Global Adventure - Hike Portugal's Wild West Coast on the Rota Vicentina

Arrive no later than April 20, 2025 at the Lisbon international airport (departure from Seattle will be on the previous day).  You'll transfer to your hotel, meet the group and explore the rest of that day  in Lisbon.   (You're encouraged to arrive earlier in Lisbon - it's an amazing city to spend multiple days and your leader can assist in getting you a room at the same hotel.)   On April 21 we'll be shuttled south to the start of our Rota Vicentina trek.  We will hike from village to village for the next 12 days along selected sections of the Rota Vicentina Fisherman's and Historical trails.  The hike will end in Sagres on May 2 and we'll have a farewell dinner that night.  The next morning (May 3) we can organize transfers to Faro or Lisbon for flights home, but be sure to schedule your flight for later in the day to accommodate a 1.5 to 3 hour shuttle.

This adventure is timed so that you can link it with the Madeira hiking adventure immediately before!  For more information on that trip, and to register, go to this link.

Itinerary Highlights:   

Our self-guided trek will cover 116.9 miles of the 217-mile Rota Vicentina, a long-distance walking path along the wild and unspoiled southwest coast of Portugal, one of the most beautiful and best-preserved coastlines of southern Europe.  Our route will tie together the best stages of the Rota Vicentina’s Historical Way and Fisherman’s Trail, in Alentejo and Vicentina Coast National Parks, with nearly non-stop coastal scenery.  Each day we’ll walk 5 to 13 miles between small villages and hamlets through the rural countryside, sampling local culture and traditions and the region’s renowned food and wine.  Our luggage will be transferred between our lodgings as we go.  The itinerary starts in Lisbon and ends in Sages. On the final day Portugal Nature Trails will provide transportation to both Lisbon and Fargo airports.

 Day 1 (April 20): First day to explore Lisbon and surroundings. Meet up with GA group coming from Madeira. Welcome dinner.

Day 2 (April 21):  Transport from Lisbon to Vila Nova de Milfontes 2 hr drive. Day hikes to beaches and sand dunes (approximately 5 miles).  Vila Nova de Milfontes is located along the western coast of Atlantic Ocean on the northern margin of the Mira River, falling within the Nature Park of the Southwest Alentejo and Vicentine Coast. We will be lodging in Vila Nova de Milfontes at Casa do Adro.

 Day 3 (April 22): Vila Nova de Milfontes to Almograve (8.6 miles and 656’ gain). Almograve still boasts all the rugged cliffs and picturesque sand dunes from this amazing stretch of coastline and great beaches. We’ll stop for the night at Monte Longueira.

 Day 4 (April 23): Almograve to Herdade do Touril. Coastal hiking day (13 miles, +984’ gain).  Apart from its history, it is also a place of immense beauty, as the ocean and land meet in perfect union. We’ll pass through fishing port of Lapa das Pombas and the stunning beach of Almograve. As the day comes to an end, we’ll stop for the night at Touril Guest House, dinner included.

 Day 5 (April 24): Herdade do Touril to Brejão. Coastal hiking day (8.6 miles, +656’ gain).  It’s a beautiful walk along the cliffs with great views, heading to Zambujeira do Mar - a well-known known village within the Antejo Natural Park. In the evening, we will stay at Casa da Seiceira, dinner included.

 Day 6 (April 25): Brejão to Odeceixe. Coastal hiking day (8 miles, +656’ gain).   Start walking along the Seixe river and its wetlands to the south side of Odeceixe beach. We’ll follow the trail along the cliffs, cross inland and follow the water channel to João Roupeiro hamlet. We’ll finish this day at a guest house in Rogil, at Casas de Moinho.

 Day 7 (April 26): Odeceixe to Rogil. Coastal/Inland hiking day (9.3 miles, +656’ gain).  Return to the water channel and follow it crossing a farmland area with more sweet potatoes (noted as most famous in the world), maize, peanuts, and tomatoes. Close to the end, we will cross inland towards Joao Roupeiro. Lodging at Hotel Alcatruz.

