Walking the Algarve's South West

Name: Walking the Algarve's South West
Brand: Exodus
Rating: 5 (1 reviews)

1 reviews

Activity Level

Easy & Moderate

Activity

Walking & Trekking

Overview

Discover the South-West corner of the Algarve on our self-guided walk following coastal footpaths and inland trails.

Escape the busy tourist spots of the Algarve and discover the unspoilt Sagres Peninsula, a region of spectacular natural beauty with rugged cliffs, dramatic coastlines, sandy beaches and lush countryside. On our 10-night walking holiday, a mixture of forest, valley and coastal trails take you inland and along Portugal’s west and south coast, affording breathtaking views and some truly memorable moments.

Key Information

Trip Code: W10AV
Ways to Travel: Self-Guided Holidays
Countries: Portugal

What's Included

All accommodation
All continental breakfast and 3 evening meals
Headwater Navigation App
Luggage transfers between hotels
Walking transfers

5 days of Walking & Trekking

Terrain:

Mostly gently undulating with a couple of short but steepish descents/climbs on most days. Walks are mostly on a mix of coastal paths and tracks and woodland trails. Sections follow the Rota Vicentina and Fishermens Trail.

Day 2: 17 km / 10.6 miles
Day 4: 18 km / 11.2 miles
Day 6: 16 km / 9.9 miles
Day 8: 9 km / 5.6 miles
Day 10: 15 km / 9.3 miles

Highlights

Discover Europe's most southwesterly point at Cabo de Sao Vicente
Excellent for bird-spotting throughout the year
Beautiful beaches and picturesque harbours
Excellent hotels, all with pools
Maritime history in Lagos and Sagres

Itinerary

First Destination: Sagres
Next Destination: Sagres

Meals included:Dinner

Meals included:Breakfast, Dinner

Meals included:Breakfast, Dinner

Meals included:Breakfast

Meals included:Breakfast

Meals included:Breakfast

Meals included:Breakfast

Meals included:Breakfast

Meals included:Breakfast

Meals included:Breakfast

Meals included:Breakfast

First Destination: Sagres
Next Destination: Sagres

Arrive at your hotel in the coastal town of Sagres. (Staying at Memmo Baleeira)

Meals included:Dinner

After a 30-minute transfer you’ll start today’s walk, following the Fishermen’s Trail to the cliff tops and the glorious Amado beach. You’ll make your way to Carrapateira – perhaps stop for a picnic lunch or sample one of the village’s snack bars – before following the Rota Vicentina past one of the Algarve’s best viewpoints, on your way to Pedralva. (Staying at Aldeia da Pedralva)

Meals included:Breakfast, Dinner

The choice is yours today. You could relax and explore this charming village or purchase some picnic supplies and follow one of our suggested walks! A cliff-top route takes you back to the beautiful Amado beach; you’ll enjoy breathtaking views out to sea, with the return leg offering valley and forest views as far as the Serra de Monchique. A shorter walk takes you along the Marreiros plateau where you’ll enjoy far-reaching views over the rolling countryside below. (Staying at Aldeia da Pedralva)

Meals included:Breakfast, Dinner

After an enchanting walk through pine and eucalyptus forest you can choose from two routes. One follows the Rota Vicentina and pretty meadows to Vila do Bispo, whilst the longer route makes a horseshoe loop into the Costa Vicentina Natural Park, to the Praia da Barriga (Barriga beach), set at the end of a long and lush valley and backed by dramatic cliffs. (Staying at Hotel Mira Sagres)

Meals included:Breakfast

Today you could wander the quaint streets of the village or choose to follow one of our suggested walks. Perhaps take in the cliffs and viewpoints above Vila do Bispo, or walk through a landscape of rolling hills and gentle valleys, through the village of Raposeira, to the Guadalupe Chapel which is thought to be one of the only Knights Templar buildings left in Portugal. (Staying at Hotel Mira Sagres)

Meals included:Breakfast

The undoubted highlight of today is making your way to the south-western tip of Europe – Cabo de Sao Vicente. Following country lanes and coastal trails, you’ll enjoy some superb scenery en route and feel on top of the world when you arrive! Take a tour of the lighthouse, visit the museum, or relax with a drink in the bar before we transfer you (5 mins) back to Sagres. (Staying at Memmo Baleeira)

Meals included:Breakfast

If you can tear yourself away from the hotel pool, why not take a walk to the Ponta da Atalaia and Ponta da Baleeira headland today? You’ll experience wonderful views over Sagres’ impressive fortress and the Mareta and Martinhal beaches. Alternatively, head straight to Martinhal Beach for a stroll on the sand and a drink at one of the bars! (Staying at Memmo Baleeira)

Meals included:Breakfast

Today’s walk has some fabulous scenery! Cross Martinhal Beach and the tiny Praia dos Rebolinhos and follow a route through rolling countryside to the cliff-top headland above Praia do Zavial from where a transfer will take you on to Lagos where you stay for your final three nights. (Staying at Rio Marina)

Meals included:Breakfast

It’s just a 20-minute walk from your hotel to the Old Town of Lagos. Here you’ll find the 14th century walls protecting a tangle of cobbled streets full of shops, bars, cafes and restaurants, along with ornate churches, some interesting museums and the pride and joy of Lagos – its bustling marina! (Staying at Rio Marina)

Meals included:Breakfast

It’s stunning scenery and seascapes all the way today as you follow one of the Algarve’s most beautiful coastal walking trails. A transfer takes you to one to the picturesque fishing village of Burgau from where you walk to Praia da Luz with its whitewashed houses and picture-perfect beaches – perhaps stop for lunch at one of the bars or restaurants or enjoy a beachside picnic before continuing back to Lagos. (Staying at Rio Marina)

Meals included:Breakfast

The tour ends after breakfast in Sagres.

