🔗 Share this article

“I never object to taking the familiar trail again and again,” stated Joana Almeida, bending next to a patch of blossoms. “On every occasion, there are different details – these flowers were not here previously.”

Growing on stems at least a couple of centimeters in height and starring the soil with white petals, the reality that these delicate blooms emerged in a single night was a remarkable demonstration of how swiftly life can develop in this undulating, interior section of the Algarve, the public forest of Barão de São João.

It was also comforting to discover that in an area affected by wildfires in September, varieties such as strawberry trees – which are flame-retardant thanks to their low resin content – were beginning to regrow, alongside highly inflammable eucalyptus, which hinders other fire-resistant trees such as oak. Community members were being recruited to help with ecological restoration.

Traveler Numbers and Interior Appeal

Travel figures to the Algarve are rising, with 2024 recording an rise of 2.6 percent on the previous year – but the bulk of arrivals head straight for the seaside, even though there being so much more to experience.

The coastline is undoubtedly untamed and stunning, but the area is also keen to highlight the charm of its upland zones. With the development of all-season walking and biking trails, in addition to the launch of nature festivals, focus is being drawn to these just as captivating vistas, showcasing mountains and lush wooded areas.

The Algarve Walking Season hosts a set of multiple hiking events with general themes such as “water” and “historical sites” between the start of winter and April. It’s anticipated they will encourage visitors in every season, supporting the regional economy and aiding reduce the outflow of the youth leaving in pursuit of work.

Creativity and Nature Combine

The trip to the wooded reserve coincided with a weekend festival with the focus of “art”, focused on the white-washed hamlet in the northwest of Barão de São João.

In addition to guided hikes, starting at the local hub, no-cost workshops extended from mastering how to make plant-based dyes, to theatre workshops, tai chi and sketching. There were several photography exhibitions running as well as several other family-oriented pastimes, such as leaf safaris and making seed dispensers.

Before our informal afternoon art printing workshop at the local venue, our stroll into the woodland with Joana had the vibe of an creative path. Marked at the start by upright rocks painted with representations of rural workers, it was decorated en route with smaller, installed stones showing types of wildlife, such as small mammals and wild cats – the wild cat’s population recovering, because of a rehabilitation centre situated in the historic town of Silves.

Scenic Routes and Natural Beauty

As the route wound up to its summit, the menhir (standing stone) on the Pedra do Galo path, it became more densely vegetated with the aromatic fragrance of evergreen. There was a richness to the atmosphere and solid, honey-toned globules bulged from wood. Limestone shone beneath our feet and tiny amphibians sat by pond edges, throats pulsing. In the far away, wind turbines rotated against the horizon.

Francisco Simões, the local expert the following day, was again eager to point out that these inland areas can be discovered in every season. Designated walks, developed in the last decade, are branches of the Via Algarviana, a path that stretches from the frontier for a significant distance, continuously to the ocean, and several are now linked to an digital tool that makes wayfinding simpler.

Ecotourism and Artistic Opportunities

Francisco set up ecotourism outfit Algarvian Roots in the recent past and offers activities from wildlife spotting to full-day led walks, all with the same objectives as the AWS: to highlight the region by way of immersion, education and local understanding.

The artistic element is evident, also – his parent, potter Margarida Palma Gomes, had guided us to decorate azulejos, the characteristic cerulean and ivory decorative panels seen throughout the nation, previously on a festival workshop. Visits to her atelier, along with to a local potter, can further be organized through Algarvian Roots.

Francisco advised us to do our bit for the industry by enjoying ample amounts of fine wine stoppered by cork

After an superb midday meal of local specialty and greens in A Charrette in Monchique, a quaint hill settlement nestled between the Algarve’s two highest peaks, the 902-metre Fóia and high Picota, Francisco guided us down precipitously cobbled streets and into a alleyway, where an elderly pair basked outdoors at the entrance of their residence.

A sharp path took us into the woods, the earth scattered with tree seeds. In this location, Francisco was eager to show us cork trees, Portugal’s national tree and conserved under regulation since the 13th century. Not only are they intrinsically flame-retardant, but their malleable outer layer is a means of income for locals, who harvest it to market to other {industries|sectors