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I don’t object to doing the familiar trail again and again,” remarked our guide, bending near a patch of flowers. “On every occasion, you can spot new things – these flowers weren’t present previously.”

Standing on shoots a minimum of a couple of centimeters in height and dotting the soil with pale blossoms, the reality that these overnight wonders emerged in a single night was a striking proof of how quickly nature can regenerate in this undulating, inland area of the Algarve, the protected woodland of Barão de São João.

It was also reassuring to learn that in an area affected by blazes in September, species such as strawberry trees – which are flame-retardant because of their reduced sap – were beginning to regrow, alongside highly flammable eucalyptus, which impedes other fire-retardant trees such as oak. Local helpers were being recruited to assist with reforestation.

Tourist Numbers and Upland Interest

Tourist arrivals to the Algarve are rising, with the current year recording an increase of 2.6 percent on the previous year – but the bulk of visitors make a beeline for the seaside, despite there being so much more to experience.

The beachfront is definitely wild and breathtaking, but the region is also enthusiastic to showcase the attraction of its inland areas. With the creation of year-round hiking and cycling routes, plus the introduction of outdoor events, focus is being shifted to these just as engaging landscapes, featuring hills and dense forests.

The Algarve Walking Season hosts a set of multiple walking festivals with broad themes such as “water” and “historical sites” between late autumn and the end of winter. It’s expected they will motivate visitors in every season, boosting the area’s finances and aiding reduce the outflow of younger generations departing in search of employment.

Culture and The Outdoors Merge

The excursion to the national forest fell during a cultural gathering with the focus of “art”, based around the white-washed village to the northwest of Barão de São João.

Along with guided hikes, departing from the community center, free events ranged from learning how to make plant-based dyes, to theatre workshops, tai chi and sketching. There were two image galleries available together with multiple other child-friendly activities, such as botanical explorations and creating seed dispensers.

Prior to our informal afternoon screen-printing session at the cultural centre, our hike into the woods with Joana had the atmosphere of an art trail. Signposted at the start by standing stones decorated with representations of local farmers, it was dotted along the way with compact, permanently placed stones depicting types of animals, including hedgehogs and wild cats – the latter’s numbers increasing, due to a rescue facility based in the historic town of Silves.

Picturesque Trails and Natural Charm

As the path climbed to its summit, the menhir (monolith) on the Pedra do Galo walk, it became more lushly forested with the resinous scent of evergreen. There was a ripeness to the atmosphere and firm, honey-toned droplets swelled from wood. Calcareous stone sparkled on the ground and small amphibians perched by water’s edge, vocal sacs vibrating. In the far away, windmills spun against the horizon.

Francisco Simões, our guide the next day, was similarly enthusiastic to emphasize that these inland areas can be discovered throughout the year. Signposted trails, established in recent years, are offshoots of the Via Algarviana, a trail that runs from the border with Spain for 300 kilometers, the entire route to the Atlantic, and a lot are now linked to an app that makes route planning simpler.

Ecotourism and Artistic Opportunities

Francisco founded sustainable travel company Algarvian Roots in the recent past and organizes experiences from avian observation to all-day led walks, all with the identical aims as the AWS: to showcase the region by way of involvement, education and traditional knowledge.

The artistic element is present, as well – his family member, ceramicist Margarida Palma Gomes, had instructed us to paint azulejos, the iconic traditional colored decorative panels seen all over the land, two days earlier on a cultural activity. Visits to her workshop, as well as to a regional artist, can further be arranged through Algarvian Roots.

Francisco urged us to do our bit for the industry by drinking plenty of quality vintage sealed with cork

Following an excellent midday meal of meat dish and cabbage in A Charrette in Monchique, a charming hill settlement flanked by the Algarve’s tallest mountains, the tall Fóia and 774-meter Picota, Francisco took us down steeply stone-paved lanes and into a narrow path, where an older couple relaxed in the sun at the doorstep of their residence.

A steep track guided us into the woodland, the earth scattered with acorns. In this location, Francisco was keen to point out oak trees, Portugal’s emblematic species and conserved under regulation since the 1200s. Besides are they intrinsically slow-burning, but their malleable covering is a origin of revenue for inhabitants, who gather it to market to other {industries|sectors