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INTRODUCTION

The Azeite – ‘Olive oil’ – route follows cobbled paths next to olive groves (Walk 15)

Why go walking in Portugal? This delightful country enchanted two self-confessed walking addicts so much that after just a short visit we were captivated, returning again and again. There are so many reasons to fall in love with this relatively undiscovered gem of a country. The diverse terrain includes the rugged north with a multitude of mountains, many higher than Ben Nevis, and the beautiful Douro valley. Further south, the Serra da Estrela mountain range provides alpine, snow-capped peaks and plateaux. There is nearly 1000km of coastline including the dramatic arid scenery of the southern coastal areas, bordered by wave-pummelled cliffs. All this is encapsulated in a narrow strip of the Iberian Peninsula.

Another reason is the weather. With such a variety of meteorological microclimates within its borders, there is always somewhere to enjoy hiking at any time of the year in Portugal. The Arrábida Nature Park is good for walking in winter, as is the Algarve, whereas in the heights of summer when it is too hot to enjoy a good walk in many parts of Europe, you will find balmy temperatures in Serra da Estrela Nature Park.

The major draw remains the space. This is not a large country compared to its more massive Iberian neighbour, but you will be able to walk in peace and tranquillity, very likely in the delights of just your own company. Even if its popularity as a walking destination were to increase over time, this is a place that could absorb many visitors. In addition, there are the warm and friendly people. For those who don’t speak Portuguese, some effort plus sign-language will be rewarded with smiles and helpfulness.

And then there are the wildlife and flowers. The hillsides carpeted with fragrant blooms in spring, or the almond blossom of late winter lying like snow on the ground are truly a sight to behold. Should you wish to be surrounded by trees, Portugal is the world’s largest cork producer and has widespread arboriculture. The birdwatching is phenomenal with a plethora of resident raptors, and uncountable millions of migratory birds. You may even be lucky enough to spot an Iberian wolf in Peneda-Gerês National Park, or a previously extinct lynx in Guadiana Nature Reserve.

These selected walks take you on a 175 million-year journey through time. From fossilised dinosaur footprints in Arrábida (Walk 28), via megalithic sites around Monsaraz (Walk 33), and the Roman roads from Portugal all the way to Spain (Walk 9), to the deserted schist villages that are now undergoing a resurgence, becoming superb bases for outdoor activities (Walk 17). Allow some time on your visit to see why UNESCO has decided that Portugal deserves to be the proud home of a dozen World Heritage Sites.

The food and drink is another understated attraction, with the unsung hero being the desserts and the doces conventuais (convent sweets). The good, heavy rich red wines from the Douro or Tejo valleys could compete with those of Bordeaux, but as their best are not often exported, you will have to come here to sample them. The same applies to the crisp vinho verde from Minho.

This is just a taste of our experiences after walking more than 6000km over a period of three years. Enjoy these favourite routes in Portugal. Boa viagem!

About Portugal

Panoramic view of Manteigas and the Zêzere glacial valley (Walk 23) with Penhas Douradas above (Walk 21)

To many people, the country’s best-known region may be the Algarve, but there’s a whole lot more to Portugal – especially for the walker. There are mountains upon mountains, and huge amounts of space, nature and solitude. Portugal has a population density only a quarter of England’s, so even though it is a smaller country there is much more space.

Adding further to the undercrowding is that most Portuguese do not walk for leisure. One local explained that ‘during the dictatorship, we all had to walk. Now that we don’t, why should we?’ Often when the Portuguese do walk they do so in big groups of up to 400 at a time, as a pilgrimage, a short walk with a long lunch, or a torch-lit night walk.

This is a relatively undeveloped country in some ways – where else in Europe would you expect to find people washing clothes by hand in communal lavadouros – yet surprisingly ahead of its time in others. It is astonishingly green in terms of energy production and usage, with 63% of all energy used in 2014 being from renewable sources: mainly wind turbines (as seen on Walk 26) and hydroelectric (Walk 17).

In Portugal, high places are often punctuated with radio aerial masts and accessible by road, so don’t expect pristine summits apart from on top of Carris (Walk 7) and the Montesinho peaks (Walk 12). Other summits are graced with beautiful chapels, such as São João da Fraga (Walk 6), Monte Farinha (Walk 13) and Peninha (Walk 27), or with castles such as Castro Laboreiro (Walk 2) and Marvão (Walk 31).

