Camino 2026-Celebrating 70 and Protesting the Kidnapping of our US Immigrants

Coastal Camino: Porto to Santiago April 2026

In April I will being my journey from Porto to Santiago. I will walk for 13 days averaging about 10 miles a day. The total distance is about 140 miles. I will keep my journey journal here. I am walking to bring awareness to the kidnapping of immigrants in this country. If you want to support my efforts, please donate to your local area immigrant assistance center or donate to mine- 805 undocufund.

My Itinerary

Our first evening

Denise,Maggie and Susan first dinner

Day 1: arrival in Porto

23 hours after leaving home I have arrived in Porto met my neice Maggie and my friend Denise. We went out to a very traditional restaurant and had 3 euro wine and fish french fries and shrimp. Tomorrow we rest and Wednesday we begin walking.

Yum Yum

Chocolate sculpture

Day 2: Enjoying Porto

We had a great day today walking around Porto.Here is a view from the hill.

View of Porto from the Cathedral.

Cathedral

The Cathedral where all Caminos start.

There was a lot of rain, thunder and lightning today. Fingers crossed it is a better day tomorrow

So much rain

There is a lot of trash art in Portugal. This one is from the famous Bordalo II. You can read more about him at https://www.streetartbio.com/artists/bordalo-ii/

All the animals he presents are affected by trash and pollution and can perish. “The idea is to depict nature iteslf, in this cae, animals out of materials directly responsibility for their destruction”.

Street Sculpture made of local trash in the shape of a rabbit

Day 1: Porto to Povoa de Varzim

So the journey begins. At this moment, I did not know what lay ahead. I had decided I had trained for all terrains, hills, mountains, sand, boardwalks, and cement. With my niece and friend Denise, we were ready to go. First stop is Vila do Conde, about 25.7 Kilometers or 16 miles. Whatever we say in mileage, always add 2 kilometers or an extra mile. So the miles are on the lower end of what we actually walked. The first day, we left Porto by metro and went to Mercado station to start the walk. It was already a lot of miles without having to tramp through the whole town of Porto (which we had done the day before). You take the subway, get off, and go across a large bridge. Walk to the ocean and off you go.

Denise and I at our first moment at the beach.

We met Lina who is orginally from Brazil. She now lives in Portugal and was doing a short camino to her home in Vigo.

The welcome to the Camino on the boardwalk. We will be on this boardwalk for a few days.

The long and not windy road.....

Tons of rain this day

Beach sculptures

Not sure about this sculpture. It was very cute. I am sure with a sunny day the chairs would have been welcome relief. For us however, it was wet and rainy.

View from the walk.

This is where we first met Ada. We finished the camino together.

This unique bust of King Pedro IV (also known as Dom Pedro IV) is a striking example of Portuguese "trash art." While Pedro IV is a legendary figure in Portuguese history—known as "The Liberator" for his role in defending the constitutional monarchy—this sculpture reimagines him through a modern, sustainable lens.

Created from recycled materials like plastic, metal scraps, and discarded industrial parts, the piece is likely inspired by or created by the famous Portuguese "artivist" Bordalo II. His work is designed to provoke a conversation about overconsumption and the environment by turning literal waste into powerful cultural icons.

Maggie walking during the end of the first day.

This was the only open place that we could find to get a not so good lunch. Most of the beach cafe's were closed.

Day 2: Povoa de Varzim to Esponsende (Popular Summer Beach City)

Day 2 consisted of a long, flat walk along the beach for more than 14 miles. It was beautiful, but the last hour was painful as we walked through traffic. The hotel we stayed at was very upscale, but in April, there are no tourists, only pilgrims. So here we were in an unusually fancy hotel with lots of staff dressed in suits, while the entire hotel consisted of Pilgrims, who were pretty darn dirty and shoddy. It was an interesting perspective. I guess if you hiked this route in the summer (I don’t recommend it), you would not be staying here, as this place would be full of high-paying customers.

Dawn on Day 4. Ready to push onward.

Mom and babe on the beach

The way.....

What a great view to walk with

Sign

This is a "votive net" or memorial fencewhere pilgrims leave behind mementos, shells, and ribbons as symbols of their intentions, prayers, or the completion of a stage.

