On our ninth day of the Camino Portuguese we walked 12 miles from Caldas de Reis to Padron. The day started out with a very pleasant stretch of walking on a dirt path before veering off to a few side roads on the way into Padrón. This would be our final night on the Camino Portuguese before The Way would take us to Santiago de Compostela.
Leaving the city of Pontevedra behind, we hiked 14 miles on our eighth day of the Camino Portuguese. Most of this stage takes place on asphalt and cobblestone, but there were a few natural pathways mixed in to keep our legs from feeling too beat up. As we approached Caldas de Reis, we walked alongside a little farm where Owen got to befriend a horse and a few sheep.
The fifth stage of the Camino Portuguese takes pilgrims from Rubiãs to Tui. This is a very special day, as it includes the border crossing from Portugal into Spain over the Río Miño. Leaving Rubiãs, the first half of this stage is on natural pathways and dirt roads surrounded by woodlands and farms. The second half covers sidewalks and asphalt as pilgrims approach the large cities of Valença and Tui.
The fourth stage on the Camino Portuguese takes pilgrims from Ponte de Lima to Rubiães on 13 miles of mixed asphalt and natural paths. This stage brings pilgrims to the highest point on the entire route, the 1338ft Alto da Portela Grande. The trail to and from Alto da Portela includes some of the harshest terrain on the Camino Portuguese, with ruts and rocks adorning a beautiful path of single track through the woods.
The third stage of the Camino Portuguese takes pilgrims on a 22-mile stretch from Barcelos to Ponte de Lima. This is one of the longest stages on the Camino Portuguese, but is also one of the most beautiful. The majority of this stage takes place on natural pathways and dirt roads that pass by bridges, farms, vineyards, and churches. After arriving in Ponte de Lima, pilgrims are treated to an abundance of historical buildings and monuments. The most popular historical site is Ponte Medieval, a medieval bridge that spans the nearby Rio Lima.
I just returned home from a successful hike of the Camino Portuguese with my wife and 2-year old son. Beginning in Porto, we hiked nearly 150-miles until we reached our final destination, the cathedral in Santiago de Compostela. Here are my 15 favorite photo moments from the Camino Portuguese!
After purchasing the Zeiss Batis 18mm f/2.8, it quickly became my favorite and most used lens. I loved the Batis 18mm so much that I started looking at the Batis 25mm f/2. The only issue was that I already owned the Sony 28mm f/2. Is the Batis 25mm good enough to justify the $850 price premium over the Sony 28mm? Find out in this review.
The Mekong Delta is a region of Vietnam that’s a three hour drive from Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). This large swath of land covers 15,600 square miles and is made up of rivers, swamps, and islands with villages and floating markets throughout. In this post I’ll share all of the fun things travelers can do while visiting the Mekong Delta on a day trip.
The Zeiss Batis 18mm f/2.8 is the best super-wide angle e-mount lens available for Sony mirrorless cameras today. The Batis 18mm is incredibly sharp from corner to corner, and provides high contrast images with deep color saturation. As an avid hiker, backpacker, and traveler, I’ve found the Batis 18mm to be a lightweight ‘do-it-all’ lens that always gets the job done.
The Sony Sonnar FE 55mm f/1.8 is a fast prime lens designed for full frame Sony mirrorless cameras. The Sony 55mm is a great lens for travel, portraits, street photography, and more. See my review here along with sample photos.