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I don’t mind doing the same hike over and over,” remarked our guide, bending near a patch of plants. “Every visit, you can spot new things – these blooms weren’t here previously.”

Standing on stems at least a couple of centimeters tall and starring the dirt with pale blossoms, the observation that these delicate blooms appeared overnight was a striking demonstration of how rapidly things can grow in this hilly, interior area of the Algarve, the protected woodland of Barão de São João.

It was also reassuring to find out that in an zone swept by wildfires in September, species such as arbutus trees – which are less flammable because of their reduced sap – were commencing to recover, in proximity to highly flammable eucalyptus, which obstructs other fire-retardant trees such as oak. Local helpers were being recruited to assist with reforestation.

Visitor Numbers and Upland Appeal

Tourist arrivals to the Algarve are increasing, with 2024 registering an growth of over two percent on the last year – but most arrivals head straight for the coast, even though there being so much more to experience.

The shoreline is undoubtedly wild and breathtaking, but the area is also eager to promote the attraction of its upland zones. With the creation of year-round walking and mountain biking paths, plus the introduction of nature festivals, focus is being drawn to these equally engaging vistas, showcasing mountains and lush forests.

The Algarve Walking Season organizes a program of multiple walking festivals with broad topics such as “rivers and streams” and “historical sites” between the start of winter and early spring. It’s expected they will inspire tourists year round, boosting the local economy and helping reduce the outflow of the youth leaving in quest of work.

Art and Wilderness Blend

The trip to the protected parkland coincided with a cultural gathering with the subject of “art”, focused on the pale-colored community north-west of Barão de São João.

Along with guided hikes, starting at the local hub, free events ranged from mastering how to make plant-based dyes, to drama classes, mindful exercise and artistic rendering. There were several photography exhibitions running plus a number of other family-oriented pursuits, such as leaf safaris and making seed dispensers.

Prior to our drop-in midday screen-printing class at the cultural centre, our hike into the woodland with Joana had the vibe of an art trail. Signposted at the beginning by standing stones decorated with images of traditional agricultural folk, it was decorated en route with compact, fixed stones depicting types of animals, including small mammals and lynxes – the lynx’s population recovering, due to a conservation center situated in the fortified settlement of Silves.

Breathtaking Paths and Natural Beauty

As the trail climbed to its highest point, the menhir (standing stone) on the Pedra do Galo trail, it became more thickly wooded with the piney aroma of pine. There was a ripeness to the atmosphere and solid, amber-hued droplets bulged from bark. Calcareous stone shone beneath our feet and minute toads sat by pond edges, throats throbbing. In the background, energy generators cartwheeled against the blue expanse.

Francisco Simões, the local expert the following day, was similarly eager to point out that these upland regions can be explored throughout the year. Designated walks, created in the last decade, are extensions of the Via Algarviana, a route that runs from the border with Spain for 186 miles, all the way to the ocean, and a lot are now connected to an application that makes route planning simpler.

Sustainable Travel and Cultural Experiences

Francisco established nature tour operator Algarvian Roots in a few years ago and provides tours from avian observation to all-day accompanied treks, all with the same aims as the AWS: to showcase the region by way of involvement, learning and cultural awareness.

The art connection is here, also – his family member, artist Margarida Palma Gomes, had instructed us to paint azulejos, the characteristic cerulean and ivory decorative panels seen across the land, a couple of days before on a event class. Visits to her workshop, along with to a local potter, can further be organized through Algarvian Roots.

Francisco advised us to play our part for the sector by drinking plenty of fine wine sealed with cork

After an excellent dining experience of pork cheek and cabbage in A Charrette in Monchique, a quaint mountain town flanked by the Algarve’s two highest peaks, the 902-meter Fóia and 774-metre Picota, Francisco guided us down steeply stone-paved lanes and into a side lane, where an older couple sunned themselves at the doorstep of their residence.

A sharp trail led us into the woods, the ground covered in acorns. Here, Francisco was eager to introduce us to cork trees, Portugal’s symbolic plant and conserved under regulation since the medieval period. Not just are they intrinsically flame-retardant, but their flexible outer layer is a source of income for residents, who collect it to market to other {industries|sectors