Skip to Content

The Fisherman’s Trail, Portugal – a 2025 guide

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.

The Fisherman’s Trail is one of the best hikes in the Algarve. It deserves to be on a bucket list of any hiker.

Cabo S.Vicente lighthouse, Fisherman's Trail, Portugal
Cabo de Sao Vicente is one of the highlights of the Fisherman’s Trail

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

Day 1. Porto Covo – Milfontes. Download Day 7. Arrifana – Carrapateira. Download
Day 2. Milfontes – Almograve. DownloadDay 8. Carrapateira – Vila do Bispo. Download
Day 3. Almograve – Zamjubeira. DownloadDay 9. Vila do Bispo – Sagres. Download
Day 4. Zambujeira – Odeceixe. DownloadDay 10. Sagres – Salema. Download
Day 5. Odeceixe – Aljezur. DownloadDay 11. Salema – Praia da Luz. Download
Day 6. Aljezur – Arrifana. DownloadDay 12. Praia da Luz – Lagos. Download
Fishermen’s Trail GPX files

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 Euros per person per day
  • Accommodation options – camping, hostels, hotels
A view from a lookout point at Ponta da Piedade on the Fisherman's Trail in Portugal
Spectacular scenery at Ponta de Piedade in Lagos, at the end of the Fisherman’s Trail

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 for the trail

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. World Nomads travel insurance policies offer coverage for more than 150 activities. Get a quote, make a claim, or buy or extend your policy while on the road.

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 for the weather conditions.

A sandy beach surrounded by the cliffs with few people in the Algarve, Portugal
One of the stunning beaches on the Fisherman’s Trail in Portugal

Where does it 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.

A map with walking trail along the coast in southern Portugal
Fisherman’s Trail route map from S.Torpes Beach to Lagos

The most popular route options

Porto Covo – OdeceixePorto Covo – SagresPorto Covo – LagosSagres – 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
Route options of the Fisherman’s Trail with distances

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 trail 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.

Blue and green route markers on the Fisherman's Trail
Wooden poles with blue & green stripes mark the Fisherman’s Trail

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
Walking stages of the Fisherman’s Trail
Spectacular coastal scenery on the Fisherman's Trail
Coastal scenery on the Fisherman’s Trail on the way from Sagres to Salema

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.

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.

Buy a Fishermen`s Trail T-shirt Here (Amazon). Designed by Stingy Nomads, showing the cliffs of Ponta da Piedade near Lagos on the Fishermen’s Trail and the distance of the complete walking route.

black t-shirt iwith fishermens trail design
Buy a Fishermen`s Trail T-shirt Here. Designed by Stingy Nomads, showing the cliffs of Ponta da Piedade near Lagos on the Fishermen’s Trail and the distance of the complete walking route.

Best guidebooks

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.

A wooden pole with route markers at the beach on the Fisherman's Trail
The Fisherman’s Trail often goes on the beach

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.

We don’t like booking accommodation in advance and usually don’t do it, but for this route, we prebooked accommodation. The guesthouses/hostels on the route are quite small, they fill up quickly. We walked the trail at the beginning of May which is not the busiest season. 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
Porto do Mos Beach in Lagos
Praia de Porto do Mos in Lagos is one of the beaches on the Fisherman’s Trail

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.

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 and go out every other day budget 30 euros per person per day.

Staying in private rooms and eating out once a day – budget 40-50 euros per person per day.

If you want to stay in private rooms and eat every meal in a restaurant then 100 euros per person per day is more or less what you’ll spend.

A wide beach surrounded by the cliffs in Southern Portugal
Amado Beach is one of the many beautiful beaches on the Fisherman’s Trail

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 still 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 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. If you’re two people it’s a much better deal. Several hotels offer triple and family rooms if you’re a group of people hiking you can share a bigger room. Prices for a budget double room are between 40 and 50 Euros. If you walk off-season between November and March it will be more or less the standard price.

