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“I never object to repeating the same walk over and over,” remarked our guide, kneeling next to a cluster of flowers. “Every visit, there are new things – these weren’t present the day before.”

Rising on stalks a minimum of a couple of centimeters tall and adorning the dirt with pale blossoms, the fact that these star of Bethlehem flowers emerged in a single night was a remarkable testament of how swiftly things can develop in this hilly, inland area of the Algarve, the protected woodland of Barão de São João.

It was also encouraging to discover that in an area affected by forest fires in last fall, species such as strawberry trees – which are fire-resistant due to their low resin content – were commencing to recover, in proximity to highly inflammable eucalyptus, which obstructs other fire-retardant trees such as oak. Community members were being gathered to assist with ecological restoration.

Visitor Figures and Upland Appeal

Visitor numbers to the Algarve are growing, with 2024 recording an rise of 2.6 percent on the previous year – but the majority arrivals go directly to the seaside, even though there being far more to discover.

The coastline is undoubtedly rugged and breathtaking, but the locale is also keen to showcase the attraction of its interior regions. With the establishment of all-season walking and cycling paths, along with the launch of outdoor events, interest is being drawn to these similarly captivating landscapes, including hills and thick forests.

The Algarve Walking Season hosts a program of multiple hiking events with general subjects such as “aquatic elements” and “archaeology” between November and early spring. It’s expected they will encourage tourists year round, boosting the local economy and helping reduce the outflow of younger generations moving away in search of employment.

Art and The Outdoors Blend

The trip to the wooded reserve overlapped with a two-day event with the theme of “expression”, based around the traditional village north-west of Barão de São João.

Along with guided hikes, setting off from the cultural centre, complimentary activities ranged from learning how to make natural coloured inks, to theatre workshops, mindful exercise and artistic rendering. There were several image galleries running together with multiple other child-friendly pastimes, such as botanical explorations and creating wildlife feeders.

Even before our casual daytime art printing class at the local venue, our stroll into the woods with Joana had the feeling of an sculpture walk. Signposted at the beginning by upright rocks adorned with representations of rural workers, it was dotted throughout the path with smaller, installed stones showing types of wildlife, including small mammals and lynxes – the lynx’s numbers reviving, thanks to a rehabilitation centre situated in the fortified settlement of Silves.

Picturesque Trails and Wild Charm

As the trail ascended to its summit, the menhir (standing stone) on the Pedra do Galo path, it became more thickly wooded with the aromatic fragrance of pine. There was a fullness to the air and solid, honey-toned globules swelled from bark. Chalky rock shone beneath our feet and tiny toads sat by pond edges, necks vibrating. In the far away, energy generators cartwheeled against the sky.

Francisco Simões, our guide the subsequent day, was again keen to highlight that these inland areas can be explored year-round. Waymarked hikes, established in recent years, are offshoots of the Via Algarviana, a path that extends from the Spanish boundary for a significant distance, all the way to the coast, and a lot are now connected to an digital tool that makes wayfinding even easier.

Sustainable Travel and Cultural Opportunities

Francisco founded ecotourism outfit Algarvian Roots in a few years ago and organizes experiences from avian observation to full-day led walks, all with the same goals as the AWS: to highlight the area by way of involvement, enlightenment and cultural awareness.

The art connection is here, also – his parent, potter Margarida Palma Gomes, had instructed us to design azulejos, the iconic cerulean and ivory glazed tiles observed all over the country, previously on a festival workshop. Excursions to her workshop, as well as to a regional artist, can additionally be arranged through Algarvian Roots.

Francisco encouraged us to play our part for the trade by consuming ample amounts of quality vintage sealed with cork

After an superb midday meal of pork cheek and cabbage in A Charrette in Monchique, a pretty upland village flanked by the Algarve’s most elevated summits, the tall Fóia and 774-meter Picota, Francisco guided us down steeply cobbled streets and into a alleyway, where an elderly pair sunned themselves at the entrance of their residence.

A inclined path guided us into the woods, the ground covered in tree seeds. At this spot, Francisco was eager to show us oak trees, Portugal’s emblematic species and safeguarded by law since the 1200s. Besides are they inherently flame-retardant, but their malleable covering is a source of income for locals, who harvest it to sell to other {industries|sectors