The BEST activity for an Algarve winter – walks and hikes

Helpful tips when walking in the Algarve

I have compiled a list of resources that may help you in your wanderings around the Algarve hiking trails.

2018 Guide to Walking Trails in the Algarve (11mb pdf) from the Algarve Tourism Board (RTA).

Hiking Apps to take with you

• All Trails (my now preferred app)
• WikiLoc – GPS location-sharing community. Discover, post and share GPS trails and waypoints from around the World
• Komoot – Komoot | Better Planning and Navigation for Hikers and Bikers

Algarve hiking web sites

• https://www.walkalgarve.com/
• https://www.viaalgarviana.org
• https://en.rotavicentina.com
• https://euroveloportugal.com/en/

Books about hiking in the Algarve

• Walking in the Algarve / Julie Statham
• The Via Algarviana / Tracy Burton
• More Algarve Hiking / Tracy Burton

My experiences hiking in the Algarve

Let’s get one thing straight, hiking is the perfect outdoor activity for an Algarvian winter (which is pretty mild), however I personally prefer walking in the heat of a summer’s morning. Sadly though, in winter our outdoor excursions tend to get limited a little, because lets face it, it DOES hose down with rain here in the Algarve. It DOES get close to freezing at 4am in some areas. We DO occasionally get blanketed in snow. Actually that may have only happened a few million years ago, it doesn’t now.

We are all fairly attached to technology these days and why not? It makes life a whole lot easier and often more fun. It can also make life unbelievably stressful but the point is, technology can help you a lot with hiking.

Barranco dos Lajes Hike

For example on the walk in this video (see the YouTube video at the top of the page), I prepared online with a brief look at the overview of the hike. I researched it fairly thoroughly on Google Maps and I knew that it was signposted, so I thought I would rely on the signposts and the lie of the land. The Barranco dos Lajes walk loops around a beautiful valley, which shouldn’t be too hard to follow.

What I hadn’t counted on, was the great conversation which lifted my focus from path-finding to much loftier thoughts. After a few kilometres we had missed the sharp turn back into the valley and headed off on a slightly longer loop which was fun, but messed up our day a little as we were slightly later than anticipated in returning. It wasn’t the end of the world, but having technology on your side at times like this is a good idea.