The Fisherman’s Trail is a walking route in the south of Portugal. It’s a part of the Rota Vicentina network. The trail is considered one of the most beautiful coastal routes in the world. The scenery along the route is breathtaking; rugged cliffs, sandy beaches, stunning lookout points, charming towns, blue waters of the Atlantic Ocean, and diverse wildlife. We were so impressed by the beauty of the area that after completing the trail decided to move to the south of Portugal.
Navigate on the Fishermen´s Trail using Google Maps on your Phone.
The Fisherman’s Trail is one of the best hikes in the Algarve. It deserves to be on a bucket list of any hiker. Do you want to know how the Fishermen´s trail compare with the famous Camino de Santiago? Check our comparison of the Fishermen´s Trail vs The Portuguese Camino Coastal Routes.
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Fisherman’s Trail PDF
To make your planning easier we’ve created a downloadable PDF file with walking stages and places to stay on the Fisherman’s Trail.
We have a detailed Fishermen’s Trail walking itinerary post where you can find complete information on each stage of the trail with distances, elevation profiles, times, and accommodation options.
GPX files of the Fisherman’s Trail
Want to know how to use a GPX file for phone navigation?
The trail overview
- Total distance – 230 km/143 mi
- Number of days – 11-13 days
- Starting point – S.Torpes Beach, 10 km before Porto Covo, Alentejo
- Finishing point – Lagos, Algarve
- Total ascent – 4418 m
- Total descent – 4414 m
- Route marking – wooden poles with blue & green stripes
- Average cost – 40-60 Euros per person per day
- Accommodation options – camping, hostels, hotels
Where is the Fisherman’s Trail?
The Fisherman’s Trail follows the southern coast of Portugal. It stretches between Porto Covo and Lagos. The starting point is near the town of Sines, 170 km/105 mi south of Lisbon. The route goes through two Portuguese provinces Alentejo and Algarve.
How long is the route?
The total distance of the Fisherman’s Trail is 230 km/143 mi. You need 11-13 days to complete it.
Travel insurance
World Nomads’ mission is to support and encourage travelers to explore their boundaries. They offer simple and flexible travel insurance and safety advice to help you travel confidently.In which direction to walk?
You can walked the Fisherman’s Trail south to north or north to south. The route is marked both ways. Some people prefer walking it south to north so they don’t walk facing the sun. I suggest choosing the direction based on the time of the year. In spring it’s better to walk south to north, it gets warmer earlier in the south. In fall north to south might be better due to the weather conditions.
Where does the trail start and end?
The start and end of the Fisherman’s Trail depends on the chosen direction.
If you walk north to south then you start in S.Torpes Beach, 10 km north of Porto Covo and finish in Lagos. We started the walk in Porto Covo. I walked the 10 km from S.Torpes Beach to Porto Covo later and to be honest I didn’t feel we missed out on anything by skipping it.
If you walk south to north then you start in Lagos, a popular beach town and finish in Porto Covo/S.Torpes Beach.
The most popular route options
| Porto Covo – Odeceixe | Porto Covo – Sagres | Porto Covo – Lagos | Sagres – Lagos |
| 76 km/47 mi 4 days | 191 km/118 mi 9-10 days | 230 km/142 mi 11-13 days | 63,5 km/40 mi 2-3 days |
Walking the entire trail from Porto Covo (S.Torpes Beach) to Lagos. The full length of the route is 230 km/142 mi. It takes 11-13 days to complete.
Starting in Porto Covo and finishing in Odeceixe. It’s the original trail that later was extended to Cabo de Sao Vicente in Sagres and then to Lagos. The total distance is 76 km/47 mi. It takes 4 days to complete.
Starting in Porto Covo and finishing in Sagres. The extended version of the Fisherman’s Trail. The total distance is 181 km/112 mi. You need 9-10 days to complete it.
Walking the last part of the trail from Sagres to Lagos. This part of the route was added later. The distance is 63,5 km/40 mi. One needs 2-3 days. To be honest this is our favorite part of the route because we live in Lagos and can easily do any part of it as a day hike.
Is the route well-marked?
Yes, the Fisherman’s Trail is marked in both directions with small wooden poles with green and blue stipes. You can find these route markers everywhere along the route.
