The first is whether to take the coastal route or the central route. Both routes eventually converge, but there are many ways to blend the two. We decided to spend the first day on the coastal route. That was a good idea!
After starting on the coastal route, the next decision is when and how to get to the central route. A popular plan is to walk to Vila do Conde then walk inland and join the central route around Arcos. Doing that has implications for daily distance and stopping points over the next few days. After learning about an awesome place to stay near Vila do Conde (more about that later), I had chosen to get a ride for a few kilometers at the end of Day 1 and the start of Day 2 rather than make the walk. That was also a good idea, as it set us up for a great itinerary the rest of the way.
Another choice to make is whether to walk out of Porto or take the metro to the outskirts. Walking from the Porto Cathedral (the Sé) requires a full day of nothing but city streets and busy roads. We later talked to some people who did that and would never do it again. People who walk the full central route have a few options of where to go on the metro. For us, it was simple. We followed advice from blogs, rode to Matosinhos, and walked from there.
On a cool and cloudy morning, we were ready to go!
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