What to expect
Guided Walking
Enjoy a range of escorted walks
Portugal & Spain
Experience two countries in one week
Coastal Charm
Discover delightful coastal towns like Olhão
About this trip...
What's Included
Airport transfers
Room for sole use
Half Board – breakfast and dinner daily-
1 x grilled fish lunch with drinks Tavira Island with drinks (meat option available)
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1 x tapas lunch with drinks in Ayamonte
Drinks included with evening meals-
Welcome drink
5 fully guided walking days-
1 x boat tour Ria Formosa in Tavira
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1 x ferry boat trip to Ayamonte
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1 x ferry boat trip to Olhão
Accompanying Solos Tour Leader
Passports and visas
- International flights are not included
- Travel insurance
- Tips & drinks
- Meals when not included in the itinerary
- Activities when not included in the itinerary
Itinerary
- Arrive Faro
- Altura to Monte Gordo Walk
- Vila Real de Santo António and Ayamonte
- Day at leisure
- Tavira
- Castro Marim Nature Reserve
- Olhão
- Depart Faro
What you'll be doing
Day One: Arrive Faro
Day Two: Altura to Monte Gordo Walk
- Meals Included: Breakfast & Dinner
- Walking Distance 7.5km/4.6 miles
- Ascent +10m
- Descent -10m
- Highest Point 10m Terrain: Board walks, good dirt roads, some short tracks with soft sand.
Day Three: Vila Real de Santo António and Ayamonte
We start the day with a walk through the Monte Gordo pine forest. The walk finishes in Vila Real de Santo António, a charming town with a fascinating history and architecture, in the estuary of the Rio Guadiana, which separates Portugal from Spain. From here, we’ll take the ferry across the river to the town of Ayamonte in Spain. We’ll tour the city and enjoy a meal of traditional tapas.
Day Four: Day at Leisure
Take a well earned rest and relax in the hotel, or take a stroll around Monte Gordo.
Day Five: Exploring Tavira
This morning, we’ll travel by train to discover Tavira, a lovely and quaint old-Portuguese charm, with over 30 churches, cobbled streets, and bougainvillea lined balconies. In the historic and charismatic old town, the castle and typical houses provide much cultural interest. The River Gilão, with its working fisherman’s riverfront, runs to the azure lagoons of the Ria Formosa. We’ll take a boat tour along the Ria Formosa and stop at Tavira’s Island, for a grilled fish lunch, with a sea view (optional grilled meat dish, lunch with drinks included).
- Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
- Walking Distance 5.8km/3.6miles
- Ascent +34m
- Descent -32m
- Highest Point 25m Terrain: Good dirt and tarmac roads. very uneven cobbled pavement in and out of Tavira historical centre.
Day Six: Castro Marim Nature Reserve
Today we’ll take a transfer to the Castro Marim Nature Reserve – a unique landscape in the Eastern Algarve. A true realm of serenity, far from the hustle and bustle of the beach resorts, this is a haven for countless bird species such as the flamingos who regularly visit this charming patchwork of green-blue marshes and crisp white saltpans. Our walk through the salt pans will take us into Castro Marim, one of the oldest communities in the Algarve, and an important centre of Arab power until 1242.
Day Seven: Discovering the beauty of Olhão
After breakfast, we catch the train from Monte Gordo to Olhão - a picturesque coastal town inspired by Moroccan architecture that attracts artists, writers and photographers. We have free time to discover the town and take lunch (not included). The city centre has a collection of white houses with roof terraces and minarets that form a patchwork of layering cubes. The waterfront avenue near the Ria Formosa is lined with glorious tile-fronted, 19th-Century townhouses, with verandas and wrought-iron work. The highlight is the colourful atmosphere at the Municipal Market, which fulfils its traditional function by day and is the setting for lively nightlife bars.
Day Eight: Depart Faro
Today we check out of our hotel and say goodbye before transferring to Faro Airport.
Accommodation
Hotel Baia de Monte Gordo Three-star
Facilities include
Room includes
Dates & Prices
Essential Information
- Walking boots with good ankle support
- Waterproofs – jacket and trousers
- Walking poles – recommended as they provide good support for the knees, particularly on downhill sections of walks and when conditions are wet/slippery
- Lightweight trousers and shorts with pockets
- Shirts or t-shirts for walking in
- Walking socks – several pairs
- Lightweight fleece or jumper
- Hat & gloves
- Daysack/rucksack for walking
- Umbrella – it can be used also for protection from the sun as well as rain
- Lightweight drinking bottle to carry water whilst walking
- Small first aid kit – plasters, insect repellant, etc
- Good, high factor sunscreen, sunhat and sunglasses.
We recommend that you check passport and visa requirements for the country you are visiting at the State Department if you have a U.S. Passport. Most countries require that your passport have at least six months validity when traveling internationally, and many require that you have one to two blank visa pages for either an entry stamp or visa.
As a general rule, please check that your passport has six months validity beyond your planned trip, and if not, please renew your passport with plenty of time to provide Solos with your updated passport information by the final payment due date.
We recommend that you check if vaccinations are required for your destination at the CDC’s recommendations for your visited destination(s). We also recommend you purchase travel protection. A travel protection plan can often assist with medical emergencies and reimburse costs that are covered by the plan. Please verify coverage details with Solos before you travel.
