The Ultimate Guide to Hiking in Portugal

Portugal surprises many hikers with its incredible variety: imagine coastal cliff walks one day, vineyard trails and river paths the next, and mountainous treks beyond. From the volcanic heights of Madeira to the dramatic Atlantic coast of the Algarve, trails traverse forests, cliffs, wine country, and ancient pilgrim roads.

Thanks to boardwalks, well-marked routes, and thoughtful hiking infrastructure, many of these paths are accessible even for less experienced walkers. Whether you’re chasing ocean views at dawn or stepping through terraced vineyards in the Douro, Portugal delivers a walking holiday full of contrast and charm.

Topography and Types of HIking to be Expected in Portugal

While the country is on the smaller side, there is a wide array of terrain and types of hiking in Portugal, making it a fantastic choice for hikers of all different backgrounds. One day you can hike a lengthy coastal trail or a massive mountainous trek, and the next you can be walking alongside rivers and lakes through wine country.

Even the more inaccessible areas have been helped along with infrastructure like a wooden boardwalk that makes reaching beautiful places a bit easier for everyone. With a high quality of devotion to getting hikers outside, Portugal proves that it has a lot to offer and the hopes to get people there.

To give you a sense of what I mean, there are stunning coastal trails, dramatic mountainous treks, volcanic craters, forest paths that lead to hidden villages, lake and riverside routes, ancient pilgrim trails, Roman roads, old thoroughfares between villages that predate the current road system and some award-winning wooden boardwalks that make some of the rugged places more accessible.

Weather in Portugal

Portugal sits at a unique place in Europe where its southern tip still hits the Mediterranean, but the rest of it is bordered by the fierce Atlantic. This can make for some interesting weather at times, but if you know when to go, you can experience some of the best of both worlds by hiking on stunning beaches that benefit from cool breezes coursing in off the Atlantic.

Although the temperatures can stay bearable in a lot of the country throughout the year, the summer months can still be incredibly dangerous with high temperatures and low levels of precipitation. In the winter, you can find pleasant temperatures, making Portugal a perfect winter hiking destination.

However, the weather can be drastically different between the North and the South.

In the North, hiking in Portugal can mean taking on high levels of precipitation coming from the Atlantic cyclones. In the South, it can feel much more akin to hiking through a furnace set to dry at a consistent temperature of 35-40 degrees in the summer.

No matter where you go hiking in Portugal, always set out with a thorough knowledge of the weather forecast and the gear needed to keep yourself safe.

Best Hikes and Hiking in Portugal

Hikes in Portugal can be split into two easy-to-distinguish categories: long distance trails and shorter day hikes. In the trail naming and classification system, you’ll see these labeled as either GR or PR.

The Grande Rota trails, Portuguese for “Great Route” but more generally just meaning a long trail, are found all over Europe, and there are plenty of them scattered throughout Portugal. These are the trails that are going to require a lot of planning, training, and other preparation to make your way to the end.

On the other hand, a Pequena Rota (PR) trail is much shorter and can be easily completed in a day. For anyone who’s just starting out hiking or just enjoys sleeping in their own bed at night, these are the trails to look out for, and there are plenty to choose from.

Even those of us who want to experience the Grande Rota can still do so by hiking them section by section over a longer time. The diversity of hiking in Portugal allows for anyone to thrive and find exactly what they’re looking for.

Companion Article: Best Hikes in Portugal

Dive deeper into the trail options via our Best Hikes in Portugal guide, which breaks down each route: distances, terrain, highlights, and seasonal advice. Want to walk the Fishermen’s Trail? That’s there. Prefer wine-country strolls or island levada walks? You’ll find them too. This article also includes tips on combining day hikes into longer journeys, how to adapt hikes to your fitness level, and when to go for the best conditions.

Hiking in Portugal: Long Distance Trails (Grande Rota)

Portuguese Camino (aka Caminho Portugues or The Portuguese Way)

With a trailhead in Porto and a terminus in Santiago de Compostela, the Portuguese Camino is easily the most well-known and well-traveled long-distance trail in the country.

