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I don’t dislike taking the same hike again and again,” stated Joana Almeida, kneeling next to a group of blossoms. “Each time, you’ll find different details – these were not here yesterday.”

Standing on shoots a minimum of two centimetres high and starring the ground with snowy flowers, the fact that these overnight wonders emerged overnight was a striking demonstration of how swiftly things can grow in this undulating, inland area of the Algarve, the public forest of Barão de São João.

It was also encouraging to discover that in an zone swept by blazes in the autumn, varieties such as fire-resistant trees – which are fire-resistant thanks to their minimal resin – were commencing to regrow, alongside highly flammable eucalyptus, which obstructs other fire-retardant trees such as oak. Local helpers were being gathered to help with rewilding.

Visitor Statistics and Interior Interest

Travel figures to the Algarve are rising, with this year recording an growth of over two percent on the prior year – but the bulk of arrivals go directly to the coast, although there being far more to experience.

The shoreline is certainly rugged and breathtaking, but the region is also keen to showcase the attraction of its inland areas. With the development of throughout the year trekking and mountain biking trails, along with the addition of outdoor events, focus is being shifted to these similarly engaging sceneries, showcasing hills and dense woodlands.

The Algarve Walking Season organizes a program of several walking festivals with general topics such as “aquatic elements” and “ancient ruins” between November and the end of winter. It’s anticipated they will encourage tourists throughout the year, strengthening the local economy and helping stem the tide of the youth departing in search of work.

Art and Wilderness Combine

The excursion to the wooded reserve fell during a weekend festival with the focus of “creativity”, based around the white-washed hamlet in the northwest of Barão de São João.

Along with led walks, starting at the community center, no-cost workshops included learning how to make plant-based dyes, to drama classes, tai chi and drawing. There were several photo displays available plus multiple other family-oriented activities, such as leaf safaris and crafting bird-feeders.

Before our informal midday screen-printing workshop at the community space, our hike into the woodland with Joana had the vibe of an creative path. Signposted at the start by standing stones adorned with images of local farmers, it was dotted en route with compact, fixed stones illustrating instances of wildlife, featuring spiny creatures and lynxes – the latter’s population recovering, because of a rehabilitation centre based in the fortified settlement of Silves.

Breathtaking Trails and Wild Charm

As the path ascended to its highest point, the menhir (standing stone) on the Pedra do Galo path, it became more densely vegetated with the resinous scent of evergreen. There was a richness to the breeze and solid, honey-toned globules bulged from bark. Calcareous stone glistened on the ground and small frogs rested by pond edges, vocal sacs pulsing. In the distance, energy generators cartwheeled against the blue expanse.

Francisco Simões, our guide the next day, was again eager to point out that these inland areas can be experienced in every season. Signposted trails, established in the past few years, are extensions of the Via Algarviana, a trail that stretches from the border with Spain for 300 kilometers, continuously to the Atlantic, and several are now tied to an application that makes navigation even easier.

Sustainable Travel and Artistic Experiences

Francisco established ecotourism outfit Algarvian Roots in a few years ago and organizes activities from wildlife spotting to day-long led walks, all with the identical objectives as the AWS: to highlight the region by way of involvement, learning and cultural awareness.

The creative link is evident, too – his family member, artist Margarida Palma Gomes, had taught us to design azulejos, the iconic traditional colored ceramic tiles seen all over the land, two days earlier on a cultural activity. Tours to her workshop, in addition to to a regional artist, can further be scheduled through Algarvian Roots.

Francisco advised us to do our bit for the trade by consuming plenty of fine wine sealed with cork

Subsequent to an superb dining experience of pork cheek and vegetable in A Charrette in Monchique, a pretty hill settlement nestled between the Algarve’s two highest peaks, the tall Fóia and high Picota, Francisco guided us down sharply cobbled streets and into a narrow path, where an elderly pair sunned themselves at the front of their home.

A sharp trail led us into the woods, the ground covered in oak nuts. In this location, Francisco was keen to point out protected species, Portugal’s national tree and legally protected since the medieval period. Not just are they inherently slow-burning, but their pliable covering is a means of revenue for inhabitants, who gather it to trade to other {industries|sectors