Walk Portugal's Atlantic Coast holiday

Planet

CARBON REDUCTION

The Atlantic Trail is designed around slow travel and a limited number of accommodation changes. Guests stay in just two rural bases during the eight-night journey, around Vila Nova de Milfontes and Odeceixe, reducing unnecessary transfers and repeated luggage movements.

There are no internal flights during the holiday. Guests arrive through Lisbon and travel together by pre-arranged shared private transport to the Alentejo coast. Rather than keeping a vehicle and driver with the group throughout the nine days, transport is booked only when needed for airport transfers, walking-route drop-offs and collections, local encounters and the change between our two bases.

Walking is an important part of the experience. Three days include selected sections of the Rota Vicentina and Fishermen’s Trail, normally around 3.5–4km each. These short point-to-point walks allow guests to experience the coast on foot without requiring additional vehicle movements during the walk itself.
We favour seasonal and locally produced food in the meals included in the programme, and vegetarian options are available. Guests are also encouraged to consider lower-carbon travel choices where practical and to compare flight emissions when travelling to Portugal.

ENVIRONMENT AND WILDLIFE

Much of the journey takes place within the landscapes of the Southwest Alentejo and Vicentine Coast, including dunes, cliffs, beaches, river valleys and sections of the Rota Vicentina. Guests are asked to remain on marked paths, avoid disturbing wildlife and vegetation, and take particular care in fragile dune and cliff environments.

We provide journey information digitally and encourage guests to bring a refillable water bottle rather than relying on single-use plastic bottles. We also favour small-scale rural accommodation and ask our accommodation partners about their approaches to water use, waste, recycling and plastic reduction when selecting properties.

Our small group size, with a maximum of eight guests, allows us to use existing paths and smaller local properties rather than infrastructure designed for large groups.

We are also developing a long-term relationship with one local environmental, community or social-impact organisation in the region. Our intention is to support one partner consistently rather than making one-off visits to different projects. The specific partner will be named once the cooperation has been formally agreed.

People

LOCAL ECONOMY

The journey has been deliberately designed around small-scale rural accommodation rather than international hotel chains. We use only two bases during the trip and prioritise independently operated properties with a strong connection to the surrounding landscape and community.

Local people are central to the itinerary. Each departure includes around three Local Encounters with people such as fishermen, farmers, artisans, food producers, naturalists or small family businesses. These are longer encounters rather than brief demonstrations, giving guests time to learn directly from people who live and work in the region.

Five selected meals are included during the journey, including the welcome and farewell dinners. We favour independent restaurants, local products and regional food, helping keep visitor spending within the communities we travel through.

Our Journey Host is based in or closely connected with Portugal and works alongside local accommodation providers, transport companies, producers and activity partners. By travelling between Porto Covo, Vila Nova de Milfontes, the surrounding countryside and Odeceixe, the holiday distributes visitor spending across several communities rather than concentrating it in one tourism centre.

EMPLOYMENT, INCLUSIVITY AND DIVERSITY

We work with locally based Journey Hosts, drivers, accommodation providers and Local Encounter partners wherever possible, creating income opportunities directly within Portugal rather than importing staff from outside the destination.
Our groups are limited to eight travellers, helping us work with small independent businesses that may not be able to accommodate large tour groups.

Be Local is committed to equal treatment regardless of nationality, gender, race, religion or sexual orientation, and the holiday is LGBTQ+ friendly.

The journey includes gentle walks rather than demanding trekking, but some sections of the Rota Vicentina include sand, uneven ground and coastal paths. For this reason, the trip is not currently designed as a fully accessible holiday for guests with significantly limited mobility. We provide clear information before booking so travellers can assess whether the walking is suitable for them.