I woke somewhat stiff after the hard walk yesterday and wondering how the 34kms today would pan out, not least whether there would be just as much sand to walk through as there was yesterday. And it was a long day, walking from 9.15 to 5pm, 6km through sand and steep descents and ascents, not least in and out of the villages and tows that that I passed through today, Arrifina, Amoreira and Aljezur.
The owner of the hotel had prepared an excellent breakfast with fresh fruit, various breads and pastries, local hams and cheeses, scrambled egg and fresh pressed orange juice. It was the perfect start to the day. We sat and chatted about the current state of the Portuguese economy – inflation, energy prices, interest rates, lack of local family doctors, nurses leaving Portugal for a better salary, doctors moving to private hospitals, the sorry state of the national airline, lack of investment in infrastructure and the government’s focus on Lisbon and Porto ….. His concerns were pretty much exactly the same as the average Dane.
Slightly delayed, I left in glorious sunshine, walking towards the coastline along sandy paths with the heath like scenery, similar to the previous day’s.
After 10km I reached Arrifinia, a small village in development – I passed two estate agents selling grounds with views over the Atlantic to Dutch people. The town, like many others in the region, has moved its focus from fishing to tourism, not least surfing.
From here the path turned into sand, and for the next 5 or so kilometers I passed one deserted cove after the next.
I reached Amoreira (village in the background of the next picture), with a steep decline to the beach and town, and an equally steep ascent on the other side. The village itself clung to the beach with a few restaurants and cafes.
I had planned to stop, but given that walking in the sand causes between 5 and 10mins delay per kilometer, I decided to push on. At Amoreira there is an estuary that forces a walker, or anybody else for that matter, to drive 5km inland to Aljezur and then come back on the other side of the estuary.
The road towards Aljezur rose quickly and I soon found myself walking along a main road. This was the first longer walk along a road, and the first with traffic, although not too much. Bored, I put on my earplugs for the first time trying to remember artists from a 1976 on a best of rock playlist on Spotify. It helped pass the time.
The descent to Aljezur was steep, very steep, over 12%, which was hard on both my knees and toes. I met a Dutch lady doing day walks from Aljezur. I made a detour into town to find a cafe and stopped for a coffee and a swiss roll (I wonder whether I’ve eaten a swiss roll since I was a kid). I walked back to the path along a stream and the climb out of town was also 12% – but rather up than down.
Aljezur is a small market down, split into two parts by a river. The older part dates back to the 12th century. Most of the houses are whitewashed (town in the background of the picture below)
The last 6kms to Rogil were flat along sandy paths – just as the day had started.
I arrived at the hotel at 17.01. Little did I know that the reception didn’t open until 17.00, so the timing was perfect. After a shower, and not least washing my very dirty feet with all the sand and dust, I had a good three course dinner, vegetable soup, grilled sea bass and lime mousse cheesecake at a restaurant at the edge of town, Museu da Batata Doce – it meant walking ca. 1km each way, but it was well worth it.
Back at the hotel, I made my daily call to my wife, rearranged my stuff, before going to bed at 22.00 – the latest I have been up whilst in Portugal.