The Fisherman’s Trail itinerary
You can find a detailed trail itinerary in THIS POST
| Day 1. Porto Covo – Vila Nova de Milfontes 19 km/12 mi | Day 2. Vila Nova de Milfontes – Almograve 16 km/10 mi | Day 3. Almograve – Zambujeira do Mar 22,5 km/14 mi |
| Day 4. Zambujeira to Mar – Odeceixe 19 km/12 mi | Day 5. Odeceixe – Aljezur 23 km/14,2 mi | Day 6. Aljezur – Praia da Arrifana 19 km/12 mi |
| Day 7. Praia da Arrifana – Carrapateira 20 km/12,4 mi | Day 8. Carrapateira – Vila do Bispo 15 km/9 mi | Day 9. Vila do Bispo – Sagres 21 km/13 mi |
| Day 10. Sagres – Salema 20 km/12,4 mi | Day 11. Salema – Praia da Luz 12 km/7,4 mi | Day 12. Praia da Luz – Lagos 10,5 km/6,4 mi |
How difficult is the hike?
Like any multiday trail, the route is challenging. Some days you walk for many kilometers on the sand, and some days climb up and down the cliffs. Despite daily distances being relatively short don’t underestimate the trail it has its difficulties.
If you don’t have any previous hiking experience I would suggest doing a part of the Fisherman’s Trail or having rest days in between. Using a luggage transfer service will make your walking easier. You can carry a day pack and your main luggage will be delivered to your hotel every day.
In my opinion, the easiest stages are the Salema to Luz and Luz to Lagos. The two shortest stages with stunning views. Both can be walked as day hikes. Walking from Lagos to Luz is an excellent day hike if you stay in Lagos.
What is the best part of the route?
The scenery on the Fisherman’s Trail is spectacular from the start to the end. My favorite part of the route is between Sagres and Lagos. You get to see limestone cliffs, dramatic drops, charming towns, and amazing beaches. For the cliff views the part from Carrapateira to Vila do Bispo is one of the best.
Best guidebooks for the Fisherman’s Trail
The official guidebook by the Rota Vicentina organization is the best one to use. You can buy it online or at one of the information offices along the route. In Proto Covo, you can purchase the guidebook and a route map at Papelaria O Correiro, Vasco da Gama Street 7b, (a block away from the church).
There is a Cicerone guidebook on the Rota Vicentina that has a lot of information on the trail that you can buy on Amazon.
Accommodation on the trail
Accommodation on the Fisherman’s Trail wasn’t a problem. We have a complete list of places to stay along the route.
Hostels, hotels, and guesthouses can be found in every town some places have more options some less. The campsites can be found in Porto Covo, Vila Nova de Milfontes, Zambujeira do Mar, Odeceixe, Aljezur, Sagres, and Salema.
The guesthouses/hostels on the route are quite small, they fill up quickly. If you’re planning to walk it between June and September I recommend booking accommodation. Even if you’re planning to camp at least contact campsites to find out how full they are.
When booking accommodation;
- check for the check-in time in most hotels it’s quite late, around 3 pm.
- make sure your hotel is in the town itself and not 5 km outside of it
- find your place on Google.maps beforehand
Luggage delivery
It’s possible to use a luggage transfer service on the Fisherman’s Trail. Vicentina Transfers is a company that provides luggage delivery services on the trail. They deliver your luggage door to door between any accommodation along the route including campsites. It’s between 15-20 Euros (depending on how many stages you book) per section for 1 piece of luggage.
The company provides only luggage transfer they don’t do accommodation booking for you. Before you arrange the delivery you have to book your accommodation.
Read our detailed packing list for the Fisherman’s Trail to make sure you pack the right gear.
The cost of walking the Fisherman’s Trail
The cost depends on where you stay and what you eat. It can anything between 30 euros to 100 euros per day.
If you’re planning to camp or stay in dormitories, cook or eat take away food budget 30 euros per person per day.
Staying in budget private rooms* and eating out once a day (not dinner) – budget 50-60 euros per person per day.
If you want to stay in upper class private rooms, eat in restaurants, and use luggage transfer then 100-150 euros per person per day is more or less what you’ll spend.
*Keep in mind that the cost of accommodation is higher if you’re a single traveler. A double/twin room split between two people work out cheaper per person than a single room.
Read our Fishermen’s trail Cost Guide were we walk you through how much you can expect to spend so you can plan your adventure with confidence.
Accommodation
Accommodation prices vary a lot depending on the season with winter months being the cheapest and the summer months between June and September the highest. In summer you might pay double of what you pay offseason.
Camping
It is the most budget option. Prices vary depending on the season with July and August being the most expensive months. The main drawback is that you have to carry camping gear with you (tent, mattress, sleeping bag, cooking stuff, etc.) which adds a lot of weight to your backpack. The price for camping is between 10 to 15 Euros per person per night. Wild camping is not allowed on the Fisherman’s Trail.
