Authentic Algarve: Uncovering Portugal Away from the Shoreline

“I never object to doing the same walk again and again,” commented Joana Almeida, kneeling beside a group of flowers. “Every visit, there are new things – these blooms hadn’t been present yesterday.”

Growing on stalks no less than two centimetres high and starring the ground with snowy flowers, the observation that these delicate blooms sprung up suddenly was a beautiful demonstration of how quickly things can develop in this rolling, inland area of the Algarve, the national forest of Barão de São João.

It was also comforting to find out that in an zone ravaged by forest fires in September, varieties such as arbutus trees – which are less flammable thanks to their minimal resin – were starting to recover, in proximity to highly combustible eucalyptus, which hinders other fire-retardant trees such as oak. Local helpers were being enlisted to help with reforestation.

Tourist Numbers and Inland Interest

Visitor numbers to the Algarve are rising, with this year showing an increase of 2.6% on the last year – but the bulk of arrivals make a beeline for the coast, although there being so much more to experience.

The coastline is certainly rugged and breathtaking, but the area is also keen to highlight the appeal of its interior regions. With the creation of year-round hiking and mountain biking trails, in addition to the addition of ecological celebrations, interest is being shifted to these similarly captivating landscapes, featuring hills and dense wooded areas.

The Algarve Walking Season organizes a set of several hiking events with loose themes such as “rivers and streams” and “archaeology” between November and early spring. It’s hoped they will inspire tourists throughout the year, supporting the regional economy and helping stem the tide of the youth leaving in search of work.

Art and Wilderness Combine

Our visit to the national forest fell during a cultural gathering with the focus of “art”, focused on the traditional hamlet in the northwest of Barão de São João.

Along with guided hikes, setting off from the local hub, complimentary activities included discovering how to make plant-based dyes, to performance sessions, tai chi and sketching. There were a couple of photography exhibitions available together with a number of other child-friendly pursuits, such as leaf safaris and making seed dispensers.

Prior to our drop-in midday printmaking session at the community space, our hike into the woods with Joana had the atmosphere of an creative path. Signposted at the beginning by monoliths painted with images of traditional agricultural folk, it was studded throughout the path with more modest, fixed stones showing types of fauna, including small mammals and wild cats – the lynx’s numbers recovering, thanks to a rescue facility situated in the historic town of Silves.

Picturesque Trails and Natural Splendor

As the path climbed to its highest point, the menhir (monolith) on the Pedra do Galo path, it became more lushly forested with the aromatic fragrance of pine. There was a ripeness to the atmosphere and solid, golden-colored globules swelled from wood. Limestone shone on the ground and small frogs rested by pool margins, necks vibrating. In the distance, energy generators spun against the blue expanse.

Francisco Simões, the local expert the following day, was again eager to emphasize that these upland regions can be explored year-round. Waymarked hikes, created in the last decade, are branches of the Via Algarviana, a trail that runs from the Spanish boundary for 300 kilometers, the entire route to the coast, and a lot are now linked to an app that makes route planning more straightforward.

Sustainable Travel and Cultural Opportunities

Francisco founded nature tour operator Algarvian Roots in a few years ago and offers experiences from avian observation to day-long guided hikes, all with the similar aims as the AWS: to highlight the locale by way of engagement, education and local understanding.

The artistic element is present, too – his mother, potter Margarida Palma Gomes, had instructed us to design azulejos, the characteristic blue and white glazed tiles found throughout the nation, previously on a cultural activity. Excursions to her studio, as well as to a local potter, can additionally be organized through Algarvian Roots.

Francisco urged us to contribute for the trade by consuming generous quantities of fine wine sealed with cork

Following an superb midday meal of meat dish and cabbage in A Charrette in Monchique, a charming hill settlement flanked by the Algarve’s most elevated summits, the tall Fóia and high Picota, Francisco led us down sharply stone-paved lanes and into a alleyway, where an older couple relaxed in the sun at the doorstep of their residence.

A sharp path guided us into the woods, the terrain scattered with acorns. In this location, Francisco was enthusiastic to show us protected species, Portugal’s symbolic plant and conserved under regulation since the 13th century. Not only are they intrinsically flame-retardant, but their flexible bark is a source of revenue for residents, who gather it to sell to other {industries|sectors