Fishermen’s Trail Day 1: Porto Covo to Milfontes

Anticipating the first day of a trip you have been planning for months is a bit like the feeling of a child on Christmas Eve. You hope you’ve done everything right enough to deserve the gift you’ve hoped for yet… perhaps…

With that said, we leave the now familiarly safe area of Lisbon for the challenge of the Fisherman’s Trail. We have been researching and training for this hike 4 day nearly 50 mile hike from Porto Covo to Odeceixe, Portugual along the Alentejo region to towards the Algarve, for months.

Our luggage is divided between city life and hiking life.( not a match made in heaven when you are traveling for three weeks with only with carry on luggage.)

We take extra precautions to get our seat on the bus- front row, behind the driver, so we can see everything! Three minutes into the ride we are rethinking this approach as we have nearly flattened 2 small cars, just missed a pedestrian, and are living in the lane somewhere between two wheels over the line and head on onto traffic.

The familiar sites of the 25 de Abril bridge, ( Twin to the Golden Gate Bridge), the Christo Rei statue, the view of the Belém Tower all fade from view to reveal farms and fields, and more rural life.

When we reach Porto Covo, the town is pristine. And deserted. We make our way past charming white cottages with blue trim, mostly closed restaurants, to our guest house. It is charming and when all is said and done we are alone in the guest house. When we get locked out ( the European hand written access code where a 4 and a 9 look alike to our American brains) left us out in the cold until we recognized our error!

So while last night felt like Christmas Eve, tonight really is. We have a restless night, waking early for the big reveal…. The Rota Vincentina, the fisherman’s trail. We finalize our packs and bring our luggage down stairs. We have booked a company who have helped secure lodging, transfer luggage, and provided a map and info to help figure out the trail. After a quick breakfast we head our on our quest.

The early morning light is breathtaking. We head down to start the trail and marvel at the majesty of the sea. As we begin our hike, the ocean meets the cliffs. The first hour of our walk is slower than anticipated as we stop in amazement at the glorious cliffs and pounding sea.

There are beautiful flowers beginning to bloom in places where it seems unlikely any would grow. Lemony yellow flowers spread across the ground mixing and meeting with pink buds that resemble water lilies sprouting out of rubbery succulent leaves which carpet parts of the trail.

We are struck by the contrasts along the way. At times there is so much sand, the trail is desert like.

The sun beats down and while it is in the low 60’s we are peeling off our layers in the heat. In patches of sand, clusters of pink and purple flowers bloom. Silvery blue shrubs spread up the hillside. Thistle-like plants with thorns and beautiful amythist flowers erupt amidst the flora. The variety is too numerous to account. Turn a bend and the sea beckons again.

The tide is coming in and many of the inlets have warning signs of how quickly the seas can change. A few beach areas are noted as suitable to hike during low tide as an alternative to the cliff path.

Off in the distance we see some people taking advantage of the calmer inlet to swim in the crystal clear water. They seem to be embracing communing with nature. Looks great, but we do not have our bathing suits…..Then we come across the sign… ah yes, naturalists have come to the right place. Hmm, maybe better not.

The tide is coming in rapidly now. The trail winds around the cliffs which have been cut jagged by the pounding sea. There is a maritime event going on with a warning for dangerously high seas for the next two days. The sky is blue and the wind is not too bad, but the waves are incredible.

Photos cannot capture the depth and breadth of the sea. The swells start miles off shore and then begin to crest. The curl starts and the wall of water builds until is seems to be taller than a high rise building. Reaching its climax and crashing over in a thunderous roar, it churns and bubbles to the shore. The waves lift the rocks on the beach and crash them into the cliff side. Like Sisyphus rolling a boulder up a hill, when the water retreats, the boulder rolls back. The smaller rocks and stones look and sound like a Plinko game as they chunk, chink, chunk, then clatter, clatter together.

We have seen more hikers than we anticipated but as they day stretches on, the distances between us do as well. We pause to refuel with our bagged lunch, delicious portuguese bread and cheese sandwich and an orange ( the trees are everywhere in village). 

Day 1 is billed as the most difficult day. It is over 12 miles and has heavy sand. After stopping for lunch we realize we still have a good clip left. The cliffs continue to jut out ahead of us and we are enthralled with the lone fishermen perched atop the fragile cliff’s edge angling for their catch. It is a spectacular sight.

As we approach the very last leg of today’s hike we have an option to take a short cut to town. Though tiring, we affirm we didn’t come here for the short cuts and forge on. Brilliant choice.

The last miles of the trail are sharply on the edge of the cliffs( a warning not to do if afraid of heights).

The tide is coming in and the high waves are even more dramatic than earlier. A fisherman on the cliff ahead of us is nearly lost from sight as the wave slams and splashes up over the top of the land.

Our one disappointment is we have yet to see a stork. This time of year is prime for storks nesting in the cliffs. As we hike along a field into town to our guest house we are rewarded. A huge stork is strolling along. What a great day 1!

Natigate our new home. Balcony with a view. We can see tomorrows trail with growing confidence we got this!

Low tide, calm seas. A moment of serenity.