 Day 8 (April 27):  Rogil to Aljezur. Coastal/Inland hiking day (8.6 miles, +328’ gain).  Descending to the beautiful valley and beach of Amoreira. From here we’ll head back inland by the plateau, and from the top we’ll follow the beautiful valley of the Amoreira river to the medieval village of Aljezur with its Moorish castle.  Dinner and night in Aljezur, at Vicentina Aparthotel.

 Day 9 (April 28):  Alezur to Arrifana. Coastal/Inland hiking day (12.4 miles, +1315’ gain).  We’ll start the day by climbing to the top of Aliezur castle to look down to the village and fertile lowlands.   Going once again to the Atlantic Ocean we’ll pass the beautiful beach and fishing village of Monte Clérigo. From here we’ll head back inland to reach our lodging in Arrifana at Hotel Herdae Monte Sol.

 Day 10 (April 29): Arrifana to Carrapateira. Coastal/Inland hiking day (11.8 miles, +656’ gain).  During this day we’ll cross Canal beach, and the route follows a trail with great views over the valley and the beach of Bordeira before arriving in the charming slow-paced village of Carrapateira, our stop for the night will be at Hortas do Rio.

 Day 11 (April 30): Carrapateira to Pedralva.  Coastal/Inland hiking day (9.9 miles, +656’ gain).   Start following the river to Bordiera beach before climbing to a high plateau above sea-carved cliffs. Then we’ll follow the coast along “Carrapateira Pontal”, an incredible peninsula and eventually we’ll arrive at hidden valley and a lost village, Pedralva, once abandoned and recovered as a hotel.  Dinner and lodging in Pedralva at Aldeia Pedralva Hotel.

 Day 12 (May 1): Pedralva to Vila do Bispo. Coastal/Inland hiking day (13 miles, +1312’ gain).  From Pedralva village, we’ll hike along the riverbanks before heading back to the ocean again to discover the fantastic Barriga beach with its great black rock cliffs. From here we’ll climb up to the charming Vila do Bispo with its narrow streets and village square by the church. We’ll stay in Bispo Village, at Pure Fonte Velha B&B.

 Day 13 (May 2): Vila do Bispo to Sagres. Coastal/Inland hiking day (8.7 miles, +328’ gain).  Our last day on the Rota Vicentina we’ll trek toward Finisterra and Cape St. Vincent, the southwestern-most point of Europe. The promontory ‘Sagres’ has long been a place of pilgrimage for believers of various religions through the ages.  Dinner and night in Sagres, at the Memmo Baleeira. Farwell dinner together.

 Day 14 (May 3):  Sagres transfer to Lisbon (3 hrs) or to Faro (1.5 hrs) for flights home or for further travel.

Time of Year:   The region has a very mild climate with over 300 days of sunshine per year, and our itinerary in the last few weeks of April should catch the peak of wildflowers while avoiding excess cold or heat.

Lodging:   Village guest houses and small hotels, twin shared accommodation with en-suite bath.

Food:   Portuguese cuisine is a seafood-heavy diet and there are limited food choices for people who don't enjoy seafood. Breakfasts and some dinners in town during the main itinerary and some meals (breakfast and 5 dinners) along the trek will be provided.  A Portuguese breakfast often consists of fresh bread, with butter, ham, cheese or jam, accompanied with coffee, milk, tea or hot chocolate. Lunch and (the 9 days identified) dinners will be on our own, in town and along the trek – we’ll shop for trail food and carry it with us along the trail.  Covered dinners will mostly be simple, fresh, and locally prepared at our guest houses with a single menu offering.

