5 exciting days on the Fisherman’s Trail – Walking along the amazing Portuguese coast

Last updated on 24 Nov 2022 by Thierry

Is the Fisherman’s Trail in Portugal one of the world’s best coastal hikes? Is it a must-do for hikers?
Yes and yes, absolutely, without a doubt! It is one of the most beautiful trekking routes in Europe and beyond.

You will walk through the unspoiled and wild nature, along rocky cliffs, beautiful beaches and lovely little whitewashed, coastal villages. There’s a lot of sand, so it can be quite demanding physically but the stunning landscape, the preserved nature and the sea breeze are definitely worth it.

Have a look at our itinerary, which could inspire you to do it, or help you to organise your own trip!

The Fisherman’s Trail and the Rota Vicentina

The Fisherman’s trail (Trilho dos Pescadores) is a part of the Rota Vicentina (a 750km long network of paths) that follows the Atlantic coastline of South West Portugal. The Rota Vicentina integrates also some circular walks and the Historical Way (Caminho Histórico) combining the rural and coastal scenery from the Algarve to the heart of Alentejo.

In 2018 when we walked it, the main Fisherman’s route started in Porto Covo and followed up to Odeceixe plus a few walks around beaches close to Vila do Bispo and Sagres. But in 2020 the trail got extended up to 13 sections, covering 226.5km in total and you can now walk all the way from São Torpes to Lagos:

Stage	From	To	Distance	Duration
1	São Torpes	Porto Covo	10 km	3 hrs
2	Porto Covo	Vila nova de Milfontes	20 km	6:30 hrs
3	Vila Nova de Milfontes	Almograve	15 km	5:30 hrs
4	Almograve	Zambujeira do Mar	22 km	6 hrs
5	Zambujeira do Mar	Odeceixe	18 km	5:30 hrs
6	Odeceixe	Aljezur	22.5	7 hrs
7	Aljezur	Arrifana	17.5	6 hrs
8	Arrifana	Carrapateira	21.5	6 hrs
9	Carrapateira	Vila do Bispo	16	6 hrs
10	Vila do Bispo	Sagres	20.5	7 hrs
11	Sagres	Salema	19.5	7:30 hrs
12	Salema	Luz	12	4:30 hrs
13	Luz	Lagos	11	4 hrs

When to go & where to start?

The best time for walking the Rota Vicentina is from September to June. The Portuguese summer is definitely too hot for such activities.
We went on our trip in November and we fully enjoyed the breathtaking scenery, great weather, warmth and almost no rain and absolutely delicious food. As a bonus, it is quite deserted at this time of the year!

Most of the walkers start from the North and are going towards the South, but we decided to do the reverse way, from South to North. We booked our flight to Faro, travelled to Sagres and started walking from Cabo de S. Vicente. The first day was a mixture of trekking and hitchhiking so the real starting point for us, where we continually used only our feet, was from Aljezur and it finished in Porto Covo. We have covered a total of 118km in 5 days.

North to South:
If you fly to Lisbon take the bus from the bus terminal Sete Rios to Sines or to Porto Covo, depending on where you want to start your walk. It will take 2 to 3hrs to reach your destination. Check the timetable and prices on the Rede Expressos website.

South to North:
From Faro, you will need to take a bus or train to Lagos. The journey by train takes around 2 hours. You can check the connections and prices here. If you don’t start your walk from Lagos you can reach any section of the trail travelling by bus Eva Transportes to the section you wish.

Rota Vicentina- Fishermen’s Trail Itinerary

On the map above: the walked sections are in green and the blue lines represent other transportation modes (train, bus, hitchhiking).

Day 1: Travelling from Lagos to Aljezur

A good way to start is to catch the morning bus connection from Lagos to Sagres. After short sightseeing in Sagres, walk along the cliff edge up to Fortaleza as a warm-up session and head towards the Farol do Cabo de Sao Vicente. Here begins a part of the Fisherman’s Trail, combined with the Historical Way going to Vila do Bispo (a bit less than 20km).

Unfortunately, our effort was interrupted after only 12km on the trail by heavy rain while we were near Praia de Ponta Ruiva. Some friendly locals coming back from the beach offered us a lift to Vila do Bispo. A break later and back to our plan but running late, we had to hitchhike to Aljezur (that was a Sunday, so no bus!).

