Apulia to Antas: Portuguese Coastal Camino Day 4

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In this introduction to the stages of the Portuguese Coastal Camino, I'm focusing on the stuff you actually need to know. You'll sort out accommodation and restaurants and so forth on your own as you travel. I'll cover the things that you don't want to miss along the way. For everything else, check out this article: What do you REALLY need to know about the Portuguese Coastal Camino?

Windmills north of Apulia

A rundown of the Portuguese Coastal Camino: Apulia to Antas

Distance

15.2 km/9.5 miles

Terrain

Beachside boardwalk and cobblestones, mainly. Fao and Esposende are nice town stops along the way. For the first time you experience something approaching a climb after Marinhas midway through the stage, and veer a little bit away from the ocean.

Bom Caminho!

Experience

This is a short stage if you follow our itinerary. Most people don't, but that's fine. Antas only has a private guesthouse so it's not a common place to stay. The guesthouse is very nice, if not necessarily cheap.

You'll start the day on boardwalk along the coast passing a series of old stone windmills, which is nice.

St. Peter, looking hip in Esposende.

Fao and Esposende both offer the opportunity to stop for coffee and wander a bit in town. In Fao there's a 16th century church worth visiting - Santa Casa Misericordia. Esposende is a bit larger of a town with a pretty coastline and the very visible São João Batista Fort, with its red lighthouse - another 16th century structure. Either town would make a nice place to stay the night.

Stop here or in Marinhas just up the way to appreciate the coast - you'll cut inland for a day's walk or so after this so it's a last chance for a swim for awhile if that's your thing.

You'll pass through a series of small villages, and have the chance to visit a series of nice chapels across the day, as per usual.

Chapel between Esposende and Mar

I feel like there should be more to say, but it's just another stage of more cruisy walking on the Coastal Camino, bouncing between beaches and villages and cafes and chapels.

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