Sagres to Salema

This was the first day after the end of the arranged tour. That meant being responsible for booking a room and luggage transfers. The paths were well marked and the scenery was excellent. I know the scenery is pretty much like the last several days but we're not tired of it. The previous reports were accurate as the numerous valleys made for many ups and downs along the trail. By the time we arrived in Salema, we were tired.

Then booking a flight home was frustrating because the airline computer had difficulty accepting my credit card. After the third card the flight was booked. Very frustrating.

Vila do Bispo to Sagres

This was a short and pleasant walk, mostly along trails through the woods. We knew that we would get to the cape so we asked the tour company for advice. They suggested accepting the transfer service to avoid walking along a busy road. We rode into Sagres with a couple of guys from Germany who were staying at the same hotel.

After booking in we took a walk around a point of land to check out the terrain. 

The cape was a very busy place.

Carrapateira to Vila do Bispo

We didn't sleep as well as we should have because the fire alarm went off last night. The fire truck didn't come. One of the other guests called the owner who happened to be away in the Azores. She called an employee who eventually came over and dealt with the alarm. It's a good thing that it was a false alarm. 

After a good breakfast we walked through town and picked up the Fisherman's Trail and walked to the ocean. After that we got lots of great views as we made our way up and down the many hills. Because of the number of small streams, there were lots steep gullies to go down and back up. But the views made it all worthwhile and then some. After lunch, we got up on a plateau where the walking was very easy. Even though we had left the ocean, the scenery was pleasant with nice pine trees and wild flowers.

Since we had more than enough time, we stopped and rested in the grass. The walk all the way into town was offroad, which was nice.

When we arrived at the hotel, they didn't have a room because of their mistake. So they got us a room in a nearby hotel: but we still get our breakfast in the original hotel.

We ate dinner at a nearby restaurant where we saw others from the previous town. We sat next to a young couple from Germany who were playing a German card game. They were good fun.

Carrapateira extra

I booked a further day of accommodation in Salema a few minutes ago. So that puts us closer to Lagos, which is one end of the Fisherman's Trail.

We had a great dinner at the Microbar. Portobello and goat cheese salad with a Bistro burger. The latter comes with bacon and egg.

Carrapateira circle walk

Today they scheduled us for a circle around the point; it was labeled as 12km. We extended that by taking all the side trips possible. Gramie probably did 20km and I did less to to give my ankle some rest. We saw much more water front.

It was a treat not having to pack up for one day.

We plan to visit the same restaurant because of their goat cheese and Portobello salad.

Arrifana to Carrapateira

Today we had to make our way back to the Fisherman's Trail from our hotel, which was a few km on streets and roads. Then we were back near the ocean with its great views. After this the trail curved inland through very pleasant countryside with lots of interesting flowers and shrubs.

At one point we had to cross a small steam on a board, which resulted in Gramie stepping in the water and filling her boots. This required a brief stop to empty her boots and wring out her socks.

In the afternoon we came to the star of today's show - the beach before Carrapateira. The wind was strong, which made for beautiful waves all along the beach. At the end of the beach there was a stream to cross, which most people waded through. The water was well over their knees so we decided to walk upstream to a shallower crossing. It still meant going barefoot and then trying to get back into our boots after dealing with the sand. Then it was only a km to our hotel. But it was via sandy paths. We have walked on sand for what seemed like hundreds of km on this trip. Practically every video on the Fisherman's Trail has mentioned the sand. We brought our gaiters but a surprising number of hikers did not and had to stop periodically to empty their shoes.

Dinner tonight included a great Portobello and goat cheese salad. 

Aljazur to Arrafana

We had a nice breakfast at our hotel next to a couple from Belgium whom we have seen earlier. Knowing that I would need calories, I asked for three fried eggs rather than the usual two. This along with everything else made for a filling breakfast.

On our walk out of town, we hiked up to the castle for the views. Then it was an uneventful walk on roads to the ocean. Then the scenery improved dramatically. We were back along the Atlantic Ocean for a few hours. After that we walked inland to our hotel through trees and shrubs but away from cars. We were at our hotel early today, just after 3 pm.