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“I never dislike repeating the familiar hike again and again,” stated the local guide, kneeling next to a patch of plants. “Each time, you’ll find new things – these flowers weren’t here yesterday.”

Standing on stalks no less than a couple of centimeters high and adorning the ground with pale blossoms, the reality that these delicate blooms sprung up overnight was a beautiful proof of how rapidly things can develop in this undulating, interior area of the Algarve, the protected woodland of Barão de São João.

It was also encouraging to find out that in an area swept by wildfires in last fall, varieties such as fire-resistant trees – which are fire-resistant thanks to their minimal resin – were commencing to bounce back, together with highly inflammable eucalyptus, which hinders other fire-resistant trees such as oak. Local helpers were being recruited to help with ecological restoration.

Visitor Numbers and Interior Attraction

Travel figures to the Algarve are growing, with the current year recording an rise of 2.6% on the last year – but the bulk of arrivals make a beeline for the coast, although there being far more to experience.

The coastline is certainly rugged and dramatic, but the area is also eager to promote the charm of its inland areas. With the creation of year-round trekking and mountain biking routes, plus the launch of outdoor events, interest is being drawn to these similarly compelling vistas, showcasing peaks and thick woodlands.

The Algarve Walking Season hosts a set of multiple hiking events with general themes such as “aquatic elements” and “ancient ruins” between late autumn and the end of winter. It’s expected they will inspire explorers year round, strengthening the regional economy and helping stem the tide of the youth leaving in pursuit of work.

Art and Wilderness Combine

Our visit to the protected parkland coincided with a two-day event with the theme of “art”, based around the traditional hamlet in the northwest of Barão de São João.

As well as led walks, setting off from the cultural centre, no-cost workshops included mastering how to make organic pigments, to performance sessions, meditative movement and artistic rendering. There were several photo displays available as well as a number of other family-oriented pursuits, such as nature hunts and creating seed dispensers.

Before our drop-in midday screen-printing workshop at the cultural centre, our walk into the forest with Joana had the atmosphere of an sculpture walk. Signposted at the outset by monoliths adorned with images of rural workers, it was decorated en route with more modest, permanently placed stones depicting types of fauna, including spiny creatures and lynxes – the wild cat’s community recovering, due to a rescue facility situated in the historic town of Silves.

Breathtaking Paths and Wild Charm

As the path climbed to its summit, the menhir (standing stone) on the Pedra do Galo trail, it became more lushly forested with the resinous scent of evergreen. There was a richness to the atmosphere and solid, honey-toned bubbles bulged from tree trunks. Chalky rock shone on the ground and tiny frogs perched by water’s edge, necks throbbing. In the far away, wind turbines cartwheeled against the horizon.

Francisco Simões, the local expert the subsequent day, was similarly enthusiastic to emphasize that these inland areas can be experienced throughout the year. Waymarked hikes, developed in the last decade, are offshoots of the Via Algarviana, a trail that extends from the frontier for 300 kilometers, the entire route to the coast, and a lot are now connected to an digital tool that makes route planning more straightforward.

Ecotourism and Cultural Experiences

Francisco set up ecotourism outfit Algarvian Roots in a few years ago and provides experiences from avian observation to day-long led walks, all with the same aims as the AWS: to promote the area by way of involvement, education and cultural awareness.

The artistic element is here, also – his family member, ceramicist Margarida Palma Gomes, had taught us to decorate azulejos, the distinctive cerulean and ivory decorative panels found across the nation, a couple of days before on a event class. Visits to her studio, in addition to to a area ceramicist, can additionally be arranged through Algarvian Roots.

Francisco urged us to play our part for the industry by consuming generous quantities of quality vintage sealed with cork

After an superb midday meal of meat dish and greens in A Charrette in Monchique, a pretty upland village flanked by the Algarve’s two highest peaks, the 902-metre Fóia and high Picota, Francisco led us down precipitously stone-paved lanes and into a side lane, where an elderly pair sunned themselves at the front of their home.

A inclined path led us into the forest, the terrain scattered with tree seeds. In this location, Francisco was eager to show us oak trees, Portugal’s emblematic species and legally protected since the 13th century. Besides are they intrinsically fire-resistant, but their pliable bark is a means of livelihood for locals, who harvest it to market to other {industries|sectors