Mr Slater says...
We had a lovely autumn break in the Algarve with excellent walks. Our accommodation was excellent in both locations. Our car supplied by Europcar was ...
Read reviews »
On this 7-night twin-centre walking trip you'll discover the entirety of Portugal's Algarve, from the rugged cliff-strewn western Atlantic coastline to its eastern border with Spain. Driving to each day's different walks you'll embark on a journey through the undiscovered parts of the region where pretty whitewashed villages and lively towns intermingle with a mix of stunning scenery.
Starting the first half of your week in the coastal town of Sagres and finishing in the city of churches, Tavira, highlights include visits to some of the Algarve's most varied and interesting beaches (including Odeceixe, which is the one of the most photographed and most popular beaches in the Algarve), exploring the maritime history of Portugal and Europe in Lagos and Sagres, and walking along the banks of the Guadiana River.
You'll meander along diverse landscapes, from river paths and untouched coastlines to the Monchique mountain range. Admire the colours and scents of the Spanish and green lavender that grows in abundance, along with more than 25 types of orchids, mystic thyme and flowering yellow broom. Overhead you can see Bonelli's eagles, sparrow hawks, black kites, azure magpies and golden orioles whilst flamingos make their home in the salt marshes. As autumn arrives, the Algarve is one of the best places in Europe to see the annual migration, and with the region's autumn and winter being similar to the UK's springtime, you can expect year-round warm temperatures.
You'll stay in two hotels of contrasting styles: in Sagres, sitting on the cliffs above the Atlantic Ocean, is the modern boutique 4 star Memmo Baleeria, and heading east in Tavira is the 4 star Pousada de Tavira, a former 16th century convent, which has now been tastefully converted into a lovely hotel. The local cuisine is delicious - expect fresh fish, cured hams, tasty cheese and chourico (which are as good as those from Spain or Italy!).
Walks are on well marked paths, terrain is mostly in good condition and consists of hard packed earth, stoney tracks and small sections of tarmac. Walking boots are essential and walking poles are recommended for some days.
Drive to Sagres, the beautiful coastal town where you will spend the first four nights.
You stay at the Memmo Baleeira (breakfast and evening meal)
From picturesque Bordeira, a valley trail takes you through eucalyptus and giant reeds to the cliff tops above the vast expanse of Bordeira Beach with its impressive sand dunes. The views are breathtaking! Descend to the beach, where you'll walk along the crashing surf to explore the dunes and meandering river estuary. Your return is along a sandy trail through the scented pine forest of Bordalete and the floodplain of the Bordeira River where bell-toting cattle graze lazily.
You stay at the Memmo Baleeira (breakfast included)
A short but spectacular walk to two of the Algarve's most varied beaches and their unique rock formations sculpted by the Atlantic. Stroll through peaceful valleys and pine forest to reach the flower-strewn coast. Descend to Carruagem Beach with its swirling rock ridges and rock pools. Then take the sandy cliff trail to Amoreira Beach, one of the finest sweeps of shoreline in the region. After your walk, head to Aljezur to wander the cobbled streets and visit the ruins of the Moorish hilltop castle for superb views.
You stay at the Memmo Baleeira (breakfast included)
Just over the border in the Alentejo is the attractive village of Odeceixe. You set off on the Rota Vicentina Pilgrims' Trail alongside the irrigation canal. Reaching the Atlantic, head along the wild and rugged coastline on the stunning Fishermen's Trail to the beautiful beach of Odeceixe - one of the most photographed in Portugal. Head back to Odeceixe alongside the river and through meadows to explore its narrow cobbled streets and tempting cafes.
You stay at the Memmo Baleeira (breakfast included)
Today you make your way to Tavira, your base for the next three nights. Choose to do a walk en route or visit one of the interesting villages or towns. Monchique or Lagos are both worth a visit, the small village of Saint Luzia near Tavira is famous for octopus restaurants or head to Tavira for lunch and explore the town in the afternoon.
