🔗 Share this article

I don’t object to repeating the same walk again and again,” commented our guide, kneeling next to a cluster of plants. “Each time, you can spot new things – these blooms weren’t here previously.”

Growing on stems no less than a couple of centimeters high and starring the ground with pale blossoms, the reality that these delicate blooms emerged overnight was a striking testament of how swiftly things can regenerate in this hilly, interior area of the Algarve, the public forest of Barão de São João.

It was also comforting to learn that in an region swept by blazes in September, types such as arbutus trees – which are fire-resistant thanks to their reduced sap – were starting to recover, alongside highly combustible eucalyptus, which hinders other fire-retardant trees such as oak. Community members were being gathered to participate with ecological restoration.

Visitor Numbers and Upland Appeal

Travel figures to the Algarve are increasing, with this year registering an increase of 2.6 percent on the previous year – but the bulk of arrivals head straight for the beach, although there being far more to explore.

The shoreline is certainly rugged and stunning, but the locale is also enthusiastic to highlight the appeal of its upland zones. With the establishment of year-round hiking and cycling trails, plus the launch of nature festivals, interest is being drawn to these just as engaging landscapes, including mountains and lush woodlands.

The Algarve Walking Season organizes a program of multiple guided walk programs with loose themes such as “rivers and streams” and “ancient ruins” between November and April. It’s expected they will encourage tourists throughout the year, boosting the area’s finances and contributing to slow the exodus of younger generations departing in pursuit of work.

Creativity and Nature Blend

The excursion to the wooded reserve overlapped with a weekend festival with the focus of “expression”, based around the white-washed hamlet north-west of Barão de São João.

In addition to led walks, departing from the cultural centre, complimentary activities ranged from learning how to make natural coloured inks, to drama classes, tai chi and artistic rendering. There were several photo displays running as well as multiple other kid-focused activities, such as nature hunts and making seed dispensers.

Before our casual afternoon printmaking workshop at the cultural centre, our stroll into the woods with Joana had the atmosphere of an sculpture walk. Signposted at the outset by monoliths decorated with representations of rural workers, it was studded along the way with compact, installed stones depicting types of wildlife, such as spiny creatures and feline predators – the latter’s population reviving, because of a rescue facility based in the castle town of Silves.

Breathtaking Trails and Natural Beauty

As the route wound up to its highest point, the menhir (ancient rock) on the Pedra do Galo walk, it became more densely vegetated with the piney aroma of pine. There was a richness to the atmosphere and hard, amber-hued droplets swelled from bark. Limestone glistened underfoot and small frogs sat by water’s edge, necks vibrating. In the distance, wind turbines cartwheeled against the horizon.

Francisco Simões, our guide the following day, was once more keen to point out that these upland regions can be experienced year-round. Signposted trails, developed in recent years, are branches of the Via Algarviana, a route that runs from the frontier for 300 kilometers, continuously to the ocean, and a lot are now connected to an app that makes wayfinding more straightforward.

Sustainable Travel and Cultural Opportunities

Francisco founded ecotourism outfit Algarvian Roots in a few years ago and provides activities from birdwatching to day-long guided hikes, all with the identical objectives as the AWS: to promote the locale by way of involvement, enlightenment and cultural awareness.

The creative link is present, too – his parent, ceramicist Margarida Palma Gomes, had guided us to paint azulejos, the iconic blue and white glazed tiles observed across the country, previously on a cultural activity. Visits to her atelier, along with to a area ceramicist, can additionally be scheduled through Algarvian Roots.

Francisco advised us to do our bit for the trade by enjoying plenty of fine wine sealed with cork

Subsequent to an superb lunch of local specialty and vegetable in A Charrette in Monchique, a pretty mountain town flanked by the Algarve’s most elevated summits, the 902-meter Fóia and high Picota, Francisco led us down precipitously stone-paved lanes and into a narrow path, where an older couple relaxed in the sun at the doorstep of their residence.

A inclined trail took us into the woodland, the terrain scattered with tree seeds. At this spot, Francisco was keen to introduce us to cork trees, Portugal’s symbolic plant and legally protected since the medieval period. Not only are they intrinsically fire-resistant, but their flexible outer layer is a means of income for residents, who harvest it to market to other {industries|sectors