Meals included:Breakfast

Dates & Prices

Skip the hassle: We’ll handle your trip from start to finish, with competitive flight prices, deposit-only payments, and full ATOL protection available.

Call us on 0203 733 5948

Your Group, Your Adventure

Want to choose your travel companions? Gather your family and friends and let us create a Private Adventure just for you.

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Accommodation

Hotels

You’ll stay in a wonderful variety of hotels, all with pools, including a charming hotel in Sagres with wonderful views of the fortress and over the crashing Atlantic below; a rustic house in Pedralva (every house in the village has been restored to provide accommodation!); a well-restored pensao (coaching inn) in Vila do Bispo complete with spa; and a hotel just 20 minutes’ walk from the old town of Lagos. We’ve included four evening meals so you’re free to sample some of the area’s superb local restaurants.

Essential Information

Classification: Self-Guided
Average daily distance on move on days: 16.8km (10.7miles).
No. of days Walking: 5

Terrain: Mostly gently undulating with a couple of short but steepish descents/climbs on most days. Walks are mostly on a mix of coastal paths and tracks and woodland trails. Sections follow the Rota Vicentina and Fishermens Trail.

Vehicle Support: This is a self-guided trip for those who prefer to walk independently, but with our assistance to take out the stress of the logistics and planning. We arrange your accommodations, provide you with a map and route notes so that you can walk at your own pace.

It is important that you are happy reading maps and following route notes, we make these as accurate as possible and they are regularly checked.

As this is a self-guided holiday there is no group and no leader. There may be others on the same departure date as you, but you will not be organised together. The route notes contain a 24-hour emergency assistance telephone number should you need it and in emergencies.

Starting on the west coast you’ll walk along the Rota Vicentina and Fishermen’s Trail, discovering delightful whitewashed villages and golden beaches, before the course of the Sinceira River leads you inland to charming Pedralva. Following a fragrant forest route you’ll reach the picturesque village of Vila do Bispo, from where you’ll make your way to the mesmerising Cabo de Sao Vicente – Europe’s most south-westerly point and an unforgettable part of your holiday. Be sure to take your camera – the views are incredible! You’ll follow one of the Algarve’s most beautiful walking trails to historic Lagos, before rounding off your holiday in style, walking the cliff-tops to some of the area’s finest beaches.

Flight inclusive prices include our standard flights/transfers

Flight times change according to day of the week and season so please check for your departure what the standard flights are. Customers booking flight inclusive packages have transfers included to Sagres at 12.30 or 17:30 and back to Faro at 10:45 or 15:45

Alternative transfers
If you require alternative transfers (because you will be arriving at a different time to our standard flights), then we can usually arrange these for you (there may be an additional charge).

Portugal

Travellers from the UK, US and EU normally do not need a visa to enter Portugal. Please note, visa requirements often change and it is your responsibility to obtain any required visas for this trip. Therefore, we recommend that you check with the nearest embassy or consulate of your chosen destination(s), including any countries you may be transiting or transferring through.

Some local governments provide guidance on what visas their citizens need. To help, we’ve gathered a selection of useful links below.

• Australia: www.smartraveller.gov.au/destinations/europe/portugal
• Canada: www.travel.gc.ca/destinations/portugal
• United Kingdom: www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/portugal/entry-requirements
• USA:  www.travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/Portugal.html

All continental breakfast and 3 evening meals included.

The local speciality from the sea is the Barnacle Perceve, this is not taken from the bottom of boats but the bottom of submerged local cliffs, it is harvested by hand using a dangerous and traditional method, which involves one of the two collectors dangling by a rope from the top of the cliffs! They are a bit of a delicacy not too dissimilar to mussels. Away from the sea the dried hams, salamis and chouriço are as good as anything that Spain or Italy can produce. The strange sounding bread sausage Alheira is very good, invented by the Portuguese Jews during the Inquisition to avoid persecution, bread and non-pork products are used. Good quality meat is also on the menu, beef and pork are of a high quality and lamb in season is superb. Vegetables are plentiful and with big harvests of almonds and oranges, fruits are in good supply alongside another local vegetable, the sweet potato.

The Algarve’s other surprise is the quality of cheese; from mild to strong using cow, goat or sheep milk there is a great range of cheeses for all tastes, Queijo de Cabra do Algarve, is a particular favourite.

Coastal areas of Portugal can be known to be quite windy.However, the climate here is long, warm summers and mild winters, with most rain falling in the winter months, but possible in all other months. Seasons are marked, with pleasant temperatures in the spring, in the summer and in the autumn. Heat waves can push up temperatures between mid June and September.

As a certified B Corp, we’re on a mission to improve our social and environmental impact across all our adventures.

We do this through our innovative Thriving Nature, Thriving People plan.

This ‘nature positive’ approach is designed to help nature and communities thrive in harmony through practical solutions, such as reducing carbon and waste on our trips, supporting conservation projects through the Exodus Adventure Travels Foundation, and rewilding 100 square metres for every Exodus traveller.

Reviews

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Pam JELLEY

Added October 2018

Fabulous time...

This holiday was made extra special for us by the professionalism and kindness of the Headwater reps - Tony & Ludmilla. The one day when we got soaked, they came to our rescue and collected us early with no no fuss whatsoever. Apart from that one day the weather was...