Your Adventure Starts Here
Choose your options below to create a personalised day-by-day route plan.
Stops are based on access to accommodation (does not include camping).
Select your start date for the Fisherman's Trail.
Based on an average of 8 hours on the trail per day
Download free GPX route files for the Fisherman's Trail, split by day to match your personal route itinerary. Our planner generates individual GPX route tracks for each of your stages, from Porto Covo on the Alentejo coast to Lagos in the Algarve.
Each GPX route file includes full elevation data and follows your chosen direction of travel. Load them onto Komoot, AllTrails, Garmin, OS Maps, or any GPS-compatible device. No sign-up required — just generate your route itinerary and download.
Four speed profiles from trail runner to explorer.
Pick a start date and daily walking hours.
After generating your itinerary you can add rest days along the way.
View each day's segment with trail details.
Export a free GPX file for each day of your trek.
The Fisherman's Trail route is approximately 210 km from Porto Covo to Lagos. Based on around 8 hours of walking per day, most hikers complete the route in 8–10 days depending on their pace and how many rest days they include. Fastpackers covering more ground each day can finish in around 6 days, while trail runners can complete the route in as few as 5 days.
The Fishermen's Trail is best walked north to south. Most walkers fly into Lisbon, making the northern trailhead the natural starting point at around three hours by bus, while Lagos offers far better onward connections and a perfect place to recover at the end.
The Rota Vicentina Association officially promotes the route in this direction for good reason — the most spectacular coastal scenery comes in the early and middle stages, when your legs are fresh and your enthusiasm is high. The later Algarve sections are more developed and best treated as a gentle wind-down rather than a highlight.
Walking south also puts the prevailing northwest winds at your back, which is a genuine advantage on exposed clifftops. The trail is marked in both directions, so south to north is possible, but north to south is the definitive way to experience this trail at its best.
The Fisherman's Trail is a long-distance coastal route along the southwest corner of Portugal, following one of the most dramatic and unspoiled stretches of Atlantic coastline in Europe. Running through the Alentejo coast and into the Algarve, it is a route of crashing surf, golden clifftops, remote beaches, and small fishing communities that feel refreshingly untouched by mass tourism.
The terrain is varied and often demanding in ways that surprise first-time walkers. Sandy beach sections are extensive. Clifftop paths alternate between well-defined tracks and rocky, uneven ground that requires attention. The trail undulates, dropping to beach level and climbing back to the clifftops in a rhythm that becomes both meditative and exhausting in equal measure.
Villages and small towns punctuate the route at manageable intervals, offering cafés, restaurants, and accommodation. The fishing communities along the way — Zambujeira do Mar, Carrapateira, Salema — retain a real character, with colourful boats on the sand and seafood on the menu.
March and April mark the shift into spring and are among the best months to walk the route. The coastal scrubland erupts with wildflowers, temperatures are comfortable, the light is soft and golden, and the trail is quiet.
May and June offer warm, dry conditions with long days and very manageable temperatures before the summer heat arrives. The trail is at its most walkable and the clifftop scenery is spectacular.
July and August bring intense heat, particularly inland sections away from the sea breeze. Carry more water than you think you need and walk in the early morning.
September is excellent in almost every respect. The heat eases, the summer visitors have largely gone, and the Atlantic coast takes on a beautiful end-of-season quality before the winter storms return.
Four pre-planned itineraries based on around 8 hours of walking per day, north-to-south from Porto Covo to Lagos. Click through for the full day-by-day breakdown, or use the planner above to create your own.
A relaxed pace with time to enjoy the coast
Ten days at Explorer pace gives you the time to truly enjoy the Fisherman's Trail. Averaging around 21 km a day, this is the most accessible way to wa…
A steady, comfortable pace for fit walkers
Eight days at Hiker pace is the classic way to walk the Fisherman's Trail — a steady rhythm covering good ground without overdoing it. You'll cross th…
Bigger days for fit and fast walkers
Six days at Fastpacker pace strips the trip back and gives a real sense of momentum as the landscape shifts from the wild Alentejo cliffs to the golde…
A serious challenge for endurance athletes
Five days at Trail Runner pace covers serious ground every day along one of Europe's most spectacular coastlines. Long sandy sections, relentless clif…
Free itinerary planners for trails across the UK and Europe — each with personalised daily stages and GPX downloads.
View all planners on our Itinerary Planners page.
We hope you have found this free planner helpful. If you need any help with booking your adventure, including accommodation and bag transfer:
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