14 days on the Rota Vicentina and Fishermen’s trail

Everything you need to know for a great walk

During my last holiday I discovered Portugal is the perfect country for hiking. I came to hike all the way down the coast from Santiago do Cacém to the most South-Westerly point of Europe, Cape Saint Vincent. The scenery here is incredible. The hiking days are not too long. The signage on the trail is great. The October weather is amazing. And you can easily design your own itinerary combining different trails. Time to make this your next hike!

The Rota Vicentina’s website is actually a great resource for planning the trip. It has a description for every stage and you can even download the route in a kmz-file to use in maps.me. It’s great to check that you’re still on the right track and to see how far you’ve still got to go, or if there are any cafés coming up. Another resource I used was the blog of Stingy Nomads, which provided me with more information and a hiker’s point of view.

I decided to do a combination of the Historical trail and the Fishermen’s trail, totaling 274 km over 14 days of walking. This was the longest hike with backpack that I’ve done at once. I was super excited, but also a bit nervous I had taken too much to carry or would get lost. As soon as I finished my first day, all those worries disappeared.

A 14-day walking itinerary on the Rota Vicentina

The Alentejo and Algarve regions of Portugal are so beautiful, I found it necessary to plan some rest days to enjoy my surroundings. I didn’t end up resting too much, but it was nice not to have a heavy backpack on for those days.
The first 2 days are part of the Historical Way of the Rota Vicentina, which takes you through the countryside of Portugal. From Cercal I took the connection trail to the coast to pick up the Fishermen’s trail, a trail that hugs the coastline as much as it can.

Between Odeceixe and Sagres you can choose between the Historical or Fishermen route every day, since the two connect in the towns where you sleep. There are also lots of circular routes, some of which connect to the main walking trail. On some days I decided to extend my walk by adding parts of the circular trail. So basically you can mix and match as you go. Combining the coast with some of the Historical trail gives you a better impression of what Portugal’s got to offer. I loved walking between the cork oaks near Santiago do Cacém.

My schedule
Day 1: Santiago do Cacém to Vale Seco – 18km – Casinhas da Aldeia private rooms €40
Day 2: Vale Seco to Cercal – 23km – Casazul M&B hotel €28
Day 3: Cercal to Porto Covo – 16,5km – Ahoy hostel €19
Day 4: Porto Covo to Vila Nova de Milfontes – 20km – Pirata hostel €15
Rest day with SUP in Milfontes
Day 5: Vila Nova de Milfontes to Almograve – 15,5km – Almograve beach hostel €21
Day 6: Almograve to Zambujeira do Mar – 22km – Hostel Nature €20
Day 7: Zambujeira do Mar to Odeceixe – 18,5km – Horta do Vale Nature house hostel €18
Rest day in Odeceixe walking the coastal loop without a pack (2 circular routes available, called ‘to the sea’ and ‘to the river’)
Day 8: Odeceixe to Aljezur – 22,5km (possible extension: Amoreira) – Amazigh design hostel €15
Day 9: Aljezur to Arrifana – 17,5km – Casa Oceano private room €34
Day 10: Arrifana to Carrapateira – 21,5km – Casa Luminosa private room €35
Day 11: Carrapateira to Vila do Bispo – 16km (possible extensions: Carrapateira cliffs and Cordoama) – Casa Mestre hotel €35
Day 12: Vila do Bispo to Sagres – 20,5km – Sagres sun stay hostel €17
Rest day to explore Sagres (possibility to surf, go to the beach or visit the fortress)
Day 13: Sagres to Burgau – 26km – Aloha Burgau guesthouse hostel €27
Day 14: Burgau to Lagos – 16,5km – Boutique Taghostel €18

Accommodation on the Rota Vicentina

There is a variety of places to stay, ranging from campgrounds to hotels. I tried to stick to hostels, but had to get my own room in places where I couldn’t find a dorm. In some towns there were only a handful of dorm beds available, so if you’re travelling in a popular time it pays off to book ahead.
I paid between €15 and €40 depending on the type of accommodation. In Vale Seco there is not much available since it’s a small town, but it was the only place where it was harder to find something.

In Santiago do Cacém the tourist office sells a little guide book and a huge map of all the trails. I bought both, but the map ended up staying in my bag. I guess it is a good souvenir and hopefully buying it supports the organisation taking care of the trails. The guide book I read every night when I was preparing for the next day. Neither of them is essential, since all the information is also on the website. Beside that the signs on the trail are good if not excellent in most places.

