LIVE from the Camino Trilho das Areias - Lisbon to Nazaré

[AJGuillaume]

My darling and I are walking to SdC, and we started today from Lisbon. Until we get to Tomar, we're not following the traditional Caminho.
We'll be following the Trilho das Areias to Nazaré, with a detour when we get to Peniche, then crossing to Fatima and resuming the official Caminho from there.
I thought I would report on this alternative here - hopefully regularly .
Note: this is not an "official" Caminho, and there's a website with more information.
Also, we're distance challenged slow walkers

Day 1: Lisbon to Caxias, 15.2km
From the Sé de Lisboa, we walked down to the Praça do Comercio, and from there, we virtually stayed on the shores of the Tagus.
Much of the way follows cycle and pedestrian paths, with some "interesting" parts, and many scenic parts. It goes past the Padrão dos Descubrimentos and the Torre de Belém. Deserted at this time of the morning
At Caxias, we took the Comboios de Portugal train back to Cais do Sodré and Lisbon, 1.75€.
Flat all the way, and our distance includes a detour to eat Pastéis de Belém

 

[peregrina2000]

with a detour when we get to Peniche,

I don’t know whether you’re interested in the history of the dictatorship period in Portugal, but in Peniche there is a newly opened Museum of the Resistance in what was a notorious political prison during the Salazar years. I have been to the similar museum in Lisbon and it is chilling.

How exciting that you’re on the Trilhas! I don’t think we have a thread from anyone who walked that entire route. I know you have things extremely well planned out, so I’m betting you will have a glorious walk. I look forward to following closely.

 

[AJGuillaume]

How exciting that you’re on the Trilhas! I don’t think we have a thread from anyone who walked that entire route

Unfortunately, it won't be the entire route, as we'll leaving it in Nazaré, and joining it only a few days before reaching Porto.

Day 2: Caxias to Cascais, 17.4km
Train from Cais do Sodré to Caxias, 1.75€
At Caxias, we crossed the Avenida Marginal, and didn't cross it again until we reached São João do Estoril, when we looked for a place to have lunch.
Speaking of places to eat or have a drink, you have to plan carefully, as you have to find an over/underpass to get to where there may be a café or bar.
The walk is punctuated with forts and beaches. Forts were all closed or off limits military areas. Beaches were accessible, but nearly all of them had only one access point.

 

[peregrina2000]

it again until we reached São João do Estoril, when we looked for a place to have lunch.

Too bad @naplesdon, formerly @estoriñdon, has moved. I think he lived very close to or on the square where the beautiful old casino is, but I may be misremembering.

 

[VNwalking]

Buen camino, you two!

 

[jungleboy]

Hope you enjoy the area around Praia do Guincho today!

 

[AJGuillaume]

Hope you enjoy the area around Praia do Guincho today!

We were nearly blown off by very strong winds, but enjoyed every step of the way!

Day 3: Cascais to Charneca, 12km
Leaving Cascais, you have a choice: head due West on Avenida da República, or take the scenic route, going past the Forte de Cascais, the Casa Condes de Castro Guimarães, the Farol de Santa Marta, the Pedra da Nau, and the Boca de Inferno blowhole. We chose the latter.
Where the two options join, the way continues on a cycle/pedestrian path, along the Estrada do Guincho. You can also choose to walk on dirt paths, so off the cycle/pedestrian pat, when they are available.
Lighthouses, forts (we visited the Forte de São Jorge de Oitavos), but the highlight is an amazing coastline!
Originally, we were looking for a place to sleep in Malveira da Serra, but that didn't eventuate. Hence we found a bed in Charneca. Ricardo owns Amazigh Guincho Hostel, with two dormitories.

 

[jungleboy]

We were nearly blown off by very strong winds, but enjoyed every step of the way!

I can imagine! I flew into Lisbon this afternoon (just for one night; long story) and it was very windy.

 

[VNwalking]

Sounds fantastic, @AJGuillaume, in spite of the wind! Are you encountering any other people taking this camino?

I flew into Lisbon this afternoon (just for one night; long story) and it was very windy

Eeek. Glad you're in one piece, @jungleboy .

 

[AJGuillaume]

Sounds fantastic, @AJGuillaume, in spite of the wind! Are you encountering any other people taking this camino?

Last night, Ricardo, our host, mentioned that a German, who had stayed the night before, was also walking this Camino.
Around Cabo da Roca, we saw walkers, but none with backpacks.