Freshwater swimming is another particular delight in Portugal; a praia fluvial is a freshwater beach, either on a riverbank or on the shores of a reservoir. There are opportunities on Walks 7, 8, 9, 17 and 29.

Geology

The geology of Portugal cannot be covered in full here, but to put it in a nutshell, Portugal has three main geological areas: north, central and southern. The north is essentially a stack of five layers raised when the Iberian plate collided with the Meguma Terrane plate 410 million years ago. This collision formed the mountains of the Picos de Europa, Montesinho and Peneda-Gerês. Its top layer is sedimentary schist (pronounced ‘shist’), a metamorphic rock formed when mudstone has been highly compressed and heated. The word comes from the Greek skhistos, meaning to split (see Walks 17 to 19). Revealed by the erosive forces of the Rio Douro is Miranda do Douro gneiss, the lowest layer of the stack and the oldest rocks in Portugal, which are pre-Cambrian (about 600 million years old). Another stripe in this stack is granite, evident in Peneda-Gerês (also with much evidence of glaciation, such as moraines and erratic blocks), Montesinho and Alvão.

The central portion of Portugal is mostly sedimentary rocks from the Cenozoic and Mesozoic basins – notably the massive Jurassic limestone deposits in Aire e Candeeiros Nature Park. This porous rock contains at least 1500 caves, including the biggest and most stalagmite-decorated Mira de Aire, and the best dinosaur footprints (at Monumento Natural das Pegadas dos Dinossáurios da Serra de Aire). Along the coast, the limestone is mixed with other rocks, both sedimentary and igneous, left over from the formation of the North Atlantic. The coastline is very rocky, indented by small bays with white sandy beaches and usually surmounted by cliffs of considerable height. Dinosaur footprints are also found here (Walk 28). Serra da Estrela features the most dramatic evidence of Portugal’s ice-age existence with the gigantic glaciated Zêzere valley (Walk 23).

The southern geological area is from a separate continent and the rocks are much younger – from the Upper Devonian to Carboniferous eras – and are mostly sedimentary. They form stunning cliffs along the coastline, as witnessed on Walks 34 and 35.

History

What we now call Portugal has been inhabited since prehistory, as evidenced by the astounding 27,000-year-old rock carvings found near Vila Nova de Foz Côa (near Walks 15 and 16). It was then colonised by the Phoenicians, followed by the Celts. The Romans took about 200 years to conquer the area, facing great resistance from the feisty northern tribes. The best Roman archaeological sites are to be found in Conímbriga, near Coimbra.

After the fall of the Roman Empire, the Suevi occupied the north of the Iberian Peninsula, and the Visigoths (who introduced Christianity to the region) the south. They were both replaced by the Moors, who were evicted in the Reconquista (reconquest) ending in 1249, fully 250 years before Spain’s Reconquista. During this, the country was officially separated from the rest of Iberia and the Kingdom of Portugal was founded in 1128, after the battle of São Mamede (see Walk 31). Alfonso Henrique, son of the victorious Count Henry, became the first Portuguese king.

Portugal has been linked with Britain by the oldest surviving international pact (the Treaty of Windsor, 1386). At one time Portugal was one of the richest and most powerful nations in the world, due to their navigational prowess exemplified by Prince Henry the navigator (whose trainees set sail from Capela do Senhor Jesus dos Navegantes, Walk 28), ruling an empire spanning five continents. The Treaty of Tordesillas (1494) dictated that of all the lands yet to be discovered, half should belong to the Portuguese.

The country was at war intermittently with Spain for hundreds of years, from the foundation of Portugal all the way until the French invasion of 1807, which was supported by Spain – leading to a rivalry comparable to that between the English and the French. This is likely to be why they have gone to such great lengths to ensure that despite both languages being derived from the same Latin roots dating from the Roman occupation, they sound so different. Portugal was involuntarily brought back under Spanish rule by Philip II of Spain (who then became Philip I of Portugal) in 1580 during the succession crisis – which later undermined the Treaty of Windsor, as the Spanish Armada contained some Portuguese ships.

