The Monkey Puzzle Camino - FAQs (that I made up)

Q. So, where are you anyway?

A. Thanx for asking.  We started in Porto, Portugal.  Porto is in the north of Portugal on the Atlantic coast and at the mouth of the Douro River.  It is a port and it is the home of port wine.  We hike north into northwest Spain and finish at Santiago de Compostela in the province of Galicia.

Q. Is that THE Camino de Santiago?

A. Actually, there are a number of them, all considered authentic.  Some of the very earliest - in the 8th and 9th century - were within Spain.  The long route which starts in St. Jean de Port in France is one of the longest and most popular.  We are on one of three “Portuguese” Caminos, all with a common starting point in Lisbon.

Q. So, I’m confused.  Which Camino are you on exactly?  

A, We are on the Portuguese Coastal Camino, which stays on or near the coast in Portugal and is often within view of the water in Spain.  (The other Portuguese Caminos are the Littoral - right on the coast whenever possible, and the Central.)

Q. How long is it?

A. That can vary depending on where you start, how many alternative routes you take, how many detours you end up on and how many times you get lost.  We expect our total mileage to be around 175.

Q. How many miles do you hike every day?

A. Our particular itinerary has 13 hiking days, so an average of 13+ miles/day.  Think of it like walking a half marathon every day for 13 days.

Q. What’s the hiking like? 

A. For starters, the great majority of it is on some kind of pavement.  It is not all strolling through farm fields, woodland trails and sunny mountain tops, although in all fairness there is some of all those things and they are always magical.  Pavement types include boardwalks on the beach for several days, cobblestones through most of Portugal and tarmac in Spain. 

Q. Where do you stay?

A. We contracted a company called Portugal Green Walks who planned our itinerary, made reservations in hotels along the way and transports our luggage from place to place.  So far, everything they’ve touched has been great.

Q. Do you get lost?

A. Well, like Davy Crocket said, I’ve never been lost but I have been a bit bewildered.  Signage in the countryside is typically excellent, but the cities can be challenging.  Happily, the company that planned our itinerary also provided maps, detailed descriptions and a GPS route map which has routinely saved the day.

Q. Are you having any fun?

A. Tons.  We’ve had tough days, breezy days, and days in between.  But it’s all good, or better.

Q. Do you meet anybody along the way?

A. All kinds of people from all over the world.  That is one of the most fun parts.  Since the people we meet are all on more or less on the same schedule as we are, we often see people again and again - to share experiences, recommendations and (abbreviated) life stories.

Q. Is there a language barrier?

A. Lots of languages, no barriers.

Q. How’s the food?

A. Unless you don’t like fresh fish, fresh vegetables, fresh oysters and mussels, ham, cheese, fresh bread and pastries, gelato, etc., etc., it’s great.

Q. Would you do it again?

A. Not this same Camino; but another one is not out of the question.

Q. By the way, what’s the Monkey Puzzle thing?

A. One of the coolest trees we’ve seen here that we’ve never seen before, has the Monkey Puzzle Tree as it’s common name and we’ve sort of adopted it :)