This popular hike takes you to some of Portugal’s most dramatic and picturesque coastal scenes. The hiking trail travels between countless weather-worn coves with golden cliffs that protect pristine, sandy beaches. From the first lookout to the last, you will be stunned by the spectacular views when you hike Portugal’s Seven Hanging Valleys Trail.
Located in Algarve, the trail begins at Marinha Beach (Praia da Marinha) and follows the top of the cliffs for over six kilometres to reach Centeanes Valley Beach (Praia do Vale de Centeanes). Here are the views you will see when you hike the Seven Hanging Valleys Trail (Percurso dos Sete Vales Suspensos).
Click on the maps for an expanded view.
We began our day further east than the traditional starting point at the lookout above Barreirinha Beach (Praia da Barreirinha).
It’s not difficult to see why Marinha Beach is rated as one of the 100 prettiest beaches in the world. The view of the turquoise water brushing up against tall sea stacks is almost too perfect to be real.
As we walked on the cliffs high above the beach we were surprised to find a bizarre landscape. The red earth has been beaten to form fascinating grooves and pinnacles, giving us an unexpected treat on the hike.
On the other side of this canyon-like spot, we had a great view of the famous Double Natural Arch in front of the beach. It’s possible to walk on the bridge above the arches. From there you can see them from another angle. As well, this vantage point gives you yet another awesome view of the gorgeous beach.
This dramatic landscape was caused by eons of rough waves and wind eroding these tall, karst cliffs. Coves were formed at the mouths of seven different streams, creating Seven Hanging Valleys. The end result is a coast dotted with wonderful sea stacks, arches and caves.
A popular feature on this walk is Benagil Cave. Part of its allure is that it can only accessed from the water. A natural sinkhole formed above the cave acts like a skylight, letting you look down to cave’s beach below.
Kayak tours take people through the cave’s entrance for a closer look. Because of its popularity, recent rules were made to keep this area pristine. The rules include limiting the number of kayaks allowed in a day and prohibiting visitors from landing on the beach.
If you keep walking west past the cave, you’ll reach Benagil town and its beach. The town has a pretty setting atop the red and golden cliffs while the beach is spread out below. The easy access to the beach means that it is often a busy place, filled with both locals and tourists.
A little further away is Carvalho Beach (Praia do Carvalho). Unlike Benagil, this one is quite isolated and a little difficult to access. Its only entrance is through a tunnel that was cut through the cliff. That didn’t seem to deter beachgoers though, as there were quite a few enjoying the afternoon on the soft sand.
Near the end of the trail is Alfanzina Lighthouse (Farol de Alfanzina). It has a fantastic setting above yet another rugged cliff. Beside the lighthouse is a natural sinkhole that gives the lighthouse an even more interesting location.
There are a few sinkholes along this section of the coast, but all are well-marked so they shouldn’t pose a danger.
The steep cliffs continue all the way to the end of the hike at Centeanes Beach (Praia de Vale Centeanes) near the city of Carvoeiro. From here you can either walk back to your car or take a taxi or Uber.
Hike details
• The trail is 6 km (3 ¾ miles) long, but when you add in all of the side trips to the various viewpoints, it will be much longer.
• There’s not much elevation gain unless you go down to some of the beaches. You can reach all of the beaches from the trail except Benagil Cave.
• The only confusing section is in the town of Benagil because you have to get off the trail, walk to the beach and then climb up to the top of the cliffs again.
• If you only want to walk one way you can take a taxi/Uber back to your car. Stopping in a town will make this easier. There is also a hop-on-hop-off bus that runs between Portimão and Marinha Beach. We walked both ways and enjoyed the scenery from both directions. You can also walk smaller sections of the trail. We found many only walked between Marinha Beach and Benagil Cave.
• If you drive you can park at any of the towns along the trail such as Benagil, Carvalho or Carvoeiro. You can reach Marinha Beach by car, but the parking lots are usually very full. We ended up finding a spot on the side of a very rough, dirt road not far from the beach, but many others weren’t as lucky.
• Some of the beaches have amenities, but not all. Check to see which ones do before heading out.
To read more of our adventures in Portugal, click here.
Coming Next – Discover Lagos: History and Stunning Beaches Await
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