Portugal · HIKING & TREKKING
Good hiking & trekking trips fill up weeks ahead; the great ones go first. Below: the 15 to book early, what each includes and how they differ.
Review of Madeira’s Pico do Arieiro sunrise transfer and self-guided hike, with route details, costs, safety tips, and practical advice.
“Such an amazing experience. Our driver was very knowledgeable and explained all the trail signs and track information prior to our departure so we knew where we were going! We were very lucky with the weather.”
Explore Berlengas from Peniche by glass-bottom boat, hike to the lighthouse, visit sea caves, and see if this 4-hour trip suits you.
“Berlengas is absolutely incredible!❤️ wow. I’m going to do this again with my family!”
Hike Madeira’s famous peaks at sunrise with hotel transfers, local guidance, five hours on the trail, and flexible PR1 or PR3 options.
“Great trip. The guide collected us from our hotel. The mini bus was comfortable and the ride to the starting point was smooth . The guide showed us exactly where to begin our hike and where he would pick us up. Great value for money too. As renting a car to get up there yourself would definitely be a challenge.”
Review of Madeira’s 25 Fontes and Risco Levada hike, with shared transfer, practical trail tips, costs, timing, crowds, and who should book.
“Pedro was punctual and gave us good tips. The hike was beautiful.”
Review of Madeira’s PR8 Ponta São Lourenço hike, with shared transfers, trail advice, costs, timing, crowds, swimming, and practical tips.
“Excellent service. I booked less than 24h before. I reccomend the early start time as you get the trail to yourself mostly. Our driver was punctual, informative and helpful. Only took about 1.5 hours to complete the trail on the way out so had plenty of time to cover the side trails too!”
Hike Madeira’s Caldeirão Verde on PR9 with hotel pickup, ancient forest, waterfalls, tunnels, and a flexible self-guided route.
“The drive was fast and on time, our driver Adriana was great, she told us many interesting facts about Madeira, its history and dwellers, the trip was lovely, views were stunning, I definitely recommend it”
Review of Madeira’s PR9 Caldeirão Verde hike transfer, with practical advice on distance, tunnels, weather, pricing, pickup, and trail difficulty.
“Gorgeous hike, amazing scenery and waterfalls and barely any incline. Getting wet is unavoidable but part of the fun! Highly recommend”
Watch sunrise above Madeira, visit Guindaste’s glass platform, and hike the 7 km Larano coast trail on a small-group tour from Funchal.
“It was a beautiful sunrise, an incredible hike, and enjoyable company with the guide.”
Review of Faro's Benagil cliff hike, Marinha Beach, Algar Seco and Senhora da Rocha, with practical tips on timing, gear, value and guide quality.
“Great day out in the Algarve, Claire was amazing and so friendly. Stunning views and great route and beaches.”
Escape Porto for Gerês National Park, with waterfalls, mountain pools, hiking, local lunch, and a quick Bom Jesus stop.
“Our host was really friendly and made for a great experience! Beautiful nature.”
Review of Madeira’s PR1 sunrise hike transfer, with hotel pickup, mountain views, route advice, weather tips, price value, and practical details.
“First off, our driver was awesome as was the transfer/pick up and drop off process. In terms of the hike, the stairway to heaven (part of PR1) was spectacular, even with pretty terrible weather (wind, rain, lots of cloud cover). Highly recommend visiting that part of the hike at sunrise. However, a significant portion of the trail that is included in the posted description was closed so unfortunately, we had to do an alternative hike, PR3, which wasn’t great. They did give us a heads up a few days out, but it would have been nice to know before booking. The weather definitely affected it, but the trail was fairly…”
Hike Madeira’s rocky Ponta de São Lourenço with hotel pickup, dramatic cliffs, expert guides, and time for a swim in clear ocean water.
“The most scenic walk of Madeira apart from Pico Arieiro to Pico Ruivo. On a sunny, wind-free day I would even say perhaps even more photogenic than Pico Pico. Easy walk nothing exhausting about it if you have general level of fitness. As a photographer, it is mind-blowing.”
Review of Madeira’s Pico Ruivo sunrise hike, with hotel pickup, starry skies, tea, a small group, and practical fitness tips.
“Incredible views that really were breathtaking! Well worth the trip!”
Review of Lisbon’s Sintra, Pena Palace and Cabo da Roca hike, with practical advice on price, pace, weather, guides and what to expect.
“Our tour guide, George, was amazing and made our day!We had a lovely adventure day that I will keep forever in my Portuguese memories (especially Cabo da Roca. Beautiful!!) ! Thank you so much! Highly recommend tour. Ciao, a presto from Italy!!”
Review of Porto’s Paiva Walkways tour, including the 516 Arouca bridge, 8km hike, local lunch, Arouca sweets, guide quality, and practical tips.
“Very beautiful and not to hard because you only walk downhill. The guide was very nice and took good care of us.”
From the cave boats to the cellar tastings, and the best of each.