We were lucky to meet one very nice French guy, travelling solo, who not only drove us to our hostel but also was willing to make some stops with us on the way and see all the beautiful beaches: Praia do Amado, Praia do Bordeira and Praia de Arrifana.

Where to stay: Amazigh Design Hostel in Aljezur

Where to eat: Aki no Pôr do Sol (Vila do Bispo)/ III Geração (Aljezur)

Day 2: Walking from Aljezur to Odeceixe

This day is a mixture of all types of routes you can find on the Rota Vicentina and all possible landscapes: countryside, dunes and agricultural fields (lots of sweet potatoes).

It starts in front of the Municipal Market in Aljezur and follows the Historical Way (marked in red and white). The trail does not follow the coast, however, so if you are like us and want to be close to the ocean and beaches as much as possible, take a detour along a circular walk up to Praia do Amoreira. The walk will be longer but more rewarding. Dunes and a long, broad sandy beach will be soon in front of you.

Head for your lunch to Rogil with a good choice of restaurants or shops to top up your food or water supplies as the way to Odeceixe is still quite long.

The bay of Odeceixe, surrounded by hills, with a stream’s mouth flowing into the ocean offers romantic scenery to enjoy the sunset, just before heading back to the village for a well-deserved dinner!

Tip: Before heading to the start of the trail, take some time to climb and visit the Castello de Aljezur sitting on the hilltop overlooking the village. It offers stunning 360 degrees views of the region.

Where to stay: Surf Seixe Guest House in Odeceixe

Where to eat: Pao do Rogil (Rogil), Restaurante Chaparro (Odeceixe)

Day 3: Odeceixe to Zambujeira do Mar

If you are not in a hurry there are a few Rota Vicentina Circular walks around Odeceixe going more into the countryside to spend good days in Algarve’s northernmost coastal settlement before the Alentejo.

If you are back on track, the picturesque view of the Odeceixe beach early in the morning with the sun above you will make it hard to leave the place. However, the most amazing scenery is all to come: unspoiled coastal scenery, rugged cliffs, fantastic rock formations, golden sun beaches (Praias do Amalia, Machados, Carvalhal, Alteirinhos) and even a safari park. Start the day early to enjoy most of them.

About halfway between Odeceixe and Zambujeira do Mar, a little village, Azenha do Mar, makes a perfect stop for lunch with its restaurant with a view of the Atlantic ocean.

By the end of the walk expect an amazing view of the white city walls of Zambujeira do Mar.

Where to stay: Roots Beach Apartment in Zambujeira do Mar

Where to eat: restaurant A Azenha do Mar (Azenha do Mar), Marisqueira Costa Alentejana (Zambujeira do Mar)

Day 4: Zambujeira do Mar to Almograve

Zambujeira do Mar with its Chapel of Nossa Senhora do Mar (Capela de Nossa Senhora do Mar) is one of the most picturesque villages in Portuga. The chapel is a good spot to start another exciting day on the trail.

This section is full of sharp, high and steep cliffs which offer homes for over 20 different species of birds. You will see impressive stork nests placed on pointy rocks. However, to see the storks nesting you will need to walk between April and June. We have only seen some seagulls occupying them.

If you want to relax on beaches, that’s the perfect day as this section gives you a lot of opportunities.

A highlight of the day is Cabo Sardão and its lighthouse built inland instead of on the edge of the cliff. This cape (cabo) is the westernmost point of the Alentejo coast.

A short time after Cabo Sardão, the little village of Cavalheiro offers a good location for a lunch break. From the village, the path brings you back to the coast to continue your walk up north. You will be able to walk on long beaches (Praia da Longueirinha and Praia Grande de Almograve) before reaching the village of Almograve.

Where to stay: Pousada de Juventude (Youth Hostel) in Almograve

Where to eat: Snack Bar Amelia (Cavalheiro). Our favourite place in Almograve, Agua do Mar, seems to have changed owners. The restaurant is now called Duna Praia

Day 5: Almograve to Vila Nova de Milfontes and to Porto Covo. End of the Fisherman’s trail

To complete as much as possible of the Fisherman’s trail we decided to combine 2 stages into one. That was a hard day, walking nearly 36km in 11hrs and 30min with just a few short stops!

