- 8–10 km — Distance (optional extension)
- 2.5–4 hours — Walking time
- Easy to Moderate — Difficulty
- Sines to São Torpes — Route
Sines, the optional starting point before the official trail begins at São Torpes.
INTRODUCTION
Before the Official Trail Begins
Stage 0 is an optional connection for walkers who want to begin in Sines rather than at the official Fishermen's Trail start in Praia de São Torpes. It is not counted among the 13 official stages, and it should be treated as an approach route whose exact safe line may change according to access restrictions, road conditions and local guidance.
The connection is interesting precisely because it shows a different face of the coast. Sines combines a medieval and maritime town centre with one of Portugal's major industrial and port areas. South of the town, the landscape gradually opens towards beaches, dunes and the natural coast that begins in earnest around São Torpes.
The walk is shorter than a standard trail stage but involves a mixture of pavements, local roads, industrial edges and coastal paths. It is particularly useful for travellers arriving by public transport or wishing to connect a visit to Sines with the official route.
THE ROUTE
From the Castle to São Torpes
Begin in the historic centre of Sines, near the castle and the waterfront. The town's elevated position provides a clear view of the Atlantic and of the port landscape to the south. From here, the route follows the coast or the safest available public connection towards São Torpes.
The central section is the least uniform. Industrial infrastructure, access roads and restricted areas mean that walkers must not improvise or enter closed land. In some itineraries, a transfer or taxi is safer and more practical than walking every metre between Sines and São Torpes.
As São Torpes approaches, the landscape becomes more recognisably coastal. The beach, dunes and low vegetation mark the transition from the Sines urban and industrial environment to the official Fishermen's Trail. The red-and-yellow trail markings should be regarded as beginning at the official trailhead, not as a guarantee that the entire Sines connection is marked in the same way.
Always check local access conditions before departure. This optional stage should never involve walking on unsafe roads, crossing restricted industrial areas or following unofficial tracks through private land.
THE COASTAL HIGHLIGHTS
Sines Waterfront
The waterfront and castle provide the strongest cultural opening to the route. The view from the town towards the Atlantic explains why Sines developed as both a maritime settlement and a modern port.
São Torpes Beach
São Torpes is the destination of this optional connection and the official starting point of the Fishermen's Trail. The beach is broad and open, with the industrial background of Sines still visible to the north and the natural coast extending south.
Praia de São Torpes, the official start of the Fishermen's Trail.
Walk Light on the Sines to São Torpes Connection
If you choose to walk this optional approach, our luggage transfer service can collect your bags in Sines and deliver them to your accommodation in Porto Covo after the official Stage 1.
HISTORY
Three Landmarks of Sines' Memory
Vasco da Gama's Birth House. In Sines' historic centre, a modest house near the castle is traditionally identified as the birthplace of Vasco da Gama in 1460. Decades later the navigator would set out to open the sea route to India, one of the defining episodes of the Portuguese Age of Discovery.
Vasco da Gama's birth house, in the historic centre of Sines.
Sines Castle. Built in the 13th century and rebuilt after the 1755 earthquake, the castle occupies the headland overlooking the town and its port. Its walls have witnessed seven centuries of maritime life, from medieval fishing to the modern petrochemical industry visible on the skyline below.
Sines Castle, above the historic town and the sea — the modern port visible in the distance.
The Deep-Water Port. Opened in 1978, the Port of Sines is mainland Portugal's only natural deep-water port, able to receive the largest oil tankers and container ships on the Atlantic. It turned a fishing town into one of the country's main energy and industrial hubs — the starkest contrast of the whole Stage 0 connection.
Sines' port and industrial complex.
WILDLIFE AND PLANTS
Three Species of the Sines Coastline
Sardinian warbler (Curruca melanocephala). The coastal scrub between Sines and São Torpes — juniper, gum rockrose and gorse — is full of this small bird's harsh, rattling song, one of the most common year-round territorial residents of the southwest Alentejo coast. The male, with its sharply defined black hood and bright red eye, is easy to identify even in a short flight between bushes.
The Sardinian warbler, a common resident of the southwest Alentejo coastal scrub.
Little tern (Sternula albifrons). The smallest of Europe's terns nests directly on the sand of the quieter beaches near São Torpes, in nests that are little more than a scrape in the ground — making them extremely vulnerable to people and dogs walking through outside the marked paths.
The little tern, which nests directly on the sand of local beaches.
Ocellated lizard (Timon lepidus). Europe's largest lizard lives in the scrub and loose stone walls between Sines and São Torpes, sometimes growing past half a metre long. It's easily identified by the blue spots running along its flanks, used in territorial displays.
The ocellated lizard, Europe's largest lizard species.
Sea holly (Eryngium maritimum). The spiny, blue-grey leaves of sea holly stabilise the most wind-exposed dunes near São Torpes. It's a protected plant in several parts of Europe due to overcollection for ornamental gardens.
Sea holly, a pioneer plant of the most exposed dunes.
Rock samphire (Crithmum maritimum). It grows directly from cracks in the salt-battered rocks near Sines Castle. It was historically picked and pickled in vinegar by coastal communities — one of the few wild Portuguese plants with a genuine traditional culinary use.
Rock samphire, growing from cracks in the coastal rocks.
Stone pine (Pinus pinea). The broad, flat-topped canopies of stone pine punctuate the fixed dunes south of Sines, offering one of the only stretches of continuous shade on this connection. Its pine nuts have supported a small local harvesting economy for centuries.
A stone pine forest on the dunes on the way to São Torpes.
PRACTICAL INFORMATION
Tips for a Safe Connection
Official status. This is an optional link, not one of the 13 official stages. Do not assume that it has continuous Rota Vicentina signage.
Industrial areas. Never enter restricted areas or walk on roads without a safe pedestrian margin. If conditions are unclear, use a taxi or transfer between Sines and São Torpes.
Navigation. Use a current route, check municipal information and confirm the exact start of the official trail at São Torpes.
Water and shade. The route is exposed in places. Carry water, sun protection and a windproof layer.
Start of Stage 1. Treat Praia de São Torpes as the official trailhead. The route markings and the standard Fishermen's Trail itinerary begin there.
STARTING POINT
Sines: A Maritime Town Before the Wild Coast
Sines is a worthwhile arrival point even for walkers who do not complete the optional connection on foot. Visit the castle, explore the old streets and walk along the waterfront before continuing to São Torpes.
The town has shops, restaurants and accommodation, making it easy to prepare for the following stages. Confirm transport to São Torpes if you decide not to walk the entire connection.
EXTRA TIME
What to Do Around Sines
Visit the castle and the maritime museum, explore the historic centre and spend time on the waterfront. The contrast between the old town, the port and the beaches south of Sines is the main attraction of this optional stage.
Stage 0 is not an official chapter of the Fishermen's Trail, but it adds valuable context. It shows where the wild route begins, how the coast has been transformed by industry and why São Torpes functions as a threshold between Sines and the long Atlantic path to Porto Covo and beyond.
If you begin in Sines, we can collect your luggage there and arrange delivery to your accommodation after the official stage, allowing you to make the connection with a light daypack.