A week walking the clifftop trails of the Costa Vicentina Natural Park, from the fishing village of Salema to Cabo de Sao Vicente, the most southwestern point in Europe.
7 Days / 6 Nights
Easy to Moderate
Algarve, Portugal
Year-round
Roughly 6 to 12 km per walking day
€799 per person
The Algarve’s sub-tropical Mediterranean climate makes it a genuinely year-round hiking destination, with mild, bright winters and cooling sea breezes in summer. This walking holiday explores the Costa Vicentina Natural Park in the western Algarve, a protected area that has kept its wild, rugged coastal character despite the region’s tourism development.
The route crosses two markedly different coastlines. To the west, the Vincentine coast is home to over 1,000 species of vegetation, migrating sea birds, multicoloured cliffs and wild beaches. To the south, a more Mediterranean-feeling coastline offers ochre cliffs, sea caves and turquoise waters. Portugal’s maritime history runs through the whole trip, from the harbour of Lagos, launchpad for so many historic voyages, to Cabo de Sao Vicente and the Fortaleza de Sagres.
Accommodation:
3 nights in Salema and 3 nights in Sagres, both in 3-star hotels, on a bed and breakfast basis, all rooms en-suite. Hotels are chosen for their location, atmosphere and unique character.
Availability:
Starts any day of the week, year-round, subject to availability.
Difficulty:
Graded easy to moderate overall, with walks of 2 to 4 hours and an average ascent or descent of 100 to 300m. For safety reasons, this tour is not available to solo walkers.
Salema is a small, whitewashed fishing village between Lagos and Sagres, with excellent seafood restaurants overlooking the beach where fishermen unload their catch. Private transfers can be arranged from Faro or Lisbon airports, with public transport information also provided.
Overnight: Salema
Distance: 12 km, Ascent: 300 m, Descent: 300 m, Walking time: around 3.5 hrs
A private transfer reaches Ponta da Piedade, a natural monument of ochre cliffs, archways, coves and inlets with sparkling turquoise water. A coastal path heads west along pristine beaches and rugged cliffs, via the picture-postcard village of Praia da Luz, with its old lighthouse, to the beach and village of Burgau, before a taxi returns to Salema.
Overnight: Salema
Distance: 8 km, Ascent: 250 m, Descent: 250 m, Walking time: around 2.5 hrs
A transfer returns to Burgau, where the coast leads west via beaches and cliffs with panoramic views, before heading inland to the village of Figueiras, home to traditional non-irrigated farming methods, known as "sequeiro," initiated by the Romans and perfected by the Moors. The route finishes back at the hotel in Salema.
Overnight: Salema
Distance: 11.5 km, Ascent: 200 m, Descent: 200 m, Walking time: around 3.5 hrs, not including a visit to the fortress
A short transfer starts the day on another picture-postcard beach, continuing west along the wild coastline via the beach at Martinhal to the small port of Sagres, and on to the Fortaleza de Sagres, an important maritime monument where a huge stone compass marks the scientific navigational research of the 15th century, financed by Prince Henry the Navigator.
Overnight: Sagres
Distance: 10 to 12 km, Ascent: 150 m, Descent: 150 m, Walking time: around 3 to 4 hrs
A transfer to Carrapateira, a fishing and surfing village in the heart of the Costa Vicentina National Park, starts a walk across a flower-covered dune ridge to the river Bordeira and its long beach, continuing along dramatic coastline where storks nest on the cliffs, a phenomenon unique to the Costa Vicentina. A visit to the small Terra e Mar museum, dedicated to traditional farming and fishing, is an option before the transfer back to Sagres.
Overnight: Sagres
Distance: 6 km, Ascent: 100 m, Descent: 100 m, Walking time: around 3 hrs
A transfer to the hamlet of Vale Santo, close to the wild beach of Telheiro, the most southerly beach on Portugal's west coast, starts a walk through wild heathlands and along multicoloured cliffs to Cabo de Sao Vicente, the most southwestern point in Europe. A small maritime museum inside the lighthouse is worth a visit to finish.
Overnight: Sagres
The trip ends after breakfast. Transfers for onward travel can be arranged.
Not sure if this is the right route, or want to ask about dates? Our team knows this trail firsthand.
