About 12.5 km • 3-4 hours • Moderate • About 334 m of ascent • The last stage of the Fishermen's Trail
The cliffs of Ponta da Piedade, the centrepiece of the final stage. Photo: Dicklyon / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0).
INTRODUCTION
The Last Chapter: From Luz to Lagos
Stage 13 is the final section of the Fishermen's Trail. Over about 12.5 kilometres, the route leaves Praia da Luz and follows the Algarve coast east to Lagos, passing from a dark volcanic headland to the golden limestone cliffs, arches and sea stacks of Ponta da Piedade, and ending in one of the most historic towns of the Algarve.
It is one of the shorter and easier stages of the trail, but it starts with a steep climb of about 100 metres out of Luz, and the later kilometres add boardwalks and many steps. The scenery changes steadily: open clifftop near Luz, a long beach at Porto de Mós, then the famous rock formations around the lighthouse, and finally the walls, the marina and the old streets of Lagos.
The stage can be walked in either direction. From Luz you face the climb at the start; from Lagos you finish with a challenging descent into Luz. The official end is Lagos railway station, behind the marina, where there is a Fishermen's Trail information sign, although many walkers stop earlier in the old town. Since the end of 2019 the Fishermen's Trail has run all the way to Lagos.
THE ROUTE
From Volcanic Rock to Limestone Arches
The stage starts at the beach in Luz. After a short stretch of paved road between the villas, the trail leaves the houses behind and climbs, with a few switchbacks, to a lookout over Praia da Luz and the dark headland of Rocha Negra. This first climb is the hardest part of the day. Beyond it, the path follows the clifftops for about two and a half kilometres without roads or buildings, with long views over the Atlantic.
At around the 4 km mark the trail descends to Praia de Porto de Mós, the first point where you can easily catch a bus or a taxi, and where there are restaurants and toilets in season. After the beach, the route climbs a short, steep stretch beside the road and crosses a quiet residential area on its way back to the coast. Markers are sparser here: if you go a while without seeing one, you have probably taken a wrong turn.
At about 5.5 km the trail reaches the boardwalks of Ponta da Piedade, rebuilt in recent years, and at about 7 km the lighthouse. From there the path passes the viewpoint of Praia do Camilo and the cliffs above Praia Dona Ana, then follows the coast into Lagos at about 10.5 km, past the fort and along the waterfront to the marina and the station. The markers are the blue and green stripes of the Fishermen's Trail, visible in both directions. Side trails to viewpoints can add more than a kilometre, so decide in advance which ones are worth it.
THE BEACHES AND COASTAL LANDMARKS
Praia da Luz and Porto de Mós
Praia da Luz is a sheltered bay with a promenade, cafés and the cliffs of Rocha Negra at its eastern end. The rock here is the remains of an ancient volcanic chimney, about 72 million years old, a surprise among the pale sedimentary cliffs of the Algarve coast.
Praia da Luz, where the stage begins. Photo: Bengt Nyman / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Porto de Mós is the only real beach stop between Luz and Lagos: a long, wide stretch of sand under high cliffs. Those cliffs are a geological record in their own right: between Luz and Porto de Mós they expose one of the most complete sequences of Middle Cretaceous rock, from the Aptian stage, roughly 120 million years old. The beach can be crowded on summer weekends.
Praia de Porto de Mós. Photo: Vitor Oliveira / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0).
Ponta da Piedade
Ponta da Piedade is the visual high point of the whole Fishermen's Trail. Golden limestone cliffs, shaped by the sea into arches, caves, pillars and narrow channels, drop into clear water. The rock dates from the Miocene, and the cliffs here, as along the coast between Burgau and Lagos, rise between roughly 25 and 100 metres. The new boardwalks make the walk safe and comfortable, and are the way to go: one recent guide warns that the old clifftop path is no longer a safe way to walk out to the point.
The cliffs of Ponta da Piedade. Photo: Keith Yahl / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0).
A stone staircase of around 180 steps leads down from the headland to the water, where boats visit the grottoes. The lighthouse stands on the site of an old hermitage dedicated to Nossa Senhora da Piedade, a chapel important to the fishermen of Lagos, who regarded her as their patron saint. The present lighthouse dates from 1912-13 and is still working, but it is not open to visitors.
The Ponta da Piedade lighthouse. Photo: Vitor Oliveira / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0).
Camilo, Dona Ana and the Approach to Lagos
Praia do Camilo: not open at the moment. The wooden staircase of more than 200 steps that leads down to this famous beach has been closed to pedestrians since before the 2026 bathing season, after winter storms damaged the cliff and the steps. The Portuguese Environment Agency (APA) has said it cannot guarantee that the structure can be used safely, and in October 2026 the Lagos council announced around 150,000 euros for a reconstruction, but there is no public reopening date. You can still admire the beach, with its natural arch and tunnel, from the viewpoint on the trail. Please respect the barriers: people who ignore them risk serious injury.
