Fishermen’s Trail Day 8

There are two trails between Lagos and Porto Covo: the Fishermen’s Trail and the Historical Way. These often converge, but the Historical Way usually goes further inland.

For the first part of today’s hike, 8 km (5 miles) from Aljezur to Odeceixe, the two trails merge until they reach the small village of Rogil and the main road N120. There, the Fishermen’s Trail turns westward towards the coast. We heard from hikers coming south that there was a lot of loose sand on this stretch, so we thought: Why not continue on the Historical Way to today’s destination, Odeceixe?

And so we did. After a long break with lunch and drinks at an eatery, we continued our hike on the Historical Way. It stayed inland for the entire stretch, following small roads through small farms, fields, and forests. The landscape was primarily flat with no significant inclines.

We arrived in Odeceixe, which is four kilometers (2.5 miles) from the coast, after a total of 20 km (12.4 miles) of hiking. We had booked accommodation at Casa Antiga, and check-in was at 4 PM. We arrived fifteen minutes early, hoping to check in then. We met another couple who had been in contact with the owner, who promised to come but had now been waiting for half an hour on the street without showing up.

Just before 4 PM, the owner arrived. He was grumpy. It didn’t get any better when the other couple complained about him being late. And it got even worse when we discovered he wanted payment—€70 as agreed—but in cash. That’s when I complained too. Running an accommodation and restaurant in 2025 and only accepting cash is not good service. I checked Google Maps and found the nearest ATM was 1.1 km (0.7 miles) away. That made me grumpy too. Fortunately, the owner told me there was another ATM just 200 meters (650 feet) away. I searched through the narrow alleys of the cramped town in the direction he gestured and, with a little help, finally found an ATM.

The room we got, in the old building, was as expected: small. The bathroom was also tiny. The common living room was not in use, and we couldn’t find the outdoor garden area. While waiting for check-in, we had decided to have dinner at the associated restaurant, but we changed our minds after checking in.

We later read reviews on Booking.com that several people had complained about the grumpy owner. Up until now, we’ve been satisfied with our accommodations, so this is the first time we’ve been disappointed.