Portugal and Madeira Island 2016: Hiking the Algarve Cliff Trails From Salema to Sagres

Hiking the Algarve Cliff Trails
From Salema to Sagres

The hike from Salema to Sagres was the most difficult and challenging terrain we had encountered on the Algarve Cliff trail; but it was well worth all the extra effort for it proved to be the most spectacular scenery of the Algarve Coast. This part of the coast is virtually untouched by man which is unusual in Europe. Of our week long hiking, we only saw two other hikers.

It was another gorgeous, cloudless blue sky day with temperatures in the 90's.

Leaving Salema, we walked across the beach's light brown sugar sand

and immediately started walking on the cliffs.

The first three miles of this 16 km trek were intense: exposed trails, rough underfoot shrubs and lots of frustrating climbing way up and then descending way down around countless obstacles only to have to ascend again.

Jeff is the little dot on the right.

It was very slow going for the trail was a shoe box wide in some places with a more open terrain in other areas. The shrubs, with their abrasive branches and also the thistles, would in some portions prevent our hiking poles from moving forward! They'd get stuck in the underbrush and would cause further delays.

Believe it or not, we only averaged one mile an hour pace on this stretch of trail, as opposed to our typical 3 mile an hour pace. At this rate it would be dark before we had gone half way! Fortunately, after we passed Zavial beach, which is the last point of civilization along the coast until Sagres, we only had 10 km left to go and the terrain got somewhat easier allowing our pace to pick up.

Hiking down to the beach

And then hiking back up the cliffs from the beach.We found the trailhead "Danger" sign leaning on its side in the photo above; so we knew we were on the right route.

These cliffs are called "furnas" which translates to "overhanging cliffs, caves and grotto created by the erosion of the rocks and sea".

Our vista here is of the stunning Ponta da Fisga which means "edge of the slingshot".

From the top of the cliff we had to maneuver around obstacles such as those pictured above and hiked back down to the beach again. Even though it was hot and tiring to keep going up and down the cliffs, it was worth it for every one of these secluded coves and beaches made us feel as if we were in Paradise.

They all were absolutely beautiful!

The landscape is a rare beauty with its deserted beaches, secret lagoons and stunningly spectacular colors of water. One right after another breathtaking views welcomed us we hiked along the cliff trails.

This 16.5 km trek today was in the 90's throughout the exposed, unshaded cliff "trails". This might be a good time to note that the Algarve Coast Cliff trails are closed for two months out of the year, July and August due to extreme heat. Here it is October and the high was in the 90's! I couldn't imagine doing this hike with the temperature being any hotter!

Regardless of the temperature and the rugged terrain, this last 10 km portion was absolutely spectacular and one of the highlights of my life.