The last section of the Fishermen’s Trail runs from Praia da Luz to Lagos. During this hike, you’ll pass one of the most beautiful places in Portugal: Ponta da Piedade. Read all about this amazing hike in this article.
What is the Fishermen’s Trail?
The Fishermen’s Trail (Trilho dos Pescadores) is a long-distance hike in Portugal and runs along the coast from Lagos (Algarve) to São Torpes near Sines (Alentejo). The trail is part of Rota Vicentina, a collection of hiking and cycling trails in southwest Portugal.
The Fishermen’s Trail is 226.5 kilometers long in total and includes a total of 13 sections. In this article, I’ll tell you all about the gorgeous Luz to Lagos walk. This is the thirteenth and last section of the Fishermen’s Trail.
Good to know, the Luz to Lagos walk is also very suitable to do as a day hike since it’s only 11 kilometers (7 miles) long.
Hiking from Praia da Luz to Lagos
After a section of the Pacific Crest Trail in the United States and the Pieterpad in The Netherlands, it is now time for my third long-distance hike: the Fishermen’s Trail! I currently live in Lagos and it is easiest for me to start with the last section of the Fishermen’s Trail: the hike from Praia da Luz to Lagos.
Going uphill at Luz
Praia da Luz is a pleasant town west of Lagos with many (mainly English) restaurants and cafes. The starting point of this section of the Fishermen’s Trail is Praia da Luz, a beautiful beach. From here, you can see the high cliff that you have to climb first. A great start to the hike!
After a short walk on the paved road between the villas, I arrive at an unpaved parking lot. It is clear that I have to hike uphill, the post with the blue-green stripes of the Fishermen’s Trail is right in front of the climb.
It seems like I have to climb steeply, but luckily the trail leads up the mountain in a couple of switchbacks. It’s actually pretty easy to hike up, and before I know it I’ve reached the top. From here, you’ll have a great view of Luz and the coastline of the Algarve.
Hiking on the cliffs to Praia de Porto de Mós
After the first steep climb, the rest of the trail is a lot easier. I hike on top of the cliffs and enjoy the beautiful view of the Atlantic Ocean. Thanks to the clear blue sky, the ocean seems even more blue, which is a beautiful sight.
The trail is easy to follow, there are regular markings and you basically just have to follow the coastline. It doesn’t take long before I can see Lagos. It seems close, but you have to make a detour through Ponta Piedade to get there. And you don’t want to skip that part of the trail!
At Praia de Porto de Mós (one of the most beautiful beaches in Lagos), I have to hike downhill. It is quite crowded at the beach and the restaurants, this beach is very popular with the locals on Sunday afternoons. I skip the beach and the restaurants and keep on hiking
Ponta Piedade
At Praia de Porto de Mós, I have to hike along the main road. It’s not as bad as it sounds because there is plenty to see. In this part of Lagos, there are mainly huge and expensive villas and it’s always fun to look at them.
I return to the coastline through a side street. I walk through a field of yellow flowers and I can see the lighthouse on Ponta Piedade in the distance.
At some point, the trail turns into a wooden boardwalk, which is really cool! Every now and then there is a side trail to a viewpoint and the views are incredible.
At the lighthouse, I wander off the Fishermen’s Trail for a bit, because there are many cool small side trails and viewpoints. Ponta Piedade is truly one of the most beautiful parts of the Algarve and definitely a highlight on this Praia da Luz to Lagos walk. The cliffs and rock formations in the sea are a spectacular sight.
Hiking in Lagos
I hike back to Lagos along a long empty street. Along the way, there are several beautiful beaches to check out and to relax for a bit, like Praia de Dona Ana and Praia da Batata.
Good to know: in recent years, I’ve done this Praia da Luz to Lagos hike countless times. A lot of things have changed on the stretch of Ponta da Piedade to Lagos. You don’t need to follow the road anymore, several boardwalks connect the trail from Ponta da Piedade to Praia do Pinhao. With beautiful viewpoints to admire the gorgeous coastline!
