🔗 Share this article

I don’t dislike repeating the same trail repeatedly,” remarked our guide, bending next to a cluster of blossoms. “Every visit, there are new things – these blooms hadn’t been in this spot yesterday.”

Rising on stems no less than a couple of centimeters tall and adorning the dirt with white petals, the reality that these star of Bethlehem flowers sprung up overnight was a striking proof of how rapidly nature can grow in this hilly, inland section of the Algarve, the protected woodland of Barão de São João.

It was also comforting to learn that in an region affected by wildfires in the autumn, varieties such as fire-resistant trees – which are flame-retardant thanks to their minimal resin – were beginning to recover, alongside highly inflammable eucalyptus, which obstructs other slow-burning trees such as oak. Community members were being enlisted to participate with ecological restoration.

Tourist Statistics and Interior Interest

Travel figures to the Algarve are rising, with this year registering an increase of 2.6% on the prior year – but most arrivals go directly to the seaside, even though there being so much more to experience.

The coastline is definitely untamed and dramatic, but the area is also enthusiastic to showcase the appeal of its interior regions. With the creation of all-season hiking and biking paths, along with the introduction of ecological celebrations, interest is being directed to these equally engaging sceneries, featuring peaks and thick wooded areas.

The Algarve Walking Season runs a program of several guided walk programs with loose subjects such as “water” and “archaeology” between the start of winter and April. It’s hoped they will encourage explorers in every season, strengthening the local economy and contributing to reduce the outflow of younger generations moving away in quest of work.

Creativity and Nature Merge

The trip to the national forest coincided with a cultural gathering with the theme of “creativity”, focused on the traditional village to the northwest of Barão de São João.

In addition to led walks, departing from the local hub, no-cost workshops ranged from mastering how to make plant-based dyes, to theatre workshops, mindful exercise and sketching. There were several photo displays on show together with a number of other family-oriented pursuits, such as botanical explorations and creating bird-feeders.

Even before our informal afternoon printmaking class at the community space, our hike into the forest with Joana had the feeling of an creative path. Marked at the beginning by monoliths decorated with representations of local farmers, it was studded en route with compact, permanently placed stones illustrating types of fauna, including spiny creatures and wild cats – the latter’s population recovering, because of a rehabilitation centre located in the fortified settlement of Silves.

Breathtaking Routes and Outdoor Splendor

As the route ascended to its peak, the menhir (ancient rock) on the Pedra do Galo path, it became more thickly wooded with the piney aroma of conifer. There was a ripeness to the air and firm, amber-hued bubbles bulged from tree trunks. Calcareous stone shone on the ground and tiny frogs rested by pool margins, vocal sacs vibrating. In the distance, wind turbines spun against the sky.

Francisco Simões, our guide the following day, was similarly eager to highlight that these interior zones can be discovered throughout the year. Designated walks, created in the past few years, are extensions of the Via Algarviana, a route that stretches from the border with Spain for 300 kilometers, all the way to the coast, and many are now tied to an digital tool that makes route planning simpler.

Ecotourism and Artistic Opportunities

Francisco founded ecotourism outfit Algarvian Roots in 2020 and offers experiences from birdwatching to full-day accompanied treks, all with the identical aims as the AWS: to highlight the area by way of involvement, learning and cultural awareness.

The creative link is evident, also – his parent, ceramicist Margarida Palma Gomes, had instructed us to decorate azulejos, the characteristic cerulean and ivory ceramic tiles seen throughout the land, previously on a festival workshop. Visits to her workshop, along with to a area ceramicist, can additionally be arranged through Algarvian Roots.

Francisco advised us to contribute for the sector by drinking generous quantities of fine wine stoppered by cork

Following an excellent lunch of pork cheek and cabbage in A Charrette in Monchique, a pretty mountain town flanked by the Algarve’s tallest mountains, the 902-metre Fóia and high Picota, Francisco guided us down sharply cobbled streets and into a side lane, where an elderly pair relaxed in the sun at the entrance of their home.

A steep trail led us into the woods, the earth covered in acorns. At this spot, Francisco was keen to show us oak trees, Portugal’s symbolic plant and safeguarded by law since the 1200s. Not just are they intrinsically flame-retardant, but their pliable outer layer is a origin of revenue for inhabitants, who harvest it to sell to other {industries|sectors