This was a short walk (14km) with a river crossing into Spain.
I walked out of Vila Praia de Ancora early through the detritus of the festival and the party-goers who had been up all night. There were still some fireworks going off occasionally, so it was definitely a good night for some! I slept through it all with the help of earplugs.
The flat seafront walk heads north.
There is a long road section and urban walking into Caminha.
Caminha had a lively town square and some nice churches, but I wanted to continue over to Spain, so I didn’t stop in the town.
The ferry wasn’t running, so I took the water taxi.
There are lots of boats, so you don’t need to book anything in advance. Just head down to the waterfront.
You disembark in Spain — and it’s an hour later as the time is different — but it’s only a few minutes to cross. There is no border, just a shift in language and signage.
It’s mostly back streets and wooded paths down to A Guarda.
From this point, the Camino waymarkers have the kilometers to Santiago de Compostela on them, so it becomes encouraging the closer you get! The comma is a decimal point so the waymarker below shows 164 km remaining.
Most of the accommodation is away from the seafront, but it’s just a short walk to the port area.
I celebrated a short day’s walking with a late lunch on the seafront in A Guarda, which is known for its fresh seafood. Scallops, prawns, fresh bread, and local Albariño wine.
The wine in Portugal and Spain is excellent and you can always just ask for house white or house red and expect it to be fantastic. In terms of beer, Super Bock was the most common in Portugal, and Estrella Galicia once into Spain.
I didn’t have too many restaurant meals as I was traveling alone and generally just ate breakfast, then a sandwich and supermarket things later.
Continue the Camino journey: A Guarda to Oia, Spain
Accommodation: I stayed at the Hotel Vila da Guarda which was basic and functional. They were also really strict about breakfast with a time limit and definitely no taking anything for the road! There was a supermarket right around the corner and an espresso bar open early, so I stocked up there before leaving.
Facilities: Lots of options at Caminha and A Guarda.