Day 4: Charneca to Praia das Maçãs, 20.9km - includes detour to Cabo da Roca
I mentioned that this is not an official Camino, and as a result, there aren't any yellow arrows. There is some way marking when it coincides with a GR, with generally three colours, white, red and yellow

Every now and then we noticed a reddish arrow, but we're not sure it is linked to the Trilho.
We have been using the GPX tracks from the Trilho das Areias website, mentioned in my first post, as well as their descriptions. Obviously, when we think it's worth it, we take alternatives. Such as today, we made a detour to Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point of continental Europe. Or we diverted to see a sink hole at Fojo da Adraga, and then couldn't really see much because it's all fenced off.
Today's stage started with getting back to the Trilho das Areias, which wasn't that easy as the track I could see on OpenStreetMap wasn't accessible. But we finally got to the start of the track at the Forte do Guincho. The walk to Figueira do Guincho, then to Biscaia was really nice, even with the strong winds we have been experiencing. There was a short walk along a busy road to get to Azóia. After Azóia there is no alternative but to take the road. There's unfortunately no verge, and as it's the road that goes to Cabo da Roca, it's busy, with busses.
I misjudged the track going down from the Fojo da Adraga, and we ended up bush bashing, as we say in Australia.
Just before Praia Grande, there's a vertical slab of rock with dinosaur footprints, and there's steps alongside. We saw people coming up, so we went down. And at the bottom, saw that it was a restricted area, and that fines of between 30€ and 300€ could apply. Oops! But it was worthwhile, and we made our dinosaur expert grandson very happy by sending him the photos!

 

[VNwalking]

there's a vertical slab of rock with dinosaur footprints

But it was worthwhile, and we made our dinosaur expert grandson very happy by sending him the photos!

Here too! Fantastic.

 

[AJGuillaume]

Day 5: Praia das Maçãs to Carvoeira (Ericeira), 19km.
Leaving Praia das Maçãs, we followed the coast to Praia do Magoito, about 6km.
Then the Trilho goes inland. We followed both the GR11 and the PR13 for a while, then only the PR13,

then we left it, and it reappeared towards the end of the day. We just followed the GPX tracks
The Trilho skirts Magoito, but we needed lunch so we went in town. There were a few opportunities along the way to stop for refreshments, mainly at the beaches.
The Trilho stayed mainly on dirt tracks, except when it went through villages.
After about 10km, the Trilho went back to the ocean cliffs. And these were really beautiful. In the distance, we could see Ericeira.

Able bodied pilgrims would go on to Ericeira. As we're distance challenged slow walkers, we found a room in a private home in Carvoeira, which is very close to the Praia de São Julião.

 

[AJGuillaume]

Day 6: Carvoeira (Ericeira) to Ribamar (Santo Isidoro), 14.8km (that includes walking around Ericeira)
The Trilho website shows a crossing at the Praia da Foz do Lizandro. You just scramble down some rocks, and if it's low tide and the river is not flowing too much, you take your shoes off and cross on to the beach. The problem is that you have to time your crossing with the tide. If the tide is high, it could be too deep to cross.
The alternative is to follow the river (there's a path called Trilho da Falésia) to the bridge on the N247, and then follow the N247 back to Foz do Lizandro.
We checked out the tide, and as it was flowing out, we took our chance and went to the Foz do Lizandro crossing. We were lucky, the river wasn't flowing at all!

From Foz do Lizandro to Ericeira, you can follow a cliff edge path, or the road.
Ericeira is nice. Lots of places to eat. Best bakery is Pão da Vila on the Jogo da Bola square.
From Ericeira to Ribamar (Santo Isidoro), it is all along the cliff top. Great views. And many surfers!

 

[peregrina2000]

And many surfers!

You ain’t seen nothing till you get to Nazaré.

 

[Marla in CA]

My darling and I are walking to SdC, and we started today from Lisbon. Until we get to Tomar, we're not following the traditional Caminho.
We'll be following the Trilho das Areias to Nazaré, with a detour when we get to Peniche, then crossing to Fatima and resuming the official Caminho from there.
I thought I would report on this alternative here - hopefully regularly .
Note: this is not an "official" Caminho, and there's a website with more information.
Also, we're distance challenged slow walkers

Day 1: Lisbon to Caxias, 15.2km
From the Sé de Lisboa, we walked down to the Praça do Comercio, and from there, we virtually stayed on the shores of the Tagus.
Much of the way follows cycle and pedestrian paths, with some "interesting" parts, and many scenic parts. It goes past the Padrão dos Descubrimentos and the Torre de Belém. Deserted at this time of the morning
At Caxias, we took the Comboios de Portugal train back to Cais do Sodré and Lisbon, 1.75€.
Flat all the way, and our distance includes a detour to eat Pastéis de Belém
View attachment 177012

I am curious what made you choose this way from Lisbon? I will check out the website that you referenced and maybe I will get my answer there. I am thinking about hopping on a plane in mid October and starting in Lisbon. I did the Portugues in Spring 2023, started in Tomar. So I would like to start in Lisbon, but a bit concerned, since I will be alone.

