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“I never dislike taking the same walk over and over,” remarked Joana Almeida, bending beside a cluster of flowers. “Every visit, you’ll find different details – these hadn’t been in this spot the day before.”

Rising on stems a minimum of two centimetres tall and dotting the soil with pale blossoms, the fact that these delicate blooms sprung up in a single night was a remarkable testament of how swiftly things can grow in this rolling, central section of the Algarve, the public forest of Barão de São João.

It was also encouraging to learn that in an zone swept by wildfires in last fall, varieties such as fire-resistant trees – which are fire-resistant thanks to their reduced sap – were starting to regrow, in proximity to highly flammable eucalyptus, which impedes other slow-burning trees such as oak. Local helpers were being gathered to help with reforestation.

Visitor Figures and Upland Attraction

Visitor numbers to the Algarve are increasing, with 2024 showing an increase of 2.6 percent on the previous year – but the bulk of arrivals make a beeline for the seaside, even though there being a great deal more to discover.

The coastline is undoubtedly rugged and stunning, but the region is also keen to promote the charm of its inland areas. With the creation of year-round trekking and mountain biking trails, in addition to the launch of ecological celebrations, attention is being drawn to these equally compelling sceneries, showcasing peaks and lush wooded areas.

The Algarve Walking Season organizes a set of several walking festivals with broad topics such as “rivers and streams” and “archaeology” between late autumn and April. It’s expected they will inspire explorers year round, supporting the local economy and aiding slow the exodus of young people departing in quest of employment.

Art and Wilderness Combine

The trip to the wooded reserve fell during a weekend festival with the theme of “creativity”, centered on the pale-colored community in the northwest of Barão de São João.

In addition to led walks, departing from the local hub, complimentary activities included discovering how to make organic pigments, to drama classes, meditative movement and artistic rendering. There were a couple of photo displays running plus a number of other child-friendly activities, such as nature hunts and crafting wildlife feeders.

Prior to our casual midday printmaking class at the community space, our walk into the woods with Joana had the feeling of an sculpture walk. Signposted at the beginning by standing stones adorned with representations of traditional agricultural folk, it was decorated throughout the path with more modest, permanently placed stones illustrating examples of wildlife, including small mammals and lynxes – the latter’s community increasing, thanks to a rescue facility located in the castle town of Silves.

Breathtaking Paths and Wild Charm

As the trail wound up to its highest point, the menhir (monolith) on the Pedra do Galo path, it became more densely vegetated with the piney aroma of conifer. There was a ripeness to the air and solid, golden-colored bubbles swelled from tree trunks. Limestone glistened underfoot and small frogs perched by water’s edge, vocal sacs pulsing. In the background, windmills cartwheeled against the blue expanse.

Francisco Simões, our guide the next day, was similarly keen to emphasize that these upland regions can be discovered throughout the year. Designated walks, created in the past few years, are extensions of the Via Algarviana, a route that extends from the frontier for 300 kilometers, the entire route to the coast, and several are now tied to an digital tool that makes route planning more straightforward.

Sustainable Travel and Artistic Experiences

Francisco established nature tour operator Algarvian Roots in the recent past and organizes experiences from birdwatching to full-day led walks, all with the same aims as the AWS: to highlight the area by way of immersion, learning and local understanding.

The artistic element is here, also – his family member, ceramicist Margarida Palma Gomes, had instructed us to paint azulejos, the characteristic blue and white ceramic tiles seen throughout the nation, a couple of days before on a event class. Excursions to her studio, along with to a area ceramicist, can further be organized through Algarvian Roots.

Francisco encouraged us to contribute for the sector by enjoying ample amounts of fine wine capped with cork

Following an superb dining experience of meat dish and cabbage in A Charrette in Monchique, a quaint hill settlement bordered by the Algarve’s tallest mountains, the 902-metre Fóia and 774-meter Picota, Francisco took us down steeply historic roads and into a side lane, where an older couple sunned themselves at the entrance of their house.

A steep trail guided us into the woodland, the ground covered in acorns. At this spot, Francisco was eager to introduce us to protected species, Portugal’s national tree and conserved under regulation since the 13th century. Not only are they inherently slow-burning, but their malleable outer layer is a means of revenue for residents, who gather it to market to other {industries|sectors