The Question Before and During your Caminho
Don’t plan”, “Plan no more than two days ahead”, or “Plan your whole caminho”, everyone works differently, and every place or country is different too. Planning a whole caminho is certainly possible. One guest of ours, a cardiologist, did just that. More importantly, if you do this, can you stick to your plan? She did and her fellow pilgrim she met on the way was happy to follow her too!
But let’s count how many times, we heard from pilgrims who just rested on our patio: “If I had known this cozy albergue I wouldn’t reserve the one I did”. You could really miss nice details or little albergues on the way, by reserving all on forehand.
Our place has only four beds, not always all taken. but with a group of 3 or 4 you’d better reserve!
Portugal, not Really Busy
While planning, researching about the path, stretches, cities, you will find good reviews about albergues. If you already have them in your notebook, it doesn’t take a lot to actually reserve a bed or a place. You would think?!
Using the phone in Portugal could be a disappointment because there could be no answer, and so it is with writing e-mails. After a lot of ‘no-answers; I decided to just walk and not reserve.
Special Wishes
My experience in Portugal is that reserving is not really necessary unless, you have specific wishes, such as a private room in a particular place. If there is one pilgrim visiting us, and he wants a private room, it is full. It could go could go that fast.
Lots of people were so happy to have vegetarian, vegan or a gluten free meal at Casa da Lima. If this is one of your wishes, you should book our place for sure.
When you like a special meal: yes
When you like a private place: yes
Around Central Portugal (stretch to Fatima) you’d better reserve from the first half of May, and October. Then it is very busy and the pilgrims to Fatima occupy all the places.
During Fatima days: yes
During all my caminhos the places where the albergue was full were the popular ones. That is in Coimbra, near Lissabon in Cascais, Oeiras or Porto coastal stretch. The worse thing that can happen is, that you have to walk to the next one. Not really nice when your mind is set to rest. After I did it for a few times, I don’t mind anymore. Half hour extra on a whole day is nothing. But when it is summer in Portugal, you’d better not do this because the heat could be unbearable after lunch time.
In popular cities with also tourists or other s like surfers: yes
Or you may think that popular cities have more hostels to try, which is true too!
From November on, it is better to reserve because the rooms need to be prepared, in that way that it is very cold and the heating, if there is any at all, need time to warm up!
During winter time: yes
If you sleep in big municipal albergues, you cannot reserve, so that makes it easy. But they are not everywhere. The path from Lisbon to Coimbra only has a few, from Porto onwards, you’ll have it in every town.
If you are not stressing out about where to sleep: no
If you dare to ask help in the Portuguese local cafe: no
If you dare to ask for a ride to a next albergue: no
If you trust that the caminho will provide: no
Keep your options in mind
To conclude: Walk, feel, and plan as you like it, with the above factors in mind!
Of course albergues, always hope that you show up, when reserving a place. Obviously it happens a lot on popular stretches that people reserve more places than one and just see in which one they will reach, without even letting the other albergues know (read that on FB forum).
At our place people reserved 4 months ahead but also a few minutes ahead. We like it when we know it a few days before because we need to cook, and since we live in a village, we really need to go to another town. Ansiao and Condeixa are the nearest cities. Some pilgrims knocked on our door, after 19:30. It is good for a sleeping place but normally dinner is ready by that time.