Starting from Almograve and if you can afford an extra day, Vila Nova de Milfontes makes a perfect place to stop, relax, kayak and enjoy the regional cuisine. This is a little town with a long sandy beach, built along the river Mira that ends in the Atlantic.

Tip: you will make quite a long detour from the beach to get to the centre of the town going over a bridge quite far inland, but you can cut it by taking a boat, which will save you a few kilometres against a few euros.

After Vila Nova de Milfontes, the section up to Porto Covo is the most sandy one and includes walking along lengthy beaches and through dunes. This is the most difficult section to walk.

Just before Porto Covo, you will walk close to the Forte do Nossa Senhora de Queimada where we enjoyed a view of the Ilha do Pessegueiro and a beautiful sunset.

Porto Covo is a charming place to finish the walk. It is a typical traditional fishing village with cobbled streets, white and blue painted houses, squares and plenty of restaurants. Praia Grande with its long sand stretch and good waves makes an excellent spot for surfers.

Where to stay: Ahoy Hostel (Porto Covo)

Where to eat: Sandwiches for the day, Ze Inacio (Porto Covo)

After our walk on the Fisherman’s Trail

Walking the Fisherman’s Trail has brought us closer and left us some unforgettable memories, with stunning scenery, delicious regional cuisine and encounters with lovely local people. We have fallen in love with Portugal and are looking forward to showing this beautiful part of the world to our daughter in a near future.

After those 5 tiring and revitalising days walking in the wilderness, we decided to spend a weekend in Lisbon and visit some long-time friends.

If you have not visited Lisbon, we strongly recommend you do it. A single weekend will not be enough to really discover this beautiful city but will be still a good finish point.

There is a lot to do and see in the close area of Lisbon and a lot of those places are easy to reach with local transport. If you are looking for ideas and would like to know how to spend a few days around there, we are preparing a post dedicated to Lisbon.

Tips for hiking the Fisherman’s trail in South West Portugal

What to pack

If you want to backpack as we did, you will find yourself in front of a challenge: taking everything you need for the days you will be on the trail walking but travelling as lightly as possible.

As a rule of thumb, consider a backpack of more than 8kg will be difficult to carry on long warm days in the sand. Just keep in mind that you will also need to take water and food (2.5 to 3kg).

There are a few essentials that you don’t want to forget for this hike:

• Good hiking backpack
• CamelBak
• High-cut walking boots
• Walking poles
• Hat or Cap
• Hair buff
• Rain jacket
• Quick-dry t-shirts
• Travel towel
• Sunglasses
• Sun cream (even in November!)

Transfer

We chose to walk with our backpacks but if you wish to have your luggage delivered from accommodation to accommodation, you can book it through the Rota Vicentina official website.

Insurance

We hope nothing bad happens, but get you covered by booking travel insurance. Medical care can be very very expensive abroad.

Water and food

Pack enough water for the day and snacks with you. For lunch, there will be some possibilities to stop in villages along each section, where you will also be able to top up your water. But if you don’t want to waste the time and/ or prefer to stop on the beaches, pack some sandwiches with you, as they are wild without any infrastructure. Don’t leave litter behind you!

Maps

The Rota Vicentina and the Fisherman’s trail are very well marked and you don’t really need a map. However, you can buy a map or download coordinates for each section from Rota Vicentina official website.
We usually use maps.me when walking and travelling.

Toilets

There are no toilets on the trail. Bring toilet paper and some bags to take it with you to avoid littering.

Accommodation

We usually use booking.com to book our accommodations. We did it in advance apart from the last night in Porto Covo, as we were hoping to catch the last bus to Lisbon just after finishing the walk (luckily there was none anymore that evening!). As it was the middle of November there was no issue with finding a good place to stay at a reasonable price.

Feeling like walking the Fisherman’s Trail in Portugal?

We hope that this post and our itinerary will inspire you to walk the trail and help you to organise your trip.

What do you think about walking the whole 13 stages of the extended trail?
Or maybe you did it already?

Please let us know in the comments!