8-day Rota Vicentina Walking Tour
Self-guided Algarve & Alentejo walking tour
- Idyllic landscapes with beaches, dunes and steep cliffs
- Explore the relatively little-known west coast
- Tasty food, excellent wines and the relaxed Portugese life-style
- The Natural Park ‘Sudoeste Alentejano e Costa Vicentina’
- Savour Portugal's Atlantic Coast on the GR-11 Rota Vicentina
Start: Zambujeira do Mar Finish: Villa Do Bispo
Arrival in the Algarve, at the coastal village of Zambujeira do Mar.
Challenge: Travel to Portugal
Villages along the way: Zambujeira do Mar
This morning you start off with a short taxi transfer to the village of Almograve. Your 7-hour walk along the way-marked foot path "Rota Vicentina" takes you along the coast, via Cavalheiro and the lighthouse at Cape Sardao, enjoying espectacular cliffs on the way back to Zambujeira de Mar. If you feel a bit tired, just ask the taxi driver to drop you off in Cavalheiro (9 km less)
Challenge: 6 / 3 hrs, 20 -11 km / 12,5 - 7 mi, 175 / 90 m ascent and descent.
Villages along the way: Cavalheiro
Today you follow again part of the Rota Vicentina along the coast. Rolling dunes alternate with rocky shores where storks nest. Along beaches, by way of the fishing village at Azenha do Mar, you do a 5-hour walk to reach the rural town of Odeceixe.
Challenge: 5.5 - 6 hrs, 18.5 km / 11,5 mi, 220 m ascent, 230 m descent.
Villages along the way: Azhena, Odeceixe
Today you follow the Rota Vicentina inland to the Medieval town of Aljezur. First you follow rural tracks and quiet tarmac lanes, winding through farmed fields. Then through an open landscape of heather and fragant shrubs. If you want to stay walking always on the coast you can take the tour to Praia da Amoreira (taxi from Praia da Amoreira to Aljezur not included). To shorten the walk you can ask to ride with the luggage transport to skip 10 km. Your modern hotel in Aljezur has a small swimming pool and is conveniently close to one of the best restaurants in town.
Challenge: 2.5 / 5.5 hrs, 8.5 -18.5 km / 5,5 - 11,5 mi, 70 / 145 m ascent, 70 / 150 m ascent.
Tour to Praia da Amoreira: 6 h, 21.5 km / 13,5 mi, 150 m ascent and descent
Villages along the way: Aljezur
Again, your route choice for the day will depend on the tides, but whatever you do, the day starts with a short taxi ride to the fishing village of Arrifana. If tides are low, you can walk along rocky strands and sandy beaches. If water levels are high, you take an alternate route further inland via Bordeira to Carrapateira. Afternoon transfer to your accommodation
Challenge: 4.5 / 6 / 7 hrs, 15.5 - 18.5 - 23 km / 9,5 - 11,5 - 14,5 mi, 175 / 200 / 325 m ascent, 250 / 265 / 425 m descent
Villages along the way: Arrifana, Bordeira, Carrapateira, Aldeia da Pedralva
After a short transfer to Carrapateira, you walk to the hotel in Vila do Obispo. In between sections on the coast and others inland, depending on the tides. Near the start of the walk, you’ll have a good chance of spotting fishermen perched high on the cliffs. Your route ends in historic Vila do Bispo, where you sepnd the night at a lovely hotel with indoor swimming pool and sauna.
Challenge: 5.5 - 6.5 hrs, 15.5 - 18.5 km / 9,5 - 11,5 mi, 400 m ascent, 340 m descent
Villages along the way: Carrapateira, Vila do Bispo
The last hike takes you through pastures and fields to the most South-western point of Portugal. You walk along a flat track and narrow fishermen’s paths above rocky shores. If the weather is warm, option of stopping for a swim at ‘Praia do Ponto Ruiva’. This last walk of the trip ends at windy Cape Sao Vicente with sweeping views of the ocean. Taxi transfer back to your hotel in Vila do Bispo.
Challenge: 4 - 4.5 hrs, 14 km / 8,5 mi, 150 m ascent, 200 m descent.
Villages along the way: Vila do Bispo
After breakfast your arrangement ends.
Challenge: Travel from Portugal
The hotels on this trip have been carefully selected for their location, atmosphere and/or unique services. All rooms are en-suite. Some of the hotels we work with appear here. If a certain hotel is unable to confirm due to lack of availability, we will request a similar one and inform you about the alternative booked.
Extra nights: Extra nights can be booked at any of the accommodations along the way.
Please note: during the winter months in Zambujeira could be another hotel.
Hotel 500 metres from the beach, with an interior patio with a fountain reminiscent of the old Andalusian patios. This courtyard can be accessed from the rooms which are decorated in a simple but cosy way.
These houses are located in a typical Portuguese hamlet, neat the beautiful windmill of Odeceixe. Their are fully equipped with all the amenities to provide the guests with a great experience; staying at a traditional town into direct contact with the local daily life.
Located in the border between the old quarter of Aljezur and its modern part. Apartments with 1 bedroom, quaint studios or fully equipped double bedrooms. With a warm atmosphere, family run and quite personalized management.
A local cooperative decided some years ago to rebuild half of the houses in Pedralva and reconvert them into beautiful accommodations, charming and with their own personality. It also has a bar/ restaurant and a swimming pool. A great place to stay and relax!
Inspired by Traditional Portuguese Architecture, this hotel has preserved the facades of the original building and is perfectly integrated into the surrounding architectural-historical heritage. The decoration of the rooms in blue tones resembles the colour of the sky and the sea. Facilities designed to ensure the well-being, comfort and convenience of its guests.
