Called the Palmilhar Portugal (Walking Portugal), it will be an epic 3,000 kilometers long and pass … [+]
Tourists are flocking to Portugal’s holiday hotspots including cities like Lisbon and Porto as well as the Algarve coastline. To reduce overcrowding and entice visitors to lesser-trod areas, the country is planning to open the world’s longest circular hiking route.
Called the Palmilhar Portugal (Walking Portugal), it will be an epic 3,000 kilometers long and pass through over 100 off-the-beaten-track attractions around the country. It is also part of a wider push for more wellness and health-focused tourism. The first part of the route is expected to open this July. Here’s everything you need to know about the world’s longest circular hiking trail.
Where Is The World’s Longest Circular Hiking Route?
Portugal’s hiking odyssey was dreamt up by walking lover Ricardo Bernardes with the deliberate aim of spreading tourism to under-the-radar spots especially during off peak seasons. The route will become the longest circular hiking trail (the longest outright is Canada’s 24,000-kilometer-long Great Trail) and is set to cost €3.5 million ($3.75 million).
Walking Portugal will follow mainly pedestrianized and non-tarmac paths and will be accessible for travellers with reduced mobility. Some routes will also be open for cyclists. Hikers will be able to use an app to look up information about the route and the services along the way including accommodation, restaurants and cultural attractions. It will also be possible to book tickets for sporting and cultural events via the app.
When Will Palmilhar Portugal Be Open For Hikers?
The project is underway and will see the first section of the loop open in July this year in the town of Alenquer, just north of Lisbon. It is dubbed “crib town” for its picturesque, amphitheater arrangement of houses. The area is also well-known for its wineries.
In the southern coastal region of Alentejo, walkers can wander through hundreds of kilometers of … [+]
This will be followed by a stretch in the southern coastal region of Alentejo where walkers can wander through hundreds of kilometers of pristine national parks with dramatic coastal cliffs, wild horses, olive groves and giant cork forests. Finally, a third part of the route will open in the mountainous Trás-os-Montes to the northeast. Here, hikers can find a rural idyll of vineyards, orchards and a biosphere reserve.
By the end of the year, 15 sections are slated to be open and the whole trail is expected to be completed within three years. It will take walkers along coastlines, through hills, past vineyards and to rural towns.