Walking in Portugal travel guide
Forget the golf courses and beach resorts. Give the Algarve the elbow. Portugal is much more than a summer vacation hotspot and there’s no finer way to discover its hidden villages and rural heartland than on a walking vacation. From the coast, where Atlantic rollers crash against isolated beaches, walk through soft hills crowded with cork and eucalyptus, flower-choked valleys, wheat fields and rocky uplands. Locals share a smile and a story as you arrive at whitewashed villages, pausing for a pastry or glass of local wine, but most trails remain untroubled by both tourists and trophy-seeking trekkers.
Portugal and walking – the greatest double act no one’s ever heard of. Hike through a rich, rural landscape on excellent trails, just don’t expect company.![]()
Self guided walking vacations run throughout Portugal, made possible by well marked routes and generally easy terrain, but joining a small group guided tour is definitely the best way to discover the Azores and Madeira, Portugal’s wilder offshore territories.
Read on to discover more in our walking vacations in Portugal travel guide.
Read on to discover more in our walking vacations in Portugal travel guide.
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Our Portugal walking Vacations
Madeira walking vacation
Small group walking tour of Madeira
From
US $1010 to US $1660
8 days
ex flights
Alentejo & Algarve self guided hiking vacation, Portugal
Independent coastal walking vacations in the Alentejo Coast
From
€480
8 days
ex flights
Azores walking vacation, Portugal
Walk to Cete Cidades and the Fire Lakes
From
US $2979 to US $3279
8 days
ex flights
Coastal hiking vacation in Portugal
The very best walks from the 125km selection of coastal trails
From
US $2399 to US $2479
8 days
ex flights
Walking vacation in Madeira
Walk through the wild and varied scenery of Madeira
From
US $1379 to US $1679
8 days
ex flights
Peneda Geres National Park accommodation in Portugal
In the middle of the Geres National Park in North Portugal
From
€80 to €95
per accommodation per night (sleeps 2)
Travel Team
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Best time to go walking in Portugal
You’ll enjoy some of the longest sunshine hours in Europe here, but the best time to go on a Portugal walking vacation is spring and autumn, when it averages only 20°C.![]()
With the center and south getting 3,200 sunshine hours per year, Portugal is a pleasant, sunny destination pretty much any time, although temperatures can shoot up to 40°C inland in high summer, making walking uncomfortable. On the coast, Atlantic breezes take the edge of the inferno, but expect the high 20°Cs. The best time to go on a Portugal walking vacation is spring and autumn, averaging 20°C. In February, almond blossom peppers the Alentejo and Algarve, while May is all about wildflowers. Come autumn, the sun-scorched landscape has re-greened and the grape harvest is gathered. Even midwinter sees four to six hours of sun, albeit with occasional morning frost.
More about Portugal walking
Our travel guide has recommended Portugal walking routes and not-to-be missed highlights, displayed on our interactive map, with advice on getting the most from your walks.
You’ll have a whale of a time on walking vacations in the Azores, with short and generally easygoing coastal routes around islands such as Pico and Faial offering magnificent views.
Walking in Alentejo introduces you to a sparsely populated and beautiful region where the landscapes, both rural and coastal, seem to have gone virtually unchanged for centuries.
Madeira is a fabulous destination for a walking vacation, wonderfully verdant with a real ‘paradise island’ vibe to it, and itineraries that follow some of its most beguiling scenery.
Our Portugal Way travel guide explains one of the most popular routes on the iconic Camino de Santiago, with the option to walk either inland or along the wildly beautiful Atlantic coast.
Walking vacations in Peneda-Gerês National Park connect you to the landscapes and communities, following the Via Geira Roman road, shepherd’s trails and pilgrimage routes through the mountains.