Tonel Beach is one of the beaches on the Fisherman's Trail
A view of Tonel Beach from Sagres Fortress

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. Many bigger supermarkets have a canteen where you can get a meal, a sandwich, or a pastry for a lot cheaper than in restaurants.

Restaurant prices are quite high in touristy areas. You can get cheaper meals at local restaurants. To find them ask at your hotel/guesthouse. 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 25 Euros pp. including drinks. Breakfast (toasted sandwich and coffee) you can get for 5 Euros.

Walking we stop a lot for coffee. Portugal is a real paradise for coffee lovers, the coffee here is good and cheap; for a cup of Espresso, you pay about 1 euro, and for coffee with milk (Galao)1,5-2 Euros. If you order Americano it’ll cost you more, about 1,2 Euros, for cappuccino you’ll pay between 2 and 3 Euros.

If you want to know about Portuguese coffee culture read our post on How to order coffee in Portugal?

One of the beaches surrounded by the cliffs on the Fisherman's Trail
Carrapateira Beach from a lookout point on the Fisherman’s Trail

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 done several multi-day walks in Portugal and like hiking in spring, between April and May. We walked the Fisherman’s Trail, the Seven Hanging Valleys Trail and the Historical Way in spring. 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. Not the best time for hiking.

October and the beginning of November are good months for walking; comfortable weather, lower prices, not too many people.

As for walking the route completely offseason between December and March it can be good or bad. After living for 4 years in the Algarve, I can say that December is one of the driest and warmest winter months. January is usually sunny but it can get quite cold at night and morning, around 6C.

In the last 2 years February and March were the rainiest months here.

Amoreira Beach is one of the beaches on the Fisherman's Trail
Amoreira Beach at the sunset

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 4 hours on average. The price is 20 euros but you can buy tickets online for 6-7 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

Places to stay in Lagos

A small coastal Portuguese town on the Fisherman's Trail in Portugal
A view of Carrapateira from the Fisherman’s Trail

Questions or Comments?

Got any questions or comments? We would love to help! All questions and comments will be answered by us personally in Buy Me a Coffee. Click below and ask away.

Feel free to support our site by buying us a coffee!

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Agnes

Monday 3rd of February 2025

Hi, thank you so much for this useful page. My partner and I are planning to hike parts of the trail during our Easter holidays. Do you think that Easter is a good time to do the hike, or would many restaurants and supermarkets be closed for the holidays? Would the buses from and to Lisbon be running? I think we would need to go back on Easter Sunday and I am worried that the buses may not operate on that day. Do you happen to know that? Also, if you had 6 hiking days in April, would you recommend the northern part or the southern part of the trail? Sorry, that's a lot of questions. :) I thank you in advance for your time and help. With best wishes!

Agnes

Monday 3rd of February 2025

@Stingy Nomads, Thank you so much for your help. This sounds great! Now we can dive into the planning.

Stingy Nomads

Monday 3rd of February 2025

Hello Agnes. Thank you for the comment. Supermarkets and some restaurants here are closed for one day on Easter Sunday. I'm quite confident that buses will be running but I'd recommend buying tickets in advance. I just checked on FlixBus website and they have many buses from Lagos to Lisbon for the 20th of April. For April I recommend the southern part of the trail because it's likely to have better weather, warmer with less wind. The best would be to start in Carrapateira and finish in Lagos. It's a 5-day itinerary. You can start in Arrifana or Aljezur to add an extra day to it. Lagos is a bigger town with more buses to Lisbon. Some restaurants and cafes will be open even on Easter Sunday. All the best

Norm Peterson

Tuesday 28th of January 2025

Looks fantastic. My wife and I are looking at doing the Fisherman's walk about mid November to mid December

Stingy Nomads

Monday 3rd of February 2025

Hello Norm. Thank you for the comment. The weather is usually good (not much rain) in December, the past December we had only one rainy day. It is usually sunny and warm during the day and gets chilly at night. I'm sure you'll enjoy the Fisherman's Trail, it's a fantastic route. Cheers

