Hiking in Portugal 2

Hiking in Portugal is quite possible in one of the most popular tourist destinations in the country, the Algarve, thanks to the Ria Formosa Natural park and the Castro Marim Reserve.

These places feature a plethora of trails which can be quite wild, these are national wildlife reserves after all. You can walk along the cliffs to get some of the best views of the region; some of the best regions to hike in the Algarve are along the Praia da Marinha, Senhora da Rocha, Porto do Mos, Boca de Rio and Salema.

Going to the exact opposite region of the country, the northern part of Portugal features mountain ranges and valleys, most notable being around the Douro River, a hike that leads up to the Calcada de Alpajares or Devil’s Trail. This is one of the oldest hiking trails in the country and will take you to Quinta de Santiago. This used to be an old pilgrim route and you’ll get to see very remote villages on the way there, as well as a great view of the Douro River. This trail is about twenty-two kilometers long and will take the better part of day to transit.

Now jumping off of mainland Portugal, landing on the Madeira Islands will bring you to some of the most popular hiking destination in Portugal, this is where many experienced hikers head for. The scenery is absolutely stunning, the old irrigation system made up of the levadas make for a wonderful backdrop for a hiking adventure.

One of the best kept and most popular trail here is around the Levada da Central da Riveira da Janela, which features seven tunnels and a beautiful waterfall. Along the way you can see valleys and peaks, and it will keep you busy for the entire day.

Whether you want to hike on the mainland or the islands, keep our Portugal car rental services in mind when you’re on your trip there. In case you would like to have a tour of the whole island by car, we suggest you employ the services of Madeira sightseeing tours.