The Portuguese War of Restoration, officially only ending in 1668, did not reverse the decline from the country’s pre-eminence, further exacerbated by the Lisbon earthquake of 1755, and by Napoleon’s invasion of 1807.

The First Republic violently removed the monarchy in 1910, followed by severe political instability ending with a coup d’etat in 1926, which led into the Salazar dictatorship. Times were hard, and there were mass emigrations, with millions of people seeking a better life: those from the north went to Europe (hence the frequency with which French is spoken), and from the rest of the country mainly to Portuguese-speaking Brazil. Some villages were abandoned entirely, as can be seen on many walks, and in most places you will still see derelict buildings whose owners left in the diaspora.

The repression finally ended in the bloodless Carnation Revolution of 1974, following which Portugal joined the EEC in 1986, with mixed fortunes: they required an EU bailout in 2011.

Chafurdãos – circular structures whose purpose remains unknown – can be seen in the São Mamede and Tejo area (Walk 29)

Wildlife

Nature forms an important part of any outdoor activity, and the opportunities to see and enjoy it in Portugal exceed those throughout most of Europe. The Iberian grey wolf roams Peneda-Gerês. You are unlikely to see one, but may see the gnawed bones of their prey or their tracks, which look like huge dog prints of about 9–15cm diameter. There has never been a recorded wolf attack on humans in Portugal. Limited to the same area are roe deer, the symbol of the park, as are Spanish ibex. Red deer are more likely to be encountered in Guadiana, although the majority of their territory is within Spain.

Wild boar can be found in many rural areas and you are bound to see evidence of their foraging; Walk 22 is even named after them. Bears were extinct but are apparently beginning to make a return into Peneda-Gerês from northern Spain. The previously extinct Iberian lynx has been successfully reintroduced into Guadiana Nature Park. Two unexpected creatures are Egyptian mongoose and the genet, both introduced by the Moors to keep vermin under control.

Portugal is an undiscovered gem for anyone with an interest in birds, many species of which can be easily seen on walks. Egyptian vultures, griffon vultures, black vultures and golden eagles (called royal eagles here) abound in Tejo and Douro. There are many migratory birds such as the strikingly coloured bee-eaters and white storks. The latter are present all over Portugal, from spring to autumn; even when they have returned to Africa, their huge nests are a constant reminder of these sociable visitors.

White stork on a convent roof; they migrate to Africa in September, returning in February (Walk 33)

Lizards are commonly encountered. There are about 20 different species, of which the most stunning is the Iberian Emerald Lizard (Schreiber’s lizard). The 11 species of snakes are all rather shy, and only two are poisonous: Lataste’s viper (with zigzag patterns on its back), found throughout Portugal, and the Portuguese viper (highly polymorphic with variable patterns or none, hence it is difficult to identify) in the far north. The endangered Mediterranean turtle may be seen by rivers and lakes in the south and the Iberian green frog is widespread throughout Portugal.

Plants and flowers

Portugal’s national tree is the cork oak (Quercus sobreiro; see ‘Agriculture’, below), often found alongside Portuguese, holm, English and Pyrenean oaks. Also widespread is the strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo), unusual for its contemporaneous flowers and fruits, which are used to make the local alcoholic drink Medronho.

In spring there is an abundance of wildflowers: poppies, lavender, saxifrage, geraniums, buttercups, orchids, iris, broom, native rock rose, lupins and many more. In Estrela, spring begins around May whereas in the nearby but lower Douro it tends to start in March – and yet the almonds blossom a month earlier. Further south in the Algarve, the warmer temperature advances the flourish of spring flowers even further, meaning spring could be experienced from February until June in various parts of Portugal. As the temperature warms up, the unmissable aroma of herbs including sage, thyme, rosemary and mint can be experienced on the walks. To cope with the very hot and dry conditions in the summer, some plants have needle-like or furry leaves to reduce evaporation; cacti and succulents have thick waxy leaves to store water, while other plants become dormant and annuals set seed by early summer. In autumn, the golden grasses complement the colour of the clear blue skies.

Miniature daffodils, Serra de Estrela; gum rockrose, which originated in Portugal; common rhododendron (endangered endemic Iberian subspecies), Monchique

The diverse growing conditions nurture a huge variety of plants. The dry and very mild winters in the Algarve, which has relatively sandy soil, attract temperate plants. On the Costa Vicentina, the very low-lying plants are able to withstand drying salt-laden Atlantic winds. Many are endemic to this region, including the local rock rose (Cistus palhinhae). In the north and more mountainous regions, plants have to be hardier to thrive in wet, cold conditions, being covered with snow for up to half the year.

