Authentic Southern Portugal: Discovering Portugal Away from the Coastline

I rarely dislike taking the same hike over and over,” remarked Joana Almeida, crouching next to a cluster of flowers. “On every occasion, you can spot new things – these flowers were not in this spot yesterday.”

Growing on stems at least a couple of centimeters tall and dotting the dirt with snowy flowers, the fact that these star of Bethlehem flowers sprung up overnight was a remarkable demonstration of how rapidly nature can grow in this undulating, inland part of the Algarve, the national forest of Barão de São João.

It was also reassuring to find out that in an region ravaged by forest fires in September, species such as strawberry trees – which are fire-resistant because of their reduced sap – were beginning to bounce back, together with highly flammable eucalyptus, which obstructs other fire-retardant trees such as oak. Local helpers were being enlisted to help with rewilding.

Tourist Figures and Inland Appeal

Travel figures to the Algarve are rising, with the current year showing an increase of 2.6% on the previous year – but most arrivals go directly to the seaside, although there being far more to explore.

The shoreline is undoubtedly wild and breathtaking, but the region is also eager to highlight the charm of its upland zones. With the establishment of all-season walking and cycling trails, along with the addition of nature festivals, focus is being drawn to these equally captivating vistas, showcasing hills and thick wooded areas.

The Algarve Walking Season runs a program of several walking festivals with general subjects such as “water” and “archaeology” between November and early spring. It’s hoped they will motivate visitors year round, boosting the area’s finances and helping reduce the outflow of young people departing in quest of employment.

Culture and Nature Merge

The excursion to the national forest coincided with a two-day event with the theme of “creativity”, based around the white-washed community in the northwest of Barão de São João.

As well as led walks, departing from the community center, free events included mastering how to make plant-based dyes, to performance sessions, mindful exercise and sketching. There were two photo displays running together with a number of other kid-focused activities, such as nature hunts and creating wildlife feeders.

Even before our informal daytime art printing class at the cultural centre, our hike into the forest with Joana had the vibe of an creative path. Marked at the start by upright rocks decorated with images of rural workers, it was decorated throughout the path with compact, installed stones depicting examples of wildlife, featuring hedgehogs and feline predators – the latter’s population increasing, because of a rehabilitation centre situated in the fortified settlement of Silves.

Picturesque Routes and Outdoor Splendor

As the route wound up to its summit, the menhir (standing stone) on the Pedra do Galo trail, it became more lushly forested with the aromatic fragrance of conifer. There was a richness to the breeze and firm, amber-hued bubbles protruded from tree trunks. Calcareous stone sparkled on the ground and tiny amphibians sat by pool margins, necks pulsing. In the distance, wind turbines rotated against the horizon.

Francisco Simões, our guide the subsequent day, was once more keen to point out that these interior zones can be experienced in every season. Signposted trails, established in the past few years, are offshoots of the Via Algarviana, a route that runs from the border with Spain for a significant distance, the entire route to the coast, and a lot are now connected to an digital tool that makes wayfinding even easier.

Nature Tourism and Cultural Activities

Francisco established nature tour operator Algarvian Roots in 2020 and provides experiences from avian observation to all-day accompanied treks, all with the identical goals as the AWS: to showcase the region by way of immersion, enlightenment and traditional knowledge.

The artistic element is here, also – his family member, ceramicist Margarida Palma Gomes, had guided us to paint azulejos, the iconic cerulean and ivory ceramic tiles found across the nation, two days earlier on a festival workshop. Visits to her atelier, in addition to to a local potter, can further be organized through Algarvian Roots.

Francisco advised us to contribute for the trade by consuming generous quantities of good wine stoppered by cork

After an excellent dining experience of local specialty and cabbage in A Charrette in Monchique, a charming upland village bordered by the Algarve’s tallest mountains, the 902-metre Fóia and 774-meter Picota, Francisco took us down sharply stone-paved lanes and into a alleyway, where an senior duo sunned themselves at the entrance of their home.

A inclined path took us into the woods, the terrain strewn with tree seeds. Here, Francisco was enthusiastic to show us cork trees, Portugal’s symbolic plant and conserved under regulation since the medieval period. Not only are they naturally fire-resistant, but their flexible outer layer is a origin of revenue for locals, who harvest it to sell to other {industries|sectors