The best way to hike the Fisherman’s Trail is to do it in a way that makes you the most happy. After hiking so many world trails around the world, including four Caminos, the Via Transylvanica in Romania, Three Capes in Australia, and many other gorgeous long hikes, we looked upon the Fisherman’s Trail a bit differently.
You can use this definitive guide to the Fisherman’s Trail to determine where you want to stay on the Fisherman’s Trail, where to eat, how to move your bags, what shoes to pack, what clothes to bring, and how to modify the trail by using Ubers.
The sand.
Let’s first say that the sand was not as bad as we thought it was going to be, yet we also wanted to limit as many miles as possible of hiking in the sand. So we did some research. And that research said to hike from the north to the south and to bypass the first two sections of the Fisherman’s Trail.
So we did. Our goal was to hike the Fisherman’s Trail the easiest way we could, avoiding extra long segments, using Ubers when necessary, bypassing super long sandy sections, and using our energy to enjoy the trail, not just finish it.
Thus, we flew into Lisbon then took the bus (Rede Expreso) from Lisbon to Almograve Beach for about 10 euro each to start our hike.
Our Orignial Logistics of Hiking the Fisherman’s Trail
Steve figured the logistics and prebooked our hotel rooms (average night was around $80) in the month of October. Our hiking pattern would allow for rest breaks every 3-4 days, and we paid for portage of our two carry-on bags to hotels where we’d take rest days. Thus, our bags moved three times over the length of our hike. We planned 12 days on the trail, of which we hiked 8 days.
Here was the original plan. We stuck to the hotels, but we did modify how much we hiked each day. I realized that 10 miles a day is my sweet spot for a day’s hike. Once we get over 10 miles, things start to hurt. Thus, we modified our days starting in Arrifana.
| Where We Started Each Day | Distance to Hike (Miles) | Hotel Where We Stayed Each Night |
| Day 1: Almograve Beach | HI Almograve – Pousada de Juventude | |
| Day 2: Zambujeira do Mar | 13.4 | Hostel Nature |
| Day 3: Odeceixe | 11.2 | Apartamentos Cavaco |
| Day 4: Odeceixe | Rest | Apartamentos Cavaco |
| Day 5: Arrifana | 8.1 | Hotel Vale Da Telha |
| Day 6: Carrapateira | 12.9 | Hostel Do Mar |
| Day 7: Vila do Bispo | 9.9 | Lilas’ Private Accommodation |
| Day 8: Sagres | 14.9 | Aparthotel Navigator |
| Day 9: Sagres | Rest | Aparthotel Navigator |
| Day 10: Salema | 13.0 | Salema Beach Home |
| Day 11: Lagos | 11.2 | Tivoli Lagos Algarve Resort |
| Day 12: Faro | Bus | Eucalipto |
What We Packed for the Fisherman’s Trail
Since we carry everything we own in the world with us, we clearly did not want to carry our world’s possessions on the trail with us. So we paid to portage our carry-ons to our rest locations.
We used Rota Vicenta Transfers and paid 110 euros to transfer two bags from end to end. We had the option to swap out clothing when we caught up with our bags, but we didn’t need to make any changes. If the weather would have changed, we would have made changes. It didn’t.
With our carry-ons on their way, we packed our day packs for the hike. We reviewed the weather and saw ranges from 55-80 degrees with no rain. Each night, we washed our clothes in the sink basin. At the FABULOUS Hostel Natura, we used their washing machine for free. After a muddy day, we loved this feature of this wonderful hotel. Here is my packing list for the Fisherman’s Trail (including what I wore each day):
- Patagonia shorts (2 pair)
- Patagonia long-sleeved shirt (I ended up wearing this every day to limit sun exposure):
- Lightweight tshirt
- 3 undies
- 1 bra (I wish I had brought two.)
- 3 pair of socks (They get VERY dirty on the hike.)
- Washer sheets
- One bandana
- One hat (love this hat!)
- First Aid kit
- Compeeds
- One pair of Hoka Clifton
- One pair of Hoka Hopara
- Shampoo/conditioner/deodorant/toothbrush/toothpaste/dental floss/sunscreen
- Passport/wallet/credit cards/cash
- Kindle
- Cell phone
- Charging cables
- Rain jacket that doubled for warmth at dinner time
We did not use shoe gaitors (like Dirty Girl) although we did see many people using them.
Shoes for the Fisherman’s Way
There is no perfect shoe for the Fisherman’s Trail. Every day I was wishing for a different pair of shoes than the ones I had on. Sometimes I wished I had actual boots, while other days I wished for simple water shoes. I carried two pairs of shoes with me; Hoka Cliftons and Hoka Hopara. While the Cliftons were lightweight and waterproof, their tread wasn’t enough for the rocky and unstable cliffs. Yet I did like them in the soft sand and the dirt portions of the trail.