From Praia da Batata you hike on the boulevard along the center of Lagos. It’s pretty awesome, on the right you can see Forte da Ponta da Bandeira, and on the left Castelo de Lagos.
I walk on this boulevard quite often since I live near the city center of Lagos, and it’s always fun. You walk along the palm trees, the river, and the harbor. The water is really clear, so you can even see the fish swimming in the river. If you’re lucky, you might even see some red starfish on the black rocks.
I cross the water via the pedestrian bridge to Marina de Lagos. Here you can find many waterfront restaurants and this is the perfect place to relax after the hike from Praia da Luz to Lagos.
The Fishermen’s Trail ends just behind the Marina de Lagos, at Lagos station.
This was the first section I’ve hiked on the Fishermen’s Trail and I would love to hike some more sections! In the coming weeks, I hope to hike more sections, and I will write a hiking report like this one again.
And that’s what I did! So far, I’ve hiked 8 sections of the Fishermen’s Trail. Check out my trail journals here.
Practical information
The 13th section of the Fishermen’s Trail runs from Praia da Luz to Lagos and is 11 kilometers (about 7 miles) long. It takes about three to four hours. Although there is a big climb at the start, it is a fairly easy hike.
You can get food and drinks at a few places along the way, namely in Luz, Praia de Porto de Mós, and Lagos. So you don’t need to bring a lot of snacks.
The best time to hike this section from Praia da Luz to Lagos is between September and June. In July and August, it can get very warm and there is hardly any shade on the trail.
On this website, you can find more information about this section and download the gpx file.
Are you interested in doing more fun hikes in Lagos and its surroundings? Check out this blog post: Hiking in Lagos: 7 great hiking trails.
Transportation
There is a regular daily bus between Lagos and Luz (number 4, the yellow line). Check Google Maps for the nearest bus stop and route times. A ticket costs between € 2 and € 4, to be paid in cash to the bus driver.
Where to stay
Both Luz and Lagos are destinations that attract a lot of tourists, so there are a lot of options in terms of accommodation. Here are some nice places to stay in either Luz or Lagos:
- Luz Beach Apartments – Beautiful apartments on the beach. A great place to relax after a day of hiking.
- Lagos Avenida Hotel – Amazing 4* hotel with a rooftop pool overlooking the boulevard.
- The Salty Lodge – Nicely decorated studios and apartments in the historic city center of Lagos.
Check out Booking.com for more options, availability, and prices.
Check out 20 beautiful B&Bs and hotels in Lagos Portugal for more tips!
Read more
Would you like to hike (a section of) the Fishermen’s Trail after reading this article? Then it is useful to order this trail guide:
A guidebook to walking the 224km (140 mile) Rota Vicentina, between Santiago do Cacém and Cabo de São Vicente.
And this guide is very useful if you’d like to explore more hiking trails in the Algarve:
Walking in the Algarve: 30 Coastal and Inland Walks in the South of Portugal
This guidebook describes 33 walks in the beautiful Algarve in southern Portugal. Boasting good weather, easy access, stunning scenery and some great hiking trails, the region is a perfect destination for a walking holiday.
I stay in the Algarve for a couple of months every year, so if you want to read more about Portugal, this is the right website for you! You might like to read one of these articles:
- 30 Algarve tips: the best things to do & beautiful sights
- 5 Easy ways to travel from Lisbon to the Algarve
- Hiking Via Algarviana: explore the interior of the Algarve, Portugal
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This article was published in December 2020. Last update: March 2024 with the latest information about the new trail in Lagos.
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What a super helpful website. I used this for Luz to Lagos and I loved the walk. I’m here in August but went out at 7am on a slightly cooler day with some water in my backpack and was fine. Thanks !
Thank you! That sounds great, must have been nice and quiet :)