 

[AJGuillaume]

I am curious what made you choose this way from Lisbon?

When we walked the Norte, as part of our 2180km Camino from Switzerland to SdC, @peregrina2000 suggested many alternatives to just following the arrows and the road. We did that, and we enjoyed it so much, that I thought I would do the same for the first part of our Caminho Português. My darling and I like the coast, it's not as hot as inland, and even if we are distance challenged slow walkers, we love a bit of adventure.
I'll just repeat here that the Trilho das Areias is not a typical Camino. But it can be an exciting alternative.

You ain’t seen nothing till you get to Nazaré.

I heard the waves there attract many surfers, but I couldn't tell that to the person at the Ericeira tourist office, who insisted Ericeira was the capital of surfing

Day 7: Ribamar (Santo Isidoro) to Santa Cruz, 21.3km
An interesting start to the day, as the GPX track we had showed a path from the Forte de Santa Susana that went along and under the cliff. But the notes also mention to only attempt this at low tide, which wasn't quite the case for us. So we looked for an alternative, and followed the red and white marks of the GR11. We guessed nobody had followed these way markings in the last few years, because we were nearly overwhelmed by the vegetation:

The rest of the day was great, with mostly cliff top and cliff edge walking. Exhilarating! You don't get any closer to the edge than this:

We had a little bit of walking on the side of a busy road, but not much. And to end the day, the long boardwalk along the Praia da Foz do Sizandro.

 

[AJGuillaume]

Day 8: Santa Cruz to Praia da Areia Branca, 19.7km
No cliff top and cliff edge walking today. The Trilho took us inland, directly after leaving Santa Cruz.
For the first 7km, it was on a pedestrian/cycle pathway, along a busy road.
We went through several villages, built up areas.
The only highlight was seeing a few windmills.

 

[peregrina2000]

AJ, would you mind telling us where you have stayed along this route? I’m toying with the idea of a three day walk from Praia das Maças to wherever in early October, weather permitting.

 

[AJGuillaume]

AJ, would you mind telling us where you have stayed along this route? I’m toying with the idea of a three day walk from Praia das Maças to wherever in early October, weather permitting.

Praia das Maças: hotel WOT Sintra Oceano
Barril (Carvoeira): a private room
Ribamar (Santo Isidoro): a private apartment
Santa Cruz: Villa Galega
Praia da Areia Branca: Hotel Dom Lourenço

You could probably walk from Praia das Maçãs to Ericeira in one day. Next day walk to Santa Cruz (avoiding all our detours )

 

[peregrina2000]

Thanks so much, AJ. I have a single free day a few days before my 3-day extravaganza, and I’m thinking I will try to walk from Cascais to Praia das Maçãs and then figure out how to get back to Lisbon.

The three days would start with a cab/bus to Praia das Maças and then I would hope to wind up on Monday afternoon at a spot where I can get back to Lisbon without too much hassle. I am willing to splurge, though, because this is too tempting a chance to miss!

 

[peregrina2000]

Ribamar (Santo Isidoro): a private apartment

This looks very nice - I was trying to ask a question about availability but AirBnb sent me an email thanking me for my payment (I must have airbnb connected to a CC). I took that as a sign, so this is where I’m hoping to be on Saturday, October 5! (I know I can cancel, but this seems to be a great choice).

 

[AJGuillaume]

This looks very nice - I was trying to ask a question about availability but AirBnb sent me an email thanking me for my payment (I must have airbnb connected to a CC). I took that as a sign, so this is where I’m hoping to be on Saturday, October 5! (I know I can cancel, but this seems to be a great choice).

It is, and Anita was very welcoming.

