A walk along the cliffs with fine views along the coast
A walk close to the cliffs with fine views along the coast and the bay of São Martinho do Porto. We pass by a chapel – rebuilt in 2020 , and a former customs house. The walk follows narrow paths (can be overgrown), wide tracks and stretches of loose sand. Some of the descents are steep so good shoes and walking poles are recommended. This walk combines elements of other walks.
The meeting point is along a side road on the south side of Salir do Porto. From Salir do Porto drive uphill towards Foz do Arelho and at the top of the hill turn right onto a side road. There is a row of modern holiday houses on the left. Drive for 150 metres to an open area where there is parking.
A walk along the São Martinho do Porto beach to the Dune at Salir do Porto
This is a loop walk starting at the beachfront park in São Martinho do Porto. We walk along the beach to Salir do Porto where we ascend to the back of the Dune via a gravel road. Here we climb a sandy path to a mirador with a view of the entire bay. From the mirador we descend the dune and head back to São Martinho do Porto via the boardwalks and malanquin.
After the walk we can enjoy coffee, ice cream, or lunch at one of the beachfront cafes in São Martinho do Porto
The best place for parking is along the São Martinho do Porto Caís. The driving / parking directions below will take you to the Caís without weaving through the village’s narrow streets.
Timing
The walk is about 6.5 km and is expected to take about 2 hrs.
Carpool and Walk meeting points
Driving / Parking Directions
Coordinates
Give the coordinates to the right to your favorite navigation App to guide you to the far north end of Baía Sao Martinho do Porto along the Cais, where there is usually ample parking.
A Visit to the Dinosaur Tracks on the Salir do Porto Headlands
We will follow a loop trail from Salir do Porto passing a recently cleared area containing hundres of dinosaur tracks. The walk starts at the Salir do Porto swimming pools and goes up the side of the dune to the headlands. From there it winds through the unpaved tracks and paths to an exposed limestone slab more than 20,000 square meters in area. A portion of this slab has been recently surveyed by palentologists and geologists from Geoparque Oeste in Bombarral and Sociedade de História Natural in Torres Vedras. Some of the tracks are cleaned and easy to find but more than 3/4 of the slab remains in its untouched state.
This same area is the site of a 1949 shipwreck of a 100+ meter long British Royal Navy tank transport ship. Very little remains of the wreck as it was salvaged shortly after the sinking.
The return to the Salir do Porto pools follows a different, but similar route.
Timing
The walk is about 6 km and is expected to take about 2 hrs
A Visit to the Dinosaur Tracks on the Salir do Porto Headlands
We will follow a loop trail from Salir do Porto passing a recently cleared area containing hundres of dinosaur tracks. The walk starts at the Salir do Porto swimming pools and goes up the side of the dune to the headlands. From there it winds through the unpaved tracks and paths to an exposed limestone slab more than 20,000 square meters in area. A portion of this slab has been recently surveyed by palentologists and geologists from Geoparque Oeste in Bombarral and Sociedade de História Natural in Torres Vedras. Some of the tracks are cleaned and easy to find but more than 3/4 of the slab remains in its untouched state.
This same area is the site of a 1949 shipwreck of a 100+ meter long British Royal Navy tank transport ship. Very little remains of the wreck as it was salvaged shortly after the sinking.
The return to the Salir do Porto pools follows a different, but similar route.
Timing
The walk is about 6 km and is expected to take about 2 hrs
Serra da Pescaria – Salgado – Igreja de S.Gaio (pes 05s)
A loop from Serra da Pescaria through the dunes of Praia Salgado passing the midieval church, Igreja de São Gião.
Date & Time
Wednesday July 9, 2025 9:30
The Walk
We start from Rua da Pescaria (Serra da Pescaria) and walk direction Salgodo Beach but the turn right and and follow small tracks through the woods on the west coast to pass one the mills (blue one) and end on the sandy Estrada de Sao Gaio and follow the direction towards Nazaré. After passing the Igreja de S; Gaio we turn right and go again in the schadows of the woods on the west coast and after some climbing we arrive again in Serra da Pescaria were we all started.
The height differs from about 12 meter to 180 meter providing nice ocean views !
The track is sometimes very sandy and or hard underground. So wear good shoes and bring poles if you use them.
Timing
about 6.4 kilometer and will take 2.0 hours.
Car meeting and start point
Meeting/Parking Place
Coordinates
Rua da Pescaria, in front of the Condominium Trade Winds where sufficient parking space besides the road is available.
