Walk 109 Benagil Cliffs. 11k Ascent: 330m
GPS: 37/ 05. 20. 13 8/ 25. 34. 39.
There are not many stretches of coastline between Lagos and Olhao where one can still walk along the cliffs uninterrupted by human development of one kind or another, so the five or six k between Benagil and Nossa Senhora da Rocha is quite special. It features excellent clifftop walking, spectacular beach and sea views and a number of blow holes, where one can hear the sea rushing into caves below. One way to do this walk is to walk in one direction and then turn round and cover the same ground on the return, but this version turns inland after the outward leg, and follows a winding route back to base.
Please Note: This can be a hazardous route, mainly due to the unstable nature of the cliffs. Do obey any diversion notices, and in any case stay away from the cliff edge.
Getting to Benagil.
Leave the A22 motorway at the Silves/Lagoa exit, and drive towards Lagoa. Follow signs to Lagoa Norte, and enter the town, coming to a large roundabout on the N124. Turn left, and follow the 124 for 3.3k to a roundabout, signed right to Benagil. Follow signs to the village, just under 5k away. Park at the top of the hill, as parking on the road to the cove is often fully parked. Walk down the hill to the first building on the left. The walk starts at the top side of this place.
The Walk
Climb the steps immesiately to the left of the first building (1), and emerge onto the open ground at the top. Follow the broad track to the left of a squared-off area looking like the base of an old building, and make your way towards the cliff. Coming towards the cliff edge, arrive at a fork, and take the right hand, nearest the sea (2). Follow the track, first close to the cliff, and then moving away for a time, with a large blow hole surrounded by a wooden fence, to your right. Come close to the edge again (3), and walk above the wide Praia de Corredouro. This is followed by a headland section, then a turn towards the next tiny beach, Cao Raivoso. (4).
Avoid the next headland, and turn inland, descending into a narrow valley. (5). There is another large blow hole/cave at the seaward end of the valley that you could go to look at, before turing to climb up to the cliff top once more. The next section of some 400m takes you round to the popular Praia de Marinha, served by a tarmac road leading to a car park. (6). Plenty of evidence along here of the cliff collapses of recent years. Go straight across the road to continue your walk. At this point the path takes a wide sweep inland before turning seaward again and passing just below a large house, Vila Marinha.