Here you’ll find days 3 to 5 of my hike on the Fishermen’s Trail. This is a quick guide to everywhere I slept and ate during those days. If you haven’t already, be sure to read Fishermen’s Trail part 1 first.
Oh, the pain. Luckily, our extension from Almograve to Cavaleiro meant day three would be much shorter. Double lucky, because the weather was looking bleak for the afternoon. We said goodbye to our host and headed to Snack Bar Adélia for breakfast – average pastries, chinos and fresh squeezed orange juice for €10. We followed the blue and green stripe for the next 12 km (7.5 miles or so) until Zambujeira do Mar.
Cavaleiro is known for storks. Their nests are incredibly large. Apart from the storks though, day three was rather boring in comparison with days one and two. The trail goes inward along a wider path than usual.
This is the only section of the trail that can be done by bike. Indeed, we passed a few bikers traveling in the opposite direction. It started to drizzle but never poured. We stopped to put on our pack covers and rain gear. Within no time, we descended down the simple staircase to the Porto das Barcas – a port where fish trading still happens on most mornings. We followed the paved road up the hill and then walked along the main road into town arriving well before lunchtime.
We dropped our stuff with our host at the Sunset Beach House 2 and since our place wasn’t quite ready, we went for lunch with a view at a restaurant he recommended – Restaurante Rita. Only a 3.6 on Google, but we opted for local advice over internet advice. For lunch, we split the octopus rice and a large salad. The octopus rice was served for two straight from the pot, piping hot. A pleasant surprise. By the time we completed our meal, the sun was coming back out and our third trail mate, Kaitlin had arrived from New York. Beach time.
The beach in town is stunning. It’s separated in two parts by a jutting rock formation. At low tide you can cross between the two. We spent a few hours there but soon the wind picked up. Mojito time. We walked up to the Sunset Café to enjoy the views with drinks in hand. Rather than go out for a big meal, we picked up some groceries and wine at the supermarket and headed back towards our apartment to catch the sunset perched on the rocks.
Day 3: Total distance, 9 miles
We knew it was going to be a long one so we set out early, 7:30am. We intended to pick up pastries at Padaria but we were too early to rise. Padaria was still closed, as was Praia Café. Granola bars it was. We hiked up past Zambujeira do Mar beach around the next bend and sat overlooking Praia dos Alteirinhos.
Had I known such a beautiful untouched beach was just over that hill, I definitely would’ve made the treck yesterday. This section of the trail was just as empty as the second half of day two. I wish I could’ve spent a day at each of the beaches we passed. Each one was more special than the last.
We certainly had some fairytale moments. Somewhere after Praia dos Machados but before Praia da Amália we cut inland, through a bamboo forest and approached a waterfall mossed on both sides and emptying into the ocean. All it needed was a cheery leprechaun, a rainbow and a pot of gold. We perched ourselves at the top and had a snack before continuing.
Today definitely had the most ups and downs. The walk between Praia da Amália and the small town of Azenha do Mar was a little less than an hour. This was the busiest part of the trail. We, like all the other hikers, took a rest at A Azenha do Mar. The lunch menu looked spectacular and featured local seafood and shellfish. There’s a dining room inside but you can also order at the bar and take your meal outside in the sunshine. We opted for chinos and ice cream on the patio.
From here on out, there were no beaches, but many more Game of Thronesque scenes. Stork nests, dark cliffs and protruding rocks. After what felt like no more than an hour, we were standing at the edge of the River de Seixe and the mouth of the ocean just opposite Praia de Odeceixe-Mar, where we would stay that night. I’ve never seen a beach quite like this. Similar to Vila Nova de Milfontes, one side of the town faces open ocean with surfable waves while the other is comfortable for paddle boarding, kayaking and canoeing.
We thought we’d arrived early, We thought wrong.
The walk down from the cliff to sea level was about 20 minutes. Had it been low tide, we would’ve easily been able to cross the river to Praia de Odeceixe-Mar. But of course, the tide was high as can be and there was no way to cross. We haphazardly attempted some hitchhiking and contemplated stealing paddleboards but wound up on an 8km (4 mile) walk to the bridge into town, passed the fields of cows and back out to the beach.
