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I don’t mind repeating the same walk again and again,” remarked Joana Almeida, kneeling near a cluster of flowers. “On every occasion, you can spot different details – these flowers weren’t present yesterday.”

Rising on shoots a minimum of a couple of centimeters high and dotting the dirt with white petals, the observation that these overnight wonders emerged in a single night was a beautiful proof of how swiftly things can develop in this hilly, interior area of the Algarve, the national forest of Barão de São João.

It was also comforting to find out that in an area ravaged by wildfires in last fall, species such as strawberry trees – which are fire-resistant due to their minimal resin – were starting to regrow, together with highly combustible eucalyptus, which hinders other fire-resistant trees such as oak. Volunteers were being gathered to assist with reforestation.

Visitor Figures and Inland Appeal

Travel figures to the Algarve are growing, with the current year registering an increase of 2.6% on the previous year – but most visitors make a beeline for the coast, even though there being far more to discover.

The coastline is definitely rugged and breathtaking, but the region is also eager to showcase the attraction of its interior regions. With the development of year-round walking and biking trails, along with the addition of outdoor events, attention is being shifted to these equally compelling vistas, showcasing mountains and thick forests.

The Algarve Walking Season hosts a series of several guided walk programs with loose topics such as “aquatic elements” and “archaeology” between November and early spring. It’s expected they will encourage tourists throughout the year, boosting the local economy and helping stem the tide of younger generations moving away in search of opportunities.

Culture and Wilderness Merge

The excursion to the protected parkland overlapped with a two-day event with the subject of “creativity”, centered on the pale-colored hamlet in the northwest of Barão de São João.

In addition to led walks, setting off from the cultural centre, no-cost workshops ranged from discovering how to make organic pigments, to performance sessions, tai chi and sketching. There were a couple of image galleries available together with several other child-friendly activities, such as nature hunts and crafting wildlife feeders.

Prior to our informal afternoon printmaking workshop at the local venue, our hike into the forest with Joana had the vibe of an creative path. Marked at the outset by upright rocks adorned with depictions of rural workers, it was dotted throughout the path with compact, fixed stones showing types of animals, such as spiny creatures and feline predators – the lynx’s population recovering, thanks to a conservation center situated in the castle town of Silves.

Scenic Paths and Natural Splendor

As the route climbed to its peak, the menhir (monolith) on the Pedra do Galo trail, it became more densely vegetated with the aromatic fragrance of conifer. There was a fullness to the air and firm, amber-hued bubbles swelled from bark. Chalky rock glistened underfoot and small frogs rested by water’s edge, necks vibrating. In the far away, energy generators cartwheeled against the horizon.

Francisco Simões, the tour leader the next day, was again eager to highlight that these upland regions can be discovered in every season. Signposted trails, created in the past few years, are offshoots of the Via Algarviana, a route that stretches from the frontier for a significant distance, all the way to the coast, and a lot are now tied to an digital tool that makes wayfinding more straightforward.

Nature Tourism and Artistic Activities

Francisco established sustainable travel company Algarvian Roots in 2020 and offers activities from avian observation to all-day guided hikes, all with the similar aims as the AWS: to highlight the area by way of involvement, enlightenment and cultural awareness.

The creative link is evident, as well – his mother, ceramicist Margarida Palma Gomes, had guided us to design azulejos, the distinctive traditional colored ceramic tiles found across the land, two days earlier on a event class. Excursions to her workshop, in addition to to a regional artist, can further be organized through Algarvian Roots.

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

Following an excellent midday meal of pork cheek and vegetable in A Charrette in Monchique, a pretty hill settlement flanked by the Algarve’s two highest peaks, the tall Fóia and high Picota, Francisco led us down precipitously stone-paved lanes and into a narrow path, where an older couple basked outdoors at the entrance of their house.

A steep trail took us into the forest, the ground covered in acorns. Here, Francisco was keen to show us protected species, Portugal’s symbolic plant and legally protected since the medieval period. Not just are they inherently slow-burning, but their flexible bark is a means of revenue for residents, who harvest it to trade to other {industries|sectors