Agriculture

Arboriculture for wood, paper and cork is widespread in Portugal, which is the world’s largest cork producer. The bark is stripped and dried without killing the tree, about every nine years. The tree is then labelled with a number; if marked ‘15’ this means it was harvested in 2015 and will be ready again in 2024. The industry is in decline as wine producers are switching from natural to cheaper but less aesthetically pleasing options. However, screwtops’ inability to breathe may cause sulphurisation and stop wine ageing properly, and their plastic lining degrades with time. In addition, while it is true that screwtops prevent cork taint, many would argue that the wine experience is poorer without the ‘pop’ of a cork.

A pile of harvested cork drying in the sun

The fast-growing acacia, eucalyptus and pine are all cultivated for paper pulp, but unfortunately they are more flammable. Australian acacia (Acacia dealbata) is very invasive and eucalyptus’ deep taproots dry out the ground more than native trees. The result is an increased risk of forest fire, which is a major problem in Portugal. Also grown extensively are chestnuts (Castanea), mainly for animal feed, and stone pine (Pinus pinea) as an anti-erosion measure funded by the EU.

Smallholdings are common in rural areas, nowadays tended by aging populations. Unusual crops are grown, such as blue and yellow lupins for their edible seeds known as tremoços. A wide variety of grapes are grown throughout Portugal as delicious fruits or for wine. Douro, with its neat terraced vineyards along the river, is UNESCO-listed as the world’s oldest denominated wine area. A distinctive Iberian, predominantly Portuguese structure is an espigueiro or canastro (granary), often still in use for the storing of maize, specially built to protect the contents from rodents.

Much land is used as pasture, with skinny sheep and goats widely seen across the country (the sheep cheeses are delicious), and some areas have their own breeds of cow (Peneda and Alvão). In Alentejo the pastures are dotted with holm oak, providing firewood for people and shade for livestock. Far fewer chemicals are used here, as evidenced by the prodigious amounts of wildflowers, resulting in excellent honey.

Weather

Portugal is a small country with a large range of weather conditions. The mainland can be climatically split into north and south. The mountains of the north create a barrier to Atlantic winds, trapping cool air and rain, the high rainfall encouraging greenery in abundance. Heading east and inland, summers become hotter and winters longer.

Inland and at altitude, snow is a regular occurrence, often settling for days. January sees highs of 6ºC and lows down to -15ºC while the peak of summer sees temperatures of around 28ºC, although they can reach 40°C. The area has on average 123 rainy days per year and 20 days of snow. Serra da Estrela, the highest mountain range in Portugal, has a ski resort; snow is frequent and heavy here throughout winter.

Portugal’s climate heats up and dries out heading south. Past Lisbon there is a typical Mediterranean climate consisting of mild winters, sunny warm springs, and scorching summers with temperatures frequently over 30°C. Further south it gets hotter and drier, with 300 days of sunshine in the Algarve.

Along the coastline the climate is predominantly influenced by the currents and winds of the Atlantic Ocean: summer highs are counteracted with a cooling sea breeze, while the ocean waters temper the winters.

For weather predictions, visit the Portuguese meteorological website (www.ipma.pt) or the independent www.meteoblue.com.

Part of the disused Fort of São Domingos da Baralha, built on the Chã dos Navagantes (Walk 28)

When to go

There is always somewhere in Portugal to enjoy hiking at any time of the year. The temperature is most comfortable for walking in spring (March to May) and autumn (September and October). In general, the intense heat of the summer (July and August) could be a challenge. This is lessened by going along the coastline with the sea breeze, or up the cooler mountains in the north; the mountains in Estrela could be covered with snow from October until May. However, these are popular summer destinations with the Portuguese and could be crowded. May to August is the period with less rainfall, and in general the south is much drier with Algarve claiming 300 days of sunshine per year on average (see ‘Weather’, above).

In order to admire the almond blossoms, January and February would be the best time to visit. Wildflowers in spring are truly a delight, and the autumnal colours are equally splendid; the timing varies across the different regions (see ‘Plants and flowers’, above). Migratory birds provide an extra reason to visit from March to October.

