veined White butterflies, and Mexican Fleabane (which looks like a daisy) sprouted from the mossy and shaded walls.  

Nearing the next crossroads we suddenly heard someone shouting through a loudspeaker and a few minutes later we arrived at a paced roadway as a massive group of cyclists sped past.  Each cyclist was outfitted in bright sports gear and being followed by a car with a mounted speaker on it.  The driver was either berating or encouraging the cyclists (sometimes it is hard to tell the difference) onward.   The contrast to the quiet group of pilgrims walking along could not have been greater. 

Estrada

Continuing down the road we passed the whitewashed Capela de Nostra Senhora a dos Remedios and through the town of Estrada, before crossing the busy N13. Picking up a dirt track the Camino next wove through a eucalyptus forest.  The scent of eucalyptus is wonderful and these forests are peaceful to trek through. 

Eucalyptus was introduced into Portugal in the 1850s as a quick-growing tree species that could be sold for pulp during a century of newspaper and book production.  Even today Portuguese companies are some of Europe’s largest paper manufacturers.  As a result, these types of Eucalyptus plantations have become an important source of income throughout the nation. So much so, that online estimates suggest that up to 7% of Portugal will soon be covered in Eucalyptus trees. 

Unfortunately, the importation of Eucalyptus has not been entirely positive for Portugal.  At the outset of their introduction, large tracts of the nation’s natural landscape and native forests were cut down and replaced with Eucalyptus. The result being that this non-native species began to undermine natural habitats and negatively impact regional biodiversity, bird life and cork forests. Adding to this is the fact that unlike native wood species, Eucalyptus cannot be used for house building or furniture production.

The second problem comes in that Eucalyptus requires huge amounts of water to grow – a fact which is exacerbating ongoing drought conditions.  Finally, this species, from which Eucalyptus oil is derived is an incredibly flammable tree.  A reality coupled with the problems of summertime droughts and climate change makes these plantations one of the top reasons why Portugal now has more regular forest fires than many of its European counterparts.

Camino Shrines and Chapels

Walking through the forest we passed a number of small shrines and chapels as well as a tall pillar with a large scallop shell and a red Santiago cross with 'Antas Esposende 2010' inscribed on it.  A pile of pebbles, ribbons and pilgrim messages lay beneath as a testament to the countless pilgrims who have trekked past here before.

Continuing on we walked down into a river valley along a narrow, winding footpath that was bordered by loads of delicate purple flowers known as Toadflax flowers. We soon crossed a river on the long stone bridge of Ponte Nieve, before passing a weir and the remains of an old mill.

Afterwards, we climbed back out of the river valley and about 12 km or 3 hours into the day’s venture the Camino left the forest tract and came to a more open road.    Here we found a chapel, named the Capela de Nossa Senhora dos Emigrantes, situated in a beautiful green space.  Behind which was a lawn with a row of shade trees filled with pilgrims taking a break from the climb and cooling off. 

Opposite this chapel was the Albergue Dom Nausti Em Castelo Do Neiva which was a very colourful, bright yellow, two-story building with a tiled upper floor and a giant yellow, metal scallop shell on the roof.  Tucked in the back of this structure were two small wooden sheds, one of which functioned as a snack bar that was doing a roaring trade. 

Sitting down we rested next to two men who looked like Harley Davidson riding Hell's Angels.  Each was absolutely covered in tattoos and looked tough, but in actuality, both were incredibly nice– a reminder not to judge a book by its cover. 

After enjoying two cold iced teas, we ventured on along an increasingly steep climb through quiet neighbourhoods towards the local Church of Santiago.  Our route shifted between tracing cobblestone walkways and shadeless pavement tracts.   

Passing a fancy stone Camino marker bearing an outline of Portugal with the Way of St. James drawn on it we preceded up an even steeper drive.  Taking frequent breaks, on the side of one laneway, tucked into a retaining wall on the steep slope, was a Santiago Niche - a small shrine to Santiago, which had been lovingly decorated with a bouquet of fresh flowers, standing below a simple stone cross.

Igreja Santiago de Castela do Neiva

Finally, huffing and puffing, we arrived at the Igreja de Santiago de Castelo de Nieva, or the Santiago Church with its peaceful cobblestone courtyard and modern stone frieze that pays tribute to Fatima.  The significance of the Igreja de Santiago is that during renovations of the church in 1931 a plaque was discovered with an inscription dedicating the building to San Tiago the Greater in 862 CE, by Nausti, the Bishop of Coimbra at the time.  Owing to this discovery this building is thought to be one of the oldest churches consecrated to Santiago ever found outside of Spain.

The information inside the church indicates that this plaque proves that the worship of San Tiago had spread south of the Minho River, beyond Spain and into Portugal by 800 CE.  Accordingly, some view this discovery as giving cultural and spiritual legitimacy to the Camino Portuguese Coastal Route.

Enjoying the cool interior of the church we found a self-serve stamp which we waited in line to use.  Though it was sadly low on ink we were fortunately still able to get an imprint on our pilgrim passports before departing.

Continuing on and Climbing up

Although the Igreja de Santiago de Castelo de Nieva was high up and offered expansive views over the tiled roofs of the surrounding villages, and the deep blue sea out beyond the coast the fact was that our climbing was not yet quite done for the day.

Around us the landscape was starting to look and feel more like Galacia – it was much more hilly, there were larger forests and lots of moss and ferns.  After some time following an earthen trail and tracing through stands of eucalyptus trees we arrived at the town of Monte.  Soon after which, now following a quiet paved road we arrived at the Mosteiro de Sao Romao do Nieva where we stopped to sit and have a snack in the courtyard in the shade of a tall stone wall.  Here other pilgrims were also enjoying a break and were seated on stone benches in front of the building. 

