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I rarely mind taking the identical trail again and again,” remarked Joana Almeida, bending next to a cluster of plants. “Every visit, you can spot fresh discoveries – these hadn’t been here the day before.”

Growing on stalks at least a couple of centimeters high and starring the ground with snowy flowers, the fact that these delicate blooms appeared overnight was a remarkable demonstration of how quickly life can grow in this hilly, central section of the Algarve, the national forest of Barão de São João.

It was also reassuring to find out that in an zone affected by forest fires in September, species such as arbutus trees – which are fire-resistant due to their reduced sap – were starting to regrow, alongside highly inflammable eucalyptus, which obstructs other fire-resistant trees such as oak. Volunteers were being recruited to assist with rewilding.

Tourist Figures and Upland Appeal

Travel figures to the Algarve are increasing, with 2024 recording an rise of 2.6% on the last year – but the majority visitors go directly to the beach, even though there being a great deal more to discover.

The beachfront is undoubtedly untamed and dramatic, but the locale is also eager to promote the appeal of its interior regions. With the creation of all-season trekking and cycling routes, in addition to the addition of ecological celebrations, focus is being shifted to these equally compelling landscapes, including hills and dense woodlands.

The Algarve Walking Season organizes a series of multiple walking festivals with broad subjects such as “water” and “historical sites” between late autumn and early spring. It’s expected they will inspire explorers throughout the year, supporting the regional economy and aiding reduce the outflow of young people leaving in search of employment.

Art and Nature Merge

Our visit to the protected parkland overlapped with a two-day event with the subject of “creativity”, focused on the traditional community north-west of Barão de São João.

Along with organized treks, departing from the community center, free events extended from learning how to make natural coloured inks, to performance sessions, meditative movement and artistic rendering. There were a couple of photo displays available plus a number of other family-oriented activities, such as nature hunts and crafting bird-feeders.

Before our informal midday printmaking workshop at the community space, our walk into the woodland with Joana had the atmosphere of an art trail. Marked at the beginning by upright rocks painted with images of local farmers, it was decorated throughout the path with more modest, permanently placed stones illustrating examples of wildlife, featuring small mammals and wild cats – the wild cat’s community recovering, thanks to a conservation center situated in the castle town of Silves.

Breathtaking Trails and Natural Splendor

As the route climbed to its summit, the menhir (ancient rock) on the Pedra do Galo path, it became more lushly forested with the aromatic fragrance of evergreen. There was a fullness to the air and firm, amber-hued bubbles protruded from bark. Limestone shone underfoot and minute frogs rested by pond edges, throats vibrating. In the distance, windmills rotated against the horizon.

Francisco Simões, our guide the next day, was similarly keen to highlight that these interior zones can be explored year-round. Signposted trails, developed in recent years, are offshoots of the Via Algarviana, a route that stretches from the frontier for a significant distance, the entire route to the ocean, and a lot are now linked to an app that makes wayfinding more straightforward.

Nature Tourism and Local Activities

Francisco established sustainable travel company Algarvian Roots in a few years ago and provides activities from wildlife spotting to day-long accompanied treks, all with the identical goals as the AWS: to highlight the locale by way of engagement, education and local understanding.

The artistic element is evident, also – his parent, potter Margarida Palma Gomes, had instructed us to decorate azulejos, the distinctive cerulean and ivory glazed tiles observed throughout the country, two days earlier on a cultural activity. Excursions to her workshop, as well as to a local potter, can also be scheduled through Algarvian Roots.

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

Following an excellent midday meal of local specialty and greens in A Charrette in Monchique, a quaint upland village bordered by the Algarve’s most elevated summits, the 902-metre Fóia and high Picota, Francisco guided us down precipitously cobbled streets and into a narrow path, where an senior duo basked outdoors at the front of their house.

A inclined track led us into the forest, the terrain strewn with oak nuts. At this spot, Francisco was eager to introduce us to cork trees, Portugal’s national tree and safeguarded by law since the 13th century. Not only are they naturally fire-resistant, but their malleable outer layer is a source of revenue for residents, who gather it to market to other {industries|sectors