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“I never object to taking the same walk again and again,” commented our guide, crouching next to a cluster of plants. “Every visit, you can spot new things – these blooms weren’t in this spot the day before.”

Rising on shoots a minimum of two centimetres high and dotting the soil with snowy flowers, the reality that these star of Bethlehem flowers appeared overnight was a beautiful testament of how swiftly life can grow in this rolling, central part of the Algarve, the national forest of Barão de São João.

It was also encouraging to discover that in an zone swept by forest fires in the autumn, varieties such as strawberry trees – which are fire-resistant thanks to their low resin content – were beginning to recover, in proximity to highly combustible eucalyptus, which hinders other fire-retardant trees such as oak. Volunteers were being recruited to participate with rewilding.

Tourist Statistics and Upland Attraction

Tourist arrivals to the Algarve are growing, with this year registering an growth of over two percent on the previous year – but the majority arrivals go directly to the seaside, despite there being a great deal more to explore.

The coastline is definitely untamed and stunning, but the area is also enthusiastic to highlight the attraction of its upland zones. With the creation of all-season hiking and biking routes, plus the addition of ecological celebrations, interest is being directed to these just as engaging landscapes, showcasing mountains and dense wooded areas.

The Algarve Walking Season hosts a program of multiple walking festivals with broad subjects such as “aquatic elements” and “archaeology” between late autumn and April. It’s expected they will inspire visitors in every season, supporting the area’s finances and contributing to slow the exodus of young people moving away in pursuit of work.

Culture and Nature Blend

The excursion to the protected parkland fell during a weekend festival with the theme of “art”, focused on the pale-colored hamlet to the northwest of Barão de São João.

As well as guided hikes, departing from the cultural centre, free events extended from mastering how to make plant-based dyes, to drama classes, mindful exercise and artistic rendering. There were a couple of photography exhibitions running plus several other child-friendly pursuits, such as botanical explorations and crafting seed dispensers.

Prior to our informal daytime printmaking workshop at the local venue, our walk into the woods with Joana had the vibe of an sculpture walk. Marked at the outset by monoliths painted with depictions of rural workers, it was dotted throughout the path with smaller, fixed stones showing instances of wildlife, including hedgehogs and feline predators – the lynx’s population increasing, thanks to a rehabilitation centre situated in the historic town of Silves.

Scenic Routes and Wild Beauty

As the path climbed to its summit, the menhir (monolith) on the Pedra do Galo path, it became more lushly forested with the resinous scent of evergreen. There was a richness to the air and hard, amber-hued globules protruded from tree trunks. Limestone shone beneath our feet and small amphibians sat by water’s edge, vocal sacs vibrating. In the distance, windmills cartwheeled against the sky.

Francisco Simões, the local expert the following day, was again eager to highlight that these interior zones can be discovered year-round. Signposted trails, developed in the past few years, are extensions of the Via Algarviana, a path that stretches from the frontier for 300 kilometers, the entire route to the ocean, and many are now tied to an application that makes wayfinding more straightforward.

Ecotourism and Cultural Experiences

Francisco founded nature tour operator Algarvian Roots in 2020 and provides experiences from birdwatching to all-day guided hikes, all with the similar objectives as the AWS: to highlight the locale by way of involvement, enlightenment and local understanding.

The creative link is here, too – his family member, potter Margarida Palma Gomes, had instructed us to design azulejos, the characteristic traditional colored decorative panels found across the nation, two days earlier on a cultural activity. Visits to her workshop, in addition to to a local potter, can also be organized through Algarvian Roots.

Francisco advised us to play our part for the industry by consuming ample amounts of fine wine sealed with cork

Following an superb dining experience of meat dish and cabbage in A Charrette in Monchique, a pretty upland village nestled between the Algarve’s most elevated summits, the tall Fóia and high Picota, Francisco led us down precipitously stone-paved lanes and into a side lane, where an elderly pair relaxed in the sun at the front of their residence.

A sharp trail guided us into the woods, the terrain strewn with acorns. In this location, Francisco was enthusiastic to show us oak trees, Portugal’s emblematic species and legally protected since the 1200s. Not just are they intrinsically slow-burning, but their malleable outer layer is a source of income for locals, who gather it to trade to other {industries|sectors