Hello fodor friends-
I am traveling to Sevilla the end of June 2017 and was hoping to take a bus to Lagos to spend a week or so hiking the Algarve or the west coast of Portugal before returning to Sevilla for a class. However, a few guides I have contacted have stated they finish long treks by the end of May due to the heat. Having read a little about the climate in southern Portugal in June, can anyone advise me as to hiking or trekking the southern areas of Portugal? Is a guide necessary? Is the heat so extreme that hiking is dangerous even if well prepared, fit and ok with starting early? Can a fit hiker walk from Lagos to Sagres and the up the western coast or even the trail up to Monchique in about 8 days? I am very interested in a Camino style experience. Any recommendation for a reputable guide would be appreciated as well. I do speak some Portuguese. Thank you!

I've ridden around the place (length of Algarve by bike) and have gone walking with friends in the area. My advice is

1) Along most of the Algarve you are never far from people so a guide is not needed if you have a good map (which are hard to find) but google or here will help a lot.
2) In the far East you are entering zones of national parks and there are fewer people. The issue there will be carrying enough water. But phone signals are great and a taxi can be called up easily (if you have phone numbers)
3) Heading north up the coast you are in similar space as (2) but with more population drop off
4) The Alentejo (one step inland across the motorway) is equally lovely as 2 and 3 but with more distorted landscape.

I don't think you need a guide, but you do need a good map and phone. Hotels do fill up and there is not the same culture of hostelries as there is on Camino di Santiago.

Safety, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_o...es_of_Portugal

Walking in southern Portugal in June would be too hot for most people. Here's an interesting article you might like to read.

https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2...alking-holiday

http://www.algarvewalkingexperience.com/

Hi, maestro, are you familiar with the Rota Vicentina? Trails are well marked, lodging is nicely spaced (usually) if you can walk 20 km a day or so, and there are both inland and coastal options. No need for a guide at all.
http://en.rotavicentina.com

But I think June might be way too hot, for me anyway. The coastal portion is totally shameless, and some of the stages have a lot of sand walking, which slows you down and is hard on the body.

I have only walked a couple of those stages as day trips. I have a good friend who has walked the whole thing from north to south. She met one other person and they wound up walking together. It is not likely to be a camino-like experience, just because you won't find many(or any) others, but more because it's not a pilgrimage route. Even though most people walking the camino are not there for a religious pilgrimage, it is hard to resist getting sucked into the "camino mode". But even if it's not a camino-like experience, it would be very nice.

Another option would be to start the Via de la Plata in Sevilla (which is a route to Santiago), but that would also be very hot.

p.s. I did not mean to say the coast was totally "shameless" (though it may be), but rather shade-less!

Hello,
The last summer I went to Alentejo and Algarve I did some trekking there in Alentejo that was beautiful. In Algarve, I rented a bike and I did a route that calls "ecovia". That was amazing, you can also make the ecovia by walk. It is almost flat and really nice walk!
p.s. dont go in summer.. it is so hot for trekking there.

Thank you for the articles and links to resources! As far as a Camino style experience, I just mean I would like to hike from town to town and have secured lodging. I'm still undecided - much will depend on whether I will be traveling alone or not. I may just go to Lagos and do day trips from there. Thanks again for the tips!