Every village and region has its own festival and pilgrimage that can provide unique experiences – but they can also cause significant traffic problems. The national celebrations like Fátima or Carnation Day are on a grand scale and are eye-openers.

Getting there

By air

There are directs flights from all main UK airports to Faro, Lisbon or Porto, with major and budget airlines (see Appendix B for contact details); prices start from under £100 return. Porto is the most convenient airport for the northern region (Montesinho, Peneda-Gerês National Park, Alvão and Estrela). Lisbon is convenient for the central region (Sintra, Arrábida, and Aire e Candeeiros are within an hour’s drive from the city, while Tejo and Marvão are about two hours away). Faro is ideal for visiting the southern region and the Algarve.

By car

It takes about 15 hours to drive through France and Spain from Calais (via the Eurotunnel or by ferry across the English Channel) to northern Portugal. It’s a slightly shorter drive of about 12 hours if you sail to Brittany. Alternatively there are car ferries from either Plymouth or Portsmouth to Bilbao or Santander in Spain; it is then a 5-hour drive to northern Portugal. Another option would be to fly to Portugal or Spain and hire a car; they are easily available at airports (see above).

By train

It’s possible to travel from London to Lisbon via Eurostar, TGV and Sud Express, taking about 24 hours – plus another connecting train to Porto or Faro. (See Appendix B for rail operator contact details.) However, this is quite a tortuous and time-consuming way to travel and not necessarily cheaper than flying. With the emergence of budget airfares this has become the least favourable option.

Visas

EU citizens need an identity card only. Australian, New Zealand, Canadian and US citizens do not need a visa but must have a passport that is valid until at least three months after the end of their planned stay. Visitors from other countries should see the official Portugal tourism website for information (www.visitportugal.com; search ‘visa’). For a visa application they should go to the Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs official website: www.secomunidades.pt/vistos

Travelling around

Without a doubt a car is the most convenient way of getting around for the purposes of this guide, and access details are given for drivers in the information box at the start of each walk. The traffic is not busy except in major cities; however, Portugal continues to have the highest death rate from road traffic accidents in Western Europe, so drive carefully. There are different sorts of tolls: check with your car hire company or at www.estradas.pt

The Portuguese road nomenclature is varied. A national road on signs and in text is denoted by the letter ‘N’, but on some maps may be ‘En’ or just the number. Likewise, the smaller municipal roads may be denoted by ‘M’, ‘Em’ or just the number.

Trains run between major cities (Comboios de Portugal, www.cp.pt). Long-distance buses link most cities, large towns and many small towns (Rede Expressos – a national consortium of companies – www.rede-expressos.pt). There are bus services to locations near some of the walks in this book but they are infrequent with complicated schedules (details from tourist information offices), and an overnight stay is usually required.

A moinho (windmill) on Walk 34

Where to stay

Holiday accommodation is widely available in towns and even in remote villages. It ranges from hotels, guest houses, self-catering options, private rooms and youth hostels to camping grounds. Be aware that wild camping is not permitted. For a special treat, book a room in a pousada, one of the luxurious converted castles, palaces, convents or other historic buildings.

Prices in Portugal are very reasonable; an equivalent three-star hotel room or self-catering property is approximately €50 per night in Lisbon – cheaper in rural places – and prices start from about €75 even at a pousada.

The following websites may be useful in searching for and booking accommodation: www.airbnb.co.uk, www.tripadvisor.co.uk, and www.booking.com. The websites for the national park, nature parks and the local municipalities are also useful resources, especially for rural places (see Appendix B). For the latter, booking might have to be done via the local tourist office by phone as some proprietors are not online.

For most of the routes in this book, accommodation is available in towns or remote villages near the start of the walk, as detailed in the ‘Bases’ section for each area. Public transport from a nearby town may be possible; more often access by car is recommended.

The standard of lodging does vary, and facilities tend to be geared more for hot weather: heating systems are often lacking, other than a wood-burning stove, especially in remote villages.

