Guide to Walking the Fishermen's Trail

When to Travel

The trail can be walked outside the height of summer, with spring and autumn generally offering the most comfortable conditions - midsummer brings real heat and very little shade along most of the route. September and October are among the best months for combining comfortable temperatures with a quieter trail.

How to Get There

The nearest airports are Lisbon (LIS) and Faro (FAO). From Lisbon, Rede Expressos runs regular direct buses to Vila Nova de Milfontes, at the northern end of the trail. From Faro, the journey to the northern end of the trail is considerably less direct, typically involving a connection via Vamus and Rede Expressos; a private transfer is worth considering if you're starting from Porto Covo or Milfontes. Getting home from Lagos, at the southern end, is simpler in both directions, with direct or near-direct bus connections to both airports.

Timetables and journey times change, so treat any specific times as a starting point for planning rather than a guarantee - worth checking the current schedule before you travel.

Getting Around on the Trail

The trail runs point to point, so most people walk it as a series of daily stages. On self-guided holidays such as ours, luggage is transferred ahead to that night's accommodation, so you walk with just a daypack, and digital route notes and GPS navigation take the guesswork out of daily navigation. Taxi transfers are available on most stages if a day needs shortening.

One logistical detail worth knowing in advance: current timetables show the last direct bus from Lagos back north to Vila Nova de Milfontes departing at 15:20 - worth checking against the current timetable if you're planning a same-day journey rather than an overnight stop.

Practical Tips for Walking the Fishermen's Trail

• Expect a genuine mix of terrain underfoot. There's no asphalt on the trail itself - expect a lot of sand, particularly on beach and dune sections, along with compacted earth and rougher going in between. Distances that look easy on paper can feel longer than the number suggests.
• Learn the signage. The trail is marked with the Rota Vicentina's own blue-and-green waymarks for the Fishermen's Trail, and yellow-and-red for the inland Historical Way (Caminho Histórico) - a separate route, not simply a detour from this one.
• Check tide times around Carrapateira. Parts of the coastal route near Carrapateira are tide-dependent, with cliffs on one side and no reliable escape route when the water's in. Check tide times before setting out, and use the signed inland alternative when conditions aren't suitable.
• Pack for wind and sun, not just rain. There's little shade along most of the route, and the cliffs can be surprisingly windy even on otherwise warm days. A windproof layer earns its place in the bag regardless of the forecast.
• Stay on the marked trail. Much of the route runs through protected dune and cliff ecosystems, some fragile enough that boardwalks have been built to help keep foot traffic off the vegetation. Staying on the path isn't just about not getting lost.

Our self-guided holidays cover the trail in three ways: an 8-day northern section from Porto Covo to Arrifana, an 8-day southern section from Arrifana to Lagos, and a full 14-day itinerary covering the whole route. Choose whichever fits your time, and we'll arrange the accommodation, luggage transfers and navigation.