How to Hike the Fishermen’s Trail in Portugal

Last Updated on October 30, 2023

There are many exciting things to do in the Algarve, from kayaking Benagil Cave, to visiting Algarve towns like Ferragudo, and simply relaxing on the beach. But one of the best ways to experience the Algarve is to hike the coastal Fishermen’s Trail.

The Fishermen’s Trail is part of a large network of trails that follow Portugal’s coastline. While in the Algarve, I spent a day walking a small portion of the trail with a local guide.

It was a fantastic way to enjoy the outdoors, take in the Algarve’s incredible views of the coast and the sea, learn about the region, and enjoy some of the Algarve’s less busy beaches. 

Read on to learn more about this network of hiking trails and how you can enjoy a short, long, or multi-day hike while in the Algarve! Let’s dive into how to hike the Fishermen’s Trail in Portugal.

Hiking the Rota Vicentina

To learn how to hike the Fishermen’s Trail in Portugal, it’s important to understand how this trail fits into Portugal’s larger network of trails.

The Rota Vicentina is a network of hiking trails that spans 750 kilometers of Portugal. Most of the trails are coastal, running along the western Portuguese coast, the Alentejo, and then east along the Algarve coast.

The trails bring hikers through villages, past limestone formations, up onto coastal cliffs, and past sea coves. 

The Rota Vicentina isn’t one trail, it’s made up of different trails. While some hikers will spend over a week doing the full 750 kilometer route, it’s also possible to pick some of the trails to do over the span of just a few days, or as a day hike.

There are also convenient circular routes that can be trekked in just a fews hours!

What is the Fishermen’s Trail Portugal?

The Fishermen’s Trail is one of the more popular routes on the Rota Vicentina. And for good reason! According to Conde Nast, it’s among the most beautiful of coastal trails in the world. While most of it is coastal, it does at some points go inland into Portugal’s countryside. In the south of Portugal, the Fishermen’s Trail goes along the Algarve coast, which is where I hopped on the trail for a day! 

While hiking the Fishermen’s Trail you follow the coastline, often using paths that are used by locals to access remote beaches and fishing spots. At some moments, you’ll find yourself up on the rugged cliffs, with amazing views of the sea, coast, and beaches. At other moments, you’ll hike down to the beaches where you can take a moment to relax in the sunshine. 

Hiking the Full Fishermen’s Trail

The official Fishermen’s Trail route is 226.5 kilometres long, starting in Sines (on the Alentejo coast) and ending in Lagos (the Algarve coast).

If you have more time and would like to do a longer hike, you can combine the Fishermen’s Trail with the Historical Way (another well-known route) of the Rota Vicentina.

There are other route options that you can pick from according to your wants and needs, too. You can learn about them on the Rota Vicentina website. 

Hiking the full Fishermen’s Trail takes most walkers about 13 days. Throughout the hike, the trail ascends and descends by about 1180 meters.

Overall, it’s a moderate trail, with a mix of walking on soft sand (like beaches), as well as marked paths and some gravel road portions. The trail is easy to follow thanks to it’s blue and green markers! Along the way, most hikers will stop for the evenings in a hostel or guesthouse, or camp. 

My Experience on the Rota Vicentina Portugal

While staying in the Algarve, I was connected with Ricardo, a local guide and a representative of Bike Tours Portugal. Ricardo spent the day with my travel companion and I on the Fishermen’s Trail. We decided to hike the trail as a day trip from Lagos.

We started the day by meeting Ricardo in the town of Vila do Bispo. We had a quick coffee and pastry, during which Ricardo gave us some background information about the Rota Vicentina and the region we’d be exploring.

Before leaving Vila do Bispo, we stopped by the town’s local fish market to see what catches were for sale that day!

Ricardo had planned to take us along the Fishermen’s Trail from the town of Figueira to the town of Sagres. This route is about 15 kilometers, perfect for one day. But, that morning was very rainy.