You stay at the Pousada de Tavira (breakfast included)
You head east, maybe stopping at the town of Alcoutim with its 14th century castle and small international ferry! Then to Laranjeiras, where the walk begins along the banks of the Guadiana River, passing pretty white villages and almond and olive groves. You'll climb between holm oaks and stone pines to a wonderful picnic spot. It's then on through the Laranjeiras ravine full of tamarisks, lavender and carob trees, spotting golden orioles as we go.
You stay at the Pousada de Tavira (breakfast included)
A longer walk today, which is packed with interest and contrasting scenery and sights - first following the river through orchards and vineyards, then passing through cork oaks, cistus and pine plantations, to reach a wonderful view point over the Odeleite River. Heading down to the river there is a lovely picnic site to enjoy a break. Following on passing holm oaks and two windmills is evidence to the life in the area known as the Serra.
You stay at the Pousada de Tavira (breakfast included)
It is a 35-minute drive back to Faro airport. Note: This is an idea of your itinerary; we have more walks for you to follow in our notes. Our Algarve representatives will explain everything at your welcome briefing. You can easily add extra nights in either hotel or shorten the holiday if you like.
During your holiday you stay at the following hotels. If you'd like to extend your time at any of these or, if you'd like to enhance your stay with an upgraded room, just let us know at the time of booking.
To find out more call our sales team on 0044 1606 720199, use our live webchat or email sales@headwater.com
Find out more on the hotel website.
Read customer reviews on Tripadvisor.
NEARBY:
Room upgrades: Double Frontal Sea View, 1 Bed Suite Land View, 1 Bed Suite Garden View or 1 Bed Suite Frontal Sea View.
The Superior room is a larger room. All suites have separate living areas and come with dvd players and bathrobes.
Extra nights: Please contact us for details.
Find out more on the hotel website.
Read customer reviews on Tripadvisor.
NEARBY:
Room upgrades: Superior Room or Suite.
Extra nights: Please contact us for details.
If you'd like to extend your trip with extra nights at the start or end, or if you'd like to arrange a stop off point en-route, then we recommend the following hotels.
Find out more on the hotel website.
Read customer reviews on Tripadvisor.
Find out more on the hotel website.
Read customer reviews on Tripadvisor.
Find out more on the hotel website.
Read customer reviews on Tripadvisor.
NEARBY:
Call now to speak to our specialist team at 0044 1606 720199 or email us at sales@headwater.com for enquiries or to book your trip.
Everyone who goes on a Headwater holiday will be emailed a link to our post-holiday questionnaire where they can give us an honest assessment of all aspects of their holiday - everything from how quickly we answer the phone to how clean the hotels were - plus an overall rating and comments about their holiday.
Any feedback collected is posted to our website, so that people can make an informed decision based on past experiences before heading off on holiday. We don’t edit the reviews, the only thing we do is proofread them and alter any typos, where necessary, to ensure they are easy to read for everyone. All reviews will be published (except in certain extreme circumstances), and a member of the Headwater team will respond to any constructive criticisms/comments under the reviews, at their discretion. So, for the real tales, twists and turns of our holidays, look no further than the reviews from our previous travellers.
We had a lovely autumn break in the Algarve with excellent walks. Our accommodation was excellent in both locations. Our car supplied by Europcar was excellent too, although we did have to queue for an hour at Faro airport to collect it. As others have commented, most of the walks required a significant drive to reach the start, but we felt it was well worth it with the roads fairly empty on the whole. Overall an excellent trip.
Enjoyable as a walking and sightseeing holiday. The car gave us greater freedom to see the country. The walks were well way marked and the route notes were very accurate giving us some lovely days in beautiful scenery.
The administration of our booking was poor and we were disappointed that we had to drive a fair distance to the start of each walk.
Headwater response:
Dear Mrs McCullough
Thank you for your review. I’m sorry to hear you had a poor booking experience, Our team take pride in delivering a great service from the booking process to the actual holiday. I'm sorry and regret that you feel that we missed the mark on this occasion. With any feedback we receive both positive and negative we will endeavor to make the necessary improvements.