Day 9: Praia da Areia Branca to Peniche, 16.3km
Did I mention that this Caminho is not well signposted, and that it is not well trodden?
But it does provide beautiful scenery and adventures!
A road led us out of Praia da Areia Branca, and looking at the GPX track, I was resigned to following the road for 4km. But the markings for the GR11 appeared after 2km, and took us off road all the way to the Forte de Paimogo.
That's when the excitement started. At the fort, there was a GR sign showing us where we had come from, but the one for where we were supposed to go was missing... I checked the GPX track, and it clearly showed following the coast. But somehow, there was a fence we weren't expecting, and it looked very close to the cliff edge:
We didn't feel like retracing our steps and having to follow the N247. So we followed the fence carefully, and at the end of the fence, there was a gap:

I must say that people with fear of heights should not follow my tracks!
We continued on the safe side of the hedge. Then the fun started. Is this the track? Nope, dead end. Oh wait, there it is! And repeat. Vegetation growth made it hard to follow the track. Thankfully, for only about 400m.
After that it was an easy, scenic and enjoyable walk to Consolação where we had lunch.
After Consolação, the Trilho follows a road that goes past a golf course. But a quick look at the map shows an uninterrupted stretch of sandy beach all the way to Peniche. A no brainier for us, it was shoes off, and we walked on the beach. A nice firm surface near the water's edge.

 

[peregrina2000]

You are the trailblazer! I guess you’re heading over to Fátima now, hoping you have good trails in your future.

We'll be following the Trilho das Areias to Nazaré, with a detour when we get to Peniche, then crossing to Fatima and resuming the official Caminho from there.

I suppose I can just sit tight and wait to see, but I’m wondering— from Peniche you go to Fátima and then you say onto the official Caminho - do you mean the route that will take you back to the Central route at either Santarem or Tomar? Or are you heading back to the Trilhas until you get to Nazaré, and then will head somewhere else? It’s complicated!

 

[unadara]

Fascinating reports. I've walked many days along this same route but I'm not sure I've kept a record. I'm off to look up my photos and memory bank! I also went to Fatima. I was in Nazare, Ericeira, walked a poss 40km day into Sintra etc. I loved the Coast, as I was walking South I mostly had the wind on my back. I took a few buses to link up major towns I really wanted to visit. I really look forward to the rest of your journey. I too saw the Dinosaur prints and took many Trails and had to return as they went nowhere. Thanks for the excitement of following you.

 

[AJGuillaume]

I suppose I can just sit tight and wait to see, but I’m wondering— from Peniche you go to Fátima and then you say onto the official Caminho - do you mean the route that will take you back to the Central route at either Santarem or Tomar? Or are you heading back to the Trilhas until you get to Nazaré, and then will head somewhere else? It’s complicated!

Oh, looks like I didn't explain our plan properly, @peregrina2000 !
We walked to Peniche, and then today (report below), we detoured. Tomorrow we're going back to the Trilho das Areias, and then on to Nazaré.
From Nazaré, we'll walk to Fatima, then from Fatima to Tomar, where we'll be back on the official Caminho.
Apologies for the confusion!

Rest day: Peniche to Óbidos by bus.
From Peniche, the Trilho continues along the coast until it reaches the Lagoa de Óbidos. It then goes around the lagoon until it comes to Foz do Arelho.
For us distance challenged slow walkers, the stage was a tad too long, and we couldn't find accommodation to break up the stage. An able bodied pilgrim will have no problems following the Trilho to Foz do Arelho (or beyond!)
We decided to take a rest day, and took a bus from Peniche to Óbidos, Rodoviaria do Oeste, 3.80€ per person.
It's actually not a 100% rest day, as Óbidos is a beautiful town, and its streets are worth wandering through. Up and down!

 

[Friend from Barquinha]

Thanks so much, AJ. I have a single free day a few days before my 3-day extravaganza, and I’m thinking I will try to walk from Cascais to Praia das Maçãs and then figure out how to get back to Lisbon.

The three days would start with a cab/bus to Praia das Maças and then I would hope to wind up on Monday afternoon at a spot where I can get back to Lisbon without too much hassle. I am willing to splurge, though, because this is too tempting a chance to miss!

There's an interesting tram ride on the very old Sintra tram--from Praia das Macas up to Sintra. From there, you could catch the train back into Lisboa.

Sintra Tram to Praia das Maçãs - Tourist Guide

Tourist guide to the tram that goes to Praia das Maçãs from Sintra, including schedule and price of tickets.

www.sintraportugaltourism.com

It's a short but intriguing adventure!

 

[peregrina2000]

There's an interesting tram ride on the very old Sintra tram--from Praia das Macas up to Sintra. From there, you could catch the train back into Lisboa.