Beach folk art: You can see a pilgrim bottle and wind spinners

Another Votive net

Moinhos de Apulia (The windmills of Auplia)

This type of windmill is unique to Northern Portugal. They are built from a local stone with a conical, thatched roof and were historically used to grind grain.

Maggie on the way...

The roadrunner zooming toward Santiago and the Coyote looks exhausted from the trek.

Pilgirms leave inscribed rocks to symbolize burdens relased or prayers offered as the walk toward Santiago.

A beautiful old cafe where we took a break.

A church we stopped at with the cross of St. James around 5 miles from our destination.

A place for a stamp and free shells.

This was the day before Denise had to stop walking.

Maggie doing what she likes to do best while waiting for me to catch up.

Day 3: Esposende to Viana do Costelo

This will be remembered as the most difficult day on the road for me. I had trained for sand, flat walking on boardwalks, mountains, and hills. I had trained, I thought, for every form of landscape I could find in advance. However, I forgot one….cobblestones. After more than 6 hours of walking on cobblestones, I was ready to call it quits. Denise had to stop due to blisters. I managed to get up the next morning and continue. What we learned is that there is more than one way to your destination. There is the traditional camino, the alternate camino, the provisional camino, and on and on. Today we took what we thought was the traditional camino. Others took the coast. We chose this route because walking along the coast had a lot of traffic. I wish I had thought about the impact of the cobblestones. I still have foot pain from that day. I must have bruised the top of my foot from the uneven pace of cobblestones. One stop, however, made the journey that day eventful. We stopped at the Che Guevara cafe. The owner was nuts about Che and had stickers, stamps, and lots of memorabilia. He treated us to cookies and other things. He was a very kind man who loved pilgrims. The rain stopped on this day and it was really hot.

Early in the morning on our way out, we met this man. As he walked he picked up the trash. I think he was going to the church but I am not sure.

Cobblestones, cobblestones and more cobblestones. This pilgrim couple caught my attention.

Another interesting sign post.

The famous Che Guevara cafe along with my walking stick and backpack.

Note the Pringles vending machine. They are everywhere in Northern Portugal. Pringle anyone?

This is the church that I remember the most. It had delicious water and marked the end of the cobblestones for a while. Yes!

More cobblestones

This bridge is the longest bridge I have ever walked across. It is called Ponte Eiffel designed by Gustave Eiffel who designed the Eiffel tower in Paris.

It was not an easy walk. A very narrow walkway with pedistrians moving in both directions. Most not caring about the pilgrims wearing heavy backpacks. There were a ton of cars and it was a long walk like that in traffic, smog and people. I don’t recommend it. Next time I would taxi across.

After hours, we finally came to this forested area. It was beautiful, relaxing and a great place to chill.

Stream with bridge.

We enjoyed this forest with NO cobblestones.

Gorgeous views and NO cobblestones.

A pop up cafe. Take what you want and pay what you can. The owner was kind, interesting and funny.

A view from one side of the Eiffel bridge to our destination on the other.

Lovely lovely forest

Day 4: Viana do Castelo to Ancora

On this day, I met Ada again, and she was with Hendrick from Germany. He was a speech therapist, so we spent some time walking together. Ada also had met Bridgitte from Chicago. Bridgitte was a first-generation Mexican American. We connected on many levels since this walk is about supporting refugees and immigrants. Maggie was happy to finally meet some young people, as most of the pilgrims tended to be older. There were choices on this walk from Castelo to Ancora, and we chose the beach route. I was done with cobblestones. The only issue with that decision was that the wind was so strong that there were few open cafes and almost no place to stop and rest. We did find a soccer club that was willing to let us in for a 1 euro espresso. The club also had a nice, clean bathroom also impossible to find on this route. So we stayed there for a bit. We also found a mobile cafe, but the wind was blowing so hard that we could not stay there long. We finally got to Ancora after the harrowing windstorm.

Maggie in the windstorm.

Susan in the windstorm

The group from left to right: Maggie, Susan, Ada, Brigette, and Hendrick.

A gorgeous view

Maggie and Ada on the way....

Ada in front of the windmill.

This is a traditional Portuguese windmill, characterized by its cylindrical stone tower, white-washed exterior with exposed dark stones, and distinctive red wooden doors and window shutters. Many of these along the coast have been preserved or converted into unique coastal landmarks for pilgrims.

