southern portugal
If you thought you knew southern Portugal, think again. Lynn Houghton heads away from the crowds to walk in the footsteps of the hardy fishermen who have worked its wild west coast for centuries
The fisherm T Seaweed vector created by rawpixel.com, www.freepik.com
he craggy and windswept path that is the Fisherman’s Way begins in the tourist hub of Lagos, trailing up and down the edge of the dramatic red and ochre cliffs that line this popular coast. Holidaymakers have been visiting the sun-soaked Algarve resorts of Lagos, Albufeira and Faro since the 1960s, to enjoy their golden sand beaches, calm waters, fresh seafood and sun-dappled skies. But, for those who dare to venture westwards, there is a less explored part of this region which has ample rewards too. You can walk mile-upon-mile of undeveloped, rugged coastline into the
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western Algarve. Fishermen’s huts, rustic farms and small villages are prevalent here rather than big resorts, and just off the road you’ll see shepherds tending their goat herds. To walk the entire Fisherman’s Way, which is 143 miles long, takes between 11 and 13 days and will take you from Lagos, around the Algarve’s coast into the neighbouring region of Alentejo, ending on the golden dune-backed beach of Praia de Sao Torpes on the Atlantic coast. GO WEST I start in the white-washed fishing village of Burgau, 12km west of Lagos, but if
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