The Fishermen’s trail: Zambujeira do Mar to Odeceixe
The road from Zambujeira do Mar to Odeceixe is one of ups and downs, not just physically, but mentally. I was surprised by the clouds in the morning, but optimistically I put on my sunscreen and started walking. I noticed that a few other hikers had started around the same time and therefore I picked up my pace to created some space. In the beginning I felt like a wagon in the hiking train.
After a few beaches the trail took a turn through the forest, which was a nice change. When I came out of the small forest I felt the quiet around me again. At Praia do Carvalhal I went down to a parking lot with a lot of camper vans. There was a beach, but I decided to keep going and climbed up to the top of the cliffs on the other side. I ended up following a fence. I had read about this place and knew there were African animals in the enclosure, so I searched the grounds for anything interesting.
I saw some ostriches and some kind of antelopes. I don’t know what I expected. There certainly were no elephants or lions! At the end of this strange animal park I got a glimpse of Praia dos Machados. The area was a bit wetter than before and I had to jump over some small streams. At the end of the beach I found a nice rock with a view. Time to take off the bag, do some stretches and take in the scenery.
More beauty was waiting for me further along. I had to go around a private property to end up at Praia da Amália, named after a famous Fado singer. A small waterfall flowed down towards the beach. Some day trippers were arriving and boyfriends were taking photos of their girlfriends. Once I’d crossed the stream and climbed up again, I found another nice ‘seat’ and took another break. I stayed a while and greeted many hikers as they passed by. It was the last beach I’d see for a while, so I’m glad I took my time and enjoyed it.
The day got a lot more strenuous after that. After many climbs and descends, there was a lot of sand to walk through. The sun made an entry and it got uncomfortably hot. After a small village I had to climb up a rocky hill. This felt much steeper and more unsafe than before. Some other people were watching me before they decided to follow. Out of breath I arrived at the top and met an older German man. He asked if the restaurant in the village was open. He’d been before and wanted to have lunch, but wasn’t keen on going down the rocky hill if the restaurant wasn’t open anyway. Unfortunately I hadn’t paid attention and had to disappoint him. Hopefully one of the people behind me could help him.
The sand suddenly felt deeper than ever before. My shoes filled with so much sand that I could barely move my toes. My stomach started growling: “Do you really have to hike up another sandy dune?” So at the top of one of these dunes I found a patch of sand where I sat down. It was ridiculously comfortable and it was hard to pick myself up again. From here it wasn’t far until I reached the viewpoint of the the beach and the Seixe river. I emptied my shoes, but little did I know there was a lot more sand coming.
The last 1,5 hours of the trail were perhaps the hardest. I went down to the river and then had to follow it for a loooooong time to reach Odeceixe. This part wasn’t beautiful. It was just walking on a road in the brutal sunshine. It was teasing to see Odeceixe in the distance. When I finally crossed the river and walked into town, I was completely exhausted. I did some stretches and meditation and recharged. At least I was comforted by the feeling that I had a rest day coming up tomorrow!
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