Yours sincerely
Customer Services
The holiday was easy to book and exactly as described in the brochure. The hotels were outstanding especially Hotel Memmo in Sagres which was faultless. There were lots of lovely walks although we found the distance we had to drive to some walks was excessive and therefore chose more local walks instead.
Well-designed and highly enjoyable introduction to the delights of an Algarve Spring, with plenty of opportunities to sample the excellent food of the region
We really enjoyed our holiday, contrasting hotels and walks in the 2 centres made it feel like longer than a week. It was a shame that the swimming pool and spa weren't open at the first hotel as we were looking forward to using those facilities.
A very enjoyable holiday
You can be confident that our pricing includes all the standard requirements of your holiday and many additional extras. Always ensure that you are comparing like for like when booking your holiday.
This 7 night self-guided walking holiday includes:
Twin-centre accommodation in hotels
All breakfasts and 1 evening meal
Management by your local Headwater-appointed agent
Comprehensive route directions provided prior to departure
Europcar Group B air-conditioned hire car included when booking a flight inclusive package
How to book:
To book this holidays speak to our sales team on 0044 1606 720199 or click on the appropriate 'book now' or 'check availability' button below.
To book this holiday call our sales team on 0044 1606 720199 or click on the appropriate 'Book now' or 'check availability' button below.
Departing | Tour only | Prices ![]() |
Single supplement | |
---|---|---|---|---|
10th Jun 2023 | US$1779 | US$699 | Tour only: US$1779 Single supp: US$699 |
Check availability |
Check availability | ||||
17th Jun 2023 | US$1779 | US$699 | Tour only: US$1779 Single supp: US$699 |
Check availability |
Check availability |
Departing | Tour only | Prices ![]() |
Single supplement | |
---|---|---|---|---|
16th Sep 2023 | US$1779 | US$699 | Tour only: US$1779 Single supp: US$699 |
Check availability |
Check availability | ||||
17th Sep 2023 | US$1879 | US$699 | Tour only: US$1879 Single supp: US$699 |
Check availability |
Check availability | ||||
23rd Sep 2023 | US$1779 | US$699 | Tour only: US$1779 Single supp: US$699 |
Check availability |
Check availability | ||||
30th Sep 2023 | US$1779 | US$699 | Tour only: US$1779 Single supp: US$699 |
Check availability |
Check availability |
Departing | Tour only | Prices ![]() |
Single supplement | |
---|---|---|---|---|
7th Oct 2023 | US$1749 | US$699 | Tour only: US$1749 Single supp: US$699 |
Check availability |
Check availability | ||||
11th Oct 2023 | US$1879 | US$699 | Tour only: US$1879 Single supp: US$699 |
Check availability |
Check availability | ||||
14th Oct 2023 | US$1749 | US$699 | Tour only: US$1749 Single supp: US$699 |
Check availability |
Check availability | ||||
21st Oct 2023 | US$1749 | US$699 | Tour only: US$1749 Single supp: US$699 |
Check availability |
Check availability | ||||
28th Oct 2023 | US$1749 | US$699 | Tour only: US$1749 Single supp: US$699 |
Check availability |
Check availability |
Departing | Tour only | Prices ![]() |
Single supplement | |
---|---|---|---|---|
4th Nov 2023 | US$1749 | US$699 | Tour only: US$1749 Single supp: US$699 |
Check availability |
Check availability | ||||
11th Nov 2023 | US$1749 | US$699 | Tour only: US$1749 Single supp: US$699 |
Check availability |
Check availability | ||||
18th Nov 2023 | US$1749 | US$699 | Tour only: US$1749 Single supp: US$699 |
Check availability |
Check availability | ||||
25th Nov 2023 | US$1749 | US$699 | Tour only: US$1749 Single supp: US$699 |
Check availability |
Check availability |