You can start on any day of the week, subject to availability. In December and January a few hotels might close for their annual holidays and we would need to book alternative hotels, which might imply a supplements.
In Summer, specially from 23/06 to 28/08 it can be too hot. Some hotels also ask for a minimum stay, which would imply the need of booking extra nights in any of the standard accommodations or changes in the program to have the booking confirmed.
Nearest airports to fly to are Lisbon airport (LIS) and Faro airport (FAO).
Arrival in Zambujeira do Mar
From Lisbon airport. You can take a Bus from Lisbon airport to Sete Rios bus station in Lisbon city centre. Then take bus from Lisbon-Sete Rios bus station to Zambujeira with company Rede Expressos (www.rede-expressos.pt)
From Faro airport. Shuttle bus from Faro airport to Faro bus station (Terminal Rodoviario – EVA bus company). If you are flying with TAP, you can make use of their free shuttle service.
From Faro Bus Station you travel first to Portimão (Timetables at www.eva-bus.com)
From Portimão you take the Rede Expressos bus to São Teotónio. Then from Sao Teotónio, you take a taxi to your accommodation in Zambujeira
Departure from Vila do Bispo
To Lisbon airport: From Vila do Bispo you travel with EVA to the bus station (terminal) in Lagos (30 to 45 minutes) or take a taxi from Vila do Bispo to Lagos. Then take a bus to Lisbon and then a shuttle bus or taxi to the airport.
To Faro airport:From Vila do Bispo, you can travel with EVA to the bus station in Lagos (‘terminal’) or take a taxi. From Lagos, you take the bus / train to Faro. From Faro bus station / train station to Faro Airport you can take a shuttle bus or a taxi.
Optional airport transfers
Private taxi transfers can be booked from/to the airport (Lisbon-LIS or Faro-FAO) through S-cape Travel. Prices on request
GPS tracks are available on request.
Included
- 7 nights' accommodation with breakfasts
- Luggage transport on days 3, 4, 5 and 6
- Transfers according to programme, on days 2, 5, 6 and 7
- Digital detailed route notes and maps in English
- Access to the trip on our navigation app
- 24-hour telephone assistance
Not included
- Transport to first/ from last accommodation
- Other meals
- Optional transfer at end of route on day 4
- Optional taxi transfers to shorten walks
- Transfers by public transportation
- Personal expenses such as drinks, phone calls, extra transfers, etc.
- Tourist Tax
- Any items that have not been specifically mentioned in the program
Extras
- Single Room Supplement(s)
- Solo Traveller Supplement
- Additional night/s can be booked at any of the standard accommodations along the way
- Shipment of printed documents to the first accommodation
01-10-2019
Spectacular ocean views, plus plenty of exercise, solitude and great seafood. The level of difficulty was just right for us: challenging in some places, but the itinerary is flexible enough that you can walk more on one day and less on another, if you wish.
23-09-2018
"The whole route was very nice!. Clear and extensive route descriptions (both on paper and tracks for GPS). Nice that often two options where possible = choice. Very comprehensive and useful complementary information (e.g on how to get there)"
15-05-2018
"Nice walk especially when closed to the coast, some (few) techincal parts where sticks are useful. Always a bar or restaurant on the way. Nice villages with good food, especially fish"
26-04-2018
"Vila do Bispo, Mira Sagres - excellent hotel, really quaint town. All the towns I stayed in had their own unique character. Walking and scenery were spectacular.
Everything from initial contact through to follow-ups were perfect. I had to rearrange trip due to a family bereavementand got great assistance from the staff.
Cliff and beach walk from Carrapatiera to Vila do Bispo is spectacular as you will find anywhere"
24-04-2018
"Nice walk especially when closed to the coast, some (few) techincal parts where sticks are useful. Always a bar or restaurant on the way. Nice villages with good food, especially fish"
08-06-2017
"We have finished the tour and would like to thank you for a very good job with all the information and organization. We will pass your name to our friends as well. We loved the hotel at Zambujeria and the one in Carrapateria. The one in Vila do Bispo is ok but we like the smaller ones – maybe in Sagres instead."
15-03-2017
"We particularly enjoyed the Casas do Moinho for its facilities, food and accommodation"
28-04-2016
"What a fantastic holiday we had!
The scenery was fantastic, the weather was great and the walking was lovely. Also, all the arrangements made by S-Cape were perfect, including both the accommodation and the taxi transfers for us and our luggage. We were also really grateful for and impressed by the help you gave us on the first day when we arrived and the package with the route information was missing, right at the beginning of the Easter weekend. We really appreciated your efforts in tracking it down.
It's the first time we've booked a holiday like this (usually we just make all our own arrangements for accommodation, etc and research the route ourselves) but if we ever decide to do something similar, we will definitely consider S-Cape."
12-04-2016
"Many thanks for all your efforts to make it memorable and enjoyable. It was a totally positive experience.
- Casa Do Moinho very nice accommodation and bed was so comfortable, breakfasts were excellent and the proprietor was very helpful and friendly.
- Vincentina Aparthotel; really nice proprietor very helpful and engaging. Aljezure; spent a day pottering around seeing the castle, old village and enjoying coffee shops.
- Mira Sagres; very comfortable, helpful staff and close to restaurants. Lidles supermarket was excellent for pack lunches, close to hotel.
- Walk from Odeceixe to Aljezure walk was really nice, enjoyed the café in Regil.
- Walk from Monte do Covo to Carapaterira was excellent for its variation of landscapes.
- Amazing beach at Carapateira and fishermen on the cliffs.
Enjoyed the sea panoramas and the energy of the ocean, we had quite windy weather and rain at times. Acacia forests were nice, most memorable experience was the scent of the plant life, rosemary, thyme, acacia, etc. and also the wold flowers"
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8-day Rota Vicentina Walking Tour
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