Vila do Conde - São Pedro de Rates (CENTRAL)

An unofficial route connects the Coastal route in Vila do Conde with the Central route in Sao Pedro de Rates. It's marked with two sets of arrows -- one newer and brighter, the other faded and sometimes hard to spot. They don't always agree, but both will get you where you're going. The route is predominantly road walking with less than 1 kilometer on woodland trails.

No arrows in Vila do Conde itself will point you toward this route. This is deliberate -- it prevents anyone from accidentally following arrows in the wrong direction.

The key to finding the way is the aqueduct. From the bridge over the Rio Ave you can see the Convento de Santa Clara and its aqueduct up on the hillside. Follow the aqueduct -- it will be your guide out of Vila do Conde. There are no arrows at this point, but they emerge gradually as you go.

Follow the aqueduct to the first barrier -- a fenced-in pasture. Turn left, then right at the first opportunity to get back alongside the arches. The official arrows keep you adjacent to the aqueduct all the way to a point where you must cross a road with no crossing. A safer alternative (marked in red on the map) takes you left at the first roundabout, across the main road near a Renault dealership, then loops back to rejoin the aqueduct.

Continue alongside the aqueduct until you reach a wall with a historical plaque. Turn left and follow the arrows carefully to the main road, where you turn right. The road brings you back to the aqueduct once more. You may notice the arches getting progressively lower -- you're climbing, and the water source is underground. The camino abandons the aqueduct before you get the satisfaction of being taller than it.

Past the highway underpass, the official arrows turn left along a straight, slightly industrial road. An alternative (mapped in red) follows a winding path through small villages -- impossible to describe turn by turn, but manageable with the map. The two rejoin about a third of the way to Rates.

From here the arrows improve markedly. Follow them all the way to the entrance of Rates, but take care not to accidentally loop back to the Coastal route. Aim for the church and avoid any arrows near the bike path -- that way leads to Esposende. From the church, arrows guide you uphill to the albergue and the Central route.