My favourite places to stay
Nature hostel: offered a cozy home for hikers, with free laundry, shampoo, tea and wine, and a super enthusiastic owner who’s thought of everything. It’s really small, so of course the atmosphere depends a lot on the other guests.
Casinhas da Aldeia: Fatima has some beautiful cottages in her backyard. My stay here was super comfortable and it is great to stay in such a small town. The hospitality was excellent. She even brought me some cake to enjoy.
Almograve beach hostel: seemed to be a fairly new place. There is a great veranda and the whole ground floor is a kitchen/living room. It’s more like a B&B, with only one 4-bed dorm. The rest are private rooms. It’s very clean and comfortable and when I stay there almost all the people there were hiking the trail as well.
Boutique Taghostel: is a family run place and they created a family atmosphere with all the guests. In the evenings we would sit on the outdoor terrace and chat with the other tourists. There is breakfast included in the rate as well.

Starting the trail

If you start from Santiago do Cacém, you can take a Rede Expressos bus from Lisbon, which takes about 2 hours and costs €14. I opted to stay in the town for a night (Residencial Covas, €25, private room, shared bathroom). The town is pretty small but you can opt to visit the nature reserve around Vila Nova de Santo André or explore the Roman ruins of Miróbriga. There is also a circular walk, which passes the Roman ruins. If you’re not interested in any of this, I would suggest an early bus from Lisbon and hitting the trail straight away.

Once you are on your way it’s easy to follow the signs. In every start/finish-town you’ll also find a big sign with information about the next stage.

Packing for the Rota Vicentina

There are companies who offer luggage transfer between towns, but if you’re not using this you obviously want to pack light. I mostly washed clothes in the sink every day and let them dry in the sun. Two hostels, Nature hostel and Pirate hostel, offered free laundry, which is a great perk for people who are hiking. As a luxury hiker I had 3 sets of clothes with me, as well as a whole bunch of toiletries, first aid supplies etc. Again, depending on time of year you’ll need more or less layers to wear.

During the day you often don’t have many opportunities to buy food or drinks. Since I was walking during the pandemic, even if there was a restaurant, I was never sure if it would be open. So I took at least 2,5L of water with me and packed my lunch and snacks. In all towns apart from Vale Seco it was easy to find a hot meal at night and buy supplies for the next day. In Vale Seco there is only a small café that makes some sandwiches. I was very disappointed with my dinner consisting of toast with hummus that night!

Depending on the time of year you’ll also need to bring plenty of sunscreen, sunglasses, a hat and rain gear. I brought insect spray too, but didn’t end up using it at all. I wore hiking boots, but saw many people in sneakers too. Big parts of the Fishermen’s trail are in the loose sand, like walking on a beach, so be aware that the sand get everywhere in your shoes! There is really no way to avoid this.

Since there are plenty of daylight hours I didn’t bother bringing a headlamp. I also walked without poles, although there were 2 days where I think they would have been beneficial. If you want to swim during your hike, bring swim gear and a towel. Almost all the hostels provided a towel, although some didn’t, so I had a separate towel for showering.

When packing, keep in mind that you need to carry water and food each day as well, which quickly adds 2 – 3,5 kilos or even more to your weight.

Walking in October

October might just be one of the best months to go hiking. In Southern Portugal the weather was still amazing on most days. The summer is very hot and if you go on the trail during summer, you have to carry liters and liters of water, all adding weight to your pack. I met a guy who did it and got severely dehydrated since he didn’t carry enough water. Even in October you already need a fair amount, since temperatures can rise to 25 degrees and you don’t always have shade. Because of the weather I also packed a jumper and scarf since the evenings can get pretty chilly. I even saw people with winter hats!

I had 2 rainy days, but even during these days the sun came back out again. Since a lot of it is a coastal trail, it’s lovely to take a break on the beach and do some sunbathing. You could even swim, although the ocean is really cold! The main tourist season is over, so you don’t have to deal with big crowds along the way. The surf season is kicking off though, so you’ll see lots of campervans parked along the trail, whose owners sometimes tend to leave a mess behind. Since the main season is over, some facilities might be closing from October/November, but I had absolutely no problems to find restaurants or accommodation.

The Fishermen’s trail was noticeably busier between Porto Covo and Odeceixe, since many people just walk this shorter section. After Sagres and on the Historical trail I barely saw any people. I did meet people in the hostels who were walking the same way, at times walking short stretches together. But in general you have a chance to feel alone on this trail, which I love. If someone starts 15 minutes later than you, you have a good chance of not seeing them at all. It’s great to feel like you are alone, but to know there are other people out there!