Where wild cliffs meet golden coves – discovering one of the Algarve’s best-kept hiking secrets
Tucked into the far western reaches of the Algarve, where the coast turns dramatic and the crowds thin to almost nothing, sits the village of Salema, undoubtedly a great base for those looking for hiking in the Algarve.
Whitewashed houses cascade down to a crescent of sand, fishing boats still line the beach at dawn, and above it all, the limestone cliffs of the Parque Natural do Sudoeste Alentejano e Costa Vicentina rise like ancient ramparts against the Atlantic.
This is not the Algarve of golf resorts and all-inclusive hotels. This is the Algarve that hikers dream about.
“The path unfolds like a secret – every bend offering a new angle on sea and stone that feels entirely your own.”
Why Salema is a hiker’s paradise
Salema sits at the meeting point of two extraordinary long-distance walking routes: the Rota Vicentina and the Via Algarviana. But you don’t need to be a seasoned trekker to appreciate what this coastline offers. Day walks from the village range from gentle cliff-top ambles to more demanding scrambles along sea stacks and hidden coves.
The landscape here belongs to the Costa Vicentina — one of Europe’s most pristine stretches of Atlantic coast, and the most southwesterly corner of the continent. Because it falls within a protected natural park, development has been kept firmly at bay. What you get instead is gorse-covered headlands, flowering sea lavender in spring, peregrine falcons riding thermal currents, and views that stretch unbroken to the horizon.
The Fishermen’s Trail: Salema to Burgau
The most celebrated day walk from Salema follows the Trilho dos Pescadores — the Fishermen’s Trail — eastward towards the village of Burgau. This is coastal walking at its finest: the path hugs cliff edges close enough that you can hear the swell crashing on the rocks below, while the trail itself meanders through aromatic scrubland thick with cistus and wild rosemary.
Salema to Burgau – Trail at a glance
Distance: 7 km one-way
Duration: 2–3 hours
Difficulty: Easy–Moderate
Elevation gain: ~180 m
Marked route: Yes (blue dots)
The trail begins at the eastern end of Salema beach. Follow the blue-dot waymarks of the Fishermen’s Trail as the path climbs onto the first headland. Almost immediately, the village drops away and you’re rewarded with a sweeping view back over the bay – on a clear morning, the light is extraordinary.
Midway, a short detour leads down to Boca do Rio, a wide flat-bottomed valley where a river meets the sea. It’s an otherworldly spot, popular with birdwatchers and almost always deserted. From here, the trail climbs again before delivering you into the pretty village of Burgau, where you can reward yourself with a cold Sagres at one of the harbour-side cafés before catching the bus back.
📌 Practical tip: Bus 96 connects Burgau and Salema (Lagos line). Check current timetables before setting off – services are less frequent outside summer. Alternatively, arrange a taxi pickup from Burgau.
West into the wilder coast: Salema to Figueira
For those wanting something more remote, heading west from Salema towards Ponta de Sagres reveals an altogether more elemental landscape. The cliffs here are higher and more vertical, the vegetation lower and wind-sculpted, and human company essentially absent. This section of the Fishermen’s Trail passes through Figueira — barely a hamlet — where a tiny beach hides at the base of a dramatic gorge.
Salema to Figueira — Trail at a glance
Distance: 9 km one-way
Duration: 3–4 hours
Difficulty: Moderate
Best season: October–May
The path winds past fields of wild flowers in spring, and the clifftop views over Praia do Zavial — a sublime arc of pale sand — are among the finest on the entire Algarve coast. Return the same way or arrange transport from Figueira.
What to know before you go
Best time to walk: October through May is ideal — cooler temperatures, wildflowers from February onward, and fewer visitors. Summer walking is possible but start very early; the coastal cliffs offer little shade and July–August temperatures regularly exceed 35°C.
Footwear: Trail shoes with grip are recommended. Some sections have loose sand over rock, and cliff edges can be eroded. Flip-flops, however tempting at a beach resort, are genuinely dangerous here.
Water: Carry more than you think you need. There are no springs or shops on the coastal trail between villages.
Navigation: The Fishermen’s Trail is well-signed with blue dots on rocks and posts. The Komoot and Wikiloc apps both carry GPS tracks — download offline before departure. Mobile signal is patchy along the coast.
📌 Local knowledge: For the freshest post-walk meal in Salema, head to one of the restaurants on the main square. The day’s catch is usually grilled whole and served with boiled potatoes and salad – nothing fancy, but genuinely excellent after a morning on the cliffs.
