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.
