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“I never dislike doing the familiar trail repeatedly,” stated Joana Almeida, kneeling near a group of blossoms. “On every occasion, you’ll find different details – these hadn’t been here the day before.”

Growing on shoots a minimum of 2cm tall and adorning the dirt with pale blossoms, the observation that these delicate blooms sprung up overnight was a striking demonstration of how swiftly nature can regenerate in this undulating, interior area of the Algarve, the national forest of Barão de São João.

It was also encouraging to discover that in an region ravaged by forest fires in last fall, varieties such as strawberry trees – which are less flammable due to their reduced sap – were starting to bounce back, together with highly combustible eucalyptus, which hinders other fire-retardant trees such as oak. Local helpers were being recruited to participate with reforestation.

Visitor Figures and Upland Appeal

Visitor numbers to the Algarve are rising, with this year registering an rise of 2.6% on the last year – but the majority arrivals make a beeline for the beach, although there being far more to discover.

The beachfront is definitely rugged and dramatic, but the area is also eager to showcase the attraction of its interior regions. With the creation of year-round hiking and biking routes, along with the addition of nature festivals, attention is being drawn to these equally captivating sceneries, featuring mountains and lush woodlands.

The Algarve Walking Season hosts a series of five guided walk programs with loose themes such as “water” and “historical sites” between the start of winter and early spring. It’s expected they will motivate visitors year round, strengthening the local economy and aiding slow the exodus of young people moving away in pursuit of opportunities.

Creativity and Wilderness Combine

The excursion to the national forest fell during a two-day event with the subject of “expression”, focused on the white-washed community to the northwest of Barão de São João.

Along with guided hikes, setting off from the cultural centre, no-cost workshops ranged from discovering how to make natural coloured inks, to performance sessions, mindful exercise and artistic rendering. There were a couple of image galleries available as well as several other family-oriented pursuits, such as leaf safaris and creating bird-feeders.

Even before our informal afternoon printmaking class at the cultural centre, our stroll into the woodland with Joana had the atmosphere of an art trail. Indicated at the beginning by monoliths painted with representations of local farmers, it was decorated en route with smaller, installed stones showing types of animals, such as small mammals and lynxes – the latter’s population reviving, because of a rescue facility situated in the castle town of Silves.

Picturesque Routes and Wild Beauty

As the trail climbed to its peak, the menhir (ancient rock) on the Pedra do Galo walk, it became more lushly forested with the piney aroma of pine. There was a fullness to the atmosphere and solid, honey-toned globules bulged from tree trunks. Chalky rock glistened underfoot and tiny toads perched by pond edges, necks pulsing. In the far away, windmills rotated against the horizon.

Francisco Simões, the local expert the subsequent day, was again keen to point out that these inland areas can be experienced throughout the year. Signposted trails, created in recent years, are extensions of the Via Algarviana, a route that extends 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 navigation simpler.

Sustainable Travel and Artistic Experiences

Francisco established sustainable travel company Algarvian Roots in the recent past and organizes experiences from avian observation to day-long guided hikes, all with the similar aims as the AWS: to showcase the region by way of involvement, education and local understanding.

The creative link is evident, also – his parent, potter Margarida Palma Gomes, had guided us to decorate azulejos, the distinctive blue and white glazed tiles seen throughout the nation, a couple of days before on a cultural activity. Tours to her workshop, along with to a regional artist, can also be organized through Algarvian Roots.

Francisco advised us to do our bit for the sector by drinking ample amounts of quality vintage stoppered by cork

Subsequent to an delicious midday meal of pork cheek and greens in A Charrette in Monchique, a quaint mountain town flanked by the Algarve’s most elevated summits, the 902-metre Fóia and high Picota, Francisco led us down sharply stone-paved lanes and into a narrow path, where an older couple relaxed in the sun at the front of their house.

A steep trail took us into the woodland, the terrain covered in acorns. Here, Francisco was enthusiastic to introduce us to oak trees, Portugal’s emblematic species and legally protected since the medieval period. Not only are they inherently fire-resistant, but their malleable bark is a source of revenue for inhabitants, who harvest it to sell to other {industries|sectors