Hostel in Fungalvaz 17 km
1 August 2025
I made the planning of this 4 days walk a while ago. I knew that our pilgrim Marcos walked this stage in one day. When I told the Chief Pilgrim my plan, he was astonished and said that it is not possible to do that in one day. Too difficult, too long. It is a steep climb and a difficult route. He knew the route and walked already from Tomar to Fatima. The Chief Pilgrims Wife said there is an albergue half way! So we will have a way out, when it becomes too much for us.
Walking for two days in the burning heat, I knew we were not going to make 30 km. We will go to the town called Fungalvaz with the albergue.
6:00 Sharp we Walk!
At 6:00 we start our day 3. Our bodies ache but we warm up soon. No cafes, nothing. Luckily I bring my Dutch stroopwaffles for the two guys, they don’t want to eat two-day old bread I also have in my backpack. I eat it. I need tthe energy, until now I don’t know if we will find a restaurant… and where we will end up.
I think it will be 17 km today until there is a restaurant or cafe.
The path is very difficult, big stones and it is going up and down. It was very hard for Jaap-Willem. I wait such a long time and then I see the Chief pilgrim helping him, and carrying Jaap-Willems backpack. I take the backpack and we continue in this slow pace. By this time Jaap-Willem also sees that Tomar was one city too far. He decides now that the whole path to Tomar would be too much for him.
Village Restaurant Fungalvaz
We arrived in Fungalvaz around 13:00 very tired. The Chief leads us immediately to the busy restaurant, he was starving. I first check the albergue. If it is closed I need to arrange a bus or a lift to Tomar. I go to the cafe, ask, and the woman walks to the neighbor that is responsible for the albergue. It is open!
It is donative and I see some 5-6 pilgrims a month stay here. At least the ones who write in their guest book, but I guess every one does that in a place where they ask it so friendly, there is a book in all languages and it Joachim asks friendly if everyone writes in it about who they are and the reason for walking this caminho!
After the Cozida Portuguesa, a typical savoury Portuguese dish, the Chief was energised. He obviously feels strong again because suddenly he continues his path. He carries a tent, so he can sleep where ever he wants.
We stay in the lovely little village. In the big private albergue. We wash our clothes, drink something in the cafe, eat and sleep. Next week there is the yearly summer festa. They prepare decoration in the back yard of the albergue. we sleep already but we hear they are having fun outside at least until midnight. The parents were shushing their children, but we couldn’t care less, we slept soundly….
It is nice to follow others on their path, of you walked the caminhos too. The BBC documentary about pilgrimages in Portugal is interesting. You learn about the Portuguese culture and heritage. It is big in UK, even on the radio and Wikepedia.
Fatima and Santiago Connected!
Now we walked here we know that we can connect these two paths with both the most stunning caminho’s. Start in Coimbra with us, and go via Fatima and Tomar to start your caminho to Santiago de Compostela on your own and then you will meet Casa da Lima again, after your stage after Tomar: Cortica-Casa da Lima!
