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I don’t object to repeating the same walk again and again,” commented our guide, bending next to a group of plants. “Each time, you can spot different details – these hadn’t been here yesterday.”

Rising on stems at least 2cm high and adorning the soil with snowy flowers, the reality that these star of Bethlehem flowers sprung up in a single night was a remarkable testament of how quickly life can grow in this undulating, inland part of the Algarve, the national forest of Barão de São João.

It was also encouraging to find out that in an area swept by wildfires in last fall, varieties such as strawberry trees – which are flame-retardant due to their reduced sap – were beginning to bounce back, alongside highly inflammable eucalyptus, which hinders other slow-burning trees such as oak. Local helpers were being recruited to help with ecological restoration.

Visitor Statistics and Upland Interest

Visitor numbers to the Algarve are increasing, with 2024 recording an increase of 2.6% on the previous year – but the bulk of visitors head straight for the seaside, even though there being so much more to experience.

The shoreline is definitely wild and dramatic, but the area is also eager to promote the charm of its upland zones. With the creation of all-season walking and cycling paths, in addition to the launch of outdoor events, attention is being drawn to these just as compelling landscapes, featuring mountains and thick forests.

The Algarve Walking Season runs a series of multiple guided walk programs with loose themes such as “aquatic elements” and “historical sites” between the start of winter and April. It’s anticipated they will motivate visitors in every season, boosting the local economy and contributing to stem the tide of the youth leaving in pursuit of employment.

Culture and Nature Blend

The trip to the wooded reserve coincided with a cultural gathering with the theme of “creativity”, focused on the white-washed hamlet to the northwest of Barão de São João.

Along with led walks, setting off from the cultural centre, free events ranged from discovering how to make natural coloured inks, to theatre workshops, tai chi and sketching. There were two image galleries on show as well as a number of other child-friendly pastimes, such as leaf safaris and crafting seed dispensers.

Before our casual daytime screen-printing class at the cultural centre, our walk into the forest with Joana had the feeling of an creative path. Indicated at the beginning by monoliths adorned with images of rural workers, it was dotted en route with more modest, installed stones illustrating instances of wildlife, such as small mammals and lynxes – the wild cat’s numbers recovering, because of a rehabilitation centre located in the castle town of Silves.

Breathtaking Routes and Wild Beauty

As the trail ascended to its highest point, the menhir (monolith) on the Pedra do Galo path, it became more thickly wooded with the piney aroma of evergreen. There was a fullness to the breeze and firm, golden-colored droplets swelled from wood. Limestone sparkled on the ground and minute frogs perched by water’s edge, necks pulsing. In the distance, wind turbines cartwheeled against the blue expanse.

Francisco Simões, the tour leader the next day, was once more keen to point out that these interior zones can be explored year-round. Waymarked hikes, established in the last decade, are branches of the Via Algarviana, a path that extends from the Spanish boundary for a significant distance, the entire route to the coast, and a lot are now tied to an application that makes route planning more straightforward.

Sustainable Travel and Artistic Activities

Francisco founded ecotourism outfit Algarvian Roots in a few years ago and offers experiences from birdwatching to all-day guided hikes, all with the identical aims as the AWS: to showcase the area by way of engagement, enlightenment and cultural awareness.

The creative link is present, too – his mother, ceramicist Margarida Palma Gomes, had guided us to paint azulejos, the characteristic cerulean and ivory glazed tiles observed across the land, two days earlier on a event class. Excursions to her atelier, as well as to a area ceramicist, can additionally be arranged through Algarvian Roots.

Francisco encouraged us to do our bit for the sector by enjoying generous quantities of fine wine sealed with cork

After an delicious midday meal of local specialty and greens in A Charrette in Monchique, a charming upland village bordered by the Algarve’s most elevated summits, the 902-metre Fóia and 774-metre Picota, Francisco led us down steeply historic roads and into a alleyway, where an elderly pair basked outdoors at the entrance of their home.

A sharp path took us into the forest, the ground strewn with tree seeds. In this location, Francisco was enthusiastic to show us protected species, Portugal’s emblematic species and safeguarded by law since the medieval period. Not just are they naturally slow-burning, but their pliable bark is a means of income for residents, who harvest it to market to other {industries|sectors