It always feels good to walk outdoors in contact with nature, fauna and flora, particularly in the Algarve, an area rich in walking routes that attracts hiking lovers like honey. If this is your case, come and discover the best trails in Portimão through a range of suggestions for walks for all tastes and levels of difficulty: solo, as a couple or with the family!
Portimão's beaches are paradisiacal, but the region has other outdoor offers, particularly for those who don't like to lie on their towel for too long! And among those offers, the best trails in Portimão stand out for walking among stunning natural scenery: from the dunes to the salt pans in the Ria de Alvor, from the reddish cliffs to the Mediterranean scrub in Fóia, the highest point in the Algarve, in the Monchique mountains.
1. Best trails in Portimão | A Rocha Delicada (The Delicate Rock)
In about an hour and a half you can complete this 8 km long and moderately difficult hiking route in Portimão. Rocha Delicada is the ideal choice for those who like to watch birds in their natural habitat, among other species of fish, amphibians and molluscs, and this is because it passes through the so-called Quinta da Rocha (also rich in fossils and shells of bivalves over 20 million years old), a peninsula outlined by the Odiáxere stream and the Alvor river, which gives rise to the Ria de Alvor, the most important estuary in the western Algarve, with about 350 hectares of sand banks, vasa and marsh.
During this walk along one of the best trails in Portimão, you will also find distinctive landscapes, from agricultural fields to salt marshes and the old salt pans of Alvor, where the fresh water of the river meets the salt water of the sea.
This circular trail, open all year round, can be started (and completed) near the Mexilhoeira Grande train station, then followed by the dirt track next to the railway.
2. Best trails in Portimão | Ao Sabor da Maré (By the Tide)
Would you prefer an easier route to walk for an hour, among a wealth of animals and plants? We suggest the Ao Sabor da Maré trail, which starts at the car park of the Alvor Fishing Port, next to the Municipal Swimming Pool, and follows the wooden walkway, skirting the Ria de Alvor until Ponta do Medo Grande. If you take a small diversions, you can see a fantastic panoramic view over the estuary at the viewpoint on the right and then continue with your feet in the sand along Praia de Alvor, observing the dunes formed by the action of sand and wind that facilitate the existence of the marsh and the estuary, fundamental for the livelihood of the fishing community and maintenance of the diversity of several animal species, including the chilreta. Follow one of its acrobatic flights over the water or be surprised by some of the reptiles that spend the day there, such as the sardine, the toothed-fingered lizard and the scaled snake.
3. Best trails in Portimão | Varandas sobre o Mar (Balconies over the Sea)
A walk in Portimão of moderate difficulty? It's called Varandas sobre o Mar and it runs along the spectacular rocky coast of the municipality, always along the top of cliffs made up of limestone rocks of red tones millions of years old, which serve as shelter for numerous species of birds, in particular grey-necked grebes and rock pigeons (the ancestors of common pigeons).
Along this 5km walking route, included in the list of the best trails in Portimão, you can also marvel at the beauty and tranquillity of the Mediterranean scrubland, full of stone pines.
The so-called “Jardim do Algarve” or "Garden of the Algarve" (Serra de Monchique) is only 30 minutes away from the city of Portimão and offers incredible walking routes, great plant diversity and a freshness that, on summer days, clashes with the intense heat of the Algarve coast and lower Alentejo.
1. Alto da Fóia Trail
A 7.6 km circular route of moderate difficulty, leading to the highest point in the Algarve: Fóia in the Monchique mountains, very popular for hiking and bird watching.
2. Fóia Trail - Penedo do Buraco Waterfall
A must-see hiking route near Portimão with 5.8 km of challenging trails starting in Fóia and ending at the beautiful Penedo do Buraco waterfall, in a unique natural landscape setting!
3. Moinhos Trails
Ready to walk through dense woods? Then venture out on this 9.5 km walking tour of Monchique through windmills, monumental trees and streams, all the way to the town center.
4. Caldas de Monchique Trail
This circular walking route is easy and short (3.2 km). It runs through the small town of Caldas de Monchique, a village and spa located in the municipality of Monchique, whose main attraction is the waters with therapeutic properties, recognised since the time of the Roman Empire as beneficial for health and well-being.
Have you made the decision to do some of the best hiking trails in Portimão? Great, but before you start, follow the recommendations for hikers or good practices when visiting the natural spaces of the Algarve region:
Are you so enchanted by the natural beauty of Portimão that you're ready to move to the Algarve for good? Contact Engel & Völkers Portimão! We have a team of experts ready to help you find the ideal home to buy or rent, among a wide range of residential properties.