November, 2019 | Postcards From Here and There

Algarve Coastal Walk

It’s hard to beat a good coastal walk and the walk from Praia Vale Centianes to Praia de Marinha is right up there with one of the best we have ever done. In Portuguese it is known as Percurso dos Sete Vales Suspendos, route of the seven suspended valleys, and it is one of the most popular hiking trails in The Algarve. It is a linear walk of around 5.5Km but as most people do the walk in both directions to return to their vehicles it makes a total of 11Km or just a little under seven miles. It is graded as medium difficulty with most of the trail being on good easily identified paths but with some steep ascents and descents along with some rough terrain in places. The total walk should take around six hours, allowing for plenty of opportunities to taken photographs and admire the stunning scenery and views.

We began the walk at Praia Vale Centianes which is to be found around nine miles (14Km) east of the popular Algarve town of Portimão. There is a small, free car park here which had plenty of availability for our visit in November but which I expect fills up quickly in the busy summer months. There is also a small cafe and toilets if you are in need of a shot of coffee before beginning the long climb up a wooden staircase to the top of the cliff and the beginning of the walk.

This stretch of coastline consists of limestone which has been eroded and weathered over millennia to produce indented bays along with features such as sea stacks, arches, caves and sink holes. The processes are in action still today and it is estimated that between 2mm and 2m of land are lost to the sea each year, most off this occurs in the winter when the action of the sea is at its greatest coupled with the increased rainfall. The effect of this is dramatic and spectacular. The rock formations just get better and better as you get nearer to Praia de Marinha. It is for this reason in my opinion why you should always do the walk in this direction.

Two thirds in to the walk you arrive at Praia de Benagil, there is a cafe here and, if you are prepared to walk a little further away from the trail, a restaurant. Plenty of opportunity to take on refreshment before the final, and in my view the most dramatic, section to Praia de Marinha. As you complete the walk the views are stunning, just west of the beach are the most amazing rock formations that make the whole walk so worthwhile.

There are a couple of refreshment trucks at Praia de Marinha but not much else, other than the stunning views. Some perfectly located picnic tables are most welcome and you can sit for a while and take it all in before beginning the walk back to the start.

Visiting The Algarve in November.

The Weather.

Leaving behind a cold and wet November in the UK and arriving into Faro to blue sky and twenty degrees Celsius was bliss snd while such temperatures are not guaranteed it is noticeably warmer here. The Algarve has about 300 sunny days a year and not a great deal of rain, making it an ideal location for a break during those cold winter months in more northerly regions of Europe. During winter the average temperature here is between ten and fifteen Celsius depending on the month. Don’t expect to be sunbathing by the pool or on the beach but you can be wearing lightweight shirts and shorts.

The evenings however can get chilly and rental apartments can feel cold. Most buildings here are designed to cope with the hot summer days so its worth packing some warmer clothes for the evenings and if renting an apartment choose one that has heating included.

It can rain with about seven rainy days on average in November and December being the wettest month of the year. The rain does tend to be showery and doesn’t usually rain all day like it can in the UK. We had a really heavy rain storm early this morning but by 10am the skies were clearing and the remainder of the day was sunny and warm. That counts as a rainy day here!

It is quieter.

The number of tourists is much reduced from the peak months of July and August. The consequence of this is that the cost of hotels and apartments are much cheaper. Some apartment owners even offer very much discounted rates for longer rentals of a month or more in the winter months. The pace of life is slow as there is no need to rush to get anywhere as all the popular beaches, walks and attractions are quiet. Indeed you can have many of the beaches to yourself at this time of year.

Some businesses do close at the end of October and won’t reopen until the beginning of March but in November there is still plenty open to give excellent choice and availability. This does change in December and January with more restaurant owners taking the opportunity for a break of their own in the quieter winter months.

Driving.

Driving at this time of year is a real pleasure. From the lack of queues at the rental desk at Faro airport to the ease of finding parking places in popular towns and beaches. The roads are much quieter too with less traffic and less frought tourists rushing around. Journey times are faster giving you the opportunity to explore further.

Golf.

Although The Algarve is so much more than its golf courses but golf is big business here, with over 50 courses to choose from, and there is no better time to play than in the quieter late autumn and winter. Peak season here is the early autumn, when the summer heat has passed, and spring. November through to February there are much less players. The mild winter climate makes golf here a much more pleasurable experience compared to the UK.

Back in the Algarve

We are back in Portugal for the best part of three weeks and spending most of it in the Algarve. We were last here in early March, but only for a week, based in Faro. On that visit it was without hiring a car and investigating what could be done using the regional railway as a means of getting around. This time it’s back to the eastern Algarve and renting an Airbnb close to the town of Tavira. We also have a car so that the area can be explored with a little more freedom.

After what seems like weeks of incessant rain in the UK it was wonderful to land in Faro to be greeted by blue skies and a rather pleasant temperature of twenty Celsius. To be able to wander around without scarves and coats is pure bliss. You also get about 90 minutes extra daylight here compared to home, it may not be much but every little helps as they say.

Plans for the trip are not fixed in stone but will certainly include some coastal and beach walking, visiting some of the towns away from the coast, discovering more of the countryside and hopefully eating and drinking well. A day trip to Seville, across the border in Spain, is also a possibility. To end the trip it’s a train up to Lisbon for a few days before flying home.