Walking Tours in the Algarve, Portugal

The Algarve is better known for lying on a beach, rather than walking, but here are five good reasons why you should consider a hiking tour in the Algarve. 

1. Get to know the real Algarve - There is the case that many people going to the Algarve on vacation will often manage it without actually meeting a Portuguese person, without eating any traditional Portuguese food or seeing anything particularly Portuguese. While I am sure they still had a great holiday, this is not what we are all about here at Macs Adventure. Walking from village to village in the Algarve means that you are visiting smaller places, interacting with the locals and getting their recommendations, and seeing many things that you wouldn't otherwise. 

2. Discover Hidden Beauty - The Algarve is beautiful, and hiking along its cliffs, you will come across some hidden gems that visitors here rarely get to see. You will discover wide, empty beaches, pounded by the Atlantic surf creating unusual rock formations and a sense of total escapism. On the west coast, you will hardly see another walker as you walk down to Cabo sao Vicente on the Rota Vicentina. 

3. Eat like a local - The Algarve is all about fish and spicy chicken! Home of the original Piri-Piri Chicken, this Algarvian dish is everywhere, each restaurant having its own recipe for the pepper sauce that thrills the tastebuds. Fish is usually served very plainly, cooked on an open grill, fresh from the sea, it really is a different taste experience. Talk to your hosts every night to get recommendations of where you can find the best food in each town and learn to eat like a local. Also, walking every day means you are burning off a lot of calories, so you can afford to feast at night, and the wine isn't bad here either!

4. Discover traditional Algarve towns - There are many outstanding towns and villages on the Algarve, each with its own character and charm. Walking into the typical Algarvian village, you will be struck by its simplicity, often whitewashed, but with lines of pastel colors to brighten it up. Cobbled streets are common as are little squares with locals hanging in the shaded spots, watching the world go by. Some of our favorites that you can visit on our walking tours are Burgau, Salema, Odeceixe, and Bordeira

5. Walk to the edge of Europe - There is always a small satisfaction in having completed something, and our walking trips in the Algarve allow you to walk to the most south-westerly point in Europe, what the Romans considered to be the edge of the world. Traversing the rugged walking trails, discovering these corners of Portugal on foot all leads to a final stand looking out over the Atlantic and celebrating your achievement.