Caminho da Geira e dos Arrieiros – getting to Braga

We live in the Central Algarve which meant getting ourselves to the start of the Caminho da Geira e dos Arrieiros in Braga was easy enough. We drove to nearby Ferreiras and hopped onto the 7:23 train to Porto. We’d booked our tickets ahead – it’s advisable and cheaper. In fact, the more than five-hour journey cost us an incredible 35 euros one way (without any discounts).

Temperature when we leave Faro is 23 degrees. The modern train felt positively luxurious compared to the regional trains that run across the Algarve – there were fold-up/down tables with electricity sockets and window blinds. An electronic display told us the speed we were travelling, which station was approaching and, crucially, whether we were on time or not. There was even a buffet car.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t long before this high-speed train travel was making me feel queasy – it’s the tipping motion on those bends! So, for the first time in years, I reached for the Kwells.

Thankfully, I was soon feeling better. In what seemed like no time at all, we had reached Lisbon, where we had fun spotting the attractions we’d visited on a previous trip, most notably the beautiful Cemitério dos Prazeres and the towering Aqueduto das Águas Livres.

The final stretch to Braga

Coimbra roared past, then Aveiro (where we got the briefest glimpse of one of its famous canals), and finally we arrived in Porto just ten minutes behind schedule. With less than an hour to spare before boarding our onward regional train to Braga, we didn’t have time to do much more than queue and pay for our tickets (4,05€ each). The paperwork which resulted from that one transaction was quite mind-boggling. Harri came away from the kiosk with two tickets, two receipts for the tickets without tax plus two separate tax receipts. If that wasn’t enough, he was given an additional receipt for his debit card payment.

One thing about queuing is that you can’t help but overhear other people’s conversations. We were astonished when several groups heading south to Lisbon were unable to travel because they had failed to book their tickets in advance. One last-minute couple were heading to Lisbon airport. As they walked away empty-handed, I heard the poor man telling his partner they had no option but to book new flights. I’m lucky Harri is such a meticulous planner.

On the subject of trains, I just found this gem on Rail Europe’s website: “The fastest trains from Porto to Lisbon take around 23 hours and 7 minutes, covering a distance of approximately 275 kilometres.”

Braga – the main city of the Minho

After the comfort of the Algarve-Porto train, the regional train to Braga was a letdown and felt more akin to travelling on London’s crowded underground, i.e. there was standing room only for much of the one-hour, 25-station journey.

By the time we reached our destination, we’d spent well over six-and-a-half hours on trains, leaving us feeling more exhausted than we do after a hard day’s hiking. My rucksack weighed heavily on my shoulders as we set off uphill to our hotel.

Fortunately, after we’d showered we managed to summon up the energy to stroll around Braga’s historic centre and grab some groceries from the local Continente for tomorrow.

One evening isn’t sufficient to do Braga justice, however, undeterred, we were determined to see as much as possible during our meander through the city’s historic streets and plazas. We weren’t entirely sure why there were so many decorations in the main plaza and lining the streets, and hazarded a guess it had something to do with Braga 25, a year-long cultural festival. Whatever was going on, we enjoyed being part of Braga’s lively street scene, albeit briefly. The University of the Minho campus means there’s a lively young vibe here and it seemed the city’s entire population was out enjoying themselves on this warm Friday evening, with crowds gathering around a fast-talking magician.

Around 7pm, we headed to a Thai restaurant just a few metres from our hotel for a belated birthday meal. We ate at the Rá-Chá-Kao, a tiny little venue with traditional décor, delicious food and the most attentive of staff. Being teetotal nowadays, I tried – and loved – Thai tea, which was served in a pretty painted china teapot. There were no fewer than seven condiments to spoon onto our starters, each of which was carefully described – with the occasional heat warning – by our host. For mains, I opted for green chicken curry and Harri chose a pad Thai. Both dishes were delicious and we left the restaurant happy – and full.

It was early and still light when we collapsed into bed … those tall wooden shutters were a blessing. We have the Caminho da Geira e dos Arrieiroso to start walking tomorrow, albeit we’ll be tackling the shortest distance of our entire trip –  just 18.7km.

For more information about the Caminho da Geira e dos Arrieiroso – one of four caminhos starting in Braga – this website is useful.

Our accommodation
Alado Guesthouse

We paid 61,32 euros for an en-suite double room in this very central hotel (no breakfast).

The booking-in process was made good fun by the sunny-natured manager who kept us laughing and, on hearing of our future plans, issued a warning about the notorious Portuguese cattle dogs we might encounter on route.

Another plus: we were upgraded due to a malfunction of the hotel’s booking system. Our room was beautiful with high windows and wooden floors. The bathroom was almost entirely marble. A real sense of luxury here with a king-size bed and a little dish of chocolates.

When we asked about the availability of tea-making facilities, the obliging manager brought us a kettle and two large mugs.