The Fishermen’s trail from Carrapateira to Vila do Bispo
Well… I always say I want to be healthier. In practice this doesn’t really happen. But at least I’ve got the exercise covered, especially the day I walked from Carrapateira to Vila do Bispo. Somehow I managed to turn 16 km into 27 km! And no, I did not take a wrong turn!
After 10 days of walking I felt great. I felt on top of the world and I felt like my feet could do more, could take me further. Also I had a bit of FOMO and didn’t want to miss a single beach if I could avoid it. Imagine! So when I left Carrapateira, I first visited Bordeira Beach again and added a few kilometers on a dusty road that hugged the coast. It was still early. The soft sunlight made the colors of the landscape shine and the fresh air gave me goosebumps. People were having coffee in front of their campervans and fishermen stood fearlessly on small ledges on the cliffs. The dress I’d washed the night before hadn’t been dry yet in the morning, so I’d tied it to my backpack. The cars that passed me stirred up the dust, which made my hand washing efforts pointless.
I hit the main trail at the ruins of a small Islamic fishermen settlement. There was a big, narrow rock that stuck out high above the ocean and this is what those people had chosen as their home. Even now I felt exposed to the wind and the elements. I must admit they’d chosen a damn good view! I wasn’t far from Amado Beach now, where I was torn from my zen state when I saw a crowded parking lot where people were walking up and down, surfboards under their arms. I followed some surfers onto the beach and looked for my trail.
I had not prepared very well for today and had no idea what was in store for me. I ascended over a small, steep dirt trail, passed a seemingly empty house on the hill and descended immediately after. The last part, where I approached Muração Beach, was pretty tricky and I guess today it would have been nice to have poles. I squatted to get down a steep stretch and landed with my feet in the sand. On the other side of the beach was a wide, steep dirt road that I had to follow. It was full of potholes and had me wondering how the cars at the bottom would safely get up again. The sun had gotten stronger and I was sweating more and more as the road kept going up and up.
For a while I followed these dirt roads through the forest, with occasionally an amazing view over the surroundings. The higher I got, the more I could see, first of the coast and later of the lush valleys of the countryside, with wind turbines in the distance. At some point I looked behind me and saw the full distance I had covered in the last two days, all the way back to Arrifana. Two days of walking and here I am, still staring at it. My mind wandered off, but I brought it back to the task at hand. Ahead of me lay a challenge.
The tiny path in front of me was one I would expect in the mountains, not on the coast. It was full of stones, going down around a hill. I pushed my fears aside and focused so I wouldn’t slip on the small pebbles or loose sand that covered the rocks. About midway I stopped, mainly to breathe, but I happened to look ahead. “Woooooow” I said out loud. What was in front of me got me so excited. I couldn’t believe what I saw and couldn’t wait to get down to see it properly.
Mirouço Beach was slowly revealed to me. It was small and shaped like a crescent moon. Wild waves were rolling onto the untouched sand. To my right a huge rock pillar stuck out of the water. On my left was a rock wall with a small hole in it. Every time a big wave hit the other side, a bit of water would spray through the hole. It was a little paradise, totally secluded, surrounded by high cliffs on either side, with only the small steep trails to reach it. When I tackled the trail on the other side, another surprise awaited me. On the other side of the rock was another beautiful beach, with a thin stretch of sand, and the ocean got the brightest shades of blue: Azure, Saphire… It blew my mind!
I didn’t really want to leave this spot, but I kept going down the road that led away from the coast. My thoughts took me off the trail and back to Berlin as I followed the long, slightly boring road. I thought of my experiences dating and the thought of trying again. The thought alone put chills down my spine and my body filled with and intense sadness that added to shivers of fear. I wasn’t ready to face the real world. I also wasn’t ready to arrive in Vila do Bispo yet, so I decided to walk the extra loop that led to the beach of Barriga. The road there was as boring as before, but that all changed when my feet touched the sand.
I hoped I could reach the next beach, Cordoama, by walking through the sand at Barriga. There were only a few cars at the Barriga parking lot, but several people were walking in the direction of Cordoama, so I took my chances. I walked between a huge rock face and the ocean, standing out with my big purple backpack in between the beachgoers. Just like at Amado, Cordoama was incredibly busy. There was a booming café, surf groups were in the water and families were playing in the sand.
When I saw where the path continued I was slightly disheartened. I was absolutely knackered and the trail led up another huge, steep hill. I walked for a few meters and found a spot slightly higher than the beach to enjoy the view and my late lunch. I was going to need the energy. At the top of the hill was a Miradouro and it was more than worth the climb. A young woman looked surprised when she saw me with all my gear and offered to take a photo. She turned out to be Dutch as well and we had a little chat while admiring the view of the coast. From here I walked on pure mental power, my legs moving like a machine underneath me. In Vila do Bispo I flopped onto my bed. Seeing Praia do Mirouço was my best moment on the trail.
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