Walking Tour of Algarve’s East: Discover Coastal Trails

Itinerary

• Day 1: Welcome to Algarve

  Today is all about getting to Algarve and your hotel in Tavira. Settle in and unpack. Tavira is a charming town in the south of Portugal, so maybe use this day to take a stroll through the town. With a rich historical and cultural heritage, Tavira stands out for its picturesque cobblestone streets, Roman bridges, traditional buildings, and stunning beaches. Additionally, Tavira is known for its delicious cuisine, especially dishes featuring fresh fish and seafood. The town offers a perfect combination of natural beauty, history, and culture, making it an unmissable destination in the Algarve.

  Meals: Dinner
  Accommodation: Vila Galé Tavira Hotel

  
• Day 2: Livramento to Tavira

  After a 15-minute drive, we arrive at Livramento and we take the Coastal Ecovia, passing the Ria Formosa Natural Park, visiting part of the islamic heritage and heading for the small village of Pedras D’el Rey.

  From the small village of Pedras D’el Rei, we’ll start walking towards the southeast, crossing the beautiful Ria Formosa at the famous wooden bridge. On the other side, the dunes of the Tavira Island are waiting for us. Along the sea shore, going east, we pass the Barrel Beach, the Cemetery of Anchors, and some beaches before getting the ferry into mainland, ready to go north through the salt plains until the city of Tavira.

  Meals: Breakfast and dinner
  Hiking: 11.1 miles (17.9 km), 5 hours
  Elevation: +102 m (+335 ft), -96 m (-315 ft)
  Accommodation: Vila Galé Tavira Hotel

  
• Day 3: Montes Serranos

  A trail across the typical villages of the Tavira’s countryside is on our itinerary today, with beautiful panoramic views over the Caldeirao Mountain Range. This place is well known for being the habitat of the rare Bonelli’s eagle. And in Cachopo, it’s still possible to encounter traditional round schist houses. Holm oaks, olive groves and dryland orchards surrounding us give life to the landscape and are crucial to the economy of these populations.

  After a 50 minutes drive, we’ll start our journey for today in Casas Baixas, a picturesque village placed at the hearth of the Caldeirao Mountain Range. We take the circular path passing a small group of other traditional villages: Alcarias Baixas, Amoreira and Garcia. Along the neverending landscape we will certainly cross paths with the local people.

  Meals: Breakfast and dinner
  Hiking: 5.7 miles (9.2 km), 3 hours
  Elevation: +206 m (+676 ft), -207 m (-679 ft)
  Accommodation: Vila Galé Tavira Hotel

  
• Day 4: São Brás de Alportel, Fialho, Milreu, and Estoi

  Today we’ll visit the historic village of Estoi and then the Milreu Roman ruins, which were occupied from the 1st to the 11th century by families of high social and political status. In the 4th century, a richly decorated religious building—assumed to be a temple for worship in the Islamic period—was erected and is still preserved. All around this picturesque village, it’s possible to encounter a myriad of archaeological finds like marine-themed mosaics and decorative sculptures.

  It will take us 45 minutes to arrive to São Brás de Alportel. Here we will start our walk in the Church’s Yard before following the steps of the Romans that inhabited the region thousands of years ago. We will climb the Fialho Hill, with stunning views over the plains. We’ll then descend to the Roman ruins of Milreu to appreciate the wealth of the ancient Ossonoba’s population. We end our walk in the beautiful Palace of Estoi.

  Meals: Breakfast and dinner
  Hiking: 8.4 miles (12.9 km), 4 hours
  Elevation: +234 m (+768 ft), -376 m (-1,234 ft)
  Accommodation: Vila Galé Tavira Hotel

  
• Day 5: Free day in Tavira

  The picturesque city of Tavira is a marvelous site full of secret places and mysteries to unravel. Enjoy your day walking along the castle walls and crossing the Gilão River and its beautiful bridges. There’s a variety of restaurants and taverns where it’s possible to taste fresh fish and seafood dishes, like the traditional octopus, razor clam rice, or tuna. For the afternoon, we suggest crossing the Ria Formosa and walking across the golden sand beaches. You can also take some bus from the city center and visit Olhao or Faro, the district capital.

  Meals: Breakfast and dinner
  Accommodation: Vila Galé Tavira Hotel

  
• Day 6: Cacela Velha to Vila Real de Santo António

  An adventure on the sandy beaches along the coastline until the banks of the Guadiana River is ahead of us! After going through charming fishing villages, this walk finishes in Vila Real de Santo António, a city constructed in 1774 to resettle the fishermen from the north of the country who suffered from plague. On the other side of Guadiana, the riverbanks of Ayamonte overlook the city and a regular ferry connects the Spanish and Portuguese neighbors.

  We will go for a 20-minute drive before arriving to Cacela Velha. We will also have the opportunity to visit the medieval Knights Fortress and Islamic Ruins. Then we start our journey east until we arrive to the small fishing village of Manta Rota. Then we start walking along the coast, heading east until we arrive at the National Forest of the Coastal Dunes and the Guadiana Estuary. We can take a walk on the beach and feel the invigorating ocean breeze.

  Meals: Breakfast and dinner
  Hiking: 9.8 miles (15.7 km), 4 hours
  Elevation: +46 m (+151 ft), -60 m (-197 ft)
  Accommodation: Vila Galé Tavira Hotel

  
• Day 7: Guadiana river

  The Guadiana is sometimes a big river bed, other times it’s divided in small streams that are frequently reduced to ponds during summertime. This is the most important inland water source in the south of Portugal, ensuring the sustenance of not only farming production, but also fish conservation, with most of them endemic to the Iberian Peninsula.

  After a 50 minute drive from Tavira, we’ll arrive at Laranjeiras. We will take the circular path that follows the Guadiana through the riverside towns of Laranjeiras, Guerreiros do Rio, Alamo, and Corte das Donas. The connection of the Guadiana River to mining is part of the local natural and cultural heritage, such as the various types of traditional fishing and the smuggling that went on during the Salazar’s dictatorship. We end again in Laranjeiras with some time to visit the nearby Roman village at your leisure.

  Meals: Breakfast and dinner
  Hiking: 5.2 miles (8.3 km), hours
  Elevation: +222 m (+728 ft), -221 m (-725 ft)
  Accommodation: Vila Galé Tavira Hotel

  
• Day 8: Departure

  Our gorgeous Algarve tour comes to an end after the final breakfast. If you’d like to stay longer in the area, feel free to ask us for recommendations!

  Meals: Breakfast