Practicalities
Time	Portugal is on GMT (or BST during the summer). No time difference compared to the UK.
Money	Portugal uses the euro (€)
Electricity	220–240 volts AC

Food and drink

Portuguese food is simple, unfussy, but nonetheless delicious. Eating out, fresh fish and meat (grilled or fried) are staple. Meals are very good value for money and traditionally substantial, suitable for people who’ve worked a hard day in the fields. You won’t get many (or often any) vegetables, other than chips, as families eat greens at home whereas going out is a time to enjoy meat. Vegetarians are not particularly well catered for in Portugal. Note that una dosa (one portion) is for two or more people to share, whereas a meia dosa (half-portion) is for one person.

Unique Portuguese dishes include feijoada (bean stew with meats), cozido á Portuguesa (Portuguese stew, which varies across the country), alheira (a bready sausage), salpicão (a thick smoked pork dry sausage), morcela (black pudding), linguiça (spicy garlic sausage), presunto (ham, similar to Parma ham), cataplana (seafood stew – the name refers to the copper dish it’s cooked in), caldo (a simple vegetable broth), frango no churrasco (barbequed chicken), porco Alentejano (pork with clams), and migas (crumbled bread fried with various additions). Bacalhau is cod, but in Portugal this is unlikely to be fresh, as they adore the dried, salted version, cooked in myriad ways. Every area has its own pão (bread), all hand-baked and wholesome, of which a particular recommendation is pão Alentejano (a rustic sourdough). In rural villages people get bread delivered to their front door, hung on the doorknob every morning.

Pasteis de nata (Portuguese custard tart) is a must, and if you have a sweet tooth the doces conventuais (convent sweets) will be irresistible. These delights stem from the time when the nuns used egg whites to starch their wimples; their solution for the surplus yolks was to combine them with sugar, various secret ingredients and a huge amount of ingenuity, enticing the congregation by appealing to their taste buds. Most towns and regions have their own special convent sweet.

The wines encompass a tremendous range of varieties, often using grapes not encountered elsewhere. You will find good table wine everywhere, with superb examples from all regions. The rich, powerful wines of the Tejo valley are particularly impressive. Port is only produced in the UNESCO-listed Douro valley, and vinho verde (literally meaning ‘green wine’, not referring to its colour but to its age: a young, refreshing, slightly sparkling wine) is only produced in the north. Setúbal is thought to be the oldest Iberian wine-producing region; its dessert wines are famed and were Richard II’s favourite tipple.

Equipment

Good comfortable boots that you’ve worn before are essential. Sun protection is necessary at all times: consider using factor 50 plus a hat. While a single layer of summer clothing may be sufficient at lower altitudes for most of the year, it pays to carry waterproofs and extra layers of warm clothing in case of unexpected conditions and at higher altitudes. Proper walking socks of the appropriate grade are worth every penny. Wear long trousers for all walks as so many are overgrown or involve pushing through spiky bushes. Walking poles are advised: for protecting knees on descents, as a balancing aid when fording rivers, to lean on to help with ascents, to probe the terrain ahead, and to scare off the occasional dog.

A typical emergency kit would contain spare bootlaces, first aid kit (see ‘Emergencies and safety’, below), space-blanket/survival bag, snack bars, clean dry socks, insect repellent, tissues, Vaseline, battery bank, Swiss Army knife, emergency whistle, and torch.

Waymarking

Many of the walks in this guide follow established local and national trails.

PR (pequeno rota) literally means ‘small route’, waymarked red/yellow.

Correct way/wrong way

Turn left/turn right

GR (grande rota) is a long-distance route, waymarked red/white. The Rota Vicentina (Walks 35 and 36) is waymarked blue/green.

Be aware that the waymarking in Portugal is not always up to date; the marks may falter or disappear, or they may have been updated while the maps have not. It’s best to follow the maps and route descriptions given in this guide, preferably in conjunction with GPS guidance.

Maps

For Serra da Estrela, Sintra-Cascais, Arrábida and Peneda-Gerês, use Adventure Maps (www.adventuremaps.pt). They are also available from Stanfords (www.stanfords.co.uk).

For other areas the best map is the Carta Militar de Portugal, published by Instituto Geográphico do Exército (www.igeoe.pt), but footpaths and rights of way are not included. The 1:25,000 version is only available online or direct from IGeoE. The 1:50,000 versions are available from retailers such as Stanfords.

