Best of the Rota Vicentina
- Walk from Alentejo to the Algarve on Portugal's famous Rota Vicentina
- Combine the best sections of the coastal Fishermen's Trail and inland Historical Way
- Be the first to lay your footprints on deserted golden beaches
- Eat grilled fish with a glass of "vinho" in authentic Portuguese villages
- Overnight stays in traditional casa-style guesthouses
Gallery
Itinerary
Day 1 Arrive Vila Nova de MilfontesThe small village of Vila Nova de Milfontes can be reached by bus from Lisbon Airport (2.5h). This historic town, with its impressive 17th-century fortress is a charming place to spend your first night. Enjoy wandering through its narrow jumble of streets lined with delightful cafes and restaurants.
Villa Eira is a small guesthouse with 6 elegantly decorated rooms, 4 apartments and a Villa that is located around 300 metres from the nearest beach. Expect a small scale accommodation with an imtimate and tailored service.
The 17th Century family run Casa do Adro is just 2 minutes from the beach and offers a warm welcome, delicious breakfasts and a rooftop terrace on which to relax.
Raminhos Guest House is located in Portugal and offers a relaxed, comfortable and welcoming space. There are stunning views of the garden from the modern common roomas well as spacious and luminous rooms offering TVs, Wi-Fi, a safe and private bathrooms.
After breakfast, a taxi will pick you up and transfer you to the start of the trail in Porto Covo. Your first day’s walking is all about beaches, sand dunes and deserted coves. From the rough pebbly beaches at Aivados to the golden sand dunes of Farol, you will be amazed at the diversity of coastal landscapes and plant life on this section. Some tougher walking along the dunes is rewarded by fantastic coastal views and the chance to feel the sand between your toes if you feel like casting off your walking boots! Arrive back in Vila Nova de Milfontes for another overnight.
Ascent: 54m / Descent: 75m
Villa Eira is a small guesthouse with 6 elegantly decorated rooms, 4 apartments and a Villa that is located around 300 metres from the nearest beach. Expect a small scale accommodation with an imtimate and tailored service.
The 17th Century family run Casa do Adro is just 2 minutes from the beach and offers a warm welcome, delicious breakfasts and a rooftop terrace on which to relax.
Raminhos Guest House is located in Portugal and offers a relaxed, comfortable and welcoming space. There are stunning views of the garden from the modern common roomas well as spacious and luminous rooms offering TVs, Wi-Fi, a safe and private bathrooms.
Enjoy a more relaxed day as you walk via the Mira river to Almograve. The lush vegetation and wildflowers covering the local hillsides in this area mean that it is rich in birdlife, including Alpine, Pallid and Common Swifts. If you wish to take it easy you can also shorten the day by taking a boat across the Mira River. This section of the coast is gloriously undeveloped and apart from some pockets of agriculture, there is scarce evidence of human presence.
Ascent: 117m / Descent: 103m
Vicentina Rooms is just a short stroll from the beach via a wooden walkway amongst the sand dunes. It has simply furnished rooms and a lovely outdoor pool in which to relax after a hard day’s walking.
Casa Isa is a few steps away from Almograve Beach and features rooms with views over city. All 6 rooms include a balcony, a cabinet, and a couch..
Today's walk offers a change of scenery as you walk past ochre sand dunes and high cliffs home to over twenty species of birds, followed by a section through some fragrant pine forests. A highlight is sure to be capturing the sight of the nesting white storks—this coastline is the only place in the world where they nest! Stop off at Cape Sardao Lighthouse and marvel at the fishermen perched precariously on the cliffs as you perhaps enjoy a picnic lunch. If you are staying in Herdade do Touril you will finish early and take a slight diversion inland or if not continue down the coast. Entrada da Barca is next, a natural harbour, overflowing with fishing paraphernalia and a collection of wooden fishermen's huts. Finally reach Zambujeira do Mar, a pretty little seaside village.
Ascent: 199m / Descent: 165m
Almograve to Touril: 15.5km, +159m/-112m
A beautiful farmhouse accommodation in lovely surroundings featuring a saltwater swimming pool and comfortable rooms and suites set in a whitewashed house.
With the sea just 50 meters away and the Fishermen’s Trail right next door. Here you will find 8 double or twin rooms, all equipped with private bathroom, fridge and air conditioning.
On the ground floor you can taste the regional breakfast, always with Alentejo bread, in the dining room or, weather permitting, in the outdoor patio.
A small hotel with a privileged location 500m from the beach. Enjoy relaxing in their Andalucian style inner courtyard at the end of your day's walk and experience a lovely "home away from home" atmosphere.
