The Fisherman’s Path is a strolling route within the south of Portugal. It’s a part of the Rota Vicentina community. The path is taken into account one of the crucial stunning coastal routes on this planet. The surroundings alongside the route is breathtaking; rugged cliffs, sandy seashores, gorgeous lookouts, charming cities, clear waters of the Atlantic Ocean, and numerous wildlife. We have been so impressed by the fantastic thing about the realm that after finishing the path we determined to maneuver to the south of Portugal the place we stay now.
Fisherman’s Path downloadable PDF file
To make your planning simpler we’ve created a downloadable PDF file with strolling phases and locations to remain on the Fisherman’s Path.
We’ve got an in depth Fishermen’s Path strolling itinerary put up the place you could find full data on every stage of the path with distances, elevation profiles, occasions, and lodging choices.
Fisherman’s Path GPX
The route overview
Complete distance – 230 km/143 mi
Variety of days – 11-13 days
Place to begin – S.Torpes Seashore, 10 km earlier than Porto Covo, Alentejo
Ending level – Lagos, Algarve
Route marking – picket poles with blue & inexperienced stripes
Common value – 40 Euros per individual per day
Lodging choices – tenting, hostels, resorts
The place is the Fisherman’s Path in Portugal?
The path follows the southern coast of Portugal, between Porto Covo and Lagos. The start line is close to Sines, 170 km south of Lisbon. The Fisherman’s Path goes by way of two Portuguese provinces Alentejo and Algarve.
How lengthy is the Fisherman’s Path?
The overall distance of the Fisherman’s Path is 230 km/143 mi. One wants 11-13 days to finish it.
Journey insurance coverage for the path
World Nomads’ mission is to assist and encourage vacationers to discover their boundaries. They provide easy and versatile journey insurance coverage and security recommendation that can assist you journey confidently.
World Nomads journey insurance coverage insurance policies provide protection for greater than 150 actions. Get a quote, make a declare, or purchase or prolong your coverage whereas on the street.
The place does the route begin?
The path begins at S.Torpes Seashore, 10 km earlier than Porto Covo, and finishes in Lagos. We began strolling in Porto Covo skipping the primary 10 km as a result of logistically it labored out higher for us. We arrived a bit later to start out strolling and needed to remain for a day in Porto Covo. The final a part of the Fisherman’s Path from Sagres to Lagos was added to the route later. Initially the top of the path was in Sagres.
A wonderful thing about the path is that you just don’t must stroll your entire route you’ll be able to stroll solely a bit of it relying on how a lot time you will have and the way far you wish to stroll. In actual fact, any a part of the Fisherman’s Path may be walked as a day hike. You possibly can mix strolling the path with a seaside vacation.
The preferred route choices of the Fisherman’s Path
Strolling the Fisherman’s Path from Porto Covo to Odeceixe. It’s the unique 4-day path that later was prolonged to Cabo de Sao Vicente (Sagres) after which all the best way to Lagos. The half Odeceixe to Sagres was once part of the Historic Route of the Rota Vicentina. Now the Historic Route begins in Santiago do Cacém and finishes in Odeceixe. The overall distance is 76 km/47 mi.
Beginning in Porto Covo or São Torpes Seashore and ending in Sagres is the best way we walked the path (the Sagres – Lagos extension was added later). The overall distance is 181 km/112 mi or 191 km/118 mi in case you begin in St.Torpes Seashore. More often than not the route goes alongside the coast. You’ll want 9-10 days to finish it.
If you wish to full your entire Fisherman’s Path from São Torpes Seashore to Lagos you’ll want 12-13 days. The overall distance of the route is 230 km/142 mi.
It’s doable to mix the Fisherman’s Path with the Historic Means. You can begin in São Torpes Seashore or Porto Covo stroll alongside the coast to Odeceixe and from there proceed on the Historic (inland) path to Santiago do Cacém. The overall distance of this route is 196 km/121 mi. You’ll want 10 days to finish it.
Is the Fisherman’s Path onerous?