A typical day at a soccer club includes lots of espresso

Inside the soccer club

Maggie wandering on the beach.

Horses

Ada posing on the way.... Yes there were a few cobblestones.

My shadow on the cobblestones

On our way to Anacora.

Love lock in Anacora just after leaving the windstorm.

Lots of chances for great photos

Day 5: Anacora to Aguarda (Here we come Spain)

This is our shortest day on the camino. It was considered a rest day but it was still a lot of walking. Today’s journey crosses the border to Spain! Yes, I can speak again.

We met a sheep herder and he had a 2 day old baby lamb. They were all so cute.

On our way out of Anacora to AGuarda

We got Denise back with us for this walk as it was short in comparison.

Beautiful views

Portugal had beautiful views and provided a variety of types of seats for people to enjoy them. Notice the sunflowers on these benches. No graffiti.

Bye Anacorda

Our ferry boat to Spain.

Day 6: Halfwayd Point-87 miles in Aguarda to Biaona-19 miles

After having a short day yesterday, walking to Biaona was a long way. Many pilgrims break this up by walking to Oia and then the next day to Biaona. Our schedule did not allow for that (because I wasn’t thinking when I booked it) so we were walking the whole way. At Aguarda I ran into Jennifer and Tracy, two sisters from Vermont. We ran into them the first day of hiking and Jennifer looked miserable. She was limping and was not sure she could make it. After that, they decided to walk part way and taxi or bus the rest. That seemed to work for them, because when I met them in Aguarda they were happy and enjoying the walk. So we decided to walk together to Oia.They would take the bus to Biaona and I would continue on. They made it to the end, I am happy to say. I saw them having lunch in Santiago.

Although the day’s destination was far away, the walk was beautiful and contained seaside, forest and a bit of mountain climbing. Now that we are in Spain, I have the opportunity to speak to the local villagers.

Another sheep herder was making his way on the beach with 2 day old sheep as well. This would be the last flock I would see on my walk. I had an opportunity to talk with the herder who told me that I was blessed for walking and make sure I got a glass of wine in Oia.

My views on this section were gorgeous.

Saint James helping me on the way.

There were many messages along the way. I tried to capture as many as I could.

A beautiful shot of the waves on this overcast day.

The forest we walked through.

Real Mosteiro de Oia

I was unable to visit (you have to make an appointment of at least 15 people to visit), but the website about this site is complete and beautiful. It is all in Spanish.

The horse who never stopped looking at me.

We saw a lot of horses. Many were leashed on short tethers. One horse tried to ask me to remove the leash by looking at me, putting his head down and showing me his tether with eyes that said, let me be free. This one just watched me without stopping. I could not take my eyes off him either.

Km 113,480

The Milestone: That "Km 113,480" marks a significant psychological point—I’veofficially crossed into the final stretch of the journey through Galicia.

The Shell and Arrow: The yellow scallop shell and arrow on the granite pillar are the iconic symbols of the Camino, ensuring no pilgrim loses their way.

The Tradition: Leaving a stone often symbolizes letting go of a burden, or a prayer/thought for a loved one. The fact that so many people have taken the time to paint these specific designs makes this particular spot feel like a pop-up art gallery.

close up of the stones at the mile marker

Left to right: Jennifer, Tracy and me

Day 7: Baiona to Vigo 16 miles

This was a turning point. We had been mostly alone here and often just walking individually. But as we get to Vigo, we will be picking up a lot more pilgrims. Vigo is a starting point for the last 100 K which is a requirement for the credential. So today’s walk will be relished as the last walk without a lot of people. In Vigo we would meet a family (I did not get pictures) of a father and his two children biking the Camino for the daughter’s birthday on April 16. Unfortunately, her knee gave out and she had to return home. Just before reaching Vigo, I would run into Irmina, from Poland. I had seen her at various places, but she was sitting in a cafe when I got to the outskirts. Maggie had just left me to take a taxi to town. I had to walk that was my whole purpose. So I walked into the cafe to take a break, saw Irmina and asked if I could join her. We started talking and she told me her story.