There is reasonable coverage using m@pas online (mapas.dgterritorio.pt) at ‘zoom level 8’, but it is significantly more dated than the Carta Militar. Opencycle (www.opencyclemap.org) is useful and has some but not all footpaths, however some footpaths on the map do not exist.

Water

Tap water is drinkable in Portugal. Carry plenty of water when walking (at least 200ml per person per hour when the weather is hot). There are public taps in many towns and the water from these is reportedly drinkable unless there’s a sign that says água não controlada.

The footpath winds through the tranquil beech forest from São Lourenço (Walk 20)

Emergencies and safety

Although the solitude is one of the major draws of walking in Portugal, patchy mobile phone reception means you may struggle to make contact in an emergency if you walk alone. Needless to say, if you do choose to walk unaccompanied it’s good practice to inform someone where you’re going and when you’ll be back. There is no mountain rescue service: if you have a signal, call 112 for all emergencies (police, ambulance, fire service) and 117 for forest fire.

The most likely injuries are blisters, sunburn and bee sting, so in addition to the usual dressings, be sure to have antihistamines, painkillers and blister treatment in your first aid kit. Prevent blisters by choosing and maintaining your footwear carefully, and by responding to any discomfort as soon as you feel it. Clean and dry is the key to treatment if prevention has failed; apply some sort of blister dressing, and puncture with a sterile needle only if huge, leaving the skin as intact as possible.

Snake bite is incredibly rare as snakes avoid people, but they may bite if disturbed. Clean the site and avoid unnecessary movements, for example by using a sling if bitten on an upper limb. Contact the Poisons Information Centre (+351) 808 250 143 and go to the nearest hospital as soon as possible. However, there is no record of any fatalities as a result of snake bite. (See ‘Wildlife’ for information about the types of snake that might be encountered.)

Dogs

Dogs are everywhere in Portugal; many are quiet but some will mark their territory by barking. If they appear threatening, pretending to throw a stone at them is a useful deterrent. If bitten, rabies is endemic, so seek medical advice. (On the other hand, you may find yourself accompanied on walks by overfriendly dogs.)

River crossings

Many of the walks in the guide involve stream or river crossings. While in normal conditions these should pose no difficulties whatsoever (for the most part they are either shallow streams or crossed via purpose-built stepping-stones or bridges), care should be taken after heavy rain, when crossings – or at least staying dry – may prove more challenging. Any particular risks are included in the information box at the beginning of the walk descriptions.

Health care

The EHIC (European Health Insurance Card) has replaced the E111 card, with which EU citizens are given access to temporary necessary state-provided health care for free or at a reduced rate. It does not replace travel insurance, which is highly recommended. This should cover repatriation and is essential for non-EU citizens.

Using this guide

Information to help you choose a route that suits your capabilities is listed in the route summary table in Appendix A and in the information box at the beginning of each walk description. All times are pure walking times, with no allowance for photography, exploration, resting or eating. Throughout the guide, Portuguese words are italicised and there is a glossary in Appendix C. Places and features on the maps are shown in bold in the route descriptions to aid navigation.

Grades

Grading depends on distance, total ascent, ease of navigation and type of terrain, but as always is subjective. The given grades should be treated as a rough guide until you’ve walked a few of these routes, to compare with your own pace.

Leave no trace

This ethos is well embedded in the consciousness of most walkers. Take all your litter away with you, and under no circumstances should you light a fire: not only are they illegal for most of the year, but they also put the landscape at serious risk. Full rules for walking in the nature parks can be found on the ICNF website (www.icnf.pt).

GPS

GPS may prove highly valuable on many of the walks in this guide. GPX tracks for all of the routes are available to download free at www.cicerone.co.uk/889/GPX. Consider using a free smartphone app such as ViewRanger (www.viewranger.com), with roaming turned off and maps downloaded before the walk to avoid any extra charges (using the GPS function abroad is free).

A GPS device is an excellent aid to navigation, but you should also carry a map and compass and know how to use them. GPX files are provided in good faith, but neither the author nor the publisher accepts responsibility for their accuracy.

GPS coordinates have been provided for the start/finish points of all walks. They are Google compatible, and can be used on GPS devices (including in-car GPS and android GPS apps). If different formats are required, use an online converter such as www.directionsmag.com/site/latlong-converter