Like all multiday path, the route is sort of onerous particularly the primary a part of it from Porto Covo as a consequence of strolling on the seaside and over the dunes. If you happen to don’t have any earlier mountain climbing expertise I might recommend doing part of the Fisherman’s Path or having relaxation days in between. Utilizing a baggage switch service will make your strolling simpler. You possibly can carry a day pack and your fundamental baggage might be delivered to your lodge day-after-day.
What’s the greatest a part of the path?
The surroundings on the Fisherman’s Path is spectacular from the begin to the top. My favourite a part of the path is between Sagres and Lagos. Perhaps as a result of we stay in Lagos and we’ve finished that half a number of occasions. For the cliff views the half from Carrapateira to Vila do Bispo (alongside the coast) is among the greatest.
Greatest guidebooks for the Fisherman’s Path
The official guidebook by the Rota Vicentina group is one of the best one to make use of. You should buy it on-line or at one of many data workplaces alongside the route. In Proto Covo, you should buy a guidebook and a map at Papelaria O Correiro, Vasco da Gama Road 7b, (a block away from the church).
There’s a Cicerone guidebook on the Rota Vicentina that has numerous data on the path that you would be able to purchase on Amazon.
What’s the lodging like on the Fisherman’s Path?
Lodging on the trek was our fundamental concern however in the long run, it wasn’t an issue. Since we couldn’t discover a listing of lodging choices alongside the route we tried our greatest to make a whole listing of hostels, resorts, and campsites alongside the best way.
Hostels, resorts, and guesthouses may be present in each city alongside the route some locations have extra choices some much less. The campsites may be present in Porto Covo, Vila Nova de Milfontes, Zambujeira do Mar, Odeceixe, Aljezur, and Sagres.
We don’t like reserving lodging upfront and normally don’t do it, however for this route, we did ebook all of the locations a few days earlier than we began. Each place we stayed in was full primarily as a result of many of the hostels and guesthouses are very small; two or three non-public rooms or 8 to 10 beds in order that they refill rapidly. We walked the path originally of Might which isn’t the busiest season in case you’re planning to stroll it between June and August we strongly advocate reserving lodging beforehand even in case you’re planning to camp a minimum of contact campsites to learn how full they’re.
When reserving lodging;
test for the check-in time in most resorts it’s fairly late, round 3 pm.
be certain your lodge is within the city itself and never 5 km exterior of it
discover your house on Google.maps beforehand as typically following the route you may stroll previous it on the best way to the middle of the city
test in case you pay for lodging when making a reserving or on arrival, most locations cost beforehand.
Obtain our PDF spreadsheet that can assist you to to systematize your bookings The Fishermen’s Path Rota Vicentina reserving spreadsheet.
Baggage supply on the route
It’s doable to make use of a baggage switch service on the Fisherman’s Path in case you don’t wish to stroll with an enormous backpack or have an excessive amount of baggage to hold with you day-after-day. Vicentina Transfers is an organization that gives baggage supply providers on the path. They’ll ship your baggage door to door between any sort of lodging alongside the route together with campsites. It’s 15 Euro per part for 1 piece of baggage.
The corporate supplies solely baggage supply they don’t do lodging reserving for you. Earlier than you organize the baggage service you need to ebook your lodging. The price of baggage supply on the Rota Vicentina is sort of excessive in comparison with for instance 6-7 Euro that you just pay on the Coastal Route of the Portuguese Camino.
The price of strolling the Fisherman’s Path
The price of the path relies upon lots on the kind of lodging you resolve to remain in; tenting, dormitories, or non-public rooms, and on the season. If you happen to’re planning to camp, make your personal meals and never exit for drinks each night time finances 25-30 Euro per individual per day. To remain in dormitories and make your personal meals 30 Euro pp. per day. Staying in non-public and consuming out every now and then is 35-40 euros. If you wish to keep in non-public, eat out a minimum of as soon as a day, and exit for drinks I’d recommend budgeting 45+ Euro per day per individual.
Lodging
Understand that lodging costs range lots relying on the season with winter months being the most cost effective and the summer season months between Might and September the best. In summer season you may pay double for a similar.
