Sagres – Salema
May 19, 2026
Today I would be walking the section of the trail that everyone talks about – Sagres to Salema. It’s talked about because it has a reputation of being the most technically difficult section of the entire Fisherman’s Trail. Many hikers will actually skip it to avoid the steep hills. I couldn’t wait to see if all of the hoopla was true.
No one else was on the street when I left the hotel and started toward the trail. Since we were now heading west, the sun was in my face as the trail crossed the beach. As I stood next to a pond full of very loud frogs, the German man caught up to me, and we ended up walking together the rest of the day.
After an initial climb, the trail was wide and flat as it headed inland, passing by the ruins of an old farmstead. It eventually led back to the shoreline and to some very steep, rocky climbs. Of course, this meant we also had a steep, rocky descent to reach a beach and a cafe. Unfortunately, the cafe was closed on Tuesdays, so we sat on the porch and took a break while we met the local cats.
Hills & Beaches
After our break, we continued on. The terrain would be flat for a while until we came to an inlet and beach. We would have a steep descent to the beach followed by a steep climb again. The beaches started to get crowded with many surf lessons and beachgoers. When we arrived at the last beach in this section of the trail, my German friend suggested we walk the beach instead of staying on the trail. His guidebook offered this as an option to save a few miles before rejoining the trail. It was low tide, so we took the detour! This section of the beach was not as easily accessible, and many of the beachgoers took a clothing-optional approach.
Once back on the trail, it wasn’t long before we were entering the village of Salema. We were both famished and went to the first cafe we could find as we wound our way down the steep streets. After lunch, we headed to our respective accommodations for the night. His was about a block away and mine, about a mile away.
Where I stayed:
Salema has a fairly limited selection of accommodation, especially if you’re on a budget. There are no hostels, but there is a campground about a mile north of the village. I stayed at the Salema Eco Camp, which offers a variety of accommodation types. I chose the cheapest, a Woody tent. It had a full-sized bed inside with electricity and a refrigerator. Bathrooms and an outdoor kitchen were nearby. My tent was in the sun when I got there, so it was hot initially, but it cooled down by evening and was very comfortable. The only downside was its distance from the trail and needing to walk along a busy-ish road. I reserved my tent on Booking.com and paid $80.