We do love a good hike and during our May 2024 trip to Portugal we truly enjoyed the Seven Hanging Valleys Trail in the Algarve region. This 3.5 mile (5.7 km) trail follows the coastal cliff along the southern coast of Portugal and is a beautiful hike. There is something to see every way you look plus there are beaches to hike down to so you can also cool off and relax a bit.
You can also enjoy a guided tour of the Seven Valleys Trail through Viator by clicking here.
Location
Located Between Praia da Marinha and Praia do Vale de Centeanes the Seven Valleys Hanging Trail is on the southern coast of Portugal.
Getting There
We used Bolt to secure a driver to take us to Praia da Marinha. If you are in Portugal, Bolt is the way to go. Easy, efficient, inexpensive and all you need is the app on your smart phone. Once we were dropped off, the trail was easy to locate. First though we stopped for some fresh fruit as we figured we might like some on our hike.
Praia da Marinha
The views of Praia da Marinha are breathtaking. We did not go down to the beach but definitely admired it from above. This is where the trail starts and it is well marked. The trail was busy in this area but not crowded.
Miradouro Viewpoint
We saw a sign pointing to the Miradouro Viewpoint so of course we had to check it out! Another great view!
Praia da Mesquita
We continued walking along the cliff trail and viewed the Praia da Mesquita. We again just viewed from above. It was a very hot day and we knew we would eventually trek down to a beach but we weren’t up for hiking down to all of them!
Praia da Corredoura
Another beautiful vista! Would have loved to have taken a boat through these arches!
Refreshments Along the Way
As I walked along and turned a corner I had quite a surprise. There was a man, squeezing oranges for juice along the path, here in the middle of nowhere. Well of course I had to have a glass! He had a machine where he tossed the oranges in, hand cranked it, and presto! Freshly squeezed orange juice!
Benagil
After what seemed like forever since we had started this hike we reached, Benagil. If you read my last post, you would recognize this as the place where we kayaked from to the Benagil Caves. After walking past the beach we had a bit of a dilemma trying to decide where the trail picked back up. We did see a sign which gave information on the trail but not directions. Google maps was no help. We decided to walk up the other opposite side of the cliff, on the road and through the town until we found ourselves back on the trail. It worked. Not sure if there is a better route but this worked for us and we were glad it did.
We heard from many people that Praiha da Marinha to Benagil is the most beautiful section of the Seven Valley Hanging Trails and once at Benagil you should get a Bolt ride back to your hotel. We did continue walking farther on the trail instead as we wanted to see the Praia do Carvalho.
Praia do Carvalho
We continued on the path towards the Praia do Carvalho. This is a beach we wanted to hike down to and see as it has an interesting history. In addition, we were getting hungry and wanted to relax a bit and eat the lunch we brought with us. We passed this beach when we were kayaking to Benagil Caves and the guides told us a bit about the history here.
Tunnel to the Beach
If not for the tunnel down and through the rocks, this beach would only be accessible by water. It was a bit tricky to get down to the steps leading to the tunnel, perhaps there was a better trail and we just didn’t find it. Hiking down this area felt a bit like some of the places we hiked in Greece where we almost needed to be mountain goats to trek this terrain. After some careful stepping, we found the tunnel and followed it to the beach.
Once through the tunnel and just at the bottom, turn to the left and you will find yourself in a sea cave. In this sea cave there is a large cut out window looking out to the sea. In reality, this was once used as a bar! We were told at one time there was a large villa on top of the cliff and the owner cut a tunnel through to the beach and added the bar to use when hosting his many friends.
The Beach
The beach here is a gorgeous golden sand beach with a beautiful view. Once known as smugglers cove, this was the perfect spot for us to have our lunch. After lunch we relaxed, walked along the water and prepared ourselves for the hike back up!
Continuing on the Seven Hanging Valleys Trail
After climbing back through the tunnel and up many steps, we continued on the Seven Hanging Valleys Trail enjoying the beautiful views of the Portugal coast. It truly is a beautiful trail.
