Okay, so I want to confirm that this is in fact a gorgeous hike and totally worthwhile. We didn’t have a huge chunk of time to do the whole thing (it takes like 3 hours one way I believe), so we actually walked halfway on two separate days, starting from each side. One thing I didn’t read in any of the other reviews - we felt the Praia da Marinha side was a MUCH easier start than the Carvoeiro side. We did the Carvoeiro side first and it started out with like 200+ stairs, then a short flat scenic outlook, and then we were scrambling. I’m moderately afraid of heights and was not liking this too much. Relatedly, there are some areas next to sinkholes or large cliffs with fences, but a lot of places that do not have safety barriers. The sign at the beginning here called it a moderate hike and I literally thought they were insane after doing the stretch we did. The views were still gorgeous though and overall I was happy we did it (obviously, since we did it again!) At any rate, we had a boat tour soon so we called it a day. The next day we started from the other end, which I think is where most people start. Here they have a parking lot that includes some ice cream and snack trucks and a scenic outlook right at the start. You can walk from this side for a decent chunk of time before getting into steep hills or scrambling. My only other complaint was that I think they could use more trail markers. Over time, a lot of people have trekked off the beaten path so there are times that there are what appear to be 2-4 different choices of which way to go, and due to the landscape you can’t really see which one to take. So sometimes we would climb up a challenging route only to see there was a much easier way, but it wasn’t marked. Overall, this was one of the best scenic views of our whole trip. It was really fun to do this and also do a boat tour, getting to see these stunning cliffs from both angles. However, I personally felt like the other reviews I read made is seem easier than I felt it was. I’m a relatively young and in shape person, and it was quite physical! But, there are definitely options to make it less demanding such as staying near the flatter area at the beginning. I would definitely encourage every traveler to go and check it out. I don’t think our trip to Portugal would have been complete without this experience!

When I read that this is rated as one of the top hikes in Europe, I wondered if that was pushing it. It's not. It is spectacular. We hike regularly so did the full walk, and walked back too. It was long but very worth it. If you're not up for the full hike doing one way totally makes sense. But don't miss it. Truly beautiful coastline and a fun hike. Overall a medium hike. A few places you have to walk up or down on rocks. Fortunately most of the rocks are very grippy so you don't have to worry about sliding. Just be sure to watch for the yellow and red trail markers. It is easy to get off track. ne area that was annoyingly not clear is through this Bengali beach. Do not walk back up the road, even though that's what seems right. The trail continues on the stairs, either the ones at the bottom of the beach, or you can take the white stairs up that appear to go to a restaurant. Both connect to the trail, again keep an eye out for the yellow and red markers. There's also a handy restroom there that was clean and free. We saw dolphins along the way too, so keep an eye out.

This is a must do when in the Algarve region. I am so glad we decided to do this on our own. There is absolutely no reason to do this with a guide - the trail is extremely well marked. Even a few spots to go off trail into the beaches. We started at Praia de Marinha - did the full hike (one way) and decided to take an Uber back to our parked car. The views are spectacular, even on a cloudy day.

We started on the east end of the trail and please note that parking is scarce. From the moment you start at this point you are amazed at the views and cannot take enough pictures. We did the complete walk to the west side, but the first leg was definitely our favorite. Researched before hand and it basically said the hike consisted of 3 sections. Finished and grab an Uber to take us back to our car, which was very reasonable and fast.

Beautiful views around every turn. We took the part of the trail that begins in the parking lot adjacent to Secret Algave kayaking tours. The trip to that side was plenty of hiking after kayaking earlier. The views were incredible! At the end of that side you can descend to a beach to relax and catch some rays. There are also a couple of food stalls where you can get fresh fruit, sandwiches, snacks and drinks before you descend to the beach or before turning back on the trail. The restaurant at the bottom was closed so do your research before heading there to avoid the steep climb back up if you aren't staying at the beach.