Lisbon to Porto
Golega
March 18, 2026
It was another 31 kms but I knew that there was no way I was going to make 31 kms. There was a town at the 24.5 kms make and that was my goal. There was big rain in the forecast for the afternoon so I wanted to get to the little village and catch a taxi from there before the rain started.
Santarem is on top of huge hill so we had a 100 meter vertical hike down to the river valley where the trail was. It had rained quite heavily over night and the path down the hill was an extremely slippery route. Moss and grass on the wet rocks was a bad combination. However it was probably the most exciting part of the day.
At the bottom of the hill the trail wandered along the river. Most of the time we were walking along farm trails though either plowed fields or fields grape vines. Unlike back in Kelowna where a vine yard is maybe a few acres these vine yards went on for miles. All of these trails were out in the open and the wind just howled around us. Sometimes it was a cross wind and sometimes a quartering tail wind. Thankfully it wasn't a head wind.
When we did get out of the fields the trail became extremely muddy and was full of huge ruts made by the tractors. It really wasn't much fun picking your way along the muddy rutted path.
By time we got to the goal town of Azinhaga I was totally exhausted. Ken phoned Uber and 20 minutes later we were in a Tesla which whisked us the last 6.5 kms. The hotel is in some sort of horse riding academe. Down stairs are a lot of stables with all the horses. We are upstairs in the rooms, which are actually pretty nice.
As we got settled into our hotel the skies opened up and there was 30 minute downpour. Boy, was I ever glad to have missed that.
Tomorrow is a 29 kms day into Tomar and our rest day.
Terry
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