Dipping up and down to the sea on narrow cliffside paths, today’s walk is an invigorating one, with some of the best views on the whole of the Fisherman’s Trail. Pass by several beaches, a natural fishing harbour and the spectacular Ponta em Branco. From this viewpoint, you look over Odeceixe beach with the mountain tops of Foia and Monchique as a backdrop. A taxi will pick you up from here to transfer you into the centre of Odeceixe with its dazzling blue and white windmill (Moinho) occupying a prominent position at the top of the town and offering the perfect viewpoint over the pretty whitewashed village.
Ascent: 259m / Descent: 281m
Touril to Odeceixe: 20km, +253m/-302m
Casas du Moinho is a lovely collection of restored village houses spread out amongst the village. Relax at the outdoor swimming pool with a view over the windmill of Odeceixe.
Featuring a garden and views of inner courtyard, Odeceixe Verde Guesthouse is a recently renovated bed and breakfast set in Odeceixe, offering city views, a sun terrace and a 24-hour front desk. All units feature air conditioning and a private bathroom with a walk-in shower. Buffet and continental breakfast options with fresh pastries, fruits and juice are available every morning at the bed and breakfast.
A charming little guesthouse right in the centre of Odeceixe run by the lovely Celeste. Rooms are simple but very cosy and comfortable.
Start your walk by heading along quiet fishermen’s trails to the beautiful beach at Odeceixe. Spot white and grey herons on your way to the beach at the mouth of the River Seixe before arriving at the impressive sand dunes of Odeceixe. From here the route winds through coastal upland areas and scented groves of pine and eucalyptus trees, passing the pretty village of Rogil. Arriving in Aljezur, you will be ready for a well-deserved rest and a delicious plate of freshly caught seafood.
Ascent: 186m / Descent: 175m
The 4* Vicentina Hotel is a lovely modern hotel offering a warm, friendly welcome. Enjoy relaxing in the outdoor pool or perhaps even a massage to soothe those tired legs.
Releash Aljezur is a small Boutique Guesthouse that offers a home in the middle of the picturesque Portuguese village of Aljezur. The guesthouse has 6 comfortable private rooms that are fully equipped. On the ground floor is a cozy living room with a bar, fireplace and breakfast area. The breakfast is local and traditional.
Before setting out for the day it is worth taking a climb up to the Castle of Aljezur, famously represented on the flag of Portugal. Enjoy views over the fertile valley below rich in flora and fauna. Continue along the Amoreira Valley with spectacular views over the beach before heading toward Ponta da Atalaia on the coast. Walk past sand dunes rich in lush vegetation and discover ruins dating back to prehistoric times. You may also spot fishermen harvesting goose barnacles, a must-try local delicacy. The wide sandy bay of Arrifana is wonderfully wild and rugged and a delightful place to end your walk.
As accommodation is limited in Arrifana, we will transfer you back to Aljezur for your overnight accommodation tonight.
Ascent: 314m / Descent: 259m
The 4* Vicentina Hotel is a lovely modern hotel offering a warm, friendly welcome. Enjoy relaxing in the outdoor pool or perhaps even a massage to soothe those tired legs.
Transfer after breakfast back to Arrifana and get ready to enjoy a wonderfully varied day of walking. Begin by walking out of Arrifana with the ocean on one side and mountains on the other. Enjoy breath-taking views of the coast from rugged cliff-top paths before heading away from the coast into an area of peaceful forests and meadows filled with wildflowers during the springtime. Arrive at the delightful little village of Bordeira, where life moves at a wonderfully slow pace and rural traditions such as goat herding are very much alive. Continue to Carrapateira and enjoy wonderful views as you head towards the coast again.
Ascent: 377m / Descent: 443m
Hortas do Rio is a sophisticated and relaxed hotel located in Carrapateira. Boasting a balcony with garden views, a garden, and a terrace, Hortas do Riois located 0.8 miles from Carrapateira Beach Surf Spot. The air-conditioned accommodation is 750 yards from Bordeira Beach, and guests benefit from private parking available on-site and free WiFi.
Pensao das Dunas is an authentic guesthouse in the heart of the natural park. They offer a range of colourful rooms and apartments, with a lovely, flowery patio perfect for relaxing after a days walk.
Enjoy an exhilarating coastal walk around the rugged Ponta da Carrapateira today. There are numerous wonderful viewpoints all the way around the peninsula looking down on to glorious sandy beaches such as Bordeira and Amado. Look out for fishermen perched precariously on the cliffs and enjoy lunch whilst breathing in the sea-salt air and taking in the views! Return to Carrapateira for another relaxing night at your Casa.
