The Fishermen’s Trail is a popular walking trail in the south of Portugal, connecting the Aljezur and Algarve regions. With every passing year, it grows in popularity. Its easy accessibility, well-serviced villages, and stunning landscape make it easy to go out and hike parts of the trail, or do everything in one go. However, here are 5 very important things to know before your Fishermen’s Trail hike. They will help with your planning and preparations. And ultimately, make your hike so much more enjoyable! Let’s dive in.
In Spring 2025, I walked the Fishermen’s Trail in Portugal during one continuous journey, on my own. I walked from Praia do São Torpes (2 hours from Lisbon) in the Alentejo region to Lagos in the South of Portugal. I did this in 13 walking stages, and I’d like to share my own experiences, practical tips, and inspire you to explore the dramatic coastline of Portugal on your own.
Note about the blog: I paid for everything in full myself. I was not paid or sponsored. All my opinions and experiences are my own.
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🌦️ Check the weather forecast from IPMA;
🥾 Use appropriate equipment: sturdy footwear, waterproof clothing and hiking poles;
🗺️ Know the trail you plan to follow: consult the stage page on the website, check the alerts section and review the interactive map;
❗ Exercise caution in difficult passages.
🔥 Be aware of possible extreme events (e.g. wildfires or floods).
Important things to know before your Fishermen’s Trail Hike
If you landed on this blog, I assume you know about the 227 km long Fishermen’s Trail in Portugal. And you want to know if this hike is for you, or you plan to hike it and want to know what to expect. Excellent choice!
I hiked the Fishermen’s trail from Praia do São Torpes (near Sines) to Lagos in Portugal as a solo female hiker. It was my first solo (through) hike abroad, and I feel I did a fair bit of preparation.
I enjoyed almost every minute of it, and I’d like to help you prepare your trip too! It doesn’t matter if you use an organised trekking company or you want to solo hike, it is good to know a few things ahead of starting.
The Fishermen’s Trail is not a camino
Hiking on the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal) seems to be a synonym for a camino. And let me tell you: the Fishermen’s Trail is not a camino! This is very important, as I feel all other tips and lessons basically stem from this notion.
The Camino originated as a religious pilgrimage and spiritual journey to (mostly) Santiago de Compostela in Spain. The Portuguese way runs from Lisbon to Porto and to Santiago.
Connecting coastal paths for Fishermen’s
Although the Fishermen’s Trail can be a spiritual journey for you, it did not originate as a religious pilgrimage. The Fishermen’s Way are coastal footpaths connecting fishing hot spots for local fishermen.
Nowadays, it is a way for the Portuguese tourist board and the Rota Vicentina organisation, which maintains the trail, to bring tourists to the regions of Aljezur and the Algarve, outside the popular summer holiday months.
Why is it important?
The reason I find it important to know for you that the Fishermen’s Trail is not a Camino is the way the trail is set out. On the Camino, you pass through villages, there are alternative routes, and you can decide each day how far you’ll walk.
If one albergue is full, you’ll try the next, as most Camino villages cater to Camino hikers. The menu del dia (menu of the day) is a cheap meal for hikers, and shared accommodation, luggage transfers, and taxis are readily available. You stamp your Camino passport, and at the end, you’ll attend the mass at the Cathedral.
None of that on the Fishermen’s Trail. There is no hiker passport to stamp. You have the understand that the Alentejo and Algarve region, especially along the west coast, is a remote and sparsely populated area.
The 13 stages of the Fishermen’s Trail are almost set in stone, as there are no stops, villages, or entry points in between. (Some exceptions). Deciding on the day how far you’ll walk is not really an option, as you cannot stop and exit a natural reserve for a way out. At least not with walking a lot of extra km.
Book ahead! As far as possible
If you walk multiple days, you have to sleep somewhere. Wild camping is not allowed, although there are campsites and designated places. So most people stay in hostels, B&Bs, hotels, and whatnot.
Unlike a Camino, where you live in the moment and decide on the day, I strongly advise you to book your accommodations as far ahead as possible. I have several reasons for that.
As I mentioned, most stages are set anyway. The Fishermen’s Trail is not really made for “I’ll see how I feel” and “There is always a bed somewhere”. The villages are small. Tiny hamlets with a shop, 2 restaurants, and some smart locals who converted their homes to holiday rentals.
They are small, often with just a couple of rooms available, and they use key boxes. The chances of finding the owners as you arrive, with all the other walkers in the afternoon, and finding a place to sleep are low. Maybe in the very off-season.
The region and the villages along the trail are popular with holidaymakers, surfers, and hikers. So it can get very busy. No wonder the prices go up on popular weekends and national holidays.