A circular walk along the forest inland trails and coastal paths
The walk is a loop through Salir do Porto forest and headlands of approximately 6 km. An easy walk with some shade at the beginning and distant views of the sea and bay near the end. Mostly sand and gravel with a couple of places to navigate small rocks and trees. If unsure of your footing, a pole(s) may be helpful. We will end by walking through the village back to the cars. For those that wish to divert to a cafe, there is a large one by the swimming pool and beach. We will walk by a smaller one with limited outdoor seating. Of course, they can be visited afterwards, also. ON LEASH (2 meters), WELL SOCIALIZED dogs are welcome. Be aware that if canine behavior is deemed inappropriate for a group walk by the leader, you may be asked to separate from the larger group.
Timing
The walk is about 6.25 km and is expected to take about 1.5 hrs.
Car meeting and start point
Meeting/Parking Place
Coordinates
Travessa da Assimôa, Salir do Porto. Parking space for about 10 cars along the street. Carpool if your can.
A circular walk along the coastal path and inland on sandy tracks
The route starts/ends at the parking area across from the swimming pools in Salir do Porto. It begins with a short walk through the streets of Salir do Porto to the access road to the headland. It follows a gravel road on an uphill grade and passes a couple of windmills. Next the path veers off of the road onto a dirt track and begins a doward slope toward the coast. When it reaches the coast the track turns into a winding, more or less level trail and hugs the coastline winding through coastal scubs with magnificent views of the ocean and coastline.
The trail loops around to the gravel access road to the Chapel of Saint Ann (Capela de Santa Ana). After visiting the chapel, the path turns off of the gravel road into the scrub covered dunes and follows a sandy path to the top of the Salir do Porto Dune.
There are views of Salir do Porto and São Martinho do Porto from the top of the dune. From here you can choose to take a short cut to the completion of the walk by walking / running / tumbling / etc. down the dune, or you can follow the less adventurous path in this trail.
Please Note: We may do a few variations to the route below, so the walk maybe a little longer up to 7km & 2 hours.
Timing
The walk is about 5.5 km and is expected to take about 1.5 hrs.
Car meeting and start point
Place
Coordinates
Parking area in front of the Salir do Porto swimming pools
39.500750, -9.151379
Walking route
NB. The flag on the map above shows the car meeting and walk start point. If you need directions, click on the flag to display the flag text and click on the itinéraire link to open Google Maps
A circular walk on the headlands south of Salir do Porto
This is a short but rewarding walk. Most of the route is a level walk along the unpaved roads that run through the headlands between Salir do Porto and Boa Vista. However, the highlight of this route is the short steep loop on narrow paths that lead to the edge of the ocean and past several sets of dinosaur footprints. Even though the trail is named for the footprints the best part of the walk is the views of the ocean from the trail along the headlands.
This is a relatively short walk but we will take our time on the 1km loop along the footprints both for safety and to enjoy the views.
The 1km loop to the dino footprints passes near the edge of a tall bluff. It is not recommended for those with vertigo.
A small part of the trail is steep with loose rock. Sturdy shoes with good tread are recommended. If you wear flip-flops, you will either flip or flop.
The trail can be slick when wet. If conditions are not good on the day of the walk we will meet at the meeting point below and do an alternate route from the same starting point.
A walk along the cliffs with fine views along the coast
A walk close to the cliffs with fine views along the coast and the bay of São Martinho do Porto. We pass by a chapel – rebuilt in 2020 , and a former customs house. The walk follows narrow paths (can be overgrown), wide tracks and stretches of loose sand. Some of the descents are steep so good shoes and walking poles are recommended. This walk combines elements of other walks.
Timing
The walk is about 9 km and is expected to take about 3 hrs
Car meeting and start point
Place
Coordinates
The meeting point is along a side road on the south side of Salir do Porto. From Salir do Porto drive uphill towards Foz do Arelho and at the top of the hill turn right onto a side road. There is a row of modern holiday houses on the left. Drive for 150 metres to an open area where there is parking.
NB. The flag on the map above shows the car meeting and walk start point. If you need directions, click on the flag to display the flag text and click on the itinéraire link to open Google Maps
The walk follows sandy tracks through woodland and cultivated fields. The surface is sandy or firm track. There is one stretch of quiet road through Boa Vista and an uphill climb.
Timing
The walk is 3 to 6 km and is expected to take about 1.5 to 2 hrs
Car meeting
Place
Coordinates
The parking space opposite the Nascer do Sol restaurante near Salir do Porto at 10:15