Alfanzina Lighthouse
Usually I research a trail before we hike it, but other than the basics, location, and distance, I did not read much about the Seven Hanging Valleys trail before traveling to Portugal. Because of this, many of the landmarks and views along the way were a surprise, including the Alfanzina Lighthouse. We could see the lighthouse from a distance and enjoyed the different views as we walked towards it. There is a path that winds through the trees that took us to the light house. Once there, we connected to the road. From what I could tell, there is probably a better path to get to thee road than we took but we must have missed it.
End of the Trail
We thought the Lighthouse was the end of the trail so ordered a Bolt driver to drive us back to our hotel. The driver informed us there was another 1 km (0.62miles) to go to the end of the trail which is at Praia do Vale de Centeanes. He told us we did not miss anything spectacular. He also told us the Algar Seco which we climbed around a couple of days earlier was just 2 km (1.24 miles) from where he picked us up at.
I guess we could have finished the hike and walked to our hotel in just under an hour. Regardless, after 5 km (3.1 miles) of hiking in the heat I was ready to call it a day! The hike, plus stops along the way, took us just under 5 hours. So if you are in Portugal and you hike the Seven Hanging Valleys Trail, the end is not the lighthouse although it was a good place for us to end!
Carvoeiro
After we arrived back to our hotel we chilled a bit and then explored Carvoeiro a bit more. This town is a typical beach town but also had its own charm. It was much busier than we had thought it would be as we based here for four nights.
Praia do Paraiso in Carvoeiro
Just up the hill and down the road from our hotel we found a lovely beach which was also a great spot to view the sunset. We enjoyed watching the sunset here on a couple of different evenings.
Where We Ate
We ate at a few different places in Carvoeiro but only one stood out as being exceptional to us it is Mar d’ Fora. This restaurant was on the cliff just above Praia do Paraiso. We enjoyed it so much we returned for our last night here. The food was wonderful and the service outstanding. We really had a good time as the staff is very friendly. When we returned for the second time they remembered us. It was almost like visiting old friends! I highly recommend Mar d’Fora if you are in this area!
Where We Stayed
We stayed at O Castelo Guest House on the coastal town of Carvoeiro. We had a lovely view and our room was clean and spacious. Breakfast was served to our room each morning which we enjoyed on the balcony overlooking the sea. The staff was friendly and also very helpful. I would definitely stay here again! We booked this through booking.com and you can click here to book a room.
Conclusion
I would highly suggest to anyone in the Algarve area of Portugal to hike the Seven Hanging Valleys Trail. It is one of the most scenic cliff side trail I have followed. The dramatic rocks and cliffs are a photographers dream.
Follow Me on Instagram !!!
Check out my other Portugal Posts!
Kayak to Benagil Caves, Portugal May 2024
Cromlech of Almendres, Portugal May 2024
Evora Portugal and the Chapel of Bones, May 2024
Arraiolos Castle, Portugal May 2024
Knights of Templar, Portugal May 2024
Exploring Obidos, Portugal, May 2024
A Moliceiro Ride in Aveiro, Portugal, May 2024
Planning
I do a lot of research before a trip and below are some of the items I use to help plan. I also use these items throughout my trip and they have all been a good resource.
My favorite travel guides are the DK Eyewitness guides. These books are smaller and fit nicely in your bag, come with a removable map, are durable, sort the information in a logical way, and easy to read. While they just give a brief synopsis of each area, I find areas I like and then google or search for more information.
I also like a map when I travel because you never know when you will loose GPS. We have many times had to rely on the old fashion method of pulling out a map. I have found the National Geographic Maps to be very useful. The ones I have used have been accurate, durable, and easy to follow. You can click on an Amazon link to a map here https://amzn.to/4dRJNqQ
The Gen-X Travels recommendations for hotels, restaurants, activities or tour companies are based on our own experiences. We are not sponsored by any business or company and all trips are at our expense. All photos are by myself or my husband unless otherwise noted. We are affiliates of some companies such as Amazon, Viator, and Booking.com which we do receive a small commission from if you buy or book through one of our links at no cost to you.