This stage goes from Bensafrim, over an expense of wild moorland and down through a long valley to reach the coast at Carrapateira. The second half involves quite a lot of stream paddling if there has been rain - we counted 18 such small crossings! There is an alternative, but this involves more climbing. Probably better to wear some light washable footwear and just wade through!

 

 

From the market cafe,(BC1) turn right and walk round the back of the market building. Walk down to the crossroads where you came in and turn left downhill. Fork left at the bottom, and follow the road as it slowly curves round to head north for 960m. At a fork (BC2) take the left hand and walk for 300m to join a main road. Bear right and walk for 250m before crossing the road and entering a lane on the opposite side. Walk along across a small bridge and at a fork take the left hand. Climbing steadily, stay left at a junction after 280m, and right at another one after a further 500m. Now climb a further 860m northwest to pass a ruin on a left hand bend.(BC3)

 

Continue in the same direction for another 960m, until the track turns southwest for around 150m. As it starts to curve round westwards again, stay right at a junction (BC4) and resume the northwesterly trend. Stay left after 450m, and come to a cross-tracks after another 830m (BC5). Go straight across and continue to climb to a high point after another 170m, heading rather more westerly now. Stay left at a fork after 130 m, turn more due west and descend steadily. After 780m come to a fork, with a small barragem down to the left, and take the left hand track. Bear right by a ruin after 210m, and walk across open land for 400m to a fork (BC6). Take the right hand and start to walk along an undulating track.

 

Stay left after 200m, left again after another 900m, and right 100m further on. Now start to head more southwest, (see a barragem in the valley on the left as you begin) and follow the track for almost 2k, finally descending steeply into a valley. Come to a junction, with a farm building in the trees to the left, and turn right.(BC7) Pass turns left and right after a short distance, and then walk down the valley, descending very gently the whole time, southwesterly for just over 2k. (This is the stretch where you will encounter all the water crossings after rain). After this the track turns to just north of west, and winds around for another 1.8k, as the valley widens out.

 

Come to a wide fork and turn left. Soon after turn right (BC8) and walk across the floor of the valley towards a small settlement on a hill. Past the first house (on the flat), swing round right and take the right at a fork, continuing to walk on level ground. Follow this track, with the hill to the left, for 1.94k, passing a large riding establishment on the left. Come to a point where a narrower track leads off acutely through the woods on the left, and follow it for 340m, to where a narrow valley opens on the left, with a house opposite. (BC9). Turn left uphill for 330m, then hairpin right and then left to climb further up onto a hilltop. There is only on track across this ground. Walk across the crown of the hill, down into a hollow and back up the other side. Pass a trig pillar on the left and start to descend. Go straight across at a cross-tracks and walk down into the outskirts of Carrapateira. Go round the curve of the first terrace of houses, then straight across into a narrow lane heading west downhill. Swing left as soon as you can and head southwest down the hill to the market square and the end of the stage.

 

1	Bensafrim	09	20	62		44	14	81
2	Turn left	09	46	70		44	31	06		1.24k
3	Straight on	10	19	74		45	45	82		2.30k
4	Bear right	10	38	69		46	13	03		1.1k
5	Second left	11	04	70		46	50	07		1.27k
6	Fork right	10	56	37		47	50	44		1.75k
7	Turn right	10	26	10		49	18	10		3.1k
8	Turn right	10	02	19		51	30	30		4.27K
9	Turn left	10	45	70		52	43	23		2.64k
	Carrapateira									2.21k