My wife and I are walking a portion of the Camino Frances 9/5 - 9/15. Planning to head to Porto afterward for 3-4 days (enough/too much?). We have been to Lisbon and Sintra. Where should we spend another 7-10 days? Douro Valley, other Portugal towns, Vineyards in Spain? Southern Spanish towns?
Any ideas welcome. We are 67/61, relatively fit, simple travelers, but like a little structure to our trips/stays. Thx.
South of Santiago de Compostela you could visit the Rias Baixas. We enjoyed traveling through this area and especially liked O Grove and Baiona. The Minho region of Portugal is a favorite of ours- Guimares, Braga, Ponte de Lima, Viana do Castelo.
Also the Douro River region.
We went from Portugal to Galicia and then stayed in Spain. We got around the very high drop off fee in another country (1000€) by taking a taxi arranged by our hotel in Porto to Vigo in Galicia where we picked up our Spanish rental car which we eventually dropped it off in Barcelona.
Are you planning to spend any time in Galicia after reaching Santiago? The coastline is simply gorgeous. It is easier to visit with a car, but parts are doable without (Baiona, for instance, which also gives access to the Cies islands), and it would be worth 2-3 days to me.
There are some interesting and attractive options right in Galicia beyond the obvious Santiago de Compostela: A Coruna, Pontevedra, Betanzos, Tui, Cambados and Combarra. The last two are quite small, and Tui is on the border. I'd spend as little time as possible in the industrial city of Vigo, which doesn't have the attractive architecture you'll find elsewhere.
That part of Spain and neighboring Portugal get quite a lot of rain, even in mid-summer, but I'm sure you'll be well-prepared for all weather contingencies since you're hiking.
Farther east in Spain you have the historic Leon and Oviedo, and the town of Astorga near Leon. The first and last each have a building designed by Gaudi.
I mentioned Baiona, but I second the mentions of Cambados and Tui. Cambados over my initial mention of Baiona, actually.
I went to Porto and its vicinity in one trip and then explored SDC/Galicia in another trip. Both are lovely areas. Which portion of the Camino will you walk? Will you have a car?
I will not bother with Andalucia as you will be in the NW of the peninsula. Also, Andalucia is still like an oven in early Sept. I think Galicia and Porto are totally doable, but you need more than 4 days in Porto.
I was in Pontevedra during its Medieval Festival. It was so much fun. Tui is supposed to be very nice, but I did not make it there due to the long drive. Galicia is off the beaten path for many non-EU tourists. The crowd was certainly thinner than in Barcelona or Madrid. This makes my experience more enjoyable.
