🔗 Share this article

I don’t object to doing the familiar walk repeatedly,” remarked our guide, kneeling beside a patch of blossoms. “Each time, there are different details – these blooms hadn’t been present yesterday.”

Rising on stalks a minimum of a couple of centimeters tall and starring the soil with pale blossoms, the observation that these overnight wonders appeared in a single night was a striking demonstration of how quickly things can develop in this undulating, interior part of the Algarve, the national forest of Barão de São João.

It was also encouraging to discover that in an area affected by wildfires in the autumn, varieties such as strawberry trees – which are fire-resistant because of their reduced sap – were beginning to regrow, in proximity to highly flammable eucalyptus, which impedes other fire-resistant trees such as oak. Community members were being recruited to assist with reforestation.

Traveler Figures and Interior Appeal

Travel figures to the Algarve are increasing, with this year recording an growth of 2.6% on the prior year – but most arrivals make a beeline for the coast, although there being far more to explore.

The coastline is undoubtedly rugged and dramatic, but the area is also keen to showcase the appeal of its inland areas. With the development of all-season walking and cycling trails, along with the addition of outdoor events, focus is being drawn to these similarly captivating sceneries, showcasing hills and dense forests.

The Algarve Walking Season hosts a series of several guided walk programs with broad subjects such as “aquatic elements” and “historical sites” between November and early spring. It’s expected they will encourage explorers throughout the year, strengthening the regional economy and helping reduce the outflow of young people moving away in quest of employment.

Creativity and Wilderness Blend

The trip to the wooded reserve coincided with a weekend festival with the theme of “expression”, focused on the traditional hamlet north-west of Barão de São João.

Along with guided hikes, starting at the cultural centre, complimentary activities ranged from mastering how to make organic pigments, to theatre workshops, mindful exercise and artistic rendering. There were a couple of photo displays available as well as several other child-friendly activities, such as nature hunts and creating bird-feeders.

Prior to our drop-in daytime screen-printing workshop at the community space, our walk into the woodland with Joana had the vibe of an creative path. Signposted at the start by standing stones adorned with representations of local farmers, it was studded throughout the path with smaller, permanently placed stones showing instances of fauna, such as hedgehogs and feline predators – the latter’s numbers recovering, due to a conservation center located in the historic town of Silves.

Scenic Routes and Natural Charm

As the trail wound up to its peak, the menhir (ancient rock) on the Pedra do Galo walk, it became more densely vegetated with the resinous scent of conifer. There was a richness to the atmosphere and hard, amber-hued bubbles protruded from tree trunks. Limestone glistened underfoot and small amphibians sat by water’s edge, vocal sacs throbbing. In the distance, windmills cartwheeled against the blue expanse.

Francisco Simões, the local expert the subsequent day, was again eager to emphasize that these upland regions can be experienced in every season. Signposted trails, developed in the past few years, are offshoots of the Via Algarviana, a path that runs from the border with Spain for 300 kilometers, all the way to the coast, and many are now tied to an application that makes route planning more straightforward.

Ecotourism and Local Opportunities

Francisco established ecotourism outfit Algarvian Roots in a few years ago and offers experiences from avian observation to day-long led walks, all with the same aims as the AWS: to highlight the area by way of involvement, learning and local understanding.

The artistic element is present, too – his family member, ceramicist Margarida Palma Gomes, had instructed us to decorate azulejos, the iconic blue and white glazed tiles observed all over the country, a couple of days before on a event class. Excursions to her workshop, in addition to to a area ceramicist, can further be organized through Algarvian Roots.

Francisco advised us to contribute for the trade by enjoying generous quantities of fine wine capped with cork

Following an excellent lunch of local specialty and vegetable in A Charrette in Monchique, a pretty hill settlement nestled between the Algarve’s tallest mountains, the tall Fóia and 774-meter Picota, Francisco took us down precipitously cobbled streets and into a alleyway, where an older couple relaxed in the sun at the doorstep of their house.

A steep path led us into the woodland, the earth scattered with oak nuts. Here, Francisco was eager to point out protected species, Portugal’s national tree and safeguarded by law since the 1200s. Not just are they inherently flame-retardant, but their pliable bark is a source of income for residents, who gather it to market to other {industries|sectors