fisherman’s trail luggage transfer + Packing list

A minimalist guide on what to pack for the Fisherman’s Walk Portugal and how to use luggage transfer.

This is the last wild coast in Europe, yet each night you’ll stay in a charming fishing village at a hotel, inn or hostel.

Wild camping is not permitted on the Rota Vicentina so you’ll need to pack some clothing for evenings when you’ll likely venture out to one of the amazing seafood restaurants in the fishing villages each night.

The trails themselves are incredibly well-marked and mostly flat, but they are very sandy making typical boots really annoying.

The hardest part of this fishermen’s trail is the hangover you might get from the great value wine each night that comes with delicious dinners in each of the fishing villages. So bring a lot of water.

Author’s tl;dr: Download your free packing list for everything you need to bring with you on this coastal hike that offers cheap and easy luggage transport.

• This multi-day inn-to-inn hike is perfect to pair with a city break to Lisbon or a beach vacation in the Algarve region of Portugal.
• You can easily hike with a daypack and send your luggage to your next accommodation.

This guide is intended for those that want a predictably great hiking experience with delicious Portuguese restaurants near comfortable accommodations that don’t require carrying a tent, or even a backpack (luggage transport is available).

Fisherman’s Trail Luggage Transfer

Lisbon train stations and subway stations have lockers you can rent to store extra luggage that you don’t want to carry, or you can utilize the Vicentina Transfers company to lighten your load.

For 15 euros a transfer (2nd bag free), this dynamo couple of a team will pick up your bags at your accommodation around 9 am and deliver it to your next destination accommodation. You can book everything entirely online in English on their website and if you’ve got any changes you can use WhatsApp to communicate easily.

Nature Transfers also provides luggage transfer and you can contact them here.

Packing List for the Fisherman’s walk Portugal

I purchased some specialized pants that had elastic bottoms to keep the sand out of my footwear.

They were not only expensive, but ineffective. As were my Columbia boots. They were heavy and filled with sand every 20 minutes.

Thankfully, another hiker taught me the virtue of a more porous hiking shoe and trail runners are definitely recommended just to reduce sand weight.

Rota Vicentina Packing Checklist

Since you can leave your luggage at a hotel or use the simple luggage transport, I would recommend a smaller daypack for your 4-6 hour walk daily. If you don’t have space in your luggage you can use a typical sized backpack for European hut to hut hikes.

Download the Free Packing List

I absolutely love my Osprey backpack. It fits so well and never leaves me raw, so I wrote a guide on how to clean my Osprey backpack so it lasts forever.

Buying Guide for Hiking Gear for the Rota Vicentina

Image	Gear	Amazon Prices	Check Retailer Price
	Quick Dry Pants	Click here to Check Prices Amazon	Check Price REI
	Quick Dry Shirts x 2	Click here to Check Prices Amazon	Check Price REI
	Light Hiking Shoes	Click here to Check Amazon Prices	Check Price REI
	Quality Hiking Socks x 2	Click here to Check Prices on Amazon	Check Price REI
	Lightweight Warm Jacket (for Winter Hikes)	Click here to Check Prices on Amazon	Check Price REI
	Cat 4 Sunglasses	Click here to check prices Amazon	Check Price REI

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Self Guided Trail Plans You Can Steal

▶️ Do you want to plan your own SELF GUIDED multi day walk along the last wild coast in Europe?

Use my free tool to plan your trip step by step or read until the end to find a free PDF with the accommodations listed by stage.

Best time to go: March – early May or October-November

If you’d like to plan a longer trip, this Rota Vicentina Fishermen’s Trail website provides helpful information and an app to plan the entire way.

Fishermen’s Walk Portugal Map

You’ll start at Porto Covo and make your way to Vila Nova de Milfontes first. Then to Zambujeira do Mar and then continue to Odeceixe.

You can hike in either direction if you prefer, but bus connections are easier in the North to South direction to return to Lisbon.

Google Map: Rota Vicentina Best of Fishermen’s Trail

How to Use This Map:
Click on the icon on the top left-hand corner. You will now see an interactive list.

