Walking in Portugal: 40 graded short and multi-day walks throughout the country

by Andrew Mok, Andrew Mok

This guide describes 40 graded walks, ranging from gentle family strolls to strenuous mountain hikes (including Portugal's highest peak Torre). The mainly circular routes range from 5 to 25km, and there are also two longer walks of 2 to 4 days duration. The walks are spread throughout Portugal, with a focus on the country's many natural and national parks, including Peneda-Geres, Serra da Estrela, and Costa Vicentina. Clear route description is illustrated with 1:50,000 mapping and a route summary table makes it easy to choose the right walk. As well as practical travel advice, there is information on Portugal's geology, history, plants, wildlife, and agriculture and on numerous local points of interest. From the rugged mountains of the north to the UNESCO-listed Rio Douro river valley, from traditional schist villages to the unique geology of the Algarve coast, the walks have been carefully selected to showcase some of the best Portugal has to offer. They take in granite peaks, wildflower meadows, woodland, waterfalls, castles, churches, and archeological remains.

192 pages, Paperback

Published June 30, 2021

Reviews

[Andy Weston · Rating 4 out of 5]

My main interest in this, for now, is the first section of the book, concerning hiking in the Peneda-Gerês National Park, and a couple in the Montesinho Natural Park. I will be visiting there in a few weeks, and wanted to research them. I will be back to them therefore..

Some of the other sections I used when I visited Portugal a couple of years ago, most significantly, those expeditions in the Serra da Estrela Natural Park, currently my favourite, but I expect Gerês may surpass that.

As a Cicerone guide book, it is as strong as ever - well-presented, and pretty much irrelevant if it falls out of print, the tracks are still there.
Maps are limited, as to be expected, so best supplemented with something online at the same time as reading about them.