If you book ahead, you have the most availability for the best prices. You can pick and stay as close to the path if you like.
Of course, you can always see if you can find a taxi that can bring you to the next village or nearby town, but who wants the hassle of that?
I always use a booking portal like booking.com that has all hotels, B&Bs, guesthouses, and holiday rentals in one spot. But for easy booking and recommendations, you can check out my Fishermen’s Trail Accommodation guide here.
Leave no trace – not even paper tissues
I think the biggest nuisance on the trail is the endless trail of paper tissues behind bushes, trees, and on popular pee spots. And not just for me, I discussed this with many other hikers, and almost everyone brought it up. But yet, the trail was littered with paper tissues.
When nature calls on the Fishermen’s Trail, there is not really a lot you can do. On some stages, you go 10 to 15 km without a toilet option. We passed a few beaches that had toilet blocks, but they were closed. In the villages that you pass, you can use the restrooms of the bar cafes, but they are not always available when you have to pee.
This is perfectly understandable, and I guess, normal. But please, I beg of you, think of how you’ll manage this. I always carry an empty ziplock bag with me, and I put my 1 wet wipe in there that I use for peeing.
No need for a whole pack of tissue paper. They are waxy, they don’t decompose as fast as you’d think, and it is just disgusting to see them everywhere along the trail. Not the mention the damage they will do to the environment.
Another option is something called a pee-rag. Basically, a piece of fabric the size of a handkerchief that you use for those last drops of pee, and wash out every evening. You can buy them here, but any small, fast-drying fabric that you can keep on the outside of the pack will do.
The Fishermen’s Trail is not difficult, but it can be tough, so come prepared
None of the stages of the Fishermen’s Trail are really long (except when you deviate from the set stages), and mostly, you’ll walk on well-marked, narrow foot paths along the coast. But there are a few things that can make the Fishermen’s Trail tougher than you thought it would be
- Sandy trail. Some stages are nearly 95% loose sand, some are a better mix. But sand will be there. It is hard going, tough on the glutes and knees, and the more weight you carry, the harder it is.
- The wind. After a couple of days of wind force 5 or even 6, the steady 4Bf seemed like it was windstill. The wind is there, mostly blowing from the north, and it can make things very chilly quickly. Or it offers a cooling breeze when it is really hot, but then the risk of sunburn or even windburn increases. Walking against the wind makes things double as hard, so keep an eye on the wind direction.
- Altitude differences. I’ve walked coastal paths before, and inevitably, there will be ascents and descents. Back down to the beach and straight back up again. Some descents (especially around Sagres/Salema) were particularly steep and hard. The stronger your legs are, the easier it will be. Train for walking long distances, but also train your hip, ankle, and knee mobility to be prepared for these sections.
I felt 100% safe as a solo female hiker
Of course, your experience can be different than mine. But due to the well-marked trails, good facilities and connections in town, and all the other people around, I felt 100% safe as a solo female hiker.
I’ve hiked solo before, but in my own country. This was the first time I did a longer hike abroad. I wasn’t nervous because I felt well-prepared, but I’m aware some women might wonder if it is safe, so I wanted to talk about it here.
For the first stages, it was quite busy with hikers and hikers only. This way, I feel people look after one another, and if needed, you could easily ask for help. When the trail got less busy, I’d sometimes be surprised if I saw a figure pop up before me on the trail or behind me, because I was so wrapped up in my own brain, but I never felt threatened or scared.
On the trail, it really is only hikers. Sometimes, in and around villages or beaches, you see dog walkers or daytrippers. In some villages, there were a large number of seemingly male expat workers hanging around in groups, but they mostly kept to themselves and seemed very accustomed to the tired walker strolling through their village.
Although the trail is mostly through vast, uninhabited wild nature reserves and coastline, it never felt scary. It was very clear where you should walk; there were always footsteps ahead, and because of the openness of the landscape, you could see someone a mile ahead.
If you come prepared and want to explore the stunning Portuguese coastline, I’d say the Fishermen’s Trail would be a great way to start.
Hike the Fishermen’s Trail in Portugal
Now that we’ve got this out of the way, nothing is stopping you from heading to Portugal and embarking on this glorious seaside walk!
You’ll be treated to a different experience from the Camino but with similar charming rural countryside and villages, sweeping views, and great walking trails!
If you need more information, make sure to hit up other sections of this blog or send me an e-mail.
Let me know if you have any specific questions or need help planning your own trip. If you thought this post was helpful or fun to read, let me know in the comment section below. Or share it with your friends or on social media! And make sure to come back for more travel stories next time.