A beautiful European city that is immensely popular among British tourists is coming up with the world’s longest circular hiking trail. The idea behind the plan is to restore the balance as it tries to tackle overtourism. 

Plans are on to create the world’s longest circular hiking route, the 3,000 km Palmilhar Portugal (Walking Portugal). 

Designed to divert tourists from well-known and overcrowded destinations like Lisbon and the Algarve, the route will eventually traverse 100 lesser-known scenic spots throughout the country.

Although still under development, the first section of the loop will open this July in the small town of Alenquer, just north of Lisbon. 

The next segment will be established in coastal Alentejo in southern Portugal, followed by the mountainous Trás-os-Montes region in the north.

Fifteen routes are expected to be open by the end of the year, with the entire trail set for completion within three years.

“The ‘360-degree’ route is the brainchild of walking enthusiast and communication design consultant Ricardo Bernardes, who hopes the loop will “redistribute tourism to parts of Portugal that are currently little known,” reports Euro news. 

Although it won’t be the world’s longest trail – that title belongs to Canada’s 24,000 km Great Trail – Palmilhar Portugal will be the world’s longest circular walk. 

It will span approximately the same length as Europe’s Via Francigena, the ancient pilgrimage route from Canterbury to Rome.

Mr Bernardes said: “The idea came to me when I was walking along a trail and wondered, what if this trail went round the whole country and returned to the same point without interruption?.”

Though it’s dubbed Walking Portugal, the £2.9 million (€3.5 million) project – pledges to always be on public land, predominantly pedestrianised and without tarmac.

The bridge will also be open to cyclists in some parts and aims to include trails accessible to people with reduced mobility.

The trail will be complemented by an app offering current information about the next location along the route and opportunities to book accommodation, meals, and tickets to sporting and cultural events.

The full-service trail requires collaboration and investment from local councils and businesses, so its completion is not guaranteed. However, a digital and physical ‘passport’ that can be stamped along the route is being planned.

Known locally as ‘crib town’, amphitheatre-shaped Alenquer, where Walking Portugal will launch in July, is rich in archaeology, palaeontology, and history, complemented by wine tastings from local vineyards. Its main tourist event, the Fair of the Ascension, occurs annually in May or June.

Later in the year, the route will extend to the rural and sparsely populated southern coastal region of Alentejo. This area features 100 km of national parks protecting the unspoiled coastlines, natural harbours, opportunities for dolphin watching, wild horses, and some of the world’s largest cork oak forests.

In late 2024, the trail will reach the remote Trás-os-Montes region in the northeast. Known locally as Hot Land, this area boasts a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a biosphere reserve. Walkers will find olive groves, orchards, and vineyards, along with carved granite pigs, ancient almond trees, and hidden gorges.