The Fishermen’s Trail in Portugal

The Classic Route vs. The Full Fishermen’s Trail

Most people don’t have two weeks to spare for a coastal walk in Portugal, so we really want to emphasise that when talking about the Fishermen’s Trail, the majority of people are referring to the classic, four or five day route.

Starting in Porto Covo in Alentejo, it follows the Atlantic Ocean to Vila Nova de Milfontes, Almograve, Zambujeira do Mar, and finishes in Odeceixe.

Each day’s section will involve 5.5 – 8 hours out walking, covering a total distance of 76km.

This is considered the most beautiful stretch of the full Fishermen’s Trail, and was supposedly the core of the route before it was significantly extended and connected up as part of the Rota Vicentina tourism project. Having walked the whole thing, we can confidently say that this shorter section lives up to the reputation, and will really deliver on the highlights!

It will also leave your feet and legs only slightly wrecked.

If you’re dreaming of the freedom of just putting one foot in front of the other whilst being immersed in nature and spectacular coastal scenery, this is going to tick every single box. Most will go from start to finish in four or five days, but the classic version of the Fishermen’s Trail also allows you to play about with a week in Portugal and bookend the stay with more time in Lisbon or Faro, or an extra day to stay and enjoy one of the beach towns along the route.

From what we saw and heard though, it’s fair to stay that this northern section is the most popular multi-day walk on the Rota Vicentina. Indeed, as we continued south after Odeceixe, it was very noticeable how many of the familiar faces from the previous days had disappeared.

Don’t take that as a byword saying that this shorter version of the Fishermen’s Trail is incredibly crowded or overdone though; this is very much still a long-distance walking test and experience.

As for the full Fiserhman’s Trail? Well, it’s almost a different experience entirely.

We loved the challenge, the solitude, and the chance to pass through and visit several more parts of this relatively unknown part of Portugal – and there are a bunch of really cool places on this stretch from Odeceixe to Lagos. However, you need more stamina and perseverance, and your harder moments and days are quite a bit worse than anything on the classic. Factoring in a rest day is also essential.

Of course, there’s also the issue of increased costs: at more than twice the distance, it’s also likely to cost at least twice as much – and you’ll need to carve out more time, whether that’s from work or what you’d usually allow for a holiday.

But for us, that slower, longer journey became part of the appeal. The sections beyond the classic route were far quieter – some days we passed only a handful of other walkers – and we loved the chance to follow part of the Historical Way too, passing inland through villages, arid farmland and seeing a different side to southern Portugal beyond just its (admittedly stunning) coastline.