This was her second time attempting the Camino from Porto. The first time, last year, she had her mother with her. Her mother had to stop, and they only made it to Vigo. So she had planned to do it again with her mother this year. She booked the trip with short intervals, nothing more than 10 miles at a time, hoping her mother could manage it. However, just before they were to leave, her mother got sick. So Irmina came by herself. She said she will do it one more time next year so that her mother can join in. We enjoyed walking to Vigo together, and then walked until her segments got shorter than mine.

We had a lot of time to talk, and I found out about her job. She works in HR for the European company that focuses on Burger King and Popeye chains. My first thought is “why”? She explained to me that we don’t understand how US chains are represented in Europe. They use their own products and make wholesome fast food. The only thing that is purchased is the chain name, and the 5% her company gives back to the CEO of Restaurant Brand International (RBI) on income earned.

As we came into Vigo, there were a lot of large apartment buildings, lots of traffic, and it was hard to walk. Note the mural that is in the slide show. These types of murals were commissioned to make the large apartment buildings more colorful. The one I saw was done by a Ukranian artist.

The road to Vigo had a lot of quaint villages.

Vigo cidade de cor initiative to create color on the blank apartment facades. This work was designed by Ukrainian artist Lula Goce.

The mural blends traditional Galician elements with surrealism:

The Figure: The character wears traditional attire, including polainas (leather gaiters) and a faixa (sash), grounding the work in local culture.

The Surrealist Twist: Instead of a human head, the figure features abstract, organic shapes and what looks like a mask or a stylized animal form. This is a hallmark of Goce’s style, often merging human anatomy with nature or bone-like structures.

The Landscape: The floating stone at the feet and the standing stones (menhirs) at the bottom evoke the ancient, mystical history of the Galician landscape and its Celtic roots.

Part of the beautiful walk into Vigo

Another old church

On the way to Vigo....

Day 8: Vigo to Redondela 10 miles Short day

With the anticipation of not only a short day but a flat journey, Irmina and I walked together. We walked up 1000 feet and then across the landscape. We had beautiful views, good weather and lots of joy. We ended the day with a party on the hotel patio.

On our way out of Vigo.

Vigo had nothing to offer me. Just one big city. I preferred the villages.

You can see how high we climbed to get the the flat landscape.

View of Vigo from the top on our way to Redondela.

Enjoying the view

Km 95,439 away from Santiago

Cafe's are few and far between. So we usually stop whenever we see one.

Oysters are a big industry here. You can see the farms in the ocean.

he Rande Bridge (locally known as Ponte de Rande), a cable-stayed bridge that spans the Vigo estuary in Galicia, Spain. It connects the city of Vigo with the Morrazo peninsula.

Igreja de Santiago de Redondela.

Originally consecrated in the 12th century (around 1114), much of what you see in the photo—including that distinctive bell tower—reflects later Baroque and Neoclassical renovations.

Yellow-legged Gull

The Sound: When they throw their heads back like that, they’re usually doing what’s called a "long call." It's their way of claiming territory or just making sure everyone in a three-block radius knows they've found a good snack. That was our dinner. We guarded it very carefully.

Oyster Farm

Picnic Dinner on the rooftop.

Left to right: Ada, Susan, Denise, Maggie, Irmina.

A beautiful photo of Irmina

Day 9: Redondela to Pontevedra: 12.5 miles

Redondela was a fantastic small town. Now we are off to one of the biggest in the area, Pontevedra. This was where I first meet Manuela from Brazil. She is my birthday twin. We were both born on April 20. She was going to be 30 and I was going to be 70. So we called ourselves the 98s until our birthday. Then we would be a combination of 100. Together we constituted a century.

Now that we were more in the mainstream of pilgrims, music starts to appear on our routes. We are on the route where the Popular routes include the Coastal Way (scenic ocean views), Central Way (historic inland towns), and Variante Espiritual join together in Pontevedra

Please enjoy the harp.

Day 12 Padron to Santiago De Compastelo 16 miles

I will erase this when I finish…but I am starting at the end and working my way back up to finish the blog.

The last day is always the hardest just as the last hour walking of every day was always the hardest. Ada, Manu and I left early at around 7 am so that we would arrive in Santiago before Ada’s train left at 5pm. We started the long walk while it was still dark. As it got lighter, we started to hear bagpipes. Sure enough there were bagpipers playing us a song to help us along the way.