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DAY 9 | 10 July 2026 | Walking the Portuguese Camino
From Cortiça to Ansiāo | 20.1 km – 12.5 miles
We left Cortiça early and shortly afterwards bumped into the two Spanish pilgrims we had already met a couple of times along the Camino.
They were standing by the roadside, staring towards the horizon. The older of the two turned to me and, looking rather concerned, said: “Forest fires ahead.” I followed her gaze and could also see what appeared to be a thick band of smoke lying across the route ahead of us.
It was still a long way off, so there was no immediate cause for concern and we carried on walking. The two Spanish ladies were walking at a much faster pace than us and it wasn’t long before they disappeared into the distance.
As we reached higher ground, we realised that what had looked like thick smoke was actually a huge bank of mist rolling down through the valley. As the sun rose higher, it gradually began to burn away and had completely disappeared by the time we reached it.
A little further along the Camino we passed an impressive-looking statue of an eagle perched on the wall of a villa. What I particularly liked about it was its striking red colour, and by chance the pink flowers growing alongside it were also in bloom.
About 7 km later we arrived in Alvaiázere, where it was time for breakfast. While drinking my first coffee, I noticed that a farmácia (pharmacy) across the road was already open. Knowing that pharmacies along the Camino are well stocked for any ailments a pilgrim may have, I left the breakfast table briefly and paid them a visit.
My second coffee arrived and I put on my newly purchased knee support.
Leaving Alvaiázere, we immediately began a steep climb, eventually reaching a height of around 485 metres before starting the long descent along forest tracks towards Ansião.
When we finally reached Ansião, we were greeted by a wonderful yellow mural depicting an old man making his way along with the help of a walking stick. No knee support needed there, I thought.
In Ansião we found a table on the plaza and enjoyed a couple of cold beers in the company of a Danish pilgrim who told us about her recent adventures walking the Shikoku 88 Temple Pilgrimage in Japan. What an amazing adventure, we would love to do it.
As we sat there enjoying the late afternoon sun, the two Spanish ladies walked past, spotted us and waved – we waved back.
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