You leave Alverca do Ribatejo behind on the urban fringe of Lisbon, between residential districts and industrial estates. It’s not a remarkable start, but you soon get used to it. At Vila Franca de Xira you come close to the Tagus again, and after that the landscape becomes wider and more open.
There is hardly any change in elevation. A few small slopes, nothing more. Even so, this is no stroll. Around 7 hours of walking on flat and often hard ground is something you feel mostly in your feet. Azambuja itself is a no-nonsense country town in the Ribatejo, just right for landing in after a long, flat day. So plan your breaks wisely, because the kilometres won’t simply disappear on their own.