Hostels
A bed in a dormitory is another budget accommodation option on the Fisherman’s Trail. You don’t get hostels in every town but in most of them. The hostels are often fully booked in summer. To get a spot it’s advisable to book a bed in advance. The price for a dorm bed is around 20-25 Euros depending on the season.
Hotels
A private room is the most comfortable accommodation option and sometimes a double room with a shared bathroom costs the same as two beds in a dormitory. Prices for a budget double room are from between 60 and 70 Euros. If you walk off-season between November and March it will be more or less the standard price. During the peak summer months the prices are higher.
Food
There are grocery stores and shops in every town on the route. If you’re on a tight budget cooking is the best option. Try to book accommodation with a kitchen (most places we stayed had at least a microwave). Depending on what kind of stuff you buy shopping for 3 meals (lunch, dinner, and breakfast) costs between 10 and 12 Euros per person.
Restaurant prices are quite high in touristy areas. You can get cheaper meals at local restaurants. In most places on the trail you pay an average of 12 Euro for a dish, every time we went out for dinner we paid about 30 Euros pp. including drinks. Breakfast (toasted sandwich and coffee) you can get for 5-7 Euros.
If you want to know about Portuguese coffee culture read our post on How to order coffee in Portugal?
The best time for hiking
The Fisherman’s Trail is in the south of Portugal. It’s never really cold here (only at night in winter) which means the route can be walked all year round.
We’ve walked the Fisherman’s Trail, the Seven Hanging Valleys Trail and the Historical Way between April and May. For us it’s the best time of the year; not hot, not too busy, fields are covered in flowers, and prices are a lower than in the peak season.
Summer particularly July and August are the hottest and the busiest months in the Algarve. If you have a choice I’d suggest walking the route any other time. Accommodation prices go up, it’s busy, and very hot.
October and the first half of November are good months for walking; comfortable weather, lower prices, not crowded.
As for walking the route completely offseason between December and March it can be good or bad.
February is the rainiest month and March sometimes gets very wet too.
The 25/26 winter season was notorious for bad weather with pouring rain for weeks and stormy winds which resulted in floods and cause damage on the roads and trails. If you decide to hike the trail in winter you should be prepared to change your plans if necessary.
How to get to the Fisherman’s Trail?
There are direct buses from Lisbon to both Porto Covo and Lagos (wherever you decide to start). Rede Expressos buses leave throughout the day from Sete Rios and Oriente bus stations in Lisbon. When checking for buses make sure to choose Lisbon all stations (Lisboa todas as Estações).
The Lisbon to Porto Covo journey takes between 2 and 3 hours depending on the bus route. The standard price is 16,5 Euro. You can get tickets online for as little as 7 euros. There are 7-10 daily departures. You can check the up-to-date itinerary and buy tickets online.
If you’re planning to start at S.Torpes Beach which is 10 km north of Porto Covo you’ll have to get off the bus earlier. S.Torpes Beach is between Sines and Porto Covo. Ask a driver to stop at Praia de São Torpes.
The Lisbon to Lagos journey takes 3-4 hours on average. The price is 20 euros. You can buy tickets online for as little as 7-10 euros. There are more than 10 daily buses.
There are daily direct buses from Lisbon to Sagres, Vila do Bispo, Aljezur, Odeceixe, Zambujeira do Mar, Almograve, and Vila Nova de Milfontes.
Places to stay in Porto Covo
- Low-end | Ahoy Porto Covo | MUTE Hostel |
- Mid-range | Apartamentos Campos 1 |
- High-end | Hotel O Lugar |
Places to stay in Lagos
- Low-end | The 17 Hostel |
- Mid-range | Sensations Guesthouse |
- High-end | Hotel Marina Rio |
Questions or Comments?
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The pretty half of Stingy Nomads, responsible for all our land adventures (hiking, climbing, walking the Camino) and following them write-ups. Alya loves walking since she was a child, she prefers to walk 1000 km with a backpack rather than to do a 10 000 km road trip (actually any road trip). Alya is a big fan of Latin America, the Spanish language, and dancing. Every time we go away she desperately misses our dog Chile.
Damon
Tuesday 28th of July 2026
Fabulous resource, Alya and Campbell (and Summer). Well done, and many thanks. Planning to walk the route with an ultra-running buddy in six days in October (14-19). Flying into Faro on Oct 13, bus to Porto Covo, then start walking the next day. I've tagged the budget accommodation options in your excellent trail guide. I presume these are all within kicking distance of the trail (hope so, as we're already doing about 25 miles / day!!)