The entirety of the trail is about 280 kilometers, which makes it a larger trail that can take anywhere from two to four weeks to complete, but this is why it became such a historic and important pilgrimage for some to make. The trek challenged those who embarked upon it and today you can choose to challenge yourself or allow yourself to stay in small villages and hotels along the way.

No matter how you choose to hike this trail, it’s well-worth spending time in Porto before or after your hike. There are plenty of things to do after you finish hiking the Camino and you’ll quickly discover the rich culture that’s created the richness of Port wine.

Fishermen’s Trail (Trilho dos Pescadores)

From Alentejo to Algarve this 13-stage, 226-kilometer trail is a beast that is made for sandy beach lovers and those who want to push their bodies in a tough and unique hike.

The Fishermen’s Trail is recognized around the world as one of the best coastal trails, but offers its own challenges like sandy terrain and potentially fierce Atlantic winds throughout the duration of the hike. By no means should this turn you away.

The path takes you along the coastline from Porto Covo to Lagos, exposing you to rugged beaches and dramatic cliffs that captivate hikers over all 226 kilometers.

The Fishermen’s Trail is one part of a much larger network of trails, the Rota Vicentina, that are interspersed through Southwest Portugal.

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Rota Vicentina

While it isn’t a singular trail, no guide to hiking in Portugal would be complete without mentioning the Rota Vicentina. This network of trails in Southwest Portugal spans over 750 kilometers and is primarily made up of three sections: the Historical Way, the Fishermen’s Trail, and the Circular Routes.

Because of the popularity of these trails, they are well-marked and well-maintained to ensure a pleasant time walking the wilds of Portugal. While the trails will take you through some rugged landscape, there are frequent stops where you can restock on food and other supplies, making the difficulty of hiking much easier than in other areas.

Additional Long-Distance Hiking Trails in Portugal

There are so many different long-distance hiking trails in Portugal that it’s hard to pack them all into one place, but we have to mention a few more that are needed to complete the list.

The GR 13 Via Algarviana, the Camino de Fatima, and the Grande Rota de Santa Maria are some lesser-traveled, albeit famous, trails that provide different experiences for avid hikers looking to get somewhere a little off the beaten track.

The Camino de Fatima is often regarded as one of the most beautiful sections of the entire Camino de Santiago. It runs from Lisbon to the Shrine of Fatima and shares much of its length with the Camino Portuguese.

All three of these trails take you through the rolling hills of the Portuguese countryside with plenty of opportunities to hop into villages along the way and enjoy the culture of the area.

Hiking in Portugal: Shorter Day Hikes (Pequena Rota)

For those who aren’t looking to pack their massive packs and hike for weeks on end, there is an abundant trail system throughout Portugal that provides opportunities to get out for a few hours at a time.

Douro Wine Region

The Douro wine region in the north of Portugal is made up of large swaths of rolling hills that provide the rich soil needed to provide the huge amount of grapes necessary for the abundant wine production in the area.

Walking these hills is hugely popular with locals and tourists because there are plenty of chances to stop at wineries along the way for a break or to use as a base for a day of walking.

The Trilho do Vinho do Porto is an 8-kilometer trail through the vineyards in the region and offers an easy level of walking with the chance to stop and sit down for a glass of wine locally afterward.

Sete Vales Suspensos (The Seven Hanging Valleys)

This coastal trail is one of the most scenic along the Algarve coast. Along the 11.5-kilometer trail you’ll walk under and above massive limestone cliffs that are topped with Juniper bushes and riddled with hidden coves.

The trail goes past some of the most popular natural features in the Algarve. The Benagil Cave, the double sea arch at Praia da Marinha beach, and the Praia do Carvalho beach are all worth seeing on their own, and with this hike, you can see them all in a day.

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Paiva Walkway (Passadiços do Paiva)

One of the unique parts of hiking in Portugal is exploring the wooden boardwalks that have been built to make some of the tougher-to-get-to spots much more accessible.

One of the most popular of these boardwalks is the Paiva Walkway in the north of Portugal. Over 8 kilometers of boardwalk were constructed to take hikers along the Paiva River.

