The Route of the Sete Vales Suspensos offers views of the Algarve from all perspectives
** The Algarve, that Portuguese paradise that everyone talks about, and to which everyone returns.** For the beaches, for the gastronomy, for the climate, for the wine or for all of them.
Do you need any more reason? We have it: the Route two Seven Vales Suspensos, which owes its name to the seven valleys formed by the force of the water. It is a route with panoramic views of the Atlantic Ocean passing through cliffs, beaches, lighthouses, caves and other geological formations.
Let yourself be enchanted by the wonders of a path that will inevitably lead you to fall in love with the particular Stendhal syndrome that only nature manages to provoke (with permission of the Uffizi) .
The complete route covers 11.5 kilometers and hard between 4 and 6 hours. You can also do part of the route and stop at the beach that you most want (although the choice is difficult).
Shades of turquoise and orange converge on Benagil beach
can be traversed starting at Praia de Vale Centeanes and ending at Praia da Marinha or vice versa and the only thing you need are your sneakers, water and –very important– a camera.
Avoid very hot hours since there is no shade, and get ready to enjoy one of the most impressive landscapes on the Peninsula!
An advice? If you decide to do it with guide you will discover countless curiosities about the region, the vegetable species that live there –many of them used in Algarve cuisine– as well as the stories, legends and anecdotes occurred in this Atlantic paradise.
The Tivoli Carvoeiro Algarve Resort offers this activity in two modalities: the complete itinerary (with picnic included halfway) and the short one, which lasts two hours and is a good way to start hiking.
The impressive arches of Praia da Marinha
DEPARTURE: PRAIA DO VALE CENTEANES
We begin our tour with a keyword, which also gives the region its name: seaweed, from the Arabic Al-gar, which means cavern or cave
the seaweeds are natural cavities formed vertically by the force of the water itself, both because of the rain and the sea, so that the erosion It forms a hole like a well that gradually increases in size.
Our starting point is Praia de Vale Centeanes. The first challenge on the way is to climb a ladder that will make more than one wonder if the plan has been good. Do not look back: when you reach the top of the cliff you will realize that the route promises a lot.
Vale Centeanes beach: our starting point
The cliffs that flank Praia de Vale Centeanes are the highest point of the route (45 meters). A long staircase leads down to this ideal beach for walking, diving or recharging your batteries while enjoying the views of the O Stop restaurant.
On the rock face to the west we find a grotto dug by the sea which, together with the landscape that can be seen from above, offers one of the most impressive snapshots of the journey: Lagos, Portimão, Carvoeiro...
A table overlooking the Atlantic
ALFANZINA LIGHTHOUSE
We continue walking dodging ups and downs, surrounded by the Algarve vegetation: palm, stivinhas, carob, juniper, prickly pear, sea fennel…
And we got to Alfanzina Lighthouse, another of the most photographed points on the Sete Vales route. In the shadow of the lighthouse awaits us the Praia de Vale Espinhaco, a small but wonderful cove, very difficult to access –and impossible when the tide is high– that we can see from the top of the cliff.
CAVO CARVOEIRO
But let's not stop, there is still a long way to go and many enclaves to discover, such as Cavo Carvoeiro, our next stop.
To the east of the cape, the line of cliffs is interrupted by a deep valley, at what was once the mouth of the river. The coastline recedes faster than the course of the water, forming a suspended valley.
On both sides of the valley, we find again the typical vegetation of the limestone cliffs, highlighting the area of Aleppo Pines, one of the few trees that can grow in arid soils.
The Alfanzina Lighthouse, one of the most photographed places on the route
PRAIA DO CARVALHO
And we arrive at one of the most photographed, instagrammed, visited and well-known places in the Algarve: Carvalho beach, watched over from the water by a rock, a hallmark of this hidden paradise.
to access it you must go through a tunnel carved into the rock whose stairs will transport you to another dimension.
the beach is protected by high rock walls shaped by erosion that shelter from the wind creating a microclimate that even allows sunbathing in winter.
Turquoise waters dotted with white foam that will make you not want to go through the tunnel again to return to reality.
Carvalho beach: paradise at the end of the tunnel
PRAIA DE BENAGIL
From beach to beach and I shoot because it's my turn. Barely a kilometer separates the beaches of Carvalho and Benagil, both ideal for making a technical stop, regaining strength and taking a refreshing swim in Atlantic waters.
And suddenly, when we thought that the Algarve cliffs could no longer surprise us, we found another phenomenon of nature: the Benagil Cave, also known as 'the cathedral of the Algarve'.
A vault of rock It has its own beach, illuminated by the light that enters through the hole in the highest part.
You can get to the grotto by boat or swimming, but the tourist boats only enter to take the famous photograph, without giving the option to get off. You can also look out from above.
The best time to visit is between 12 and 14 hours, since the light illuminates the entire cave. Near Benagil beach you can eat at O Pescador or Casa Lamy: fresh fish, brochettes, cheese, the famous cataplana... The Portuguese gastronomic offer is infinite and delicious!
The Benagil cave, also known as the 'Cathedral of the Algarve'
PRAIA DA MARINHA
We start our way again passing through hidden coves between the cliffs, inhaling the aroma of the vegetation and letting ourselves be caressed by the Atlantic breeze and the sun's rays.
We went through the beaches of Corredoura, Cao Rabioso and a spectacular natural arch welcomes us, letting us glimpse the mosque beach, where orange and turquoise paint a landscape that we could be contemplating for hours.
Praia de Marinha: the end of a tour that you will never forget (and surely repeat!)
And finally, five and a half hours later, we reach the goal: the Praia da Marinha (although remember that you can start the route here and finish it on Vale Centeanes beach) .
Flanked by stones, rocks, arches, pines and algars, the Marinha beach makes its appearance inviting us to dive into its waters and lie down on its fine sand letting sleep catch us.
Disoriented, we open our eyes to the contact of the foam with our feet and review the images that haunt our heads: cliffs that seem to lead to the end of the world, algares formed by the force of the sea, a vaulted grotto with a beach inside...
Was it a dream? No, it has been the extraordinary magic of the Algarve.
The cliffs of the Algarve will put you in a trance
The Tivoli Carvoeiro, located on the cliff of Vale Covo, offers one of the best views in the area