Hiking Fishermen’s Trail (Rota Vicentina), allows you to walk above sheer cliffs offering amazing views of rugged sea stacks and picture-perfect beaches. Because of its spectacular scenery, it is often called one of the best coastal walks in the world. After exploring this famous hiking trail we’ll agree, the views are hard to beat.
The 230 km (143 miles) long trail follows the Atlantic Ocean between Porto Covo and Lagos. The original trail was 60 km (37 miles) long and ended in Odeceixe. It was revised a few times, making it longer each time, until it finally achieved the length it is today.
If you walk the entire trail it takes 11-13 days. Most people walk north to south, from Porto Covo to Lagos, because they are coming from Lisbon. We went the opposite direction, beginning in Lagos. We wanted to see as much of the trail as possible but were unable to hike for 11 days. Our solution was to hike some sections of the trail and drive in other areas. Since we didn’t have enough time to walk, we’re glad we did it this way so that we could see the wide variety of views this coast has to offer.
There are so many wonderful scenes on this route that we split it into two posts. Below we’ll show you the highlights of this coastal walk’s southern half, between Lagos and Carrapateira. You can read about the northern section, from Carrapateira to Porto Covo here.
We’ve broken up the descriptions into the recommended walking segments.
Click on the link to go directly to our Tips for Hiking The Fishermen’s Trail
Southern Section – Lagos To Carrapateira
Day 1 – Lagos to Luz
We began our hike at Dona Ana Beach, on the edge of Lagos. It’s said to be one of the prettiest beaches in Algarve, and after seeing the tall cliffs that surround the soft sand, it’s very difficult to dispute that claim. It’s a great place to begin or end your walk because of the incredible beauty found here.
You can read our post from Lagos here.
There is a wooden boardwalk between Dona Ana Beach and Ponta da Piedade. It is a very popular area so there are a lot of tourists. The boardwalks not only protect the landscape from too much wear, but they also protect people from getting too close to the edge. The problem is that the boardwalk keeps you a fair distance from the best viewpoints. For those who don’t want to stay on the boardwalk, there are several hiking trails that travel between the coves which allow you to get a better look at these picturesque coves.
There are so many breathtaking scenes between Dona Ana Beach and Ponta da Piedade that the 1.7 km (1.05 mile) walk took us almost 3 hours. We can’t possibly show you everything, but here are our favourite views from this section.
The first stop was Camilo Beach (Praia do Camilo). The pretty beach is sheltered in a very tight cove, protected by red weather-worn cliffs. Turquoise water laps up to the small sandy beach.
There are small parking lots at Dona Ana and Camilo Beaches, as well as a few hotels and apartments for rent nearby.
Walking the coast between Camilo Beach and Ponta da Piedade is a continual series of breathtaking coves with towering sea stacks and stunning arches. Spotting the sandy beaches under these jagged cliffs takes it to the next level of breathtaking.
Ponta da Piedade is almost too beautiful for words. The limestone cliffs on the point have been battered by wind and water to create more stunning features in one small area than seems possible. Watching over them is Ponta da Piedade Lighthouse (Farol Ponta da Piedade). A steep staircase beside the lighthouse takes you down a narrow grotto and allows you to get a closer look at this spectacular coast.
There’s a large parking lot by the lighthouse.
If you want to see these giants from a different view, you can take a boat or kayak tour from Lagos. Most kayak tours will tow you back to Lagos, making it a little easier on your arms.
After being awed by the views so far, we were excited to see what the rest of the trail would offer. Porto Mós Beach (Praia de Porto de Mós) is on the other side of Ponta da Piedade. It’s known for its big waves so is popular with surfers. Once we were on the beach, we could see the the tall red cliffs of Ponta da Piedade from the other side.
The town of Luz is the typical stop on the hike but it is further inland. Instead, you could stay in Porto de Mós which is just above the beach. There is parking at Porto Mós Beach.