When walking, you’ll quickly notice that there are a huge number of stairs built into the walkway because of the dramatic hike down. To avoid the most stairs, walk from the Areinho Trailhead to Espiunca and use public transit to get back.

Sete Lagoas Peneda-Gerês Park

As the only national park in the country, the Sete Lagoas Peneda-Gerês Park hits the “must-see” portion of all hiking destinations in Portugal. Here, 270 square miles of lagoons, cliffs, waterfalls, rolling mountains, and lush forests sit up against the Spanish border in the north end of the country.

This landscape provides ample opportunities for hikers to get out and explore to their heart’s content.

One of the more popular hikes in the park is a 12 kilometer loop, the Xertelo Route. This path takes you along the Cabril river to splash and play in all of the small lagoons it forms. It’s an easy hike that is a top choice for hikers in the summer as the access to water helps you cool down frequently on the trek.

Hiking in Portugal: Island Getaways

Madeira

The island of Madeira is a spectacular hiking destination for those who want to explore a bit away from the mainland. The most unique feature of this island has to be the Levada trails. On Madeira, you’ll find over 1,000 kilometers of Levada walks, trails that follow old stone irrigation systems all across the island.

You can follow these paths to waterfalls, city viewpoints, or through the Laurissilva Forest, a 20 million year old subtropical rainforest and a UNESCO world heritage site.

The Levada das 25 Fontes (Trail of 25 Water Springs) is a popular choice amongst those looking for some of the best hikes in Portugal. It’s an 4.3 kilometer trail (one way) that takes you into some of the most beautiful landscapes this island has to offer.

Azores Islands

In ancient mythology, there was once a blue-eyed princess that fell in love with a green-eyed shepherd. Their love, however, was completely forbidden. The tears that fell from this pair then formed two lagoons, one blue, and one green, that sit next to each other still today.

The Miradouro da Boca do Inferno hike is an easy 2.7-kilometer loop on the Azores that not only stuns you with its beauty, but allows you to take part in the ancient stories of this magical place.

The name itself directly translates to “the viewpoint of Hell’s mouth.” This area was formed by a series of volcanic eruptions, making it a dramatic and harsh landscape that has become softer and more beautiful with time.

Walking Holiday in Portugal

Portugal offers an unforgettable hiking experience with a variety of trails that range from coastal paths like the Fishermen’s Trail to the more challenging mountainous routes such as the Rota Vicentina, ensuring there is something for every hiker. Whether you choose the historical pilgrimages of the Portuguese Camino or a more relaxed day hike, Portugal’s diverse landscapes—from lush forests to rugged cliffs—make it an ideal destination for a walking holiday.

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Travel Advice in Portugal

Traveling through Portugal to get to your desired hiking destinations can be easy thanks to the dense and accessible public transit system that spans the entire country. This is great for getting around to explore new areas every single day if you want, or just to get yourself to the start of the Portuguese Camino from Lisbon.

Overall, Portugal is considered to be an incredibly safe country. It’s always best to keep in mind that the summer months can get incredibly hot and you’ll need to take the right precautions before heading out into the hills for a hike.

Where to Next?

Portugal is a fantastic base, but Europe’s trails don’t stop at its borders. If you’ve caught the hiking bug, here are some nearby or complementary destinations and guides to explore next — from coastal paths to alpine regions:

• Best Hikes in Italy — alpine treks, coastal walks, and hidden valleys
• Lisbon: A City Guide for Hikers — urban steep streets, green belts, and trail access
• Ultimate Guide to Hiking in Spain — mountains, coastlines, and Camino routes
• Ultimate Guide to Hiking in France — from the Pyrenees to the Riviera

Conclusion

Portugal isn’t yet the world-renowned hiking destination that it should be, but the trails are becoming more and more popular as this country gets on the map. The hiking here is diverse making it a place where everyone can find a little bit of trail that hits exactly what they’re looking for.

Overall, hiking in Portugal can make for one of the best hiking holidays in all of Europe if you know how to plan for the right time of year, and have months on end to spend running around the whole country to try and get a taste of it all!