Walking the Algarve Coast

Itinerary – Walking the Algarve Coast

Day 1: Arrival
Arrive at Faro Airport, transfer to your lodge in Carrapateira (group flight FR 7032). Welcome meeting with your guide in the evening.
Dinner included Day 2: Praia da Amado coastal walk
Walk from the hotel on the quiet trails of the inner Algarve to the cliffs overlooking the West Coast and the beautiful sandy beach of Praia de Amado. From the sea cliffs, with spectacular panoramic views of the ocean and coast, we continue on towards the traditional fishing village of Carrapateira before walking back to the lodge.
Distance: 14km Ascent: 180m Descent: 200m
Breakfast and dinner included; picnic lunch not included Day 3: Zavial loop walk on the southern coastal trails
Transfer to Zavial (30min) to walk the trails of the southern coast of the Algarve. Climb from the beach to the cliffs with more views of the coast and more peaceful seas of the southern coast, with calm turquoise waters, quiet inlets and beautiful fishing villages in traditional white architecture. From the sea cliffs head inland towards the village of Figueira before looping back to Zavial with views of the Cabo de Sao Vicente (Cape Saint Vincent). Transfer back to the lodge (30min)
Distance: 12km Ascent: 250m Descent: 250m
Breakfast included; picnic lunch and dinner not included Day 4: Cabo St Vicente Nature Reserve walk
Today’s walk takes us by the Sao Vicente river and the beautiful nature reserve, through forests of cork oak and by the village of Villarinha and Carrapateira, before going on through sand dunes to the beautiful Praia de Bordeira beach.
Distance: 12km Ascent: 300m Descent: 300m Ascent 300m
Breakfast included; picnic lunch and dinner not included Day 5: Praia da Ingrina walk to Sagres and Cabo Sao Vicente
Transfer to Praia da Ingrina (30min) with its beautiful sweeping sandy beach and follow the coastal trails above eroded cliffs all the way to Sagres. This spectacular and landscape is at the most south western tip of mainland Europe – it was known as the “end of the world” in the times of sailing ships & great explorers, as it was from there that many voyages and expeditions were launched. Today it’s at the western end of the E4 “Grande Randonnée” walking path that goes from Portugal to Greece.
The town of Sagres has a rich history ; along the road we will pass many standing stones or Menhirs, testifying to human settlement of the Algarve since Neolithic time. More recent history is also evident in the abandoned clifftop fortress and ancient monastery (in Portuguese, Sagres means “sacred). Transfer back to the lodge (30min)
Distance: 9km Ascent: 200m Descent: 200m
Breakfast included; picnic lunch and dinner not included Day 6: Serra de Monchique walk & Foia peak
Transfer to the village of Monchique (60min) and walk through the volcanic mountain range of the Serra de Monchique on to the highest peak in the Algarve, the Foia at 902m. On a clear day from the peak you can see from Cape St. Vincent (and the Atlantic Ocean) in the west, to Faro in the east and to the Serra da Arrabida, near Lisbon. Descend to Marmelete and transfer back to your lodge (60min)
Breakfast and dinner included; picnic lunch not included
Distance: 15km Ascent: 567m Descent: 636m Day 7: Western Algarve coastal walk from Castellejo beach to Amado beach
Today’s walking takes us to the wild coastal trails of the west coast with some of the most impressive scenery in the Algarve. We start in the quaint village of Villa do Bispo & Castellejo beach, before making our way along the coast with views of the spectacular Atlantic sea swells & black sea cliffs, and finishing with a traversal of four unspoilt coastal valleys, to finish at the beautiful Amado beach.
Breakfast and dinner included; picnic lunch not included
Distance: 13km Ascent: 600m Descent: 600m Day 8: Farewell!
Transfer to Faro Airport to meet your flight FR 7033.
Breakfast included