Salema-Sagres the Convenient Direction!
Today is the first heavy day of more than 12 km, We have to walk twice as much. We are all excited, or let’s say worried, if we will manage this before 18:00. Therefore we get up at 6:00 and 7:00 we are out. We search for the blue-green arrows and we find them quickly. As soon as we find the arrows, we have a ‘clapping game’ to start our trail and the girls have their bread for breakfast. It was their idea to do this on the trail because it took some time in the hotel yesterday.
It is not only a day of 22 km but it is the most difficult route on the whole Fishermen’s trail, I read yesterday night! It is a lot of climbing and descending and one blog said:
Best to do this path from Salema to Sagres and not the other way around because all the difficult hills are at the start.
It is very reassuring to know this. We do the hardest part in the morning when we are fresh and the weather is still a bit cold (We noticed that around 13:00 it is getting hot).
Jacoba, a pilgrim that stayed at our Casinha, is a Dutch blogger (Co). She walks in Portugal too, writes very detailed about every stage and she mentioned she did this stage in six hours. In other blogs I read this too, but if you like to take it easy and make a lot of photo’s and stops let’s say you can do it in eight. I calculated ten based on yesterdays pace. Really hope that we arrive before 18:00. It is nice to dive in the ocean or a swimming pool after the walk or just rest and I need to do groceries. And… we like to be in bed early. Especially the girls. It is always a race to get them in bed before 20:00.
Yes, Difficult Stage 3
We go slow, hill up and down. I stay with Jaap-Willem, and Cinta and Eef go fast, and rest where they find a nice stone to sit on, preferably in the shade. Jaap-Willem really needs to crawl with two hands going down, and up as well. He is using all his strength, (like we did in a climbing hall a few weeks ago). I think that he cannot move anymore tomorrow. Well, that’s tomorrow, Let’s continue now. I take the 3,5 liter of water out of his backpack. Everyone needs to carry an extra bottle, it is too heavy for Jaap-Willem at this moment. Eef worries because she sees him climbing and crawling while the sweat is dripping on the floor. Now she knows it is not only fear of heights that is bothering him. Step by step we do all the climbs.
On the milestones we see that we just walked 11 km. Eef thinks we never make Sagres. It is getting hot too. My only answer is: Step by step.
It is exhausting for all of us, The heat and the never-ending walk in the afternoon for the girls, for me the fear that Jaap-Willem would collapse or fall and the slow pace we have, and for Jaap-Willem it is a horrible stage. A hard lesson too, to train more, to prepare and investigate the routes (for example by reading my daily blogs from this part last year in June).
At 18:00 we arrive in Sagres. We made it! Very proud of everybody.
Sleeping @…
We have a place called Quartos Santa Clara. It is near the pharmacy. A lady gives us the key. It is really a quarto, which means room.
Next to this place there is a Asian sushi place the girls love to go to but we go to another restaurant just before the pharmacy, I think we need other food to renew our energy sources. The sign says it is closed but we see a couple eating inside, without lights on. Strange. We go in and it looks okay, they are open. Eef switches the sign to ‘open’. Afterwards people enter, and already three tables are taken soon after us. The owner looks surprised at the sign and turns it around, it is ‘closed’ again.
Too bad for Jaap-Willem the pharmacy is also closed. He needs some arnika cream and magnesium to soothe his muscles.
Also too bad there is no kitchen, or a place to stay outside our room. I bought something to drink and we drink it in darkness on the bed. The girls want to sleep, and Jaap-Willem too, exhausted of the ten hour trail. I think this is and will be the ‘worst’ place this week. When my drink is finished I go to bed too. Jaap-Wllem decided after the trail already that we get up at 6:00 again, and today we definetely needed the time.
Facts of the Day
Waking up: 6:00
Walking time: 7:00
Blisters: 0
Pains: Eef and Cinta muscle ache
Falls: 1 Cinta on her belly, same story as yesterday
Caminho (boring long straight flat paths according to the girls): Not really
Steep climbs and descents: Yes, first part of the trail near Salema heavy, and less closer to Sagres
Time to rest after the walk: No
Swimming in the ocean: No
Arrival time: 18:00
Read more about this stage of the trail that I walked in June 2025. A totally different and not exhausting day.
