Portuguese Coastal Camino - Day 7. A Guarda to Oia

 Tuesday 9 September 2025 – A Guarda to Oia

 

Having crossed into Spain, we’re now an hour ahead, and it’s barely light at 8am. As we wander through the shaded streets of Guarda, it feels really cold.


We find a chapel (Igrexia Santa Maria da Guardia). Unusually, it’s open, and more surprisingly it has a stamp to put in my Credencial.

 

  


Today, it’s another relatively short stretch to walk to get to the hamlet of Oia. Just 9 miles. However, it looks like we’ll have to do it one go. Although there’s one café between A Guarda and Oia, all the indications are that it’s now closed for the season. Bummer!

 

 


At the edge of A Guarda we break clear from the shade and get some very welcome warmth from the rising sun. I’m genuinely excited to see our first Galician “Mouteira” – a granite distance marker, telling us that it’s only 160 kilometres to Santiago. For the first time on this trip I start to wish we were going all the way there. Soon we start to see all the familiar Spanish way markers – it feels as though I’m home. How bizarre!


He seriously loves these things!

Along this section, the main coastal Camino and the Littoral paths merge, and it’s very noticeably busier. We stopped for a brief rest after 5 kilometres, and the Pilgrims seemed to be passing us in hordes. Not quite at the levels you get on the last 100km of the Camino Frances though, but nevertheless busier than we were used to.

 

About 3km further on we were delighted to find that the coffee place at Explanada do Horizonte was open. It really felt like a huge bonus. Again we were joined our Danish friend.


They say the Lord giveth, and the Lord taketh away. Well, it really felt like this. After the bonus of a coffee stop, I just couldn’t get myself going, or into any sense of rhythm. The last 7km into Oia was a total slog. Just as I was beginning to feel my mojo on this Camino, I lost it again. I was tired and grumpy – situation normal some might say!

  

Nearing Oia

By the time we got to Oia the sun had gone and rain clouds were gathering. We stopped and had a beer in the middle of Oia and were joined the Germans from near Frankfurt who were on our “small boats” crossing. It’s these encounters, however fleeting, that make the Camino so special. A gentle reminder how we, as human, have so much more in common than things that divide us.

As walked through Oia we passed the big Monastery of Santa Maria, which was unfortunately closed. A shame as it looked like an interesting place.

 

Just before getting to our hotel, we found a place with terrace bar and tucked into very welcome bocadillo’s, and another beer! We’re entitled to beers today as it’s our 36th Wedding Anniversary. Honest Guv! 

It only took 5 minutes to get from there to our hotel. The weather was now really closing in, with rain imminent. I was absolutely wrecked and feeling very tetchy. I needed space and sleep. And sleep I did. I awoke 2 hours later feeling really groggy. By now it was raining heavily and a strong gale was blowing. No going out for an anniversary dinner tonight!

 

 

We, and pretty much all the other hotel residents, opted to eat in. Again we were joined by our Danish friend. Jeff & Lindsay, a Scottish couple who we’d met several times, were also there. Our meal was basic, but absolutely did what was required. This ain’t no Haute Cuisine tour!

Then the real fun started! When it came to paying for our dinner, all 3 of our credit cards failed on the hotel’s machine, The cost was €49 and we’d got just over €50 in cash. Merde! Luckily, the owner was very relaxed about it and just said “try again in the morning”. 

Overall, a day that started reasonably well and then turned to shit. Irrespective of the payment problem, why was it so bad? What caused it? Was I complacent, over-tired, who knows!

Tomorrow looks good (not!). Rain predicted for most of the day, and we’re scheduled to cover just under 15 miles to get to Baiona. Perhaps this Camino lark has lost its sheen??!!

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