Vila do Bispo – Sagres
May 18, 2026
Today, the Fisherman’s Trail would reach the most southwestern point in mainland Europe, Cabo de São Vicente. And after reaching the lighthouse, we would no longer be walking south; we would be walking west! I set off from Vila do Bispo by 7:30, knowing it would be a long day. I followed a dirt road out of town and passed several other hikers I hadn’t seen before. The land was flat, and I could see far off in the distance ahead the lighthouse. If I panned my gaze to the left, I could see the seaside village of Sagres where I’d be staying that night. Both seemed very far away, but at least, from what I could tell from here, the trail would be mostly flat.
The trail eventually made its way to the ocean cliffs and beaches. The lighthouse is perched on the farthest cliff, jutting out into the ocean. Slowly but surely, it got closer. The terrain was also changing. Flat land and red dirt reminded me of the landscape in Oklahoma where I grew up. The trail had also turned into rough, rocky terrain that was hard to walk on. Finally, we arrived at the road that led to the lighthouse, along with hundreds of tourists. The lighthouse is not open to the public, but the views were amazing. Several food trucks were in the parking area along with vendors selling a variety of souvenirs and clothing. I caught up with Debbie and the German man while here and had lunch at a food truck.
On to Sagres
After leaving the lighthouse, the trail followed the road for a while before finally returning to the seaside. I passed by a fortress, Fort Beliche, built right on the cliffs above the water. It was locked, but the little I could see looked amazing. The colors along this stretch of the trail are stunning! Red dirt and rock make it feel like you are walking on Mars. The ocean is a vibrant blue-green, and you can see the underwater rock formations below the surface. The walk along the ocean cliffs stretched for a few miles and was one of the prettiest sections of the Fisherman’s Trail so far. Eventually, we were back on the road and walking into Sagres. Here, I stopped for a well-deserved ice cream before heading to my hotel.
Where I stayed:
I stayed at the Aparthotel Navigator in Sagres. It can best be described as a blast from the 1980’s. It was a large one-bedroom apartment with a kitchen, bathroom, and balcony. It may be outdated by American standards, but it was clean and had a comfortable bed. I walked a couple of blocks to a supermarket to buy food to make dinner and lunch the next day. I bought a frozen pizza and needed my AI friend Claude to show me how to use the oven. The pizza was not great, btw. I booked the hotel on Booking.com and paid $66 for a non-ocean-view room. I could still see the ocean from the balcony anyway!