6 Things To Know About Trekking the Rota Vicentina • Indie Traveller

Portugal is famous for its Algarve coast, beautiful though often crammed with holiday homes and resort hotels.

This article is not about the Algarve.

It’s about that other Portuguese coast, the Alentejo, which I love for its pure character and unspoiled nature.

The Alentejo coast lacks any cities or major development and is mostly the domain of hikers, surfers, and campervanners.

The best way to get to know the Alentejo coast is really to hike! The Rota Vicentina is a network of hiking trails spanning 750km, all through scenic lands with only small-scale farming and the odd rural village. Along the coast there are many tall limestone formations.

I recently hiked part of the Rota Vicentina and loved slow-traveling through this part of Portugal.

Here, I will share a couple of tips for getting the most out of the Rota Vicentina.

1. There are two main routes

Rather than being one route, the Rota Vicentina encompasses many different trails through the Alentejo coast.

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