Departing | Tour only | Prices ![]() |
Single supplement | |
---|---|---|---|---|
2nd Dec 2023 | US$1749 | US$699 | Tour only: US$1749 Single supp: US$699 |
Check availability |
Check availability | ||||
9th Dec 2023 | US$1749 | US$699 | Tour only: US$1749 Single supp: US$699 |
Check availability |
Check availability | ||||
16th Dec 2023 | US$1749 | US$699 | Tour only: US$1749 Single supp: US$699 |
Check availability |
Check availability | ||||
23rd Dec 2023 | US$1749 | US$699 | Tour only: US$1749 Single supp: US$699 |
Check availability |
Check availability | ||||
30th Dec 2023 | US$1749 | US$699 | Tour only: US$1749 Single supp: US$699 |
Check availability |
Check availability |
Departing | Tour only | Prices ![]() |
Single supplement | |
---|---|---|---|---|
13th Jan 2024 | US$1799 | US$699 | Tour only: US$1799 Single supp: US$699 |
Check availability |
Check availability | ||||
20th Jan 2024 | US$1799 | US$699 | Tour only: US$1799 Single supp: US$699 |
Check availability |
Check availability | ||||
27th Jan 2024 | US$1799 | US$699 | Tour only: US$1799 Single supp: US$699 |
Check availability |
Check availability |
Departing | Tour only | Prices ![]() |
Single supplement | |
---|---|---|---|---|
3rd Feb 2024 | US$1799 | US$699 | Tour only: US$1799 Single supp: US$699 |
Check availability |
Check availability | ||||
10th Feb 2024 | US$1799 | US$699 | Tour only: US$1799 Single supp: US$699 |
Check availability |
Check availability | ||||
17th Feb 2024 | US$1799 | US$699 | Tour only: US$1799 Single supp: US$699 |
Check availability |
Check availability | ||||
24th Feb 2024 | US$1799 | US$699 | Tour only: US$1799 Single supp: US$699 |
Check availability |
Check availability |
Departing | Tour only | Prices ![]() |
Single supplement | |
---|---|---|---|---|
2nd Mar 2024 | US$1799 | US$699 | Tour only: US$1799 Single supp: US$699 |
Check availability |
Check availability | ||||
9th Mar 2024 | US$1799 | US$699 | Tour only: US$1799 Single supp: US$699 |
Check availability |
Check availability | ||||
16th Mar 2024 | US$1799 | US$699 | Tour only: US$1799 Single supp: US$699 |
Check availability |
Check availability | ||||
23rd Mar 2024 | US$1799 | US$699 | Tour only: US$1799 Single supp: US$699 |
Check availability |
Check availability | ||||
30th Mar 2024 | US$1799 | US$699 | Tour only: US$1799 Single supp: US$699 |
Check availability |
Check availability |
Departing | Tour only | Prices ![]() |
Single supplement | |
---|---|---|---|---|
6th Apr 2024 | US$1879 | US$699 | Tour only: US$1879 Single supp: US$699 |
Check availability |
Check availability | ||||
13th Apr 2024 | US$1879 | US$699 | Tour only: US$1879 Single supp: US$699 |
Check availability |
Check availability | ||||
20th Apr 2024 | US$1879 | US$699 | Tour only: US$1879 Single supp: US$699 |
Check availability |
Check availability | ||||
27th Apr 2024 | US$1879 | US$699 | Tour only: US$1879 Single supp: US$699 |
Check availability |
Check availability |
Departing | Tour only | Prices ![]() |
Single supplement | |
---|---|---|---|---|
4th May 2024 | US$1879 | US$699 | Tour only: US$1879 Single supp: US$699 |
Check availability |
Check availability | ||||
11th May 2024 | US$1879 | US$699 | Tour only: US$1879 Single supp: US$699 |
Check availability |
Check availability | ||||
18th May 2024 | US$1879 | US$699 | Tour only: US$1879 Single supp: US$699 |
Check availability |
Check availability | ||||
25th May 2024 | US$1879 | US$699 | Tour only: US$1879 Single supp: US$699 |
Check availability |
Check availability |
Departing | Tour only | Prices ![]() |
Single supplement | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1st Jun 2024 | US$1879 | US$699 | Tour only: US$1879 Single supp: US$699 |
Check availability |