I took that train about 15 years ago, glad to see it’s still running! I hadn’t even considered that, but depending on the time I get there, it would be a lot more fun than an Uber back to Lisbon!

What I’d really like to do is find a way to get to the Praia da Adraga for what I remember as some of the absolute best fresh fish meals I’ve ever had in my life! So near, but yet so far, from Praia das Maçãs!

 

[AJGuillaume]

There's an interesting tram ride on the very old Sintra tram--from Praia das Macas up to Sintra. From there, you could catch the train back into Lisboa.

Whilst we were in Praia das Maçãs, we didn't see the Sintra tram operate at all. It could be seasonal, or only on weekends.

What I’d really like to do is find a way to get to the Praia da Adraga

From Sintra, there are a number of busses that run down to the coast. From Sintra, the 441, 444 go to Praia das Maçãs. So you could take the train to Sintra, and then a bus.
From Sintra, you can also take the 1250 and 1254 towards Praia da Adraga, and you'll have to walk 20 to 30 minutes, depending where you get off. Check out https://www.carrismetropolitana.pt/, where I found the information above.

Day 10: Óbidos to Foz do Arelho, 15.5km (add an extra 1 or 2km if you'll be having lunch in Nadadouro)
From Óbidos, we walked about 5.7km to get back on the Trilho das Areias. Leaving Óbidos, we followed the PR3 then the PR16 (Caminho de Santo Antão). After approximately 2.2km, we left the PR and I had found a track which took us to where we joined the Trilho.
The remainder of the walk, 9.8km was virtually all along the shores of the Lagoa de Óbidos, most of it on nice paths.

 

[AJGuillaume]

Day 11: Foz do Arelho to São Martinho do Porto, 20.5km (includes 1km detour in Salir do Porto, and another 1km detour to see the dinosaur tracks)
The easiest and shortest way to get from Foz de Arelho to São Martinho do Porto is to follow the road. It is bordered by a ciclovia:

It might also be the "official" Trilho das Areias way.
The alternative is again to take to the cliffs.
There are is a mix of boardwalks, exhilarating paths with amazing views:

less than 1km on the ciclovia. Approximately 75% of this stage is off road.
GPX tracks are still needed. Apart from the occasional coincidence of this stage with the GR11, the only other way markings are like this:

There is a short 1km side track to see some fossilised dinosaur footprints.

 

[AJGuillaume]

Day 12, and last day: São Martinho do Porto to Nazaré, 15.9km
A thick fog hung over São Martinho do Porto as we left this morning. To leave town, we walked around the little bay, and up towards the Capela de Santo António. When we got to the point where we could start walking off road, there was an official barrier, with a sign stating that beyond the barrier was a restricted area:

So we detoured, which didn't matter much, because as it was foggy, we could hear the surf, but couldn't see it.
After about 1km, we were off road again, on various types of paths all the way to Salgado, about half way through the stage.
By that time the fog had lifted and we had fantastic views again.
We even detoured to see some more dinosaur footprints, some really cool:

After Salgado, we went off road again, some of it on very sandy tracks.
The only negative part of this stage is the arrival into Nazaré, near the harbour. After crossing the two bridges over the Rio Alcoa, we had to walk along a busy road with virtually no verges, for about 800m. When we arrived at the first roundabout, we crossed over to the shipyard, and walked on a road parallel to the main one, but without traffic, within the harbour precinct. Once we got out of the harbour, it was a nice walk along an esplanade.

You ain’t seen nothing till you get to Nazaré.

I don't know if it was too windy and the red flag was up at the beach, but we didn't see any surfers here. But then we didn't go north of Nazaré, where apparently the waves are huge.

Tomorrow, we're going inland, and leaving the Trilho das Areias. We might get back to it after Pinheiro da Bemposta (Moinho Garcia), but for now, that's it for our experience on the Trilho das Areias.

Would we do it again? Certainly! As I mentioned in my first post, it's not an official Caminho. One needs to be prepared with a map or GPX tracks. Accommodation will vary, and with all the surf schools on the coast, albergue type lodging is available, although not donativo. One must also be ready to walk on paths not well trodden: I should have worn long trousers, as my scratched legs testify.
However, it's a Trilho that will provide amazing views, awesome experiences, and at times exciting adventures.

Bom Caminho!

 

[jungleboy]

Congratulations on finishing the first part of your intrepid adventure! Boa continuação!