Real Algarve: Exploring Portugal Away from the Coastline

I rarely dislike repeating the same hike repeatedly,” remarked the local guide, crouching beside a group of blossoms. “On every occasion, you’ll find different details – these were not here previously.”

Growing on stalks a minimum of a couple of centimeters in height and starring the ground with white petals, the fact that these overnight wonders sprung up in a single night was a remarkable proof of how rapidly nature can develop in this rolling, inland area of the Algarve, the national forest of Barão de São João.

It was also encouraging to discover that in an zone affected by blazes in last fall, species such as strawberry trees – which are less flammable because of their reduced sap – were starting to regrow, together with highly combustible eucalyptus, which impedes other slow-burning trees such as oak. Volunteers were being enlisted to assist with rewilding.

Tourist Statistics and Upland Attraction

Travel figures to the Algarve are increasing, with the current year recording an rise of 2.6% on the previous year – but most visitors head straight for the seaside, even though there being so much more to explore.

The coastline is definitely untamed and breathtaking, but the region is also eager to highlight the charm of its interior regions. With the development of all-season walking and biking paths, in addition to the addition of nature festivals, attention is being directed to these equally compelling landscapes, featuring hills and thick forests.

The Algarve Walking Season runs a set of multiple guided walk programs with general themes such as “rivers and streams” and “ancient ruins” between the start of winter and early spring. It’s anticipated they will motivate visitors in every season, boosting the regional economy and aiding stem the tide of young people departing in pursuit of opportunities.

Creativity and The Outdoors Blend

The excursion to the protected parkland fell during a weekend festival with the focus of “art”, centered on the traditional community to the northwest of Barão de São João.

In addition to guided hikes, departing from the community center, free events ranged from discovering how to make plant-based dyes, to performance sessions, tai chi and sketching. There were a couple of photography exhibitions available plus multiple other child-friendly activities, such as leaf safaris and creating wildlife feeders.

Even before our drop-in daytime screen-printing class at the local venue, our stroll into the forest with Joana had the feeling of an art trail. Signposted at the start by standing stones painted with images of local farmers, it was studded en route with smaller, fixed stones illustrating instances of fauna, featuring hedgehogs and wild cats – the latter’s numbers reviving, due to a rehabilitation centre located in the historic town of Silves.

Picturesque Paths and Outdoor Charm

As the path ascended to its peak, the menhir (ancient rock) on the Pedra do Galo path, it became more densely vegetated with the aromatic fragrance of pine. There was a richness to the air and hard, amber-hued droplets protruded from tree trunks. Limestone glistened underfoot and minute amphibians sat by pond edges, vocal sacs vibrating. In the far away, energy generators rotated against the sky.

Francisco Simões, our guide the next day, was similarly eager to emphasize that these inland areas can be discovered in every season. Waymarked hikes, created in the last decade, are branches of the Via Algarviana, a path that runs from the Spanish boundary for 186 miles, all the way to the coast, and several are now tied to an application that makes wayfinding even easier.

Nature Tourism and Artistic Opportunities

Francisco established sustainable travel company Algarvian Roots in the recent past and offers tours from birdwatching to day-long accompanied treks, all with the same objectives as the AWS: to showcase the area by way of engagement, learning and traditional knowledge.

The art connection is here, as well – his family member, artist Margarida Palma Gomes, had instructed us to design azulejos, the characteristic traditional colored decorative panels found all over the country, two days earlier on a event class. Visits to her atelier, as well as to a local potter, can further be arranged through Algarvian Roots.

Francisco urged us to do our bit for the trade by drinking plenty of quality vintage sealed with cork

Subsequent to an excellent midday meal of meat dish and vegetable in A Charrette in Monchique, a pretty upland village bordered by the Algarve’s most elevated summits, the 902-meter Fóia and 774-metre Picota, Francisco guided us down sharply stone-paved lanes and into a side lane, where an elderly pair relaxed in the sun at the front of their house.

A sharp trail led us into the woodland, the earth covered in oak nuts. In this location, Francisco was enthusiastic to show us protected species, Portugal’s national tree and conserved under regulation since the 13th century. Not only are they inherently fire-resistant, but their pliable outer layer is a source of income for inhabitants, who gather it to sell to other {industries|sectors