The Hoka Hopara (read my review after two years of wear) were great for the sand and dirt portions of the trail, and I really enjoyed putting them on for the last miles of the trail which were often on backtop, but they weren’t sturdy enough for the rockier sections fo the trail.
The combined set of shoes made a good combination. But I would replace the Cliftons with Speedgoats, which have a better tread. The Cliftons simply didn’t have enough grip. If you only have room for one pair of shoes, go with the Keen Targhee Waterproof. I’ve worn these those many times, and I’d recommend these shoes for the Fisherman’s Trail if you can only bring one pair. If you can bring two, add in the Hopara (see links above.)
Poles or No Poles for the Fisherman’s Way?
If you regularly use poles, bring them. I use one pole occasionally. Although there were days I didn’t use my pole at all, the few times I did use it, I was very glad to have it. After experimenting with using my pole in the sand, it did make a slight difference in the slog through the sand. We bought out poles at the Decathlon in Lisbon (or elsewhere) for 5 euro a piece.
Food Along the Fisherman’s Trail
While the fish is plentiful and delicious, it can be quite expensive along the Fisherman’s Trail. We splurged in Sagres on a fresh fish lunch ($75), we ate hearty vegan/vegetarian meals all along the trail without any problem finding these plant-based alternatives. Average meals ran $10-12 plus drinks.
5 vegan dinners, 2 vegetarian dinners, 1 fish lunch, and examples of trail food on the Fisherman’s Trail.
Unlike the Camino, food and cafes are sparse along the trail. You’ll need to load up your pack with trail food each night. If your accommodation doesn’t have breakfast, you’ll need to plan for breakfast, too. Each day we were lucky to find one cafe that was open along the trail. Most days we’d walk into the day’s ending location and have a late lunch around 2-3 pm. By dinnertime between 6-7, we’d often find something light to eat like a bowl of soup or a salad.
Ubers Along the Fisherman’s Trail
After our first break in Odeceixe, we decided to limit our day’s hikes to around 10 miles. This required us to hail Ubers to drop us along the trail. This was no problem. From Odeceixe, we “cheated” about 3-4 miles, asking an Uber to drop us at Praia do Canal. Two days later, our Uber driver returned to drop us at Praia do Telheiro. From Salema, we combined the last two segments into one and a half our way into Lagos. Each ride came within 10 minutes and cost less than 10 euro.
Map of the Fisherman’s Trail
Although the trailmarkers are good along the Fisherman’s Trail, we used Alltrails to keep us on track each day. The app was also useful in helping determine where Uber would be able to pick us up and drop us off.
Modifications to the Fisherman’s Trail
We didn’t follow the Trail as AllTrails and others suggest. We cut off the first two segments (see all the segments here.) We would look at the length of the trail for the day or the very very steep ups and downs then decide how we wanted to modify. Although the step ups and downs were short, they were extreme. After doing several of them, I decided I just didn’t want to do anymore. The grip on my Cliftons simply wasn’t safe.
to concrete to boardwalk to asphalt and everything in between.
Days 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, we completed as the chart states above.
Day 5, we took an Uber from Arrifana to Praia do Canal then hiked into Carrapateira.
Day 7, we took an Uber to Praia do Telheiro then hiked to Sagres.
Day 10, we took an Uber to Praia do Martinhill then hiked to Salema.
Day 11, we took an Uber to Burgao then hiked in Lagos.
We hiked a total of about 100 miles of 8 days of hiking. Or to put it into steps, I hiked 254,913 steps.
Fisherman’s Trail versus Portuguese Coastal Camino
We have done both the Fisherman’s Trail and the Portuguese Coastal Camino. They are very different experiences; the Trail is low-key and low impact. Hikers are as few as the cafes and toilets along the way. The Camino, on the other hand, has hikers galore and cafes and toilets aplenty. Its vibe is either very social or very religious (or both.) For more details about our logistics and Camino experience, take a look at our post here.
Incredible Views on the Rota Vicenta Fisherman’s Trail
I absolutely loved this hike. The weather: perfect. The conditions: perfect. The food: perfect. I hope you’ll book your best hike, too, and you’ll also enjoy the Fisherman’s Trail as much as we did.
Every section of the Roa Vicenta Fisherman’s Trail varies from the last. It’s hard to pick a favorite.
Chris Englert, the Walking Traveler, believes walking is the platform for life. Wanderlusting since the age of 5, she’s since traveled all 50 US states and 62 countries. Chris shares her love of walking while traveling via blogs, books, and presentations. A natural storyteller, she invites you along as she explores the world, one walk at a time.
Currently, Chris and her husband, Steve, travel the world, full-time as nomads, with just their two carry-ons. They’ve been traveling since May, 2021.