Hike the seven hanging valley trail in Algarve – full guide

New article about our walks in the Algarve, and this time we’re taking you on a classic—the seven Hanging Valley Trail, passing by the Benagil Cave and the small village of the same name. After the hike, we also visited the village of Feragudo, often hailed as one of the most beautiful in the Algarve, and Tres Irmaos Beach, located just after Portimão. To jump directly to either part of the article, you can use the table of contents below:

Praia de Marinha – starting point for the 7 hanging valleys hike

To start the hike, we decided to park at Marinha Beach. It’s also absolutely possible to begin the trail at the parking lot near Abandeira Beach, but that would add 2 km to the route (a 4 km round trip). To begin the trail, head to the large observation platform overlooking the beach, and from there, simply follow the signs that lead to your right.

The trail is really well-marked, and there’s practically no way to get lost. Sometimes, the path splits into several small routes. We recommend always sticking to the trail closest to the water so you can enjoy the stunning coastal scenery. 😉

The Algar de Benagil (the Benagil caves)

The Benagil caves are extremely popular (I’m willing to bet you’ve already seen photos of the beach that’s like sunken into a cave with a hole at the top!). You reach this spot after not even 2 km of walking from the parking lot. However, I should warn you—the trail is on the cliffs, so you won’t see the beach quite like in those famous photos.

Well yeah, anyone who says we’re coming from above means we only see “the hole.” So clearly, the Algar of Benagil looks more like this:

Afterwards, if you want to see the beach “just like in the photos,” that’s still entirely possible, but you’ll have to get there by sea. 😉 Until 2024, it was possible to go there on your own. By that, I mean you could simply rent a kayak or a paddleboard, or even swim there for the bravest. But it’s important to note that this is now entirely forbidden!

For the preservation of the site, as well as due to the risk of falling stones, new rules have been implemented in August 2024.

• Access is limited per day and it is essential to be accompanied by a guide.
• Swimming there is strictly prohibited.
• It is also prohibited to dock on the beach.

In short, if you want to go, we recommend booking a kayak or stand-up paddle trip. The departure can be from several spots, but the easiest is probably to depart directly from Benagil. You can easily book this excursion and incorporate it into your hike.

Benagil and its beach

Shortly after the cave, we reached the “village” of Benagil. I put quotes around it because it’s not really a village, but rather a small hamlet with a beach (and quite a few restaurants and kayak rental places). 😉 There are fewer than 60 residents year-round, but the place seems to have developed thanks to the popularity of Benagil Cave.

During the hike, it’s the perfect spot to take a quick break, buy something to drink, use the free public restrooms, or even grab a bite at one of the terraces overlooking the beach.

The trail of the 7 hanging valleys to the Alfancina lighthouse

From the small harbor of Benagil, the trail continues along the cliffs, and the scenery remains absolutely spectacular! We also noticed that there are fewer and fewer people… I think many just go as far as Benagil and then turn back. But honestly, if you have the energy, we strongly recommend continuing! The little Carvalho beach and the viewpoints overlooking the Alfancia lighthouse are truly breathtaking.

It’s actually quite amusing to see that the entire coast appears to be cut and carved, with an impressive number of caves and even tunnels beneath the rocks. Completely inaccessible on foot, these spots are still heavily frequented by boat tours and kayaks with guides. If we hadn’t had the dog with us (and the temperatures were too high to leave him alone in the van all day), we probably would have been tempted to try one of these excursions. If you’re interested, you’ll find a wide selection of tours on Getyourguide or Civitatis—around €15 for 2 hours in a kayak or between €30 and €70 for boat tours (depending on the duration and included amenities such as meals or drinks).

Just after Cabo Carvoeiro, you’ll pass by a second “Algar,” which refers to a hole opening onto the sea with a beach below. Why this one is completely unknown to most people and why the one at Benagil became so famous isn’t really clear… But what’s certain is that from above, they look almost identical haha. In fact, for a quick general knowledge fact, the term Algar is a Portuguese word that specifically refers to rock formations carved out by erosion, especially “holes,” or rather, cave ceiling collapses, that allow sunlight to reach the sea below.

Leaving Benagil Beach, you’ll need to walk along the coast for about 1.5 km before you can see the very pretty little Alfancina lighthouse.

Algar Seco : the stunning rocks and caves near Carvoeiro

About 3 km past the lighthouse, we arrive at the site called Algar Seco, located just east of Carvoeiro. Algar Seco is the name given to the limestone cliffs carved by the sea and wind, forming arches, tunnels, and caves that are particularly photogenic (even more so at sunset, but we weren’t there at the right time). 😉

The most famous spot is called Boneca (the Doll) — it’s a rock cave where two openings resemble the “eyes” of a head, offering a stunning view of the ocean.

