🔗 Share this article

I don’t mind repeating the familiar hike again and again,” commented our guide, crouching near a group of flowers. “On every occasion, you can spot new things – these blooms were not here the day before.”

Standing on stalks no less than 2cm high and adorning the ground with pale blossoms, the observation that these star of Bethlehem flowers sprung up suddenly was a remarkable testament of how rapidly things can grow in this hilly, inland section of the Algarve, the protected woodland of Barão de São João.

It was also reassuring to discover that in an region affected by wildfires in last fall, species such as strawberry trees – which are less flammable due to their low resin content – were commencing to bounce back, alongside highly combustible eucalyptus, which impedes other fire-retardant trees such as oak. Community members were being gathered to participate with reforestation.

Tourist Numbers and Upland Interest

Visitor numbers to the Algarve are rising, with 2024 recording an growth of over two percent on the previous year – but most arrivals go directly to the seaside, even though there being a great deal more to discover.

The coastline is definitely untamed and dramatic, but the area is also keen to promote the appeal of its upland zones. With the development of throughout the year trekking and biking routes, plus the addition of outdoor events, focus is being shifted to these just as captivating sceneries, showcasing peaks and thick forests.

The Algarve Walking Season hosts a set of multiple hiking events with loose subjects such as “water” and “ancient ruins” between late autumn and early spring. It’s expected they will motivate explorers year round, supporting the area’s finances and aiding reduce the outflow of younger generations leaving in search of employment.

Culture and Wilderness Merge

The trip to the national forest coincided with a cultural gathering with the focus of “expression”, based around the traditional hamlet north-west of Barão de São João.

Along with organized treks, setting off from the cultural centre, no-cost workshops included discovering how to make plant-based dyes, to theatre workshops, meditative movement and sketching. There were two image galleries on show plus multiple other family-oriented activities, such as botanical explorations and crafting bird-feeders.

Before our informal daytime screen-printing session at the local venue, our stroll into the woods with Joana had the vibe of an creative path. Indicated at the beginning by upright rocks painted with representations of traditional agricultural folk, it was decorated along the way with compact, fixed stones illustrating types of fauna, featuring small mammals and lynxes – the latter’s numbers reviving, thanks to a rescue facility based in the historic town of Silves.

Breathtaking Trails and Outdoor Splendor

As the route climbed to its summit, the menhir (monolith) on the Pedra do Galo walk, it became more lushly forested with the resinous scent of conifer. There was a richness to the breeze and hard, golden-colored globules swelled from tree trunks. Chalky rock sparkled on the ground and small toads rested by pool margins, necks vibrating. In the distance, energy generators rotated against the horizon.

Francisco Simões, the tour leader the next day, was once more enthusiastic to emphasize that these interior zones can be discovered throughout the year. Signposted trails, established in recent years, are extensions of the Via Algarviana, a route that stretches from the Spanish boundary for a significant distance, the entire route to the Atlantic, and many are now connected to an app that makes navigation even easier.

Nature Tourism and Artistic Experiences

Francisco founded ecotourism outfit Algarvian Roots in 2020 and offers experiences from wildlife spotting to full-day led walks, all with the identical goals as the AWS: to showcase the locale by way of engagement, learning and traditional knowledge.

The art connection is present, as well – his mother, artist Margarida Palma Gomes, had guided us to paint azulejos, the iconic blue and white glazed tiles observed across the country, a couple of days before on a cultural activity. Tours to her studio, in addition to to a local potter, can further be organized through Algarvian Roots.

Francisco advised us to contribute for the sector by consuming plenty of fine wine stoppered by cork

Subsequent to an excellent dining experience of pork cheek and greens in A Charrette in Monchique, a quaint upland village flanked by the Algarve’s tallest mountains, the tall Fóia and 774-meter Picota, Francisco led us down sharply stone-paved lanes and into a alleyway, where an elderly pair relaxed in the sun at the doorstep of their house.

A sharp trail took us into the woodland, the ground strewn with acorns. Here, Francisco was enthusiastic to introduce us to protected species, Portugal’s emblematic species and safeguarded by law since the 1200s. Besides are they naturally flame-retardant, but their pliable outer layer is a means of livelihood for inhabitants, who gather it to trade to other {industries|sectors