Walking Rota Vicentina North Fishermen's Trail

7 days

from

$2,199 USD

incl. taxes

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Walking & Trekking

Activity level:

Leisurely / Moderate

Trip code:

W06RV

Way to Travel:

Self-Guided Holidays

Activity:

New Walking Holidays

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 in a 3-star hotel, all rooms en suite
4 days self guided walking and 1 free day

Countries visited: Portugal

What's included

6 nights single-centre accommodation in a 3 star hotel
All breakfasts
Management by your local Headwater-appointed agent
Route directions and maps
Walking transfers
Transfers from Funcheira train station to hotel and from Hotel to Funcheira train station
GPS route directions and maps

What's not included

Travel insurance
Single accommodation (available on request)
Visas or vaccinations

Call for general departures:

1 844 227 9087

Call for private group trips:

1 844 227 9087

Enquire Today

Live Chat

Request a Brochure

Trip Notes

Click on the button below for detailed Trip Notes containing all the particulars about this trip, including kit lists and practical information.

Note: these can vary by departure; you can check out the specific Trip Notes for your chosen adventure on the dates & prices page.

View Trip Notes

Days of Walking & Trekking

Day by day breakdown

Day 216.5km/10.0miles

Day 320.0km/12.5miles

Day 515.0km/9.3miles

Day 622.0km/13.5miles

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Itinerary

Expand all

Vila Nova de Milfontes

Day 1
Arrival at Vila Nova de Milfontes
Transfer from Funcheira train station to your hotel.
During this tour, you are staying at the hotel HS Milfontes 4-star, located on the main beach avenue in Vila Nova de Milfontes. Enjoy the most amazing views of the Mira river bay, the Atlantic and Furnas beach, officially one of Portugal's Seven Wonders.
Day 2
Cercal - Porto Covo
Transfer in the morning. Starting from Cercal, the first part of the route goes through small farms, with hedges, vegetable gardens and orchards. Here, life passes to the rhythm of the sowing. Walk through an arid area, populated with eucalyptus, then arrives in a cork oak forest. Here is a true biodiversity hotspot, there are 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. Transfer in the afternoon to the hotel.
Meals included: Breakfast
Day 3
Porto Covo - Vila Nova de Milfontes
Walking transfer in the morning. Discover unspoilt beaches, further on, sand dunes of Ilha do Pessegueiro and wonderful seascapes. The Ilha do Pessegueiro Beach lies facing the island from which it takes its name. The island show evidences of its long history. This include a fish salting factory dating from the Roman era and 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.
Meals included: Breakfast
Day 4
At Vila Nova de Milfontes
Day to relax by the pool or on the beach. Alternatively, stroll in the charming town of Vila Nova de Mil Fontes.
Meals included: Breakfast
Day 5
Almograve - Vila Nova de Milfontes
Transfer to Almograve. 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.
Meals included: Breakfast
Day 6
Almograve - Zambujeira do Mar
Transfer to Almograve in the morning. A walk that leads you to the beautiful beach of Almograve with 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.

Transfer to your hotel in the afternoon.
Meals included: Breakfast
Day 7
Leave Vila Nova de Milfontes
Transfer from your hotel to Funcheira train station
Meals included: Breakfast

Trip Notes

Click on the button below for detailed Trip Notes containing all the particulars about this trip, including kit lists and practical information.

Note: these can vary by departure; you can check out the specific Trip Notes for your chosen adventure on the dates & prices page.

View Trip Notes

Show map

Essential Info

Visas

Portugal

No visa required for British passport holders.

For further Brexit travel advice please visit https://www.abta.com/tips-and-advice/brexit-advice-for-travellers

Vaccinations

Portugal

There are no specific health risks.

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.

Call for general departures:

1 844 227 9087

Call for private group trips:

1 844 227 9087

Enquire Today

Live Chat

Request a Brochure

Trip Notes

Click on the button below for detailed Trip Notes containing all the particulars about this trip, including kit lists and practical information.

Note: these can vary by departure; you can check out the specific Trip Notes for your chosen adventure on the dates & prices page.

View Trip Notes

Accommodation