We stayed at Casa Dorita. Very friendly staff and an incredible location made for an enjoyable stay. The accommodation was small, very simple and could’ve been cleaner, but it did the job. The real perk was the restaurant. For dinner, I had the fresh Dorado served whole and devoured every bite. The real star was the cake selection. So many choices! We shamelessly split three. Before dinner, we stopped at the Kiosk Agapito beach bar for our daily mojitos.
Day 4: Total distance, 15 miles
Day four technically completed the Fishermen’s Trail but we had planned one more day of hiking before our holiday in Sagres.
This day is a bit of a blur. We woke up to a gray sky with heavy rain clouds. We slowly ate our breakfast at Casa Dorita, packed up for the last time, zipped up our rain gear and took off. The trail markers continued along the coast for some time before we reached an edge. We cut inland and followed a few different dirt paths and paved roads until Rogil.
This is where the wheels came off. We should’ve stopped for lunch or a snack like most of the other hikers at Museu da Batata Doce but we kept walking. We knew there was a pizza place up ahead so we thought that would be a good option. It only had four seats, all of which were taken. We continued on to a vegetarian restaurant, but it was closed.
Fail after fail. We ended up at the grocery store, picked up some snacks and tried to relocate the trail markers. We had lost them in our ravenous hunt for food. After nearly following the highway to Aljezur, Julie lost a page of her unlamented poorly bound guidebook, but we found the trail.
We were onto the red and white markers now of the Historical Way rather than the Fishermen’s Trail.
If I’m being honest, we aren’t really sure which routes we took between Rogil and Aljezur, but eventually, we found it. At at the Praia da Amoreira we sat under an awning at a deserted beach bar to protect ourselves from the heavy rain. We called a taxi but call after call resulted in nothing. All the drivers told us they were too far away or busy. So we walked it.
We mostly followed the river inland until we arrived in the old town. At the base there was a taxi stand. We hopped in and got a ride to our hostel in Arrifana. Despite the taxi, this was still our longest day by far. We truly needed a hot shower and a bottle of champagne to celebrate.
Day 5: Total distance, 18 miles
Never have I ever been so happy to check-in to a hostel before. The staff was lovely and the hostel, clean. Downstairs there was a funny above ground pool and a good vibe by the bar. The HI Arrifana Destination Hostel had all types of guests and we were told it gets quite rowdy in a few weeks during peak season. We had a private room and plenty of space for our smelly packs.
After some drinks and toasties at the hostel, we headed towards the beach for dinner. The guy at the desk recommended O Paulo for a fancy dinner with a view. And, that’s just what we got. Of course, I had a whole fish again and we most certainly said yes to their cake display.
The area is known for surfing and there are plenty of surf schools to choose from. Since we were only there for a day and had just finished our hike, we didn’t partake. Instead, we took a stroll down to the beach and watched the others. Within an hour, the wide beach got narrower with the rising tide. We moved up and up until there was little beach left.
We beat the surfers and headed just above the beach to Restaurante Da Praia. I had the salmon ceviche, it lacked flavor but it was light and suitable for the atmosphere. We ordered some chinos, headed back to the hostel and called a taxi to take us to Lagos to pick up our rental car for part two of our Southwest Portugal adventure. The taxi cost just €40.
I’ve made a list of all the places we slept and ate along the Fishermen’s Trail. We booked all the accommodation through Booking.com. While we did choose to buy the guidebook and the map from the Portuguese government, we didn’t find them overly useful. At this time, there are no other books on the trail. Hope you enjoy. For Part 1 places to stay and eat, read the Fishermen’s Trail part 1.
When I proposed we go on a European Christmas market roadtrip adventure I thought I’d…
Visiting the Dresden Christmas markets had been a long time dream of mine. I imagined…
Imagine wandering through a Christmas market where Dutch-inspired architecture meets Polish holiday traditions. That’s exactly…
Imagine sipping a perfectly spiced mulled wine while gazing at a giant illuminated Ferris Wheel…
Imagine strolling through a Christmas market where twinkling lights reflect off colorful facades, and the…
Lately I’ve been on a ramen kick! I’m in search of the best bowl of…