A café and restaurant (Boneca Bar) is right next door and offers a place to have a drink amid these formations. However, we should warn you right away, the spot is very popular and touristy, so don’t expect to be alone…

Walk from Algar Seco to Carvoiero

From Algar Seco, there are only a few hundred meters left to reach the small village of Carvoeiro. A charming path has been built along wooden walkways, the Carvoeiro Boardwalk, which allows you to connect the two spots in about fifteen minutes on foot.

The footbridge ends at the small Nossa Senhora da Encarnação chapel, which offers a magnificent viewpoint of the village as well as the main beach around which the village seems to have developed.

We have many opinions that it was very pleasant to stroll around Carvoeiro, but for our part, we were starting to get tired and decided to just enjoy the view. However, if, unlike us, you go down into the village, you shouldn’t have any trouble finding a place to have a drink or eat something.

NB: Carvoeiro is also a very popular starting point for boat tours that run along the entire coast up to Marinha Beach (the beginning of our hike). The small boats offer a completely different perspective on the caves and cliffs (and mostly allow you to go inside some caves).

Useful information to hike the seven hanging valley trail

Important information: this hiking trail is far from what one could call “a secret.” Visiting at the end of September, we found the walk very pleasant and with relatively few people, but you still need to be cautious. The parking lot at Marinha Beach isn’t very large… we arrived around 8 a.m. and had no trouble parking (it was essentially empty). But when I came back around 11 a.m. to get the car, the police had completely closed the road at the intersection with the M1154. 😉 So, come early!

The hike described above is 7.8 km one way. But if you’re driving, keep in mind that you’ll need to return the way you came, which brings the total hike to nearly 16 km. That said, the trail is well-marked and the elevation gain is fairly moderate (around 500 meters of ascent if you do the full round trip).

Afterward, Uber or Bolt work very well in Portugal. According to our research, it costs around €10-15 to travel from Carvoeiro to Marinha Beach. So, if you just want a one-way trip, that’s an option to consider.

For the walking time, it is recommended to allow around 5 to 6 hours for the entire route. I’m attaching the map of the hike below. Of course, you can shorten the itinerary by turning back whenever you see fit.

Shoe info: the trail isn’t complicated at all, but it is a bit rocky in some places. We definitely recommend bringing good sneakers or, ideally, trail running shoes. We saw people in sandals and flip-flops turn back after less than a kilometer. 😉

For this itinerary, we kind of “cheated” a little. 😉 Actually, on the day we went for this walk, our dog Winchy had hurt his paw shortly before, and we really didn’t want to push him. So, we took a bit of an “exotic” detour—meaning we walked from Marinha Beach to the Alfanzina Lighthouse, passing through Benagil, with Winchy. Once we got there, it quickly became clear that the dog wouldn’t be able to do 16 km that day. I then headed back to the car in trail running mode, leaving Benoit waiting at the lighthouse with the dog, and I went to fetch them so we could directly park at Algar Seco and do the small stretch to Carvoeiro.

In short, we’re missing some photos (and also the details of the hike) for the 2.3 km between the lighthouse and the Algar Seco viewpoint. But we’ve decided to include the full itinerary because, quite clearly, that’s exactly what we would have done under normal circumstances.

A short tour of the charming historic center of Ferragudo

Leaving Carvoeiro, we still had a bit of time before the end of the day, so we decided to take a quick stroll through the village of Ferragudo. The name of this little fishing village kept coming up in our searches as one of the prettiest in Algarve, so we weren’t going to miss out on that just because we were right nearby. 😉

Located right across from Portimão, the village is known for its narrow white streets, flowered houses, and picturesque harbor.

Note: If, like us, you open Google Maps, you might be surprised to find Ferragudo situated inland (for a village where we’re told there’s a port—it seems quite strange). In fact, the municipality is fairly large, and maps can be confusing. To get to the right place, we recommend parking in this free parking lot and then walking back toward the village. (The view in the photo below is what you see when approaching from the parking lot.)

We don’t have any specific recommendations for Ferragudo itself, except to wander a bit through the charming cobbled streets and to head up to the castle located right next to the lovely Angrinha beach.

The village isn’t very big (we probably took about an hour to walk around it at a relaxed pace), but it’s really beautiful, and it’s such a pleasure to stroll through!

The Três Irmãos beach

For this final stop of the day, we’re heading to the very charming Três Irmãos Beach, located a few kilometers west of Portimão this time. The name comes from the three large rocks that stand at the water’s edge (“Três Irmãos” = “three brothers”). At low tide, you can walk from one cove to another and explore the small caves. The water is incredibly clear, perfect for swimming or a bit of snorkeling. Unfortunately, like many beaches in Portugal, dogs are not allowed. 😉 So, we just took a walk along the trail behind it, and Benoît climbed up to the small viewpoint overlooking the main beach to take a “view from above” photo.

Anyway, don’t look for me in the picture… I’m sitting somewhere in the back of the beach with the dog, completely exhausted from this long but beautiful day!

If you’re looking for another idea for a stroll in the Algarve, we recommend checking out our article dedicated to Praia de Falesia.

To find all our articles about the Algarve, click here.