We waited for the rain to stop before we began, which meant we got a later start and had to shorten the route. We took the trail from Praia da Ingrina to Praia dos Rebolinhos (a beach just outside Sagres). This route is part of the Sagres to Salema trail.

Before we started on the trail, we drove to the end of the trail where we left our rental car. Then we hopped into Ricardo’s vehicle to drive back to the start of the trail, Praia da Ingrina.

Since the route we took wasn’t a looped trail, leaving one vehicle on each end meant we could walk the route from start to finish without having to walk back. 

The route we took was about 6 kilometers, and took us around 2 hours. Throughout the walk, I was blown away by the views of the coast and of the sea. One of my favourite parts of the hike was when we reached Praia do Barranco.

This beach is considered somewhat remote because it doesn’t have great road access. When we reached this beach, we had an incredible view of it from up on the cliffs. The trail then took us down to the beach itself, where we were the only people around!

Another highlight? Ricardo brought his two pups! Although I’ve got a cat at home, I’m a lover of all animals, and so I’ll never say no to an opportunity to hang with dogs. Especially when hiking, they are the best companions. We had so much fun watching his two labradors play on the beach and bounce around in the surf. 

We finished the trail at Praia dos Rebolinhos, where we had conveniently left one of our vehicles. We took a short drive from the beach into the town of Sagres, where we had a late lunch at A Sagres. Be sure to try the octopus rice! 

The Algarve in December

It was the first week of December when we did this trail, which is considered winter in Portugal. Throughout the month, the temperature ranges between highs of 18°C (64°F) and lows of 9°C (48°F). Being Canadian, these temperatures feel like balmy weather since I’m used to winters that are below zero degrees! 

While it does rain throughout December, my travel buddy and I found that the rain was usually short lived. We got many days of beautiful sun, including the day that we were on the Fishermen’s Trail!

One thing to note, though? It is windy! My travel pal and I found that the Fishermen’s Trail was particularly windy compared to other parts of the Algarve that we visited. 

December is off-season in Portugal, especially the Algarve, but I found it to be a really wonderful time to go. From September to May the weather is still nice enough to enjoy the outdoors.

And for hiking, the temperatures are perfect. The other benefit is that tourism is quieter, which means you’ll find more empty beaches, which is impossible during the busy months. These are just a few of the many reasons to visit Portugal in winter!

Rota Vicentina Map

There is a virtual map of the Rota Vicentina, including all it’s trails, that is free to use. You can see that map right here. The trails are clearly marked, and each route has its own markers.

That said, I do recommend getting a physical map or guidebook, because in some regions of Portugal (particularly on the Alentejo coast), my data connection was spotty. 

Tips for Hiking the Fishermen’s Trail

Now you know how to hike the Fishermen’s Trail in Portugal. Let’s dive into some helpful tips for your trip.

Plan how you’ll start and end the trail. If you don’t have two vehicles, you can take public transport. There is a bus stop in Figueira as well as in Sagres, so it’s possible to leave your vehicle on one end and then bus back after the hike. Alternatively, you can call a cab or an Uber. 

Be optimistic about the weather. When we woke up the morning of our hike, we didn’t think it’d be possible to do it because of the rain. But the day turned out beautifully!

Follow the rules of packing in and packing out. This means you should avoid leaving any litter behind, even if it’s organic. When hiking, stow any waste in a reusable container and dispose of it properly when you return to your hotel or guesthouse. 

Wear good shoes and sunscreen. You’ll need a good pair of shoes for the trail – I wore runners and was comfortable. And sunscreen for sure because the sun is strong in the Algarve.

Be a responsible tourist! Follow these tips for visiting the Algarve (and all destinations!) in a mindful way, that’s better for people and for the planet.

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A huge thanks to Visit Algarve and Bike Tours Portugal for hosting me as media. All opinions shared in this blog are completely my own.

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