Walking holidays in Portugal
Our Portugal Holidays
Madeira walking holiday
Small group walking tour of madeira
Alentejo & Algarve self guided walking holiday, Portugal
Independent coastal walking holidays in the Alentejo Coast
Sintra Natural Park retreats & walks in Portugal
Walking, yoga, R&R near beaches, forests, historic sites
Azores walking holiday, Portugal
Walk to Cete Cidades and the Fire Lakes
Walking holiday in Madeira
Walk through the wild and varied scenery of Madeira
Portugal walking tour
Self guided walking tour in Portuguese Schist Villages
Sintra Natural Park accommodation in Portugal
Eco-friendly B&B, in Sintra Natural Park near lovely beaches
Coastal walking holiday in Portugal
The very best walks from the 125km selection of coastal trails
Eastern Madeira walking holiday
Hike along rocky shore lines and mountainous interior
Alentejo self guided walking in Portugal
Exploring Rota Vicentina's best trails
Douro Valley self guided walking holiday in Portugal
Walking in Douro Valley through astonishingly landscape
Rota Vicentina walking holiday in Portugal
Self guided walking tour in Rota Vicentina
Madeira walking holiday, self guided
A sub-tropical paradise perfect for year round walking
Walking holiday in the Azores
A journey around beautiful Atlantic islands
Peneda-Gerês National Park walking holiday in Portugal
1-week Self-guided Walking in Peneda-Gerês National Park
Porto to Santiago De Compostela walking holiday
14 days pilgrimage through Northern Portugal and Spain
The Portuguese Way walking holiday
Porto to Santiago walking holiday in Portugal
Algarve walking holiday, west to east
Twin-centre walking trip through Portugal's Algarve
The Fisherman’s Trail walking holiday, Portugal
-valleys, mountain ridges and forests of pine and oak.
Portugal palaces and coast walks holiday
An exceptional Self Guided walk in the Serra de Sintra
Azores whale watching and walking holiday
Explore the hidden depths of the Azores
Portuguese Camino de Santiago walking holiday
Magical walking through the Portuguese Camino to Santiago
Portugal self guided walking holiday in Alentejo
Drive'n'Hike in the eastern Alentejo.
Sagres walking holiday in the Algarve, Portugal
Walk the unspoilt Sagres Peninsula
Portugal walking holiday, Eastern Algarve
Scenic coastal and inland walking in Portugal
Portugal hiking holiday on the Rota Vicentina Way
Self-guided hiking on the Rota Vicentina, S W Portugal
Highlights of Northern Portugal
Enjoy Douro Valley, Peneda-Gerês N. Park and coastal Minho
Alentejo walking holidays in Portugal
Coastal and hill walking in the S. W. Alentejo, Portugal.
Self guided walking holiday Portugal, Sintra region
Car free holidays in Sintra Portugal
Walking and wine tour of portugal
Walking and wine tours through the very best of Portugal
What does a Portugal walking holiday entail?
You’ll typically be based in one place, making day treks instead of walking point-to-point, but in some regions, certainly Madeira and the Azores, you will change locations every couple of nights allowing for diverse scenery. Accommodation tends to be rural hotels and guesthouses, and if you are moving around then there will be the option to have your luggage transferred between them.
Most of these walking holidays run all year round, especially those in northern Portugal and Sintra, which are usually several degrees cooler than Lisbon and the south. But in the Algarve and neighbouring Alentejo you’ll probably want to avoid July and August, which can be swelteringly hot and full of tourists. Spring and autumn are far more satisfying seasons for walking. The Azores and Madeira of course are a totally different story, with generally mild climates but unpredictable weather.
Where to walk in Portugal
Sintra
The wooded hills and rugged coastline of Sintra National Park, just outside Lisbon, are crisscrossed with magnificent walking trails, and accommodation providers in the park can supply you with excellent recommendations and directions. The historic town itself is a hugely popular daytrip, but stay in the wider park and you’ve got the perfect position from which to explore the palaces and also get out and about in the fresh Atlantic breeze.The Azores
This isolated, volcanic archipelago is justly famed for its incredible marine life, especially the whales and dolphins that gather in the deep waters for the plankton blooms each spring. On Pico Island you can walk trails around the coast where you might see a Blue whale breach the waves, climb Mount Pico, the highest peak in the Azores, or admire the unique, UNESCO-protected vineyards. Faial is known as ‘the blue island’ for the hydrangeas that carpet it in summer, and has a stunning walk around its volcanic crater. These are generally small group tours, during which you’ll walk around 10km a day over moderate terrain with a guide.Madeira
The Portugal Way
One of the most popular Camino de Santiago routes, the Portugal Way can depart from Lisbon or Porto to Santiago de Compostela. Hike inland across beautiful Portuguese and Spanish countryside, or take the Atlantic/Galician coastal route, with both options meeting in the Spanish town of Redondela. If you can manage around 24km a day over generally quite easygoing terrain (at least in comparison to other Camino routes) then you can walk comfortably from Porto in a two-week holiday.Douro Valley
The Douro Valley is among Portugal’s premier wine regions, with gentle trails twisting through pretty valleys, over medieval bridges, by vast waterfalls and terraced vineyards. Walking between a succession of luxurious hotels you can meet top winemakers, taste the wonderfully refreshing local speciality Vinho Verde, and of course spend some time in Porto, home of port wine, perhaps taking a boat trip on the river and touring some cellars.Geres-Peneda National Park
The Algarve
Escape the well worn tourist traps by heading into the eastern Algarve, one of Europe’s most renowned bird watching destinations, where rural Portuguese life goes on much as it has for centuries and where you’re never far from a gorgeous sea view. Expect average daily walks of around 16km and generally flat terrain around lakes, nature reserves, salt pans and fragrant pine forests.Alentejo
The big draw of the Alentejo region is the Rota Vicentina, a 400km network of trails of which the Fisherman’s Way is the best known. The idyllic rural landscapes here, practically unchanged in centuries, are simply made for self guided walks but you can also take a more coastal direction, remembering that the sand can make it a little harder going in places. Walk in Alentejo to sample some of Portugal’s most distinctive traditional culture and food.Our top Portugal Holiday
Madeira walking holiday
Small group walking tour of madeira
2021: 17 Apr, 15 May, 22 May, 19 Jun, 7 Aug, 4 Sep, 18 Sep, 2 Oct, 16 Oct, 30 Oct, 20 Dec, 27 Dec
2022: 12 Feb, 5 Mar, 19 Mar, 2 Apr, 16 Apr, 14 May, 28 May, 18 Jun, 6 Aug, 3 Sep, 17 Sep, 1 Oct, 15 Oct, 29 Oct, 20 Dec, 27 Dec
“We went in February and did not pack over-trousers and regretted it. It is cold in the mountains and any cloud coming over the Island has to climb 1800m, so will deposit a full load of rain on you. We walked on one day in heavy rain from start to finish and were soaked through. Our assumption that we would be warm as we were on a subtropical island was wrong. Come prepared for bad weather and then you will be able to enjoy it more if the weather is good! Our tour leader did very well to choose walks that we could do in inclement weather conditions, he was attentive and ensured the experience was fun and memorable.” – Gabrielle Lorenz in a review of her Madeira walking holiday