Opposite the monastery was the Chapel Senhora do Castro, which is located at the top of a very, very, long flight of stone steps that are marked with a large cross at the bottom.  Intrigued Sean unstrapped his backpack and walked, following the stages of the cross to the top while I enjoyed the cool wall down below with our gear.

Continuing on the route came back out into a string of small towns, including Monte do Sul, and then later Chafe before descending through the communities of Ribeira, Noval, and Anha

Striving to be Remembered

As we walked along the Camino Portuguese this year we noticed that there was a disproportionate number of Quebec Compostelle stickers pasted everywhere.  While many people leave mementos along the way including stickers the number of these seemed over the top.  Indeed, at times there were some stretches where they were on every available surface including every sign, statue, bench, and historical plaque that had them stuck to them. 

Having seen so many of these stickers this year they had simply become part of the Way for us.  Yet today at one point we met a French Canadian pilgrim, Jean-Martin, who by his own admission was horrified at the sheer number of them when he trekked his own Camino a month prior.  

In response, after arriving in Santiago he had cancelled his flight home to Montreal and was now spending his summer removing stickers that were plastered everywhere for the Quebec Compostelle.  He felt that they were embarrassing as a French Canadian and could not comprehend why another Canadian, so he assumed, would spend so much of their own Camino time plastering thousands of advertisements for a route in Quebec.  His hope was that in cleaning up the trash along the Camino and removing these stickers he was giving back and allowing others to enjoy their own pilgrimages.

Stickers and graffiti are a ubiquitous part of most Camino routes.  We have seen them in France, Spain and Portugal while on pilgrimage.  At times these postings advertise albergues, cafes or taxis, but others are ads for blogs or other trails around the world.  Reflecting on them we have come to conclude that, beyond advertising, so much of what is being done is undertaken with the hope of being recognized and remembered.   On a route filled with countless markers and having been trod by millions for over a thousand years the desire to leave one’s mark is understandable. 

How each person strives to forge their legacy is a personal decision.  The idea of cleaning up the way and giving back seems a worthy cause. 

Venturing on along The Way

Continuing on we descended through the communities of Ribeira, Noval, and Anha before once again steeply climbing along narrow cobblestone roads.  Along the route, we passed the Albergue Casa da Carolina, wooden horreos perched on concrete blocks, and passed through the village of Penedos.  Occasionally, as we wove in and out of small towns we would catch a view of the ocean, a large expanse of white sand, and the roofs of Viana do Costelo, our destination below us in the distance.

In Darque the Camino followed a narrow, winding paved road that snaked downhill only to finally pop out in an abandoned industrial zone.  Here empty shells of buildings stood in overgrown fields full of weeds.  Amid it all concrete posts, old electrical boxes and the remnants of parking lots were visible.  Each relic of a bygone age. 

Following paved roads, we eventually emerged on the edge of a very busy roundabout which dropped pilgrims into Cidade Nova - a modern, busy suburb of Viana do Castelo.  All that remained was to cross the Rio Lima on the long Eiffel Bridge. 

As we crossed we noticed that beneath us in the tidal mud flats were Whimbrels on the banks as well as Black-headed Gulls.   Towards the ocean, we could see the cranes of an active shipping terminal while to the east along the river is the city of Ponte de Lima, which we walked through on the Portuguese Central Route a few years ago.

Viana do Castelo

The end of our day was in sight when we walked into Viana do Castelo, a vibrant and pleasant village along the Lima Estuary. The town has a rich history dating back to the existence of human settlements Mesolithic period in 10,000 BCE.  The Romans would establish a presence in the 2^nd century and in the millennia that followed this town played an important role in the Age of Discovery and Exploration.  It was from Viana do Castla that Joao Velho departed to explore the Congo and Joao Alvares Fagundes charted the coastlines and cod fisheries of Newfoundland Canada.  Owing to the benefits of the Portuguese Empire and its trade routes Viana do Castelo expanded and became an essential port of commerce centered around the export of wine, fruit and cod.  

At its centre is the impressive and beautiful Sé Cathedral of Viana do Castelo.

Reflections on the Camino Portuguese

Tired we arrived into town just after 4 PM and easily found our accommodation, the O Parque Hotel.  Ready for some rest we checked in, cleaned up, took showers, hand washed our laundry and hung it up before taking a nap.

Several hours later we set out to explore Viana do Castelo but really only managed to wander the waterfront and nearby marina.  Here we spotted a Marbled Crab and a family of Black Redstarts feeding by the water’s edge.

With little energy to search out dinner, we stepped into a riverside establishment claiming to be an Irish Pub.  What followed was one of the most unique experiences we have had while eating in Portugal.  Instead of being the claimed Irish Pub the establishment instead had no Irish or English food, no UK beer, and the Portuguese waitress was dressed like a British Royal Guard in a mini skirt.  Added to this was the fact that our order of pub nachos instead turned out to be American Doritos with Cheese Wiz warmed up and poured over them.  As we drank a couple of bottles of Sagres cerveja we watched French Judo with Portuguese subtitles on the TV.  In the end, much like the Camino, it was a unique and unexpected international moment.

With night setting in we returned to our accommodations for the evening bringing another day on the Camino to an end.  Reflecting on the journey so far we have begun to recognize that the Camino offers more than simply a means to get to Santiago.  The Camino is a space in which one can connect with history, spirituality, and nature.  From the historical landmarks, and stunning churches, to the warm hospitality of small towns and possibilities for serene moments in the outdoors.  Each step along the Camino Portuguese is an opportunity for growth, reflection and finding peace. 

The journey and the connections we make en route matter as much as the final destination.