Leader’s Experience:   Jacqui Sinatra (jacqui.sinatra@gmail.com) has backpacked for 5 years. Currently part of the Seattle Backpacking committee and is an instructor for several hiking and backpacking courses including our new leader seminar. Leads domestic backpack trips from local overnights to extended trips in the north cascade including Lakeshore trail to Stehekin Goat Rocks, Rainy and Harts Pass. Mountaineers’ member since 2017, and Global Adventures leader since 2023. Has led 1 successful Global Adventure with no injuries – this is her first time leading an international Global Adventure.  She is current with Wilderness Navigation and Wilderness First Aid and is a Healthcare administrator over large hospital service lines that include all financial, leadership and operations for 35 years with a strong emphasis on program development and team building.

Maximum 12 participants. Minimum group size is 10.

Participant Requirements:   You must be a Mountaineers member to join.  We will be walking up to 13 miles a day on coastal terrain, so participants need to be in good cardiovascular condition with excellent balance, confidence on sandy trails and some cliffs, and ability to tolerate sun exposure.  In addition, this is a group trip so participants must be flexible and accommodating, have a positive attitude, and be able to amicably handle close quarters and the company of others for extended periods. Lodging will be shared twin bed rooms.  Participants must complete and return a liability waiver and a detailed medical information form, and a doctor’s approval if the leader requests it based on current or recent medical conditions.   International medical insurance and emergency medical evacuation coverage will be required (not included in the trip price).

Objectives, Expectations and Style:  Mountaineers groups can be very different from commercial groups because Mountaineers are expected to invest in getting to know and trust each other so that they can rely on each other to have their back in case of any challenge during the trip.   Trip pacing and itinerary decisions are made with an eye on each of us helping one another be safe and successful even if this means not every individual’s personal goals are met.   On an extended Mountaineers group trip, this interpersonal investment in mutual support and group relationships is particularly essential because many group members start out not knowing each other, but then find themselves in close quarters for a week or more and sometimes called upon to give significant aid to another group member.

 Covid-19 Policy Update for Global Adventures:

1. Participants and leader(s) must be fully vaccinated to participate in the trip.   This includes the most recent boosters that the participant is eligible for.
2. In addition, participants are expected to practice conservative covid behavior before and during transit to the trip including masking at airport and in planes and avoiding crowded indoor spaces whenever possible.
3. Participants and leader(s) are expected to self-test proactively any time the week before or during the trip, if they experience a symptom commonly related to COVID (this means participants need to carry self-tests).  Participants will need to let the leader know so that the leader can monitor.  Any positive test will mean that the participant will need to wear a mask and isolate from the rest of the group members as much as possible until or unless a subsequent test is negative (this would include moving them, or their roommate, out of a shared hotel room or tent, or temporarily tripling-up another room with their roommate).  If a person is seriously symptomatic, they're asked to leave the group and isolate at their own expense for at least 5 days (or longer if you still have a fever and are not symptom free, per CDC guidelines).
4. This policy will be included in the trip agreement that participants are required to read and agree upon at the time of registration.

Trip Price Detail:  $4,010, which includes all lodging, breakfast and six nights for dinner, ground transport, luggage transfers.  Does not include airfare, travel insurance, passport fees, lunches in town or on trial, optional excursions on town days, or personal items.

Registration Instructions:   First complete the application at the button below to receive leader permission to register.  Once approved, go back to the listing and click REGISTER to pay the 50% deposit.   Payment is required to hold a spot on the roster.  Final payment will be due in late fall.  

After being accepted on the trip and paying your deposit to join the roster, please complete the Trip Agreement and Release forms at the buttons below.  The Supplemental Information form is requested a few weeks before departure to update the leader on your latest situation and your insurance details.

APPLICATION

TRIP AGREEMENT

RELEASE

SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION

Cancellation Policy:  If you cancel up to 30 days before the trip starts, you will be subject to a $210 cancellation fee.  If you cancel 30 days or less before the start of the trip, there will be no refund available.  The only exception is If you can find someone to take your place on the trip, in which case you can receive a full refund less $100 once the substitute person registers and pays their fee.