For the detailed route and logistical information please select this hike below (click top left for the list of hikes).

My final day walking a rarely completed circuit of Atauro Island took me from the hills back down to the coast, returning to Beloi where I started five days before.

It was an extremely wet night in Anartutu with torrential rain which was almost deafening on the tin roof of the homestay. This put pay to any chance of summiting Manococo Peak, which at 999m is the highest point on the island. It was be dangerously slippery in these conditions plus there would be no view!

Instead I took a look at the regular Wednesday morning village market being set up. This attracts people from Anartutu and other villages (including from the coast several hours walk away) to sell their wares.

I also saw traditional weaving from palm plants into long mats.

In Anartutu I said goodbye to my excellent guide Jhoky as he was heading back to his home village of Atecru on the west coast. I headed toward the east coast along what could loosely be called a road. Unfortunately I had more climbing to do today before descending back to sea level.

After some time I got my first view of the coast and Beloi, but it took quite a lot longer to reach both of them.

This church was the turnoff from the main ‘road’ to the ‘shortcut’ to Vila, though as there is almost no signage in Timor-Leste, nothing on Google Maps (and little on Maps.me), and many paths, this was a bit of a risk.

It was certainly more challenging and interesting walking, both the scenery and the path. Wherever there was a fork in the path I took the wider / more trod looking path.

Unexpectedly this worked! I came out onto the road behind Vila, the municipal capital of Atauro Island (though Atauro Island was recently merged with the Dili municipality).

This was by some margin the least interesting place on the island. There were a few houses of note and the first guesthouse I’d seen since leaving Beloi (though there is one in Adara, Mario’s, that I missed), but otherwise it was just wide, straight boring roads.

The most boring stretch of road though was between Vila and Beloi, which felt endless. At low tide you can walk much of the way along the beach but unfortunately it was high tide…

Coming into Beloi there was more to catch the eye including this barbers, a rather fetching blue building, a couple of diving eco resorts, the cemetery, and deserted markets (they operate on Saturdays).

After five days hiking ~55km through batteries and often rough terrain I returned to where I started, the lovely Barry’s Place. This was the perfect way to end the trip, relaxing with the luxury of a fan at night, wonderful snorkeling just offshore, and a hammock by the beach. I’ll shall be back!