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The appeal of walking holidays are well talked about, including the cultural explorations and the personal growth opportunities. However, fellow foodies will agree that the culinary discovery is just as exciting as the cultural one. And, Portugal offers a great blend of the two. Here is how you can experience Portugal’s cuisine on your walking holiday.
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What is a walking holiday?
“font-weight: 400;”>A walking holiday is exactly what it sounds like – a holiday where your main mode of travel is by foot. As you arrive at your chosen destination, you get picked up from the airport and dropped off at your starting point. From then on, you walk about 20-30 km a day, typically for 5-7 days, until you reach your final destination.
One of the most common ways to do a walking holiday is on the Camino de Santiago route. For example, the Camino Portugues is a popular route in Portugal, traditionally starting from Porto or Tui and leading all the way to Santiago de Compostela in Spain.
All of this can be organised by Santiago Ways – the leading travel agency, specialising in Camino de Santiago holidays. However, if you’re not looking to do a Camino, there are endless other walking trails outside of the network too.
Regional specialties
Unlike other types of holidays, a walking holiday covers a larger area of the country (100 kilometers and more). This means that instead of seeing one or two towns, you make your way past numerous towns and villages along the way, varying in sizes. As such, you get to experience the local specialties of different places. And you will probably discover that Portugal’s cuisine can change even at short distances.
For example, on the Camino Portugues coastal route, you will get to try the best of the country’s seafood. From freshly grilled sardines to tender octopus in olive oil and Arroz de Marisco (a flavourful seafood rice), the Atlantic coast is a real haven for seafood lovers. However, the flavours will change from village to village, as different towns specialise in different meals. Always ask what the regional specialty is and you can expect top-quality fish caught that same morning.
Authentic experiences
“font-weight: 400;”>Another great benefit of walking holidays is that you get to visit places that are less busy with tourists than, say, Lisbon or Porto. Small villages and towns, outside of the trodden path, is exactly where the most authentic experiences are. Tiny local cafes and restaurants tend to make their dishes traditionally, as they do not adapt to the taste buds of tourists.
Sure, you may struggle to find someone who speaks English! However, it will all be worth it when you are served the meal of your lifetime, made using only fresh local produce and the recipe that’s been brought down by many generations.
“font-weight: 400;”>Not just that, you get the bonus of paying local prices, which tend to be significantly lower than in restaurants catering primarily to tourism. A great tip is to ask for Prato do Dia (dish of the day) in local eateries. Those tend to be the freshest and best value options.
Eating your way through Portugal
Portugal is one of the biggest foodie destinations for a reason. Portugal’s cuisine boasts a large variety of delicious dishes, ranging from in-land delicacies to coastal seafood specialties. A walking holiday provides the ideal way to savour it in its freshest, most authentic form, one step and bite at the time!