Check availability | ||||
8th Jun 2024 | US$1879 | US$699 | Tour only: US$1879 Single supp: US$699 |
Check availability |
Check availability | ||||
15th Jun 2024 | US$1879 | US$699 | Tour only: US$1879 Single supp: US$699 |
Check availability |
Check availability |
Departing | Tour only | Prices ![]() |
Single supplement | |
---|---|---|---|---|
21st Sep 2024 | US$1879 | US$699 | Tour only: US$1879 Single supp: US$699 |
Check availability |
Check availability | ||||
28th Sep 2024 | US$1879 | US$699 | Tour only: US$1879 Single supp: US$699 |
Check availability |
Check availability |
Departing | Tour only | Prices ![]() |
Single supplement | |
---|---|---|---|---|
5th Oct 2024 | US$1879 | US$699 | Tour only: US$1879 Single supp: US$699 |
Check availability |
Check availability | ||||
12th Oct 2024 | US$1879 | US$699 | Tour only: US$1879 Single supp: US$699 |
Check availability |
Check availability | ||||
19th Oct 2024 | US$1879 | US$699 | Tour only: US$1879 Single supp: US$699 |
Check availability |
Check availability | ||||
26th Oct 2024 | US$1879 | US$699 | Tour only: US$1879 Single supp: US$699 |
Check availability |
Check availability |
Departing | Tour only | Prices ![]() |
Single supplement | |
---|---|---|---|---|
2nd Nov 2024 | US$1879 | US$699 | Tour only: US$1879 Single supp: US$699 |
Check availability |
Check availability | ||||
9th Nov 2024 | US$1879 | US$699 | Tour only: US$1879 Single supp: US$699 |
Check availability |
Check availability | ||||
16th Nov 2024 | US$1879 | US$699 | Tour only: US$1879 Single supp: US$699 |
Check availability |
Check availability | ||||
23rd Nov 2024 | US$1879 | US$699 | Tour only: US$1879 Single supp: US$699 |
Check availability |
Check availability | ||||
30th Nov 2024 | US$1879 | US$699 | Tour only: US$1879 Single supp: US$699 |
Check availability |
Check availability |
Departing | Tour only | Prices ![]() |
Single supplement | |
---|---|---|---|---|
7th Dec 2024 | US$1879 | US$699 | Tour only: US$1879 Single supp: US$699 |
Check availability |
Check availability | ||||
14th Dec 2024 | US$1879 | US$699 | Tour only: US$1879 Single supp: US$699 |
Check availability |
Check availability | ||||
21st Dec 2024 | US$1879 | US$699 | Tour only: US$1879 Single supp: US$699 |
Check availability |
Check availability | ||||
28th Dec 2024 | US$1879 | US$699 | Tour only: US$1879 Single supp: US$699 |
Check availability |
Check availability |
The prices quoted for each individual departure supercede those published in our current brochures. Air prices and car hire are subject to change and we advise early booking to obtain the best prices. Please see our Planning your holiday and What's included in the price? pages for additional information.
Solo travellers
Please call for details and prices
Children
Please contact us for child prices.
Holiday type
Self-guided walking Managed locally by Headwater appointed agent.
Departures
Every Saturday from 10th Jun 2023 to 28th Dec 2024, for 7 nights. All dates are subject to availability, please contact us to check.
Meals
All breakfasts and 1 evening meal
Other details
Car hire is included within the Flight inclusive prices and can be booked at a supplement for customers arranging their own flights.
No rep briefing or support is included on June or September departures.
This holiday does not include any flights or rail.
To book this holidays speak to our sales team on 0044 1606 720199 or click on the appropriate 'book now' button above.
If you need further information before you book simply complete our Holiday Enquiry Form and a member of our sales team will get back to you.
To book this holiday call our sales team on 0044 1606 720199 or click on the appropriate 'Book now' or 'Check availability' button below.