Tenting is essentially the most finances choice right here, costs nonetheless range relying on the season with August being the costliest month. The primary disadvantage right here is that you need to carry tenting gear with you (tent, mattress, sleeping bag, cooking stuff, and many others.) which provides numerous weight to your backpack. The worth for tenting is between 10 to fifteen Euros per individual per night time.
A mattress in a dormitory is one other finances lodging choice on the Fisherman’s Path. There should not many hostels on the route and they’re normally totally booked as the realm is a very talked-about vacation vacation spot. To be able to get a spot within the season, it’s advisable to ebook your lodging upfront. The worth for a dorm mattress is round 20 Euros relying on the season.
A personal room is essentially the most comfy lodging choice and typically a double room with a shared toilet value the identical as two beds in a dormitory. So in case you’re two folks it’s a significantly better deal. There are a number of resorts that provide triple and household rooms in case you’re a gaggle of individuals mountain climbing you’ll be able to share a much bigger room. Costs for a finances double room are between 30 and 40 Euros. We had one or two locations the place we paid 25 Euros for a double room with a personal toilet. If you happen to stroll fully low season between November and March it could be kind of an ordinary value.
Meals
There are grocery shops and mini-markets in each city on the route in case you’re on a good finances making your personal meals is the most suitable choice. At all times be sure to ebook lodging with a kitchen (most locations we stayed had a minimum of a microwave). Relying on what sort of stuff you purchase looking for 3 meals (lunch, dinner, and breakfast) prices between 10 and 12 Euros per individual. Many supermarkets have cafes the place you may get a meal, a sandwich, or a pastry for comparatively low-cost in comparison with the restaurant costs.
Consuming out is sort of costly on the route the Costa Vicentina and the Algarve are in style vacationer locations costs in native eating places are greater than common in Portugal. Only a few eating places alongside the Fishermen’s Path provide Menu do Dia – a set lunch that normally features a starter, fundamental dish, drinks (beer, wine, cool drink), bread, espresso, or dessert. We had these menus all over the place on the Portuguese Camino de Santiago. In most locations on the path you pay a median of 10 Euro for a dish, each time we went out for dinner we paid about 15 Euro pp. together with drinks. Breakfast (toasted sandwich and low) you may get for 3 Euro.
We all the time cease quite a bit for espresso and Portugal is an actual paradise for espresso lovers, the espresso right here is sweet and low-cost; for a cup of Espresso, you pay about 0,7 euros, and for espresso with milk (Galao) – 1,5 Euros. If you happen to order Americano it’ll value you extra, about 1,2 Euros, for cappuccino you’ll pay between 2 and three Euros.
Our finances breakdown (2 folks, 11 days)
We didn’t camp on the path. We stayed in non-public rooms and dormitories and went out each different day however more often than not we made meals and stopped a minimum of as soon as a day for espresso. We didn’t use a baggage switch service. If you happen to do add to our finances 15 Euro per individual per day.
Lodging – 422 Euro
Buying (meals, toiletries) – 116 Euro
Consuming out – 151 Euro
Transport – 70 Euro, 15 Euro per individual bus Lisbon – Porto Covo, 20 Euro per individual bus Lagos – Lisbon
Espresso+pastry – 35 Euro
Complete: 794 Euro or 36 Euro per individual per day.
When is one of the best time to stroll the Fisherman’s Path?
The Fisherman’s Path is within the south of Portugal. It’s by no means actually chilly right here which suggests the route may be walked all 12 months spherical. We’ve finished a number of multi-day walks in Portugal and actually like mountain climbing in spring, between April and Might. For us it’s one of the best time of the 12 months; not chilly however not scorching but, many flowers and timber blossoming, and costs are a bit decrease than in peak season. We’ve finished a number of coastal walks in Portugal in April and Might together with the well-known Seven Hanging Valleys Path. In recent times as a result of growing reputation of the stroll, the path will get fairly busy throughout these months.
