Known to some as the end of the world, the Vicentine Coast is one of Portugal’s best hiking destinations, offering breathtaking views and unique natural landscapes. Covered in flat, loose pieces of shale rock, the trail beneath T.J.’s feet shifted with every step. My gaze skeptically followed the steep crevice of rock downward, where it sloped toward a rocky cove. It wasn’t until T.J., our tour guide, pulled the rope out of his backpack that I realized he was serious about our descent. Pointing to a metal stake in the ground, installed by Portuguese fishermen for this exact purpose, he warned us not to trip.