The Caminho do Norte is one of several modern-day pilgrimage routes known collectively as the Caminhos de Fátima. Rather than ending in Santiago do Compostela in Spain, these pilgrimages converge on the Sanctuary of Fátima in Portugal.
They vary in distance from the 364-kilometre, 17-stage Caminho do Norte to much shorter caminhos like the Nazaré Route (54 kilometre, three stages) and the Candeeiros Route (63 kilometres, three stages).
For more information about all the Caminhos de Fátima routes, click here.
The caminho tradition
Ironically, the tradition of walking a long-distance caminho has become almost a religion in itself, to the extent that in September this year EuroNews published an article about the problem created by burgeoning numbers of pilgrims arriving in Santiago de Compostela every year. It seems enthusiastic pilgrims, searching for spiritual enlightenment, have contributed to this historic Galician city becoming another victim of overtourism (there are, of course, tourists other than those arriving on foot). Incredibly, the Camino de Santiago has become one of France’s top hiking routes.
Rebecca Ann Hughes writes, ‘Last year, a record half-million people signed up to trek one of the approved [caminho] routes to the cathedral – equal to five times the city’s resident population, and marking a 725-fold increase over the last four decades.’
Various publications, films, e.g. The Way, starring Martin Sheen, and an increasing (and monetised) search for contemplative and ‘authentic’ experiences have only added to the rush to walk a caminho.
Why choose the Caminho do Norte?
Of course, Harri and I have not been immune to this enthusiasm for completing a full caminho. We know several people who have walked the Camino Portugués and very much enjoyed the experience.
In June this year, we spent four days walking some of the stunning 239-kilometre Caminho da Geira e dos Arrieiros which links Braga to Santiago. After leaving the caminho at Castro Laboreiro, we then battled cross-country on the frequently badly maintained GR58 to join the increasingly popular Camino Portugués heading south on the coastal route. Our short ‘pilgrimage’ saw us walking from Viaboa in Galicia to Viana do Castelo in Portugal.
The Caminho do Norte particularly appealed to us because it was each to reach the start in Valença and we could comfortably walk it in the 13–14 days available to us. Moreover, the route would be entirely new for us and not involve retracing any previous caminho stages.
Walking the Caminho do Norte
On the website, the Caminho do Norte is split into 17 stages; however we were confident we could extend our daily distances and walk it faster. Ultimately, we completed the caminho in 13 days and then followed the single-day 31-kilometre Rota Tomar from Fátima on our fourteenth day.
As part of his preparation for our trip, Harri consulted the guidebook, A Pilgrim’s Guide to the Camino Portugués by John Brierly. His reason for doing so was because much of the route of the Caminho do Norte is the same as the Camino Portugués.
For reasons of weight, he’d opted to leave the book behind, however it’s worth noting that John Brierly does outline alternative scenic routes in green on his mapping. Our experience would suggest that following as many of these as possible is a good idea if you prefer to be spiritually uplifted on your caminho rather than disheartened and disappointed at the often mundane nature of the route (as we frequently were).
Check out how we split our own caminho into 13 stages here.
