Cabo de São Vicente Trail, Algarve

The Cabo São Vicente to Sagres Trail on Costa Vicentina

The Trail from Cabo de São Vicente to Sagres is fabulous at the end of the day, there is no other way to put it! One of the most beautiful trails in the Algarve to catch the so-called Golden Hour and the sunset in the Algarve is the Trail from Cabo de São Vicente to Sagres, one of the sections of the Fishermen’s Trail of the Rota Vicentina.

The Trail from Cabo de São Vicente to Sagres is fabulous at the end of the day, there is no other way to put it! One of the most beautiful trails in the Algarve to catch the so-called Golden Hour and the sunset in the Algarve is the Trail from Cabo de São Vicente to Sagres, one of the sections of the Fishermen’s Trail of the Rota Vicentina.

HOW TO GET TO CABO DE SÃO VICENTE FROM SAGRES

To get to Cabo de São Vicente we take a cab in Sagres (so as not to have to leave the car there after the hike). The cab to Cabo de São Vicente cost 8€ and dropped us off at the fort and Cabo de São Vicente. There we could visit the fort at Cape St. Vincent and then start walking the Cape St. Vincent to Sagres trail. We left our car in Sagres, where we finished the trail. This way we don’t need to worry anymore about transportation or about making the return trail from Cape St. Vincent. If you need the contact information of two safety taxi drivers in Sagres, ask us in a comment on the blog that we will send by email.

THE CAPE ST. VICENTE TRAIL TO SAGRES

The Trail from Cape St. Vincent to Sagres starts at the Fort and Cape St. Vincent and follows the coastline, close to the cliff, for about 7 km, always on top of the cliff. Along the trail from Cape St. Vincent to Sagres, you will pass by the Santo António de Beliche fortress, which you cannot enter because it is closed to the public due to the risk of collapse, Beliche beach, Tonel beach, Sagres Fortress, and Sagres village. It is worth climbing up and down the cliffs to reach the beaches, catch the setting sun on the fields of lapis limestone on top of the cliffs and, in the end, have dinner in Sagres, waiting for nightfall.

• Beliche beach has some stairs but it is worth catching the moments before sunset there. It was our favorite place for Golden Hour in the Algarve. Taking a nice dip in the sea with the sun falling is a must.
• Tonel beach is great for surfing and worth a try. However, on the trail from Cabo de São Vicente to Sagres, it is also worth walking along with it and then climbing up near the Sagres Fortress.
• Sagres Fortress needs no introduction for its role (albeit figuratively) as the Sagres School in the 15th and 16th-century Portuguese Discoveries.
• Take advantage of nightfall for a nice dinner in Sagres. You won’t regret it.

NOTE – This Trail from Cape St. Vincent to Sagres is part of the Fishermen’s Trail in the section between Vila do Bispo and Sagres. As we did not have time to do it all, we only did this part at Cabo de São Vicente. If you want to have access to the whole trail see the information here.

WHERE TO SLEEP IN SAGRES TO DO THE CAPE ST. VICENTE TO SAGRES TRAIL

If you stay in Sagres, you will be staying in a beautiful Algarve village, quiet and full of atmosphere, and from where you have access to the west coast and the south coast, and Cabo de São Vicente. We stayed there in two different, but excellent establishments and from there we explored the Algarve coast to Lagos. The Sagres Sun Stay – Surf Camp & Hostel is a hostel located just off the main road into Sagres, and within walking distance of the center (and beaches). With excellent facilities, it has two separate buildings, one with dormitories, the other with double rooms, plus a fabulous pool, and (outdoor) gym equipment! We stayed in a double room, very comfortable, with a private bathroom, and a small balcony overlooking the pool. Spectacular! In addition, we still took advantage of the huge kitchen at Sagres Sun Stay – Surf Camp & Hostel to prepare our meals (when we didn’t dine at the excellent restaurants in Sagres). Finally, it was still possible to rent a surfboard at the hostel and try out the waves at Tonel beach. Cercas Velhas was the second place where we stayed in Sagres. We wanted to try a different kind of accommodation, so we chose to stay in one of these delightful little houses. Located in the most characteristic neighborhood of Sagres, with narrow alleys and whitewashed houses, very close to the Tonel beach, the Cercas Velhas is housed in a restored house and consists of several rooms, each one like a tiny house, organized around a central patio. We stayed in the “Beliche” house, which had an excellent double bed, private bathroom, refrigerator, and microwave oven (and sink for washing dishes). Outside, we took advantage of the small table to have our breakfasts. It was a great place to relax a bit after, for example, the walk from Cape St. Vincent to Sagres. There are, however, other excellent accommodations in Sagres. You can choose from:

• cheaper accommodations in Sagres, such as the Sagres 30 Seconds to Bars, the PuraVida Divehouse, or even the Orbitur Sagres Camping Park;
• more comfortable accommodation in Sagres, the Mareta Beach – Boutique Bed & Breakfast, the Pousada de Sagres, or the Memmo Baleeira – Design Hotels;
• family or group accommodation in Sagres, the vacation homes Casa Maré, Casa Biota, or the Casa Da Anita, and the apartments Tonel Apartamentos Turisticos or Sagres Time Apartments.