Days 2 & 3 – Luz to Sagres to Vila do Bispo
Between Porto Mós Beach and Sagres, the trail enters South West Alentejo and Vicentina Coast Natural Park. Its name is often shortened to Vicentina Coast Natural Park when referring to this trek.
The first major attraction is Fortaleza de Sagres. This 15th century fortress is where Prince Henry the Navigator hatched his plans to send expeditions to explore Africa during Portugal’s Age of Discovery. From the fort, we could see Cabo de São Vicente Lighthouse far in the distance.
The most southwesterly point of Europe is Cabo de São Vicente. It is a windy cape, high above the Atlantic Ocean. When we reached the lighthouse at the end of the point all we could see in both directions were tall cliffs that seemed to go on forever.
The town of Vila do Bispo is still a long walk from here, so we skipped ahead on the trail and drove to our next spot.
Day 4 – Vila do Bispo to Carrapateira
On the other side of Cabo de São Vicente the waves were ferocious. The coast boasts what seems like one long, successive strip of surfing beaches. Castelejo and Codoama Beaches are very impressive, both in their setting and in their waves. The latter was busy with surfers when we visited.
There is parking at Codoama Beach, but not at Castelejo.
A little further away is another surfing beach. With red and ochre coloured cliffs on one side and shrub-covered hills on the other, we could have easily spent a day on Amado Beach. From a viewpoint above we could see dozens of surfers in the water, waiting to catch a big wave.
There is a lot of parking at Amado Beach, but in busy season it will fill up.
One of the most beautiful parts of Fishermen’s Trail is Carrapateira Point (Pontal da Carrapateira), between Amado and Bordeira Beaches (Praia Bordeira).
The 100 m high, sheer cliffs on this point meet the ocean in a dramatic fashion. The wild ocean has carved many small gorges, coves and wide sea stacks adding to its rugged beauty. You can find remains of a Moorish settlement on one of the small points on Carrapateira. Their stone ruins seem to be clinging to the edge of the very narrow Ponta do Castelo. Why anyone would put their homes on this exposed point is beyond our comprehension.
In the water, waves crash hard against the cliffs. They are often referred to as Jurassic Rocks (Pedra da Galé) because fossils from the Jurassic Period have been found on them. It’s on these Jurassic Rocks where fishermen say they find the best barnacles; a delicacy in Portuguese diets. The fishermen must be a hardy stock to scrape barnacles off these cliffs while being battered by the strong waves.
As we got closer to the tip of Carrapateira Point it looked like there was a long, green meadow on its top. In reality, it is really scrub grass, bushes and icy plants growing in the sand dunes. In the autumn, the plants were a mix of red and green, adding a touch of colour to the rough land.
We could also see a half dozen fishing shacks that seemed to be clutching to the red walls as the ocean swirled below. On closer inspection, we realized that the shacks are firmly on solid ground. We wondered if they were used by barnacle hunters.
As if to answer our question, around the next bend we spotted a rod and reel fisherman, balancing on a precarious spot, high above the waves.
On the other side of the point, the cliffs make way for Bordeira Beach. Above the beach is the fishing village of Carrapateira where there are a few small hotels and guesthouses. You can park near the beach or drive on a gravel road a little closer to the point, but otherwise there are no cars on between the point and Amado Beach.
The hike doesn’t end here. There are many more amazing views to see on the Northern Section of The Fishermen’s Trail.
To help plan ahead and navigate when on the trail, we found this great app. It’s free on the Apple Store and includes downloadable maps, trail descriptions as well as recommended hotels and restaurants along the entire Fishermen’s Trail. You can find more information on the Fishermen’s Trail App.
We’ll link this post to our friend Jo’s blog, Restless Jo. She has a weekly post entitled Jo’s Monday Walks.
To read about another fabulous hike in the area, you can read our post Hiking The Seven Hanging Valleys Trail.
To read more of our adventures in Portugal, click here.
To read more of our treks from around the world go to Treks.
Coming Next – Hiking The Fishermen’s Trail – The Northern Section
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To read about more of our adventures go to Destinations.
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