Best Hikes In Portugal (Mainland, Madeira & Azores)

The stunning European country of Portugal is appealing to quite a lot of people, whether you’re looking to explore the big cities, lounge on the beach, hike for ages or sample every local wine they have to offer. And the country is particularly popular with hikers, due to the sheer amount of magnificent trails worth exploring. 

From quick palace loops to some of the best long-distance trails on the continent – here are the best hikes in Portugal for your next hiking adventure!

Tips For Hiking In Portugal

Bring sunscreen! You’ll be exposed to a lot of sun when hiking in Portugal, and unless you want to deal with sunburn, a high SPF sunscreen is a must.

Don’t stray off the marked hiking trails – although this is normally a given, a lot of times when you’re hiking through forests and meadows, you can go off and explore vast areas. But this will rarely happen in Portugal, especially when you’re doing those coastal hikes on high cliffs. Additionally, staying on the marked path will ensure you’re not endangering the surrounding ecosystem and will help you hike through this magnificent country responsibly.

We’ve included hiking trails that are on Portugal’s most popular islands like Madeira and the Azores. If you aren’t staying in mainland Portugal, you should definitely think about renting a car. Public transportation is seriously lacking on the islands, and driving places is one of the very few options you have of getting around the islands.

Long-distance hiking is very popular in Portugal – there are over 90 different long-distance trails that you could attempt to hike. Because of that, they are all usually named just GR (Grande Rota) followed by a number or a letter that indicates the exact trail. So, don’t be surprised to see many GRs in the rest of the guide, since they really are the best this wonderful country has to offer!

Route of Zêzere (GRZ)

The GRZ is one of Portugal’s best known and most popular long distance hikes. The 370-kilometer hiking trail passes through 13 different municipalities, and it usually divided into 12 or 13 stages. A fun fact about the GRZ is that it can be experienced several different ways – hiking it is just one of the options. You could also do the trail by mountain biking and even canoeing!

Also, the trail is intermodal, meaning that you could constantly switch means of transport while doing the different stages. If you’re brave (and experienced) enough to do the trail alternating between hiking, canoeing and mountain biking, you’re in for one of the best adventures you could hope for!

This spectacular trail will wow you with the Zêzere River Valley, which happens to be one of the most environmentally diverse areas in Portugal. And you will see all of Portugal’s most famous spots along the way – the Estrela mountain, river Tagus, Castelo de Bode and the Aldeias do Xisto. The GRZ is constantly alternating between wonderful nature with diverse fauna and spectacular man-made structures, so by the time you reach its end you will be equally familiar with both Portugal’s nature and historic sites.

GR22 - Historic Villages of Portugal