Ascent: 100m /Descent: 100m
Hortas do Rio is a sophisticated and relaxed hotel located in Carrapateira. Boasting a balcony with garden views, a garden, and a terrace, Hortas do Riois located 0.8 miles from Carrapateira Beach Surf Spot. The air-conditioned accommodation is 750 yards from Bordeira Beach, and guests benefit from private parking available on-site and free WiFi.
Pensao das Dunas is an authentic guesthouse in the heart of the natural park. They offer a range of colourful rooms and apartments, with a lovely, flowery patio perfect for relaxing after a days walk.
A short transfer (10mins) takes you to the village of Pedralva this morning, a picturesque little place lined with whitewashed houses featuring painted colourful doors.
Continue along peaceful forest tracks and through scented orchard areas. If you are travelling in spring, this area is home to an array of colourful wildflowers including forget-me-nots, yellow narcissi, hyacinths and purple orchards. After leaving the forest head to the coast and the rugged beach at Praia da Barriga, deep in the heart of the Costa Vicentina National Park. Continue into a lush forested area before catching a glimpse of the sea again as you arrive in Vila do Bispo.
Ascent: 509m / Descent: 469m
Pure flor de Esteva is a delightful little bed and breakfast run by the friendly Goncalves family. Relax in modern, well-equipped rooms.
Located facing the Mother Church of the 16th century. Just 5km away from several wonderful and calm beaches, surrounded by the beach and the countryside and within the Vicentina/Southwest Alentejo and Vicentine Coast Natural Park, this hotel offers a nice and family-like stay. The hotel has 21 rooms. All equipped with private bathroom, satellite and cable TV, mini-bar, air conditioning, hairdryer, and safe.
Enjoy a wonderful end to the walk today as you head towards the most southwestern point of Europe, Cabo Sao Vicente. Reaching Telheiro Beach and the Cape, enjoy fantastic views of the wild coastline as the waves crash below. If travelling in the autumn lookout for the soaring seabirds who migrate here including booted eagles, black kites, sparrow hawks and black storks.
Arriving at Cabo Sao Vicente and the iconic lighthouse is a magical experience. Place yourself in the shoes of the pilgrims who used to finish their journey here at the burial place of St Vincent. Or in that of the fishermen who would have set sail from here into the unknown. After taking in the views, a transfer will collect you from the Cape and take you to your hotel in the thriving little coastal town of Sagres.
Ascent: 85m / Descent: 148m
Located in the centre of Sagres, Mareta View is a small boutique bed and breakfast set overlooking the sands of Mareta Beach. Enjoy a delicious breakfast in the tropical garden which also features a jacuzzi and in the evening it is just a short walk to several fantastic local restaurants.
A boutique bed and breakfast with panoramic sea views over Mareta Beach in Sagres. Enjoy comfortable modern rooms and perhaps a nice strong coffee in their Italian style coffee bar.
With views over the Baleeira harbour, this contemporary design hotel provides an excellent stay in Sagres at the end of your tour. The location offers you the chance to explore the town with its renowned gastronomy and various points of historical interest to visit, such as Sagres Fortress, the world's first nautical school, and Cape St. Vicente. Enjoy the hotel's swimming pool, bar & lounge and onsite restaurant.
If you have the time, we highly recommend adding a couple of extra nights in Sagres to relax and enjoy the beach. Otherwise, make your way to Faro Airport for onward travel connections.
This trip has a carbon score of 17kg per person per night, meaning it’s one of our best trips! For comparison, a carbon count of 17kg is equivalent to 100 cans of coke. Here at Macs, we pride ourselves on being a responsible travel company and continue to adopt, develop and innovate ways to positively impact the environment. Find out more information on how we've carbon counted our trips.
Other Information
Is it for me?Perfect if you have a couple of weeks available and want to experience both the Alentejo and Algarve regions of Portugal, this is a varied walk using both coastal and inland trails. The walking is moderate with a few steep ascents and descents from cliff-top paths as well as a few tiring sections walking along sand, although the sea views make up for the effort! Stay in a mix of boutique B&B’s and casa-style guesthouses offering warm Portuguese hospitality.
Classic Routes | If you’re the active, outdoorsy type, who’s interested in taking on the great routes of the world or looking for a challenge, then our Classic Routes are for you. We’re talking the West Highland Way, Tour Du Mont Blanc and the Passau to Vienna Danube Cycle Path, to name but a few!
