Walking holidays in Portugal
| country: | Portugal |
| location: | Alentejo |
| trip type: | Self guided & introductory walking holidays |
| departures: | This trip can be tailormade throughout the year and can be adapted to suit your interests, budget and requirements as necessary (minimum 2 people) |
| price: | From £396 (8 days) self guided walking (min 2 people) and £533 guided walking (min 4 people) excluding flights |
read 2 travellers reviews
the amazing things you'll be doing
Walk in the mild lands of the Alentejo, offering straight forward coastal and river-side guided or self guided walking in gentle, attractive surroundings. With mild temperatures all year around, sea and landscapes to die for with a small and friendly population unspoilt in nature... these holidays are a synonym of tranquillity.
Day after day you will experience different sensations: the savage smell of the Atlantic Ocean; the aroma of the endemic vegetation; the affability on contact with people; the taste of the gastronomy; the tranquillity of the space, the width of the horizons... the feeling to have found a unique place!
This coast is known for its tranquillity: deserted beaches, surrounded by beautiful steep cliffs, dales dams and cork oaks, the magnificent serpent-shaped River Mira, temperate weather all year long and a gastronomy based on fresh fish and seafood, and a menu full of tasty meals. This is an opportunity to live together with homely and hospitable people, in a rural surrounding dominated by little white villages and traditional agriculture.
Guided walks will be adapted each day to suit the interests of the group (flora, fauna, cultural...). The group will be led by an official guide recognised by ICN (Institute for Conservation of Nature - a department of the governemant) and they will be informed about all aspects of this rural environment. An itinerary is given below for our self guided walks.
This trip includes 7 nights bed and breakfast in local guesthouses, luggage transfers, an information pack, maps & route description and personal insurance. We can also arrange transport before and after your tour, single rooms and airport transfers at an extra cost. This is a trip for those who want different holidays away from crowds and packed-holidays, with easy walking (3-4 hours per day on mostly flat ground). To see our location, please click on the map on the right.
Day after day you will experience different sensations: the savage smell of the Atlantic Ocean; the aroma of the endemic vegetation; the affability on contact with people; the taste of the gastronomy; the tranquillity of the space, the width of the horizons... the feeling to have found a unique place!
This coast is known for its tranquillity: deserted beaches, surrounded by beautiful steep cliffs, dales dams and cork oaks, the magnificent serpent-shaped River Mira, temperate weather all year long and a gastronomy based on fresh fish and seafood, and a menu full of tasty meals. This is an opportunity to live together with homely and hospitable people, in a rural surrounding dominated by little white villages and traditional agriculture.
Guided walks will be adapted each day to suit the interests of the group (flora, fauna, cultural...). The group will be led by an official guide recognised by ICN (Institute for Conservation of Nature - a department of the governemant) and they will be informed about all aspects of this rural environment. An itinerary is given below for our self guided walks.
This trip includes 7 nights bed and breakfast in local guesthouses, luggage transfers, an information pack, maps & route description and personal insurance. We can also arrange transport before and after your tour, single rooms and airport transfers at an extra cost. This is a trip for those who want different holidays away from crowds and packed-holidays, with easy walking (3-4 hours per day on mostly flat ground). To see our location, please click on the map on the right.day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Arrival and transfer to Vila Nova de Milfontes (from Faro/Lisbon Airport by taxi or public transport). This beautiful town on the Mira Estuary is worth exploring. | |
| Day 2: | Almograve. 9 miles. After breakfast a short and easy walk along the coast. The path winds through pinewoods, sand dunes and on top of the cliff, hiding the Brejo Largo beach, always deserted, will take you to the small fishing village of Almograve. The night will be spent in a guesthouse. | |
| Day 3: | Zambujeira. 13 miles. The journey starts walking to the Almograve beach (Praia Grande) and then turns south. It is always worth going off the route to visit the tiny fishing harbour "Entrada da Barca", well sheltered between the rocks. Along the way cliff-nesting storks can be watched, breeding from January and throughout the spring. Through Cavaleiro and the beautiful lighthouse of Cabo Sardão the route ends in Zambujeira do Mar, where fresh bream and sea bass can be sampled in the local restaurants. Overnight at a small guesthouse in Zambujeira. | |
| Day 4: | Odeceixe. 13 miles. From Zambujeira beach a coastal path will lead you on to the stunning Carvalhal Beach. Dunes and cliffs, higher as you go south, are still the main features, as well as the superb views of the coast, as you reach another fishing village of Azenha do Mar. The day trip ends dropping down over the river Seixe into the picturesque town of Odeceixe, the first town of the Algarve where you will stay the night in a guesthouse. | |
| Day 5: | São Teotonio. 9 miles. Heading into the interior, the landscape changes into traditionally farmed agricultural land, woods, plantations and river valleys. A walk of 15km will take you through the tiny village of São Miguel to the market town of São Teotonio, where you will stay over night in a small hotel. | |
| Day 6: | Odemira. 13 miles. Heading off east from Sao Teotonio, dirt tracks, through fields with cork oaks grazed by black pigs, will lead you to the river Miras cool valley, which will follow into the country town of Odemira to spend the night in a guesthouse in the heart of the town (10km). | |
| Day 7: | Vila Nova de Milfontes. 24 miles. Big day today, Following down stream the River Mira, a 30km walk along its banks, winding with the meanders at the beginning and then uphill will take you to the end of the route. On the way you will come across the tiny village of Troviscais, where there is a couple of cafes for refreshments required. A working windmill crowns Vale Bejinha village. The route turns towards Brunheiras and enters Vilanova de Milfontes from the north, through Posadas Velhas where you will get a well-earned rest back at the hotel. If this day is too long, you can ring for a lift back to your hotel at any point. | |
| Day 8: | Departure. |
travellers' tales
It was all wonderful...the landscape was exquisite, the arrangements were perfect, the company personnel personable and responsive, even the weather was great. (more)
how this holiday makes a difference
|
One of the most positive differences you will find in this trip is the extremely friendly people you will meet in a traditionally Portuguese environment. We are focused on offering a unique experience, as we can provide a high degree of flexibility and personal care.
Responsible tourism is a core differentiator for our business and the Alentejo region generally. The unspoilt, natural surroundings are what attract people as a contrast to the intensive, mass tourism of the Algarve. We know the importance of maintaining this environment for the sustainability of both the locality and our livelihood. We work directly with ICN (Institute for the Conservation of Nature). We are based within a Natural Park, so we pay an annual fee to ICN in order to protect and develop initiatives inside the Park. Our leaders take active steps to ensure our groups behave in an environmentally responsible manner such as sticking to established trails, not leaving anything behind or removing any plants whilst doing the activities through the park. We have solar panels to heat water and we recycle our garbage.  We're in a very rural environment so our business represents a very important alternative regarding local employment opportunities. Most of our leaders were born in the region and others have lived in this region for a long time. They're all part of our community and share the same values and culture. This trip allows our guests to be in contact with all our traditions and way of living, and allows them to get closer to the reality of rural Portugal. You will not find big hotels here as they're all locally owned. We only work with small groups of not more than 16 people. Tourism has a very important role in this region and contributes to the sustainable development of our community. The human intervention on the environment is very controlled by the ICN. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |