Portugal offers so much to nature and adventure lovers. To help you make your visit incredible, we suggest including some of the best hikes in Portugal. Whether you have a day to spare or weeks to spend hiking, these trails are amazing!
Best Hikes in Portugal: 7 Unforgettable Trails
Dramatic cliffs and breath-taking views make Portugal the perfect destination for lovers of the great outdoors, especially hikers. Trails are located all over Portugal, making it really easy to explore this gorgeous and diverse country on foot.
This country offers some of the best weather on the continent due to its southern position within Europe. These ideal weather conditions along with the ocean and Portugal’s coastline make for some truly scenic hikes.
Whether you’re a hiking beginner or someone with more experience, i’s worthwhile to put at least one or two treks on your itinerary while visiting this unique country.
Here’s a list of the 7 best hikes in Portugal to help you decide which ones to include in your trip.
So, get your hiking gear prepared, read up on the best hikes in Portugal and prepare to hit the trail!
Rota Vicentina – Fisherman’s Trail
Rota Vicentina is located in south-west Portugal and encompasses 750 km of walking trails. These treks meander through the beautiful Alentejo and Algarve regions. The Algarve coastline is magnificent; dotted with gorgeous beaches surrounded by majestic golden cliffs.
The proximity of Rota Vicentina to the Algarve coastline means you can easily plan a hiking and beach holiday combo.
You can start your trip by visiting some of the best Lagos, Portugal beaches and once you’ve had your fill of sun and sand, you can hit the Rota Vicentina trail. This way, you can achieve an idyllic balance between adventure, nature, exertion, and relaxation.
The Rota Vicentina’s coastal route is named the Fisherman’s Trail and is believed to have some of the most scenic hiking Portugal has to offer. The trail begins in Lagos and continues east along the Algarve coast. It then changes direction and heads north to the port of Sines.
Many hikers walk the whole 76 km trail, which takes four days. If you intend on doing a multi-day hike, travel light with the right gear so you’re not lugging around too much heavy baggage.
The full length of the trail is broken down into thirteen sections. Each part of the trail is under 20 km. These segments are suitable for day hikes and have a number of stops along the way. These stops are populated with bars, restaurants, hostels and campsites so you’re sorted for food, accommodation, and good company.
The hiking here is quite easy and you do not need a guide as the route is simple to navigate. My best suggestion is to visit this trail outside of July and August as this is when it’s busiest. As one of the best hikes in Portugal, it can get packed.
Seven Hanging Valleys Trail – Coastal Hiking in Portugal
The Algarve region is famous for another reason aside from its beaches. There are a number of sea caves here that have been created by the continual caressing of the choppy Atlantic Ocean’s waves.
The best way to explore these striking formations is by taking the 12 km Seven Hanging Valleys trail. This linear trail starts at Carvoeiro Boardwalk and stretches along rugged cliffs to Marinha Beach. It is a truly stunning example of Portugal hiking.
The trail is 11.4 km long if you’re doing a return trip. Halfway along the trail of sun-kissed cliffs, you can take a comfort break and marvel at the historic Alfanzina Lighthouse.
There are seven caves you can visit while on the trail and you’ll also be able to experience the renowned Benagil Beach. This beach is considered to be one of the most picturesque places in the whole of Portugal.
Benagil Beach is located in a sandstone cave, which is crowned with a naturally-formed skylight. It makes for quite the dramatic scene.
The hike is relatively easy and will take about six hours to complete in total. You can also do the hike one way (5.7 km), which would take you about three hours.
If you’d like to see the Benagil caves from the sea, you can also book a boat tour from Portimão. You might even see some dolphins.
Trilho dos Currais (PR3)
To the north of Portugal, situated roughly an hours drive from the city of Porto, lies the Peneda-Geres National Park that offers a collection of great hiking trails. They cater for people of varying fitness levels, from novice walkers up to advanced hikers.
For intermediate and experienced hikers, the looping Trilho dos Currais (PR3) walking trail represents some of the best hiking in Portugal.
The route is 10 km long and starts from Geres. It takes between 4-5 hours to complete and is easy to navigate thanks to its numerous signposts.
This Portuguese nature trail starts at the bottom of a valley and continues through thick oak and pine-forested foothills as well as craggy outcrops of boulders. At the top, you’re greeted with spectacular panoramic views of the valley.
The trail is accessible at any time of year, but if you plan a trip in spring, you’ll be able to see the waterfalls at their best. The rainfall is highest during the spring.
The Peneda-Geres National Park is home to deer, golden eagles, foxes, wild boar, and even wolves. Discover more of this national treasure by booking a 4×4 tour with lagoon swims and hikes that satisfy your adventurous side.
