Pilgrims on the road and friends along the way send me changes every day, and they go out the same day. The Camino Portugués app carries all of it offline, and it's still being built — new features arrive routinely.
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The ground behind you: what the walk into São João da Madeira crosses, and where it could have been broken.
Tomorrow from São João da Madeira
Nothing says you have to stop here, or there. These are simply the towns within a comfortable day's walk, so you can decide tonight.
| Town | km from here | Shared | Private | The walk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Malaposta | 7.3 | — No | ✓ Yes | |
| Lourosa | 11.8 | ✓ Yes | — No | The walk from São João da Madeira to Lourosa |
| Grijó | 18.7 | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | The walk from São João da Madeira to Grijó |
| Porto | 34.0 | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | |
| The Central Route from Porto | 34.0 | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
Sao Joao da Madeira built its fortune on hats. The felt and fur hat-making industry that drove the town's growth in the late 19th century is documented in the Museu da Chapelaria — the only hat museum on the Iberian Peninsula. It's on the way out of town, poorly advertised, and looks closed from the outside. It isn't. Don't miss it.
When hats fell out of fashion, the workers shifted to making shoes. The town is now considered Portugal's shoe capital, and the industrial heritage defines the place — the main square (Praca Luis Ribeiro, actually a large roundabout) is dominated by a column celebrating local industry.
All services available. The arrows and shells can get lost among the visual distractions of a working industrial town.
Sao Joao da Madeira's hat-making tradition began in the mid-19th century. By the early 20th century, the town was producing hats for export across Europe and the Americas. The shift to shoe manufacturing in the 1960s and 70s was a practical response to changing fashion — the skills were transferable, the factories were adaptable, and the entrepreneurial spirit remained.
Leave town from the Praça Luís Ribeiro along the Rua Antonio Jose de Oliveira Junior.It is more suburban walking from here to Arrifana.
21. October 2025 - 10:45
Directly on the Camino, 888hostel & suites is clean, with clean bathrooms and showers, it has a kitchen with everything you need (stove, oven microwave, water cooker, toaster, etc), even a way to dry your clothes on the balcony. The dorm has 8 or so individual niches with one bunk bed each, which can be closed off with a curtain to have your own space. Private rooms available. Fresh bedding, towels provided. I booked via Booking.com (€24). Smack in the middle of the city and shipping area, Pingo doce 200m back, take away and restaurants in the neighborhood.
13. September 2024 - 17:17
Fantastic room - quiet - centrally located in town - but right on Camino. Very nice kitchen with several.markets close - but we opted for a new sushi place near by - it was great!
31. March 2024 - 20:46
Large bed private bath yes bath good for soaking tired feet. Easter Sunday no problem having a room. No reservation.
17. May 2023 - 16:57
This is a hidden gem. Kind of confusing to check in. But once we got it all settled up, it's fantastic., the girl is super nice. Shared kitchen with free coffee and free laundry washer AND dryer . Really comfortable beds. Highly recommend.
Esta entidad ha sido beneficiaria de una ayuda del Programa de incentivos a la movilidad eficiente y sostenible (MOVES III), gestionado por la Xunta de Galicia a través del Instituto Enerxético de Galicia (INEGA) en el marco del Real Decreto 266/2021, y cofinanciada por la Unión Europea — NextGenerationEU, dentro del Plan de Recuperación, Transformación y Resiliencia.