Praia do Camilo and its rock arch, seen from below (the access is currently closed). Photo: Theo Crazzolara / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0).
Praia Dona Ana comes next, framed by ochre cliffs and rock stacks and reached from the boardwalk system, with the Dona Ana car park as the usual entrance. Shortly afterwards come Praia dos Estudantes and Praia da Batata, just below the old town.
Praia Dona Ana. Photo: Vitor Oliveira / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0).
Walk Light to the End of the Trail
On a stage with a steep start, many steps and a lot of sun, a light pack makes the last day more enjoyable. Our luggage transfer service collects your bags in Luz and delivers them to your accommodation in Lagos, so you can walk the final kilometres with just a daypack.
Book Luggage Transfer
HISTORY AND HERITAGE
Lagos and the Age of Discovery
Lagos was one of the main ports of the Portuguese Algarve and is closely linked to the early Portuguese expeditions along the African coast, sponsored by Prince Henry the Navigator in the 15th century. The town also has a painful part in that history: in 1444, the first cargo of enslaved Africans brought back by those expeditions was sold in Lagos, in what is considered the first slave market in Europe. The small museum of the Mercado de Escravos, in Praça Infante D. Henrique, looks at this history, and is worth a visit if you have time.
At the end of the walk, the trail passes the Forte da Ponta da Bandeira, built in the late 17th century, between about 1680 and 1690, to defend the quay and the flanks of the town walls. It was damaged by the 1755 earthquake and rebuilt, and today houses a branch of the town museum.
The Forte da Ponta da Bandeira, near the end of the walk. Photo: Vitor Oliveira / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0).
The Marina and the Station
The route ends by crossing a pedestrian bridge to the marina of Lagos and the railway station just behind it. The final kilometres are more urban than the rest of the trail, but they are a fitting finish: a town with accommodation, bars, restaurants and transport links, where you can sit down and think back over the whole journey from São Torpes.
The marina of Lagos, near the official end of the Fishermen's Trail. Photo: Robbie Klinkenberg / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0).
WILDLIFE & NATURE
Limestone Cliffs, Swifts and Egrets
The cliffs between Burgau and Lagos are recognised as an Important Bird Area (Ponta da Piedade). Peregrine falcons, ravens and jackdaws nest on the rock, and alpine and pallid swifts wheel around the headlands. On the islets near Ponta da Piedade there is a small heronry of little egrets and cattle egrets.
A pallid swift (Apus pallidus), photographed in the Algarve at Sagres. Photo: Hobbyfotowiki / Wikimedia Commons (CC0).
A little egret (Egretta garzetta), photographed on the Algarve's salt marshes. Photo: José Prego / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0).
The plants on the exposed cliff faces are those that can cope with salt spray, wind and shallow soil, such as Mediterranean saltbush (Atriplex halimus), saltwort and shrubby sea-blite, with reeds where water seeps out of the cliffs. Keep to the boardwalks and marked paths so as not to damage them.
Mediterranean saltbush (Atriplex halimus) on an Algarve cliff. Photo: Krzysztof Ziarnek / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0).
PRACTICAL INFORMATION
Tips for the Last Day
Water and food. There is food and drink in Luz, at Porto de Mós (in season) and in Lagos, but none on the clifftops between them, so carry enough water from the start. Hot sun and almost no shade make a hat and sun protection important.
Terrain. Wear shoes with good grip: the first climb is steep and slippery off the path, the descent to Porto de Mós is uneven, and later the steps and boardwalks add their own kind of effort. Do not walk near the cliff edges, especially at Ponta da Piedade, Camilo and Dona Ana, and do not climb the barriers.
Crowds. Ponta da Piedade and the beaches near Lagos are busiest from late spring to early autumn. Starting early helps with heat, crowds and parking. The best months for the trail are September to June, as Rota Vicentina recommends.
Getting back. If you need to return to Luz, the first point with easy bus or taxi connections is Porto de Mós, and a bus line also links Lagos and Luz. Check the times before you go.
STARTING POINT
Praia da Luz: Sea, Village and Volcanic Rock
Luz has cafés, restaurants, accommodation and public transport links. Begin at the seafront and follow the blue and green markers uphill. The climb is easier early in the day, before the heat. If you walked Stage 12 from Salema, you will recognise the cliffs of Rocha Negra from the day before.
EXTRA TIME
What to Do in Lagos
Lagos deserves at least an afternoon. Walk the old streets and walls, visit the Forte da Ponta da Bandeira and the Mercado de Escravos museum, stroll along the marina, or take a boat to the grottoes of Ponta da Piedade (departures depend on sea conditions). The final stage of the Fishermen's Trail keeps the central idea of the whole route: a journey shaped by the sea, the cliffs and the paths people used to reach the coast.
You have walked the whole Fishermen's Trail. Leave the luggage and the transfers to us: we collect your bags in Luz, deliver them in Lagos, and help you get back to where your journey began.
Book Your Transfer