Paiva Walkways
The Paiva Walkways are one of the more interesting of Portugal’s hiking trails thanks to its long boardwalks. This hike is situated in Arouca, roughly 65 km to the south-east of Porto.
The trail is a 16 km full circle trail and takes the form of walkways that stretch along the bank of the Paiva River, hence the trail’s name. This Portugal walking trail boasts extraordinary canyon views and leads you past waterfalls and rapids. If you plan your hike during the summer months, you can swim in the river and even picnic along the route.
The trail is considered to be moderate in intensity and is a favourite with many tourists. You’ll have fun traipsing along the walkways and the views of the Paiva River make it all the more memorable.
A great way to end the hike is by stopping at the nearby village, Alvarenga. It’s a popular spot to enjoy a local Portuguese meal, such as Posta Arouquesa – grilled and spiced beef with vegetables on the side. Book a full-day Paiva Walkways adventure to experience a comprehensive Portugal hiking tour.
This is, without doubt, one of the best hikes in Portugal.
Central Camino Portugues Route – The Most Famous of our Best Hikes in Portugal
Portugal has many hiking trails but one of its most famous is the Central Portuguese Camino, also called the Portuguese Way. It’s well known as a pilgrim’s route. Many pilgrims associate the journey with their religious beliefs and embark on a pilgrimage as a form of atonement or a deepening of their faith.
The full route runs from Lisbon to Santiago de Compostela in Spain and is over 600 km long. That’s quite a challenge to take on with regard to time and effort so many people opt to start their hike in Porto. This shortens the route to 227 km.
The Portuguese Way starts at Porto and takes hikers along the Douro River. Along the route, you’ll see the absolute best of Portugal. The trail takes you across several rivers and is dotted with historic cities, towns and villages.
This trail is not for the faint of heart as you’ll be hiking for anywhere between two and three weeks and aiming to trek 15-20 km per day. If you want to stop and linger at some of the cities like Porto, you’ll want to extend your trip closer to three weeks.
If time isn’t a problem, then this is one of the best Portugal hiking trips for you. It’s considered to be among the most famous hiking trails in Europe.
But, if you would rather follow in the footsteps of pilgrims without the multi-week trek, then consider a full-day tour that explores the Batalha Monastery and delves into this country’s history.
Levada Walks of Madeira Island
At roughly two hours by plane from Lisbon lies the gorgeous island of Madeira, known for its incredible natural beauty from the ocean to the mountain. It’s here on this very island that you will find the famous ‘Levada’ Walks.
Dating back to the 16th century, Levadas are a network of water irrigation and canal systems that run throughout the island and span for roughly 2500 kilometres in length.
Today, these very same Levadas attract hikers and outdoor enthusiasts who hike all along the pathways leading alongside these water channels. Bearing in mind that some of the Levadas run along and through various mountains and peaks, these walks are not for the faint-hearted, but certainly, offer up incredible views. Some even lead through to hidden waterfalls and mountainous rivers.
Three of the most popular walks include the Rabaçal, the Caldeirão Verde as well as the Levada do Rei (Kings walk) walks. For those who prefer to travel in a guided group, you may want to consider booking a Private or Guided Levada walk.
Vereda da Ponta de São Lourenço In Madeira – The Last of our Best Hikes in Portugal
Last but not least on our list of the best hikes in Portugal is the incredible Ponta de São Lourenço hike, situated on the eastern tip of Madeira. Set in the Madeira Natural Park, this 8-kilometre return hike boasts dramatic scenery as the rugged and colourful cliff edges lap at the atlantic ocean.
The hike trails all along to the most eastern tip. In general, the walk is quite undulating with lots of varying terrain and many up and downhills to contend with. We arrived quite early on our walk, around 08:00 – 09:00 am and were virtually alone. But, by lunchtime upon our return back from the point the trail was quite busy with hikers only just arriving.
I would highly recommend going early as this hike offers almost no shade at all and may become unbearably hot, especially in the hotter summer months.
Portugal offers so much to nature lovers, but especially to hikers.
Whether you have a small amount of time to spend walking or are able to dedicate weeks at a time to discovering this amazing country by foot, we recommend you stop by Portugal when you’re next travelling in Europe.
Guest Post: Born and raised in South Africa, Marco Santos from Travel-Boo, together with his partner moved to sunny Lisbon over 3 years ago. With an absolute love for Europe, he is on a mission to rediscover his own Portuguese heritage along the way. Marco has set out to blog and share his passion for travelling through and exploring both Portugal, Spain and throughout Europe, through his blog Travel-Boo. Follow along on Facebook today!
Photo credit: Camino Ways, Arch Daily, Visit Madeira