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I rarely dislike taking the familiar trail again and again,” commented Joana Almeida, crouching next to a patch of plants. “On every occasion, you can spot different details – these blooms hadn’t been present previously.”

Standing on stems at least two centimetres tall and adorning the dirt with pale blossoms, the observation that these star of Bethlehem flowers sprung up overnight was a beautiful testament of how swiftly things can regenerate in this hilly, interior part of the Algarve, the national forest of Barão de São João.

It was also comforting to discover that in an zone swept by wildfires in September, types such as strawberry trees – which are less flammable due to their reduced sap – were commencing to regrow, alongside highly inflammable eucalyptus, which obstructs other slow-burning trees such as oak. Community members were being recruited to assist with rewilding.

Visitor Numbers and Inland Appeal

Visitor numbers to the Algarve are increasing, with the current year showing an increase of over two percent on the previous year – but the bulk of visitors make a beeline for the coast, despite there being a great deal more to discover.

The shoreline is undoubtedly rugged and dramatic, but the locale is also enthusiastic to showcase the appeal of its inland areas. With the establishment of all-season hiking and biking paths, plus the launch of nature festivals, interest is being directed to these just as engaging landscapes, including hills and thick wooded areas.

The Algarve Walking Season hosts a series of five walking festivals with general themes such as “rivers and streams” and “historical sites” between November and the end of winter. It’s anticipated they will motivate tourists throughout the year, supporting the area’s finances and aiding reduce the outflow of the youth moving away in search of opportunities.

Creativity and Nature Combine

The trip to the protected parkland overlapped with a weekend festival with the subject of “expression”, based around the traditional community north-west of Barão de São João.

As well as led walks, setting off from the local hub, free events ranged from mastering how to make organic pigments, to performance sessions, mindful exercise and drawing. There were two photography exhibitions available together with multiple other family-oriented activities, such as nature hunts and creating seed dispensers.

Prior to our informal daytime art printing session at the community space, our walk into the woods with Joana had the feeling of an art trail. Indicated at the beginning by standing stones adorned with representations of traditional agricultural folk, it was decorated en route with compact, permanently placed stones depicting examples of fauna, including hedgehogs and lynxes – the lynx’s numbers recovering, because of a conservation center located in the historic town of Silves.

Breathtaking Trails and Natural Charm

As the route ascended to its peak, the menhir (ancient rock) on the Pedra do Galo walk, it became more lushly forested with the resinous scent of conifer. There was a richness to the breeze and solid, amber-hued globules bulged from tree trunks. Chalky rock shone beneath our feet and small frogs rested by pool margins, necks pulsing. In the background, energy generators cartwheeled against the sky.

Francisco Simões, the tour leader the next day, was again eager to emphasize that these interior zones can be discovered year-round. Designated walks, created in the last decade, are branches of the Via Algarviana, a path that stretches from the border with Spain for a significant distance, all the way to the Atlantic, and many are now linked to an digital tool that makes navigation simpler.

Ecotourism and Local Experiences

Francisco established sustainable travel company Algarvian Roots in 2020 and organizes tours from birdwatching to day-long guided hikes, all with the identical aims as the AWS: to showcase the region by way of immersion, education and traditional knowledge.

The art connection is present, also – his mother, ceramicist Margarida Palma Gomes, had instructed us to decorate azulejos, the iconic cerulean and ivory ceramic tiles found throughout the country, previously on a cultural activity. Visits to her workshop, as well as to a local potter, can further be organized through Algarvian Roots.

Francisco encouraged us to contribute for the industry by drinking generous quantities of fine wine sealed with cork

Following an superb midday meal of meat dish and cabbage in A Charrette in Monchique, a charming mountain town nestled between the Algarve’s most elevated summits, the 902-metre Fóia and high Picota, Francisco guided us down precipitously stone-paved lanes and into a alleyway, where an older couple sunned themselves at the doorstep of their home.

A sharp path guided us into the forest, the terrain covered in tree seeds. In this location, Francisco was enthusiastic to show us oak trees, Portugal’s symbolic plant and legally protected since the 13th century. Not only are they naturally slow-burning, but their pliable covering is a origin of income for residents, who harvest it to market to other {industries|sectors