Summer time significantly July and August are the most well liked and the busiest months right here when you’ve got a selection I’d recommend strolling the route some other time even in Might. Over the weekends there have been many individuals on the route doing day hikes, I can think about in peak season there might be a whole lot of individuals. Costs for lodging go up in summer season fairly a bit so that you get extra folks, extremely popular climate, and better costs. October and the start of November are most likely one of the best months for strolling; comfy climate and never too many individuals.
As for strolling the route fully offseason; December – March it’s time, as many resorts and hostels are open all 12 months spherical. It could be very quiet like in some other seaside vacation space low season. So in case you’re searching for a solitary and tranquil strolling vacation it’s the appropriate time of the 12 months to come back right here. As for the climate, it’s sunny within the south of Portugal even within the winter however it does get chilly and wet, particularly on the West Coast.
The best way to get to the path?
There are direct buses from Lisbon to Porto Covo/São Torpes Seashore. Rede Expressos buses go away all through the day from Sete Rios Bus station in Lisbon. As of March 2022, there are morning buses at 7.30 am and 9.30 am solely on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays.
The journey takes 2h10min. The ticket prices 16,5 Euro. Tickets may be purchased on the bus terminal or on-line. Within the peak summer season season, I’d advocate buying tickets beforehand. You possibly can test the up-to-date itinerary and purchase tickets on-line.
If you happen to’re planning to start out strolling at S.Torpes Seashore which is 10 km north of Porto Covo you’ll must get off the bus earlier. S.Torpes Seashore is between Sines and Porto Covo. Ask a driver to cease at Praia de São Torpes.
There are direct buses to Lisbon from Odeceixe, Sagres, Lagos, and Santiago do Cacém. Wherever you resolve to complete the Fisherman’s Path you’ll be capable of get again to Lisbon by bus. From smaller cities, there are one or two day by day buses to Lisbon. From larger locations e.g. Santiago do Cacém or Lagos there are lots of day by day departures. You may get a direct bus to Lisbon from virtually each city on the route. You should buy tickets and test the present itinerary on the Rede Expressos web site.
If you happen to’re coming from Lisbon and wish to spend a few days there listed below are our suggestions for locations to remain within the metropolis.
Locations to remain in Lisbon
Excursions and actions in Lisbon
Lisbon is an incredible place with many vacationer points of interest and issues to do. In case you have a while in Lisbon earlier than or after the Fisherman’s Path listed below are some beneficial actions;
What to pack for the hike?
If you happen to’re planning to remain in resorts or hostels you don’t want a lot stuff to hold which is nice you’ll be able to pack actually gentle for the hike and benefit from the path strolling with a day pack.
Backpack – a 30l backpack might be sufficient to pack mountain climbing garments for 4 days and a few toiletries.
Snug footwear for strolling, could be a pair of sunshine mountain climbing footwear (a males’s mannequin) or a pair of trainers (a males’s mannequin).
GoPro HERO11 – on the Fishermen’s Path as a substitute of carrying our huge DSLR digital camera we packed a brand new GoPro. The standard of the footage and pictures is sweet, the digital camera may be very gentle and small, it could actually get moist, and you may swim and dive with it.
Garmin Fenix 5 GPS watch – our new mountain climbing companion, we used it to get the elevation profiles and the maps for this put up.
Kindle – we all the time take our Kindles Paperwhite with us when touring. If you happen to’re an proprietor of Kindle by becoming a member of Kindle Limitless program by Amazon you’ll get entry to hundreds of e-books and audiobooks.
Questions or Feedback?
Obtained any questions or feedback? We’d love to assist! All questions and feedback might be answered by us personally in Purchase Me a Espresso. Click on beneath and ask away.
Be at liberty to assist our website by shopping for us a espresso!
Please comply with and like us:
The gorgeous half of Stingy Nomads, answerable for all our land adventures (mountain climbing, climbing, strolling the Camino) and following them write-ups. Alya loves strolling since she was a toddler, she prefers to stroll 1000 km with a backpack somewhat than to do a ten 000 km street journey (truly any street journey). Alya is an enormous fan of Latin America, the Spanish language, and dancing. Each time we go away she desperately misses our canine Chile.
