🥾 Hiking in Portugal: top 10 routes
Porto Galia is an ideal destination for hiking enthusiasts. Markings marking hiking trails can be found all over the country, because the locals themselves love active recreation. Lines of different colors – green, yellow, orange, red – indicate not only a specific route, but also its level of difficulty.
Many tracks have a cool infrastructure : difficult-to-pass places are equipped with wooden ladders, mountain slopes are steps, and river banks are connected by suspension bridges. This makes hiking not only fun, but also very comfortable.
The nature of Portugal is rich in amazing species. The trails lead through rocks and waterfalls, through authentic villages and vineyards, along rivers and the ocean. Some routes have campsites and hotels, restaurants and beaches.
Where to look for hiking tracks?
- Wikiloc – this world portal has collected 55 thousand diverse routes around Portugal. The mobile application allows you to download maps with tracks and use them offline.
- AllTrails – This well-known application for fans of hiking in Portugal has more than 5.5 thousand routes marked. The program is also well thought out and easy to use.
- I couldn’t find out how many tracks Komoot has in Portugal, but I like this service the most. When choosing a starting location, he offers routes of varying lengths and difficulty levels.
- Portugaltrails.com is a website created by Portugal Tourism. It contains tracks for walking and cycling in all regions of the country. I didn’t find the site particularly convenient, but some useful things can be found there, for example, walks along routes with guides.
- Natural.PT – This national service tells about the protected areas of mainland Portugal. On it you can not only find interesting routes, but also get information about nature and attractions , infrastructure and local traditions.
Detailed information about routes is also available on municipal websites.
Which tracks are worth paying attention to?
Paiva Walkways
This route features the longest pedestrian suspension bridge in Portugal.
It is important to know: to get to the “516 Arouca” bridge, you need to buy tickets in advance on the website. Be sure to do this. Because the walk along the swaying metal structure 175 meters above the ground is worth it. A turbulent river will flow under your feet, and you will be surrounded by rocks along which a waterfall flows.
The track itself runs along wooden stairs and decks along the Paiva River. The path is linear. You will have to take a taxi to get from the finish to the starting point. Well, or walk 9 km in the opposite direction.
” Port Wine Trail “
The Douro River Valley with its terraced vineyards is one of the most famous Portuguese landscapes. There are many hiking trails in this picturesque region. You can, for example, take a walk along the route starting from the bridge in Regua. It has a great view of the Douro and the surrounding hills.
- Paradise pools, a village with blue windows, an abandoned observatory – the top locations of Serra da Estrela
- The beautiful beaches of Alentejo and its sunny capital, Évora
- What is worth seeing in the vicinity of Lisbon?
But the most popular in these parts is the “Port Wine Trail”. It starts in the village of Samodães, which is located near the city of Lamego. And it leads along paths past farms, through vineyards and along the riverbank. The circular route is approximately 8 km long.
“Slate villages of Louza”
These ancient stone villages are surrounded by dense forests. The landscapes here are so green – so similar to the Azores.
There are about 50 hiking and 10 cycling trails along Mount Lousa, as well as tracks for climbers and canoeists. You can find out more about them on your local website.
I recommend a walk between the villages of Comareira, Aigra Nova, Aigra Velha and Pena. Here is a link to their locations. In the villages themselves there are signs that will lead you to the right paths and prevent you from getting lost.
I didn’t see any cafes in these tiny settlements, but there were hotels. Living in such silence and beauty is a fairy tale.
“The Hobbit Road”
This trek is located on Mount Hazor. He eats the tart in the authentic village of Piódão, which in itself deserves your careful exploration. See the slate houses, stroll along the cobbled streets, go down to the river basin, and taste local infusions. Although it is better to do the latter upon return – the track, by the way, is a circular one.
Forest trails along the route lead to the beautiful beach of Foz d'égua. Once at the river, it is worth climbing the steps to the suspension bridge, and then even higher to the shale sanctuary. There is a magnificent view from there.
The length of the trek is 6 km, but with a walk through the villages it will, of course, be longer.
“The bays of Porto Covo”
I wanted to add a track along the shores of the Atlantic to the mountain routes. Each bay of Porto Covo is special and incredibly beautiful. Walking along the ocean, leisurely exploring the beaches, is an ideal pastime.
Several routes are marked on the map, ranging in length from 7 to 20 km. The tracks follow paths along rocky cliffs. Wear suitable footwear – walking in beach flip-flops can be dangerous.
If you are planning to stay in Portugal for a short time and do not have time to go to the points that I suggested, take a look at the nearest hiking tracks – even near Lisbon, there are a lot of them.