For more info on each, click on the map icons.

To see the map in more detail, click on the [ ] in the top right-hand corner. This will open a larger map where the details of each point can be found by clicking on the location point name in the list on the left.

You can also save the map for your own use by clicking the next to the map name. This will save the map to your Google Maps, where you can make a copy and use it for your own trip planning.

To view the saved map on your phone, open Google Maps, click “saved” on the bottom, and then “maps” on the lower right.

If you’d like to plan a longer trip, this Rota Vicentina Fishermen’s Trail website provides helpful information and an app to plan the entire way.

PDF Planner for Fisherman’s Walk

Download my Fisherman’s Trail Full Planner here where you can plan your trip step-by-step with the best places to stay.

PDF Accommodation Guide for Fisherman’s Trail

Just want the list of hotels, hostels and BnBs along the trail?

Stage	Distance Walked	My Favorite Places to Stay on the Trail
Day 0		Porto Covo: Mute
Day 1	12 mi	Vila Nova de Milfontes: Vila Eira Boutique House
Day 2	9 mi	Almograve: Almograve Beach Hostel
Day 3	13 mi	Zambujeira do Mar: Monte Das Alpenduradas
Day 4	11 mi	Odeceixe: Bohemian Antique Guesthouse
Travel Days		Lisbon, Lagos
Free Sheet		Get a full list of Accomodations

Want more options? From Ostrich farms to hostels, there’s something for everyone.

➡️ Fisherman’s Trail Accommodation Spreadsheet

Make it easy to plan your trek.

➡️ Prefer PDF? Download a list of the accommodations directly on the Fishermen’s trail.

There are options for budget and luxury however some of the villages may require a taxi to get to a true luxury stay. It’s really fun to stay in town with the other walkers and share dinners.

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Tips for Hiking the Rota Vicentina Portugal

Hey there, let me clear something up for you – the Rota Vicentina is not just one super long 450-KM trail that goes straight from A to B. Nope, it’s actually a whole network of different trails that wind their way along the stunning Portuguese coast.

We’ve got coastal trails, inland trails, and even some short circular ones that are perfect for a day hike. And while they all add up to a total of 450KM, they often run parallel to one another, so you’ve got plenty of options depending on what you’re in the mood for.

The inland trail, also known as the Historical Way / Caminho Histórico, starts at Santiago do Cacém or Porto Covo and takes you all the way to Cabo de São Vicente, covering 232KM from Santiago do Cacém.

The newer coastal trail, also called the Fisherman’s Trail / Trilho dos Pescadores, starts in Porto Covo and officially ends in Odeceixe (76KM), but it’s got extensions that take you all the way down to Cabo de São Vicente and even on to Lagos.

Sometimes the Fisherman’s Trail overlaps with the inland Historical Way, and sometimes it splits up into two or more alternative trails. Confused yet?

List of Sections of the Fisherman’s Trail

1. São Torpes to Porto Covo (10 kilometers, difficulty: easy)
2. Porto Covo to Vila Nova de Milfontes (20 kilometers, difficulty: moderate)
3. Vila Nova de Milfontes to Almograve (15.5 kilometers, difficulty: easy)
4. Almograve to Zambujeira do Mar (22 kilometers, difficulty: easy)
5. Zambujeira do Mar to Odeceixe (19 kilometers, difficulty: easy)
6. Odeceixe to Aljezur (22.5 kilometers, difficulty: average)
7. Aljezur to Arrifana (17.5 kilometers, difficulty: average)
8. Arrifana to Carrapateira (20 or 21.5 kilometers, difficulty: average)
9. Carrapateira to Vila do Bispo (16 kilometers, difficulty: moderate)
10. Vila do Bispo to Sagres (20.5 kilometers, difficulty: average)
11. Sagres to Salema (19.5 kilometers, difficulty: moderate)
12. Salema to Luz (12 kilometers, difficulty: average)
13. Luz to Lagos (11 kilometers, difficulty: easy)

Related Reading

• Rota Vicentina blog of my experience.

Wander without Worry: Best Trekking Insurance

FAQ Fisherman’s Trail