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Minimum of 4 guests, maximum 12 guests
Private van, Taxis and Buses.
3-4 star hotels with breakfast. Single room supplement $350.
Suitable for confident hikers.
5 PM - Lagos, Portugal
9 AM - Lagos, Portugal
The Algarve region of Southern Portugal is like California in the 80’s – with its relaxed, laid-back West Coast vibe. You’ll marvel at the area’s deep history – the beginning of the slave trade, pirates, the Roman Empire, and the Portuguese people’s vast world exploration and conquests. Apart from fabulous hikes – you’ll have time to explore fascinating fishing villages and historic Lagos – our favorite town in southern Portugal. Beautiful beaches, spectacular coastal and mountain walks, charming fishing towns, a glorious climate in March, and excellent cuisine make for a perfect walking adventure.
You’ll stay four of the eight nights in a fabulous 4-star hotel in the old town area of Lagos, a picturesque coastal town and a historical gem that captures visitors worldwide. We have found Lagos to be a great base, yet you’ll also stay in the Serra de Monchique mountains in a 3-star lodge with great views, a historic 4-star hotel on the sea cliffs in Sagres, and a 3-star beachside hotel in the fishing village of Salema, allowing us to enjoy the best villages and accommodation while limiting drive times to our daily hikes.
Day 1: Arrive in Lagos by train or bus from Lisbon (4 hours) or Faro (1 hour) airports.
Day 2: Two short hikes in the Serra Monchique area and you’ll stay at a beautiful secluded villa with a pool with great views and a catered dinner with a chef.
Day 3: Visit a 16th century monastery and explore the hill town village of Monchique. We’ll then head to the “End of the Earth” at the southernmost point in Europe, visit the historic Sagres Fort and walk to our historic 4-star hotel.
Day 4: Start the Fisherman’s Trail hiking from Sagres to Zavial Beach. Stay in Sagres.
Day 5: Hike from Zavial Beach to Salema and stay at a 3-star apartment with a view of the ocean.
Day 6: Hike from Salema to the village of Luz and return to Salema for the night.
Day 7: Hike from Luz to Lagos and celebrate finishing the Fisherman’s Trail in Lagos at our 4-star hotel.
Day 8: Hike the famous Seven Valleys Coastal Trail, stay in Lagos. Visit the Slave Trade museum and fort on your own.
Day 9: Departures after breakfast by bus or train to your next destination.
We offer this walking adventure in March when it is very pleasant in the Algarve area of southern Portugal with daytime temperatures in the 50-70’s – so very pleasant hiking weather.
It rarely does in March but if it does it is usually still OK to hike.
Southern Portugal can be a little crowded in the winter months due to the pleasant weather. We work hard to stay away from the busier tourist areas and start our hikes early to avoid crowded trails and finish mid-afternoon so our guests can relax or explore a nearby town area.
No, the highest we hike is on Mount Foia which is only 2,959 feet above sea level and most of our other hikes are along the coast so no issues there.
The basic answer is that it is up to you how much you walk. On most of the walks you can cut them short or extend them. Our average walk is 6 – 8 miles with an average elevation gain and loss of 500 feet.
Absolutely. Over the last 15 years, we have organized many private tours that accommodate various groups of friends and families, often at the same price as our regular tours, with no group size or age restrictions. We charge half of what our competition charges, and they usually have large groups of 16 – 20 people.
While our regular scheduled tours cater to adults over 18, we welcome families with children of any age on a private tour, tailoring the experience for all ages.
We offer a full refund if you cancel for any reason within the first ten days of booking. Our cancellation policy aims to accommodate unforeseen circumstances. We advise guests to review our travel industry standard Terms & Conditions here. We also highly recommend travel insurance to cover any unexpected situations. You can read more about travel insurance here.
It’s not an issue. Hotels and restaurants in our area are accustomed to accommodating various dietary needs, offering a range of options to suit all preferences. The food is very healthy, and the culinary level is very high. Most supermarkets also provide snacks for people with special dietary requirements. We cover breakfasts so you can have choices where to eat lunches and dinners.
No need to be. We attract fun people with us for a fun and stress-free experience. Our small group tours – limited to 8 guests – foster a friendly, casual atmosphere akin to hiking with friends. Guests can choose their level of group engagement and pace, ensuring a comfortable experience for all. You can be as “groupy” as you want or not. Many of our guests remain lifelong friends with others in the group, as well as with Katarina and me. The high number of our guests who come back on another trip testify to how much fun our trips are.
It rarely happens. Our guides ensure no one is left behind, and we always have a guide bringing up the rear. There are usually going to be faster and slower hikers in a group. We are very used to handling that, and with two guides, we can even split up the group if necessary to accommodate everyone. Our walking tours are about enjoying the trails and the views, not rushing through them as fast as possible. After 200+ tours, we have taken every fitness level, ages 8 to 89, every shape and size, and had many guests with different injuries come on trips. We know how to juggle them all. Our guests are encouraged to walk at their own pace, and those with concerns should contact us before booking a trip.
We want our guests to be super happy. We prioritize guests’ satisfaction by hand-selecting hotels based on quality, cleanliness, amenities, location, staff, and guest feedback.
We’ll send you a recommended packing list before the trip. Still, since we are doing day hikes, all you need is everyday hiking attire (often synthetic shorts and a T-shirt) and low-cut hiking shoes with a Vibram-type sole. And a small day pack with a water bottle, extra upper layer, waterproof jacket, and your phone to take photos – that’s about it. And comfortable clothing for walking around the towns.
They are not demanding for a person in reasonable physical shape. You should be able to walk four to six hours a day for eight days in a row on a variety of surfaces but you can always cut a walk short or extend them with one of our guides.
We will average about 30 minutes of driving a day to get to the trail heads, some more, some less.
Sometimes, most trailheads have restrooms but there are few on the trails.
Yes. All the hotels have WiFi and cell coverage on the trails 95% of the time. Your cell phone is the best way for people to contact you, and we recommend that our guests use WhatsApp to stay in touch with us. We encourage our guests to be “at the moment” as much as possible and to avoid using devices at meals with other guests (unless it’s to look at the fabulous photos you have been taking on the trip, of course).
No, and you don’t need to. We’ll send you a recommended packing list before the trip. Still, since we are doing day hikes, all you need is everyday hiking attire and low-cut walking shoes with a Vibram-type sole. And a small day pack with a water bottle, extra upper layer, waterproof jacket, and your phone to take photos—that’s about it. We have sunscreen and hiking poles for everyone.
Lagos is a fascinating place with a deep history with museums and many interesting places to visit. We will also visit the Sangres Fort.
You can fly into Lisbon and take a train (3-4 hours) down the coast to Lagos – our meeting point. Or there is another international airport in Faro which is only an hour’s taxi, train or bus ride from Lagos.
Please contact us with any further questions or concerns.
Cancel for free within 10 days of booking
Most of our tours can be booked on any dates that are available for as many days as you like as a private and/or family trip. Contact us for our affordable private/family group rates and details.