Walking Rota Vicentina North Fishermen's Trail

7 Days from

CAD 2,575

incl. Taxes

Walking & Trekking

Ways to Travel :

Self-Guided Holidays

Activity :

Walking & Trekking

Activity Levels :

2 out of 7 - Leisurely / Moderate

Trip Code :

W06RT

The Fishermen's Trail (which is part of Rota Vicentina) travels along the trails used by the locals to access the beaches and fishing grounds.

It is a single track, along the cliffs and is an exclusively pedestrian trail. Along the way, you can fully enjoy the landscape and appreciate the surprises nature has to offer, such as wild flowers, the aroma of herbs in the cool of the morning and the colourful butterflies. Take the opportunity to observe otters, that are almost never found in marine environments, or storks that nest here on the coastal cliffs, like nowhere else in the world.

Enjoy one of the best preserved coastal areas of Europe.

Key Information

6 nights hotel to hotel accommodation, all rooms en suite
4 days self guided walking and 1 free day

Countries visited: Portugal

What's Included

6 nights hotel to hotel accommodation
All breakfasts
Management by your local Headwater-appointed agent
Headwater Navigation App
Walking transfers
GPS route directions and maps

What's Not Included

Travel insurance
Single accommodation (available on request - compulsory supplement)
Solo traveller supplement (where only one person is travelling on a departure date)
Local tourist tax (pay hotels locally)
Visas or vaccinations
Arrival & departure transfers

5 Days of Walking & Trekking

Day 2

16 km / 9.9 miles

Day 3

20 km / 12.4 miles

Day 5

15 km / 9.3 miles

Day 6

22 km / 13.7 miles

Itinerary

Arrive in Cercal, a rural town. The name comes from the Latin quercalu (meaning oak), due to the large number of these trees in the area. During your stay, do not miss the 17th century charming parish church.

Stay at Casa Azul guest house.

The first part of the route goes through small farms, vegetable gardens and orchards. Here, life follows the rhythm of the sowing seasons. Walk through an arid area, populated with eucalyptus, then arrive in a cork oak forest. It is a true biodiversity hotspot with more than 150 different species of plants that appear along the route! About a quarter of these plants are endemic to the Iberian Peninsula, and some only exist on the southwest coast of Portugal. Along the route, you will also catch the scent of aromatic plants, such as lavender, thyme or rosemary.

Then reach Porto Covo a traditional fishing village where you spend the night.

Stay at Porto Covo Hotel.

Meals Included: Breakfast

Discover unspoilt beaches and the sand dunes of Ilha do Pessegueiro. The Ilha do Pessegueiro Beach lies facing the island from which it takes its name. The island shows evidence of its long history with a fish salting factory dating from the Roman era which is believed to have given its name to the island (a derivative of the Latin 'piscatorius').

Take the opportunity for a dip in the water on one of these beaches before reaching Vila Nova d Milfontes where you spend the next two nights.

You stay at Hotel HS Milfontes.

Meals Included: Breakfast

Day to relax by the pool or on the beach. Alternatively, stroll in the charming town of Vila Nova de Milfontes.

Meals Included: Breakfast

Amongst the cliffs and red dunes, is a sanctuary and one of the most appreciated beaches for surfing. Walk through the million-year old dunes and rock. Almograve Beach is one of the most beautiful beaches along this rocky coastline and is part of the Sudoeste Alentejano e Costa Vicentina Natural Park.

Discover the more traditional slice of Portuguese coastal life. Follow the fishermen's trail with magnificent panorama across the ocean.

Stay at Vicentina Rooms Guest House.

Meals Included: Breakfast

A walk that leads you to the beautiful beach of Almograve with its rocky coastline. Then, explore the fishing village of Zambujeira do Mar. This village offers an excellent view over the beach and is a small and very peaceful village. The beautiful beaches are one of the main attractions as its natural environment is one of the best preserved of this region.

Stay at Rosa dos Ventos Guest House.

Meals Included: Breakfast

Essential Info

Visa

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

Vaccination

Portugal

There are no required vaccinations. However, you may want to consider vaccinations for tetanus and rabies. Please confirm with your doctor or travel clinic.

Eating and Drinking

The local cuisine is a sumptuous mix of fresh fish, local meats and fresh vegetables, accompanied by tangy cheeses and quality chouricos; all complemented by a superb choice of Portuguese wines.

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.

Weather

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.

Is this trip for you?

Classification: Self-Guided
No. of days Walking: 5
Terrain: Mostly gently undulating with a couple of short but steepish descents/climbs on most days. Walks are on coastal paths and tracks following the Rota Vicentina - Fishermen’s 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 GPS route directions so that you can walk at your own pace.

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.

Covid-19 refund commitment

You will get a refund if you have to cancel your trip due to COVID-19.

Availability

This trip is available on request. Please proceed with your booking online or contact our Sales Team for assistance.