Itinerary:
Accommodation at Porto Covo - £27.50pp
Day 1. Porto Covo - Almograve 35 km / 22 mi 14th Oct Accommodation - £29pp inc. Breakfast
Day 2. Almograve - Odeceixe 42 km / 26 mi 15th Oct Accommodation - £29pp
Day 3. Odeceixe - Arrifana 42 km / 26 mi 16th Oct Accommodation - £27.50pp inc. Breakfast
Day 4. Arrifana - Vila do Bispo 39 km / 24 mi 17th Oct Accommodation - £27pp
Day 5. Vila do Bispo - Salema 41 km / 26 mi 18th Oct Accommodation - £29pp
Day 6. Salema - Lagos 23 km / 14 mi 19th Oct Accommodation (Faro) - £21pp
You're very welcome to join us for a stretch towards the finish if you fancy some chat with a couple of travel-hardened Scots.
Stingy Nomads
Thursday 30th of July 2026
Hello Damon, thanks for reading. Those are super long days, good luck! You can open the Google Maps trail in the post and search for your accommodation in the Google maps search bar to see the location relative to the trail. You can also download the GPX files and look for your accommodation relative to the trail. Thanks for the invite, not sure where we are on those dates. Safe travels!
Steve Lilley
Tuesday 28th of July 2026
Great information here, thank you. One question, What is the availability of public transportation/ taxis/ Ubers along the trail? My wife and I plan to hike the trail starting March 6.2027. To save on accommodation costs, we were thinking of booking a place around the mid point for 2 weeks, then taking transport to and from start and stop points for the section of the day. Sometimes booking longer gets you better deals than nightly. Thoughts?
Stingy Nomads
Thursday 30th of July 2026
Hello Steve, thanks for reading. Between Lagos and Vila do Bispo you should be able to get by public bus https://vamus.pt/en/home-en/ Uber is a fairly easy and effective way to get between points, you can open the app and see where there are Ubers driving around. Small places sometimes have limited accommodation available, so to stay in budget accommodation reserve as far ahead as possible. Uber is very reasonable in Portugal, but I don´t know if you will save money if you move around by Uber or taxi.
Frank
Saturday 20th of June 2026
Hello, great site and thank you for the guide information. I'm thinking of hiking the coastal route of the Fisherman's Trail possibly starting the last week of March or first week of April. Would you advise booking accommodation for the whole hike? I'd prefer to just book as I go and set my own schedule but I know the trail is more popular than ever and perhaps that is no longer realistic. Thanks Frank
Stingy Nomads
Wednesday 24th of June 2026
Hello Frank. That time of the year is very popular for hiking the trail. Plus, Easter holiday next year is the end of March-beginning of April many people come to the south of Portugal during that time. I suggest to book hotels in advance in smaller townse.g. Porto Covo, Arrifana. In bigger places e.g. Sagres, Lagos you should be find without booking long ahead. Safe travels!
Russell
Sunday 19th of April 2026
Thanks for all this detailed guidance -- hugely helpful. We're planning to walk Lagos-da Luz/ da Luz-Salema/ Salema-Sagres. My question is: If we get weary on that third, longest day (we're in our 70s, though quite hale & hardy), are we over-committed to walking the rest of the way or can we summon a taxi or something? Is switching from walking to cycling on that third day an option? Thanks!
Stingy Nomads
Monday 20th of April 2026
Hello Russell. Thank you for the comment. The cycling route is on the road not on the walking trail so don't get to see that much of a coast. There are two small beaches with restaurants between Salema and Sagres at 10 km (Ingrina Beach) and 11 km (Zavial Beach). You might be able to get an Uber or ask to call a taxi at the restaurant. The stage between Salema and Sagres is quite tricky with a couple of steep ascents and descents I suggest you walk the first two stages from Lagos to Salema and after decide if you want to walk the Salema to Sagres stage. As an option you can take a bus/taxi to Sagres and walk along the cliffs to the Fortress and to Cabo de S.Vicente from there. It's a spectacular route on the top of the cliffs without any ascents. Safe travels!
Tina
Tuesday 14th of April 2026
Wonderful guide. Looking to plan for May/June and I am a bit short for days but would like to do all 230kms. What do you think about walking directly from Salema to Lagos? Kind regards Tina
Stingy Nomads
Wednesday 15th of April 2026
Hello Tina. Thank you for the comment. Yes, you can walk the part of the trail from Salema to Lagos in one day. Many people do it. Enjoy the walk!