The Fisherman’s Track covers 43km from the historic “village of Kings and Fishermen”, Cascais, hugging the coastline north all the way to the well-known surfing town of Ericeira.
The majority of the route follows ancient coastal paths atop steep cliffs which provide stunning scenery of the Atlantic and pristine cove beaches such as Praia da Ursa and Praia da Adraga. It also passes right by Cabo da Roca, Europe’s most westerly point which was once believed to be the edge of the world.
The route is both beautiful and challenging, with some technical and steep ascents and descents. The breathtaking scenery and incredible history of the area make for a truly memorable and rewarding experience.
The starting point is in the heart of the historic village of Cascais, across the road from the well-known “Baia Hotel”, at the western corner of Praia da Ribeira where the stairs go down to the sand.
The finish point is the southern end of Ericeira at Praia da Foz Lizandro, as soon as you get to the small creek water crossing, Rio Lizandro.
There are some lovely beach cafes there for refreshment and celebration of your run.
Comments
I attempted this route this morning and I stopped halfway. Maybe my navigation skills are not the best or I had a bad day (with absolutely perfect weayher); however, I honestly think this route should have some better description about what one will find when trying to finish it. Especially with not so great weather conditions, which are quite usual around that area, trying this route can be a deadly experiment.
It crosses at least two ( I didn't do it all) paths marked as forbidden (I have pictures) and - especially after crossing Forte do Guincho - the path is so phantom at points that one will for sure get lost and end up having to either scramble a little bit or go up and down close to cliffs and unstable terrain. With bad weather, wind (the area is known for being super windy) or rain, it can be quite dangerous.Â
The route is extremely beautiful, just don't expect to be able to keep a good trail flow and be ready to spend a lot of the time doing orientation. The FKT already give a good indication of what to expect. Again, I have nothing against this, I just think it's important to have a proper description of the actual trail. If needed, I can provide some pictures I did today.
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