So, armed with my new walking poles and in good company of a couple of friends, off we set to walk from Ferragudo to Carvoeiro. We set off early and the weather was great for a hike – not too sunny and a nice breeze. The first stretch across Praia Grande and up the path to O Molhe we’ve all done many times before. Great views back across the beach and over to Praia da Roche and not too taxing.
Then onto Praia Pintadinho, past the lighthouse and behind Praia Caneiros and onwards! Much of the route is fairly easy and there are magnificent views of the coastline, little beaches and coves. Amazing how close to the cliff edge some of the local fishermen sit!
Now here comes the but! Some of the terrain gets pretty hard going (well for me, anyway!) Some quite steep climbs and rocky descents – I was very glad to have my walking poles, that’s for sure. The route is marked with wooden posts, but in some places these are not easy to spot.
By the time we made it to Carvoeiro, it had taken around three and a half hours and we had walked almost 9km. We were all glad to sit down, have a cold drink and wait for our lift back to Ferragudo. Tired and legs aching a bit, but it was a great walk, very exhilarating and an excellent way to appreciate the wonderful stretch of coastline with its beautiful beaches and amazing rock formations.
As a guide, it took us around three and a half hours of steady walking and we met people along the route of various ages, going at different paces. Some people have told me they do the walk in two and half hours. We even saw some joggers!