Inn to Inn Walking | Walk from place-to-place changing accommodations each night. Generally staying in B&Bs, inns, and guesthouses.
Solo Travellers, Families with Teens
The minimum age for this tour is: 12 Years
This trip is graded ‘moderate’ overall with the average daily distance being 19km. You will be walking for between 3 to 7 hours a day on undulating terrain and rugged clifftop paths, with some short ascents and descents, and often on sand which does make the walking quite tiring at times. There are a couple of days which would be closer to a strenuous grade due to the fact that you are either walking on some exposed terrain and/or long sections of sand, or that the days are longer. This is applicable on Day 2 - Porto Covo to Vila Nova de Milfontes, where the terrain is quite difficult including lots of beach walking, and on Day 4 - Almograve to Zambujeira do Mar, which is a long day. We do not recommend this trip for anyone with vertigo since many of the clifftop paths have steep drop-offs.
Stay in predominately traditional casa-style guesthouses along with a mixture of 3* & 4* hotels. Below is an example of the accommodations we use on this trip. These accommodations are subject to availability and therefore alternatives of an equal standard may be offered.
Single Rooms & Solo Walkers
If you require single rooms we would be happy to accommodate you although there is a single room supplement payable. We also welcome solo walkers on this tour, again a supplement is payable.
Meals
Breakfasts are included each day. Packed lunch items can be bought locally from markets or cafes. We include 1 dinner on the night in Touril as it is a little distance away from local restaurants. On other evenings, dinner can be purchased in each town with many restaurants serving delicious seafood dishes!
This route is very well waymarked. Navigation is straightforward as you can use the Macs Adventure Smartphone App which has maps, GPS tracks and daily route information. Simply download the GPS tracks for offline use and follow the route on your phone with the assurance that navigation on this tour will be made simple and you cannot get lost.
You will find more information on downloading the app in your Macs Adventure Account.
- Overnights in casa-style guesthouses and boutique hotels
- Breakfasts
- 1 Dinner (in Touril)
- Luggage transfers
- Transfers as per your itinerary
- Access to maps, GPX tracks and daily route information with the Macs Adventure smartphone navigation app
- All your trip documents provided digitally through your online Macs “My Account”
- 24/7 Emergency telephone support from our UK office
- Travel insurance (required)
- Travel to Vilanova de Milfontes and from Sagres
- Lunches
- Dinners (apart from in Touril)
- Personal equipment
- Additional nights before, during and after the walk
- Airport Transfers
We offer this tour during the nicest months of the year to walk March to June, and then from September to November. We do not offer this tour in July and August due to high temperatures making it too hot for enjoyable walking then. If you walk in the springtime you can expect to see the inland areas covered with wildflowers and enjoy pleasant temperatures. The autumn months of September to November are also very mild. For keen birdwatchers, the autumn migration period from late August to mid-November brings lots of seabirds. For nesting birds such as the Alpine Swift visit during the spring.
By Air: The nearest airport is in Lisbon. From Lisbon Airport you can take the bus or the metro to the city center (approx. 20 minutes) and from there by bus to Vila Nova de Milfontes (approx. 2.5 hours).
Private Transfers: We can arrange a private taxi transfer from Lisbon or Faro airport for you at an additional cost.
By Air: The closest airport to Sagres is Faro. To get to the airport from Sagres, take the bus to Lagos with Eva Bus (1h, operates hourly) and then another bus to Faro with Eva Bus (2h). From the centre of Faro shuttle buses operate to the airport (15min).
Private Transfers: We can arrange a private transfer to take you from Sagres back to Faro Airport at an additional cost.
Your bags will be transferred from your accommodation as per your itinerary and moved onto your next overnight accommodation. We ask you to limit your luggage to one bag of up to 20kg per person.
The reviews for this tour up until December 2019, are based on a previous itinerary. As of December 2019, minor changes and improvements have been made including getting the routes all checked and route notes re-written.
At Macs Adventure we care about the environment! We’re taking action to minimize the impact we have by converting the majority of all our tour documentation for online delivery. On this tour all your detailed tour information will be digitally delivered. You will have access to this documentation via “My Account” on our website.
The distances and ascents/descents are approximations of the recommended routes. Please be prepared by packing all necessary items, for example. proper rain gear, sun hat, sunscreen. Your information pack has detailed advice and a kit list on what to take. This includes good waterproof gear, walking shoes/boots, and lots of other useful bits and bobs.
It is a requirement of booking this tour with Macs Adventure that you have suitable travel insurance which covers you for the activity and emergency evacuation and hospital care.
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