Tomas

Thursday 16th of January 2025

Hello, thanks for the very useful information. I am planning to walk this trail in mid-March. I would like to ask where I can buy gas cartridges for the stove in Lagos and what type. Thank you very much. Tomas

Stingy Nomads

Tuesday 21st of January 2025

Hello Tomas. Soma hardware shops in Lagos have gas cartridges e.g. Bricomarche but these are old-school ones that can't be screwed and unscrewed, once you pierce it you have to keep it attached to the stove. Where in Portugal are you flying to? If Lisbon you can get camping gas canisters in Decathlon. There are a couple of them in the city. If you fly to Faro you can buy it in Decathlon in Faro. Cheers

Susan Lammers

Friday 10th of January 2025

Love your website and guidance. I've been pouring over it. Hope you are h I am planning a walk for me and my 5 adult kids from Sept 27-Oct 1 I read a comment earlier where you sketched out a 5 day itinerary from Carrapateira to Lagos that sounded suitable for us with your suggestion to possibly taxi between Sagres to Salema...A few questions: do you ever help plan/book itineraries for a private group like mine? Will it be busy and hard for me to book accommodations for 6 persons/3 rooms at same place... that time of year? Will it be possible to get buses to Carrapateira from Lisboa pretty much any day? I tried as a test on the REDE Express site to book 6 tix for next week and it didn't seem to have any. Is there another better place to bus to nearby Carrpateira? Do you think we could store our extra non hike luggage in Lisbon at our hotel while we do the walk? Maybe I should hire a guide service? I walked the camino santiago solo without any help, but with a group in this Algarve tourist region I am not so sure it will be workable. Sorry for so many questions but your site is excellent and I want to support you! Thanks!!

Stingy Nomads

Monday 13th of January 2025

Hello Susan. Thank you for the comment. We usually don't plan personalized itineraries. As an option you can stay in Lagos and take a bus/taxi/Uber or arrange a private shuttle to get to the trail every day. There are public buses from Lagos to Luz, Salema, Sagres, and Vila do Bispo. Day 1. Lagos to Luz. Day 2. Luz to Salema. Day 3. Salema to Sagres. Day 4. Sagres to Vila do Bispo. Day 5. Vila do Bispo to Carrapateira. The walks are not long. You don't have to start very early. You'll have enough time to get to the trail and back to Lagos on the same day. In this case you don't need to store your luggage in Lisbon and don't have to check in and out every day. It's easier to find accommodation for 6 people in Lagos than in smaller towns on the trail as some guesthouses are very small and have just a couple of rooms. We live in Lagos. and I walked the stages between Sagres and Lagos that way taking a bus in the morning and getting back by bus in the evening. October is not the busiest time in the Algarve I don't think finding accommodation will be a problem but I'd suggest booking it in advance. It's easier to get to back to Lisbon from Lagos than from other towns on the Fisherman's Trail. There are more than 10 daily buses. There is a luggage storage facility at Lagos bus station where you can store your extra luggage. There are direct buses from Carrapateira to Lisbon but not every day. It'll be easier to get to Vila do Bispo and from there get a bus to Lisbon. There are several daily buses. We have a PDF file with walking stages and places to stay for every day in the second paragraph of this post. You can use it to plan your walk. The route is well-marked and easy to follow. If you decide on the guide or shuttle service let us know we can try to arrange something. All the best!

Kristin S

Wednesday 8th of January 2025

This is amazing!! But...I can't seem to download the GPX documents - do you happen to have them available as PDFs? Thank you!!

Stingy Nomads

Thursday 9th of January 2025

Hello Kristin a GPX file contains geographic information such as waypoints, tracks, and routes that you open with a GPS device (smart phones work). You can view the map and route on phone or computer and can use the file on your device to guide you on your way with turn by turn navigation (like driving with Google Maps). You can find clear instructions in this post on how to download and use the files on your phone (it is not too complicated) Enjoy the trail! https://stingynomads.com/gpx-phone-navigation-camino-de-santiago/

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.