Walking Holidays in Portugal
With mile upon mile of picture-perfect coastline, delicious seafood cuisine, warm balmy weather and an unusual range of fragrant flora, a walking holiday in Portugal is a real treat for the senses. Yet, despite all that it has to offer holidaymakers, Portugal remains traditional and gloriously undeveloped, making it a wonderful location for a self-guided walking holiday.
Pristine beaches, medieval castles, quaint fishing villages and the coursing Atlantic contribute to one of the most idyllic stretches of scenery in Europe.
Walkers visiting Portugal can expect to spend their days discovering some of the most beautiful and secluded coastal walking in Europe, set among charming historic towns influenced by Moorish architecture and finished off with delicious local food and wine. Add to this the fact that Portugal enjoys more than 3,000 hours of sunshine per year and you have the perfect warm-weather getaway. Embark on a Portugal walking holiday with Celtic Trails and benefit from quality, hand-picked accommodation, bespoke route notes and luggage transfers all included.
Explore our Portugal Walking Holidays
Overview
Portugal's Paths
Pristine beaches, medieval castles, quaint fishing villages and the coursing Atlantic that rushes to shore all contribute to one of the most idyllic stretches of scenery for walking in Europe. Each day walking through the Portuguese countryside seems to peel back new qualities in scenery, whether it’s the verdant forest tracks of the country or the unforgettable experience of watching the sun set over the Cabo St Vincent - the most south-westerly edge of the European mainland.
Some of Portugal's top hiking trails operate as a means of bringing visitors to the beautiful rustic areas of Portugal that have yet to receive the tourist numbers of the Algarve, nor have the extensive resources to cater for the package holiday crowd; you’ll find life conducted at a much slower, relaxed pace here on the lesser-known side of Portugal’s countryside.
When to Walk in Portugal
Located at the south-western tip of mainland Europe, Portugal enjoys some of the exuberant fair-weather hitting the Mediterranean. As such, walkers may want to consider visiting in spring or autumn, where nature and flora is at its fullest, and the effects of the weather are perceptively gentler - making progress along the path noticeably easier.
You’ll find that by taking what is typically referred to as the ‘shoulder season’, you’ll not be confronted with any signs of the crowds who flock to the Algarve over summer, and if you’re planning an extension to your trip by visiting somewhere like Lisbon, you’ll find moving around the metropolitan area more carefree outside of high summer.
How to Get to Portugal
The most common means of getting to the start of a walk is by flight to a major airport, with a connecting train, bus or taxi to your starting point further out into the country.
By Plane – Lisbon, the capital, handles the grand majority of Portugal’s arrivals by air, and there are ample ways of getting to the start of your walk, either by train, shuttle bus or taxi (or a combination of all three) from the airport.
By Train – it is possible to arrive in Lisbon via the Eurostar train services departing from major cities across the European mainland. If you’re travelling from London St Pancras, you’ll need to change trains at the Spanish Border. All your luggage is transferred between each accommodation we book for you (selected on first-hand experience and the strength of feedback given by our walkers), as well as taxi transfers to and from the path (where necessary). Getting to the start and leaving the end point of your walk is not included, but we are more than happy to advise on the best ways to travel.
Portugal Client Reviews
4.9/5 based on 24 reviews
"I would recommend Celtic Trails to a friend. They are better than other companies. All accommodations were 5/5."
"Celtic Trails are well organised and experienced at arranging walking holidays. We have used the regularly and have not been disappointed."
"Celtic Trails were excellent and would recommend it overall, the working, pick ups, drop offs & planning was excellent."
"Everything you provided and arranged for us was excellent. This was our 4th walk with you and given our current physical limitation was probably the best walk you had for us."
"Extremely responsive and helpful quick to respond we have recommended to friends."
"Excellent service, accommodations, and quick response rate from Celtic Trails when issues occur. It was a challenging adventure, I felt very accomplished daily and enjoyed the relaxation of the trip."
"Couldn't have asked for a better first experience with Celtic Trails and Madeira!! Absolutely incredible experience. Very well organized trip, transfers / pick ups were timely. We had a canceled flight on a Friday evening and was able to contact the after hours service to adjust pick up accommodations which was flawless."
"This is our 9th Walk with Celtic Trails! Walking with Celtic, has given us the opportunity to see parts of the UK and Europe up close, away from the crowds - we can enjoy the walk always knowing we have comfortable accommodations & good food at the end of each day."
"As usual, our adventure with Celtic Walks was wonderful!! The places we stayed, the taxi service, the trails were beautiful!! WE liked all the information that was sent to us so we felt secure about leading ourselves each day. The places that we stayed when we got through a long day of hiking were small and peaceful with very nice people to greet you."