The two days from Aljezur to Carrapateira via Arrifana are a great mix of coastal trail and country life. This part of the Fishermen’s trail is quiet, but comes through small tourist towns where surfing seems to be the number one activity. But these beautiful beaches also create the perfect place for a break in the sun.
The Fishermen’s trail from Aljezur to Arrifana
The chilly air hit my face when I left Aljezur. I was glad I left early because the cool air helped me get through the first 2 km’s that went up and down, providing great views of the area. From every hilltop I looked out over the valleys surrounding Aljezur and the town with the fortress on the top of a hill. At a big road with quite heavy traffic I found the split between the Fishermen’s trail and the Historical Way. I opted for the Fishermen’s trail since it was longer and I thought it would be more scenic.
At first I thought I’d made a mistake. I was basically walking on the edge of this busy road for ages. Cars were racing past me and, besides some tourists, nobody would give me space. It was like I wasn’t even there. I walked as fast as I could until I saw a blue arrow pointing right, off the busy road. The route didn’t get more beautiful just yet, but at least I felt safe again. It got pretty when I actually hit the coast. Just like yesterday I saw Amoreira Beach, but this time from the other side. I’d arrived in surfer territory again.
The trail followed the coast through the town Praia de Monte Clérigo, where I rewarded my bravery of the morning with tea and cake. Continuing from there I zigzagged over the cliffs for a long time. I ended up at Ribat da Arrifana, where I found ruins of houses. Apparently I was a Muslim fortress from the 12th century. From here it didn’t seem long until Arrifana, but I felt like I was meandering through the dunes. There were some beautiful houses bordering the dunes. Eventually I climbed up a steep road and entered Arrifana. The town is built on a cliff and the beach below was crowded with surfers and sunbathers, although the wind made it pretty chilly.
Arrifana itself has a small fortress as well, although I was pretty disappointed by it to be honest. The spot is a great place to watch the sunset though, so that’s how I finished my day, before getting a veggie burger at a nearby café. It wasn’t until the next day that I saw more of Arrifana. I had stayed close to the beach, but there was more town on the way out. I just didn’t see any supermarkets, probably because there are bigger towns nearby.
Arrifana to Carrapateira
I found my day from Arrifana to Carrapateira a bit strange, although it had some beautiful scenery. For example, I started climbing and then descended down a steep dirt road to Praia do Canal, which was a beach with rocks. It was busy this morning because there was some sort of natural camping ground where surfers camped in their vans. They were even parked along the sides of the hills, wherever they could. How some of the crappy vans made it out there is a mystery to me. The roads weren’t exactly easily passable.
I walked a bit further from the coast into an area with many dirt roads and a forest that never seemed to end. I was very surprised when I stumbled upon a beautiful hotel, with pool and café after a while. After a break I saw that there was a very small town. A farmer was just moving his cows from the meadow to the farm. I quickly passed the last houses and found empty dirt roads again. At one point there was a steep hill. It was so small it seemed like a fake hill, built just to get a view of the area. It was like an extremely large termite mound. I climbed up and could look all the way back to Arrifana and towards my destination Carrapateira. Then I immediately descended down the other side.
Back at the coast I enjoyed the views. Below me was an enormous beach that seemed to stretch out all along the coast. Bordeira beach went all the way to Carrapateira. At times I saw people walking through the water. When I finally arrived at a point where I could go down to the beach, I found a peaceful spot and enjoyed the sunshine. It felt like I’d almost arrived in town, but that was far from true.
The last part of the walk absolutely sucked! I had to trudge through incredibly deep sand and was diverted in the wrong direction, before finally reaching another busy road for the last 3 km to Carrapateira. A couple was trying to ride a motorbike through the sand, but failed terribly. That’s how deep the sand was. Let’s just say I wished I’d crossed the beach and walked to Carrapateira along the roads on the other side. It sure would have been more enjoyable.
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