Adventure ALGARVE

beyond

It’s the Algarve but not as you know it John Pearson visits a wild southern Portugal and discovers that it’s a vastly different place to the region’s packed holiday beaches PHOTOS JÉRÔME ANDRÉ

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with a couple of rock crawls, and I have to the river for some distance. It ends at Almada de It’s also a farm (quinta is the Portuguese word engage low range for the first time on this trip. Ouro, where we exit through a shallow stream. for farm), producing its own olives, vegetables Once we reach the village the streets are narrow, Now we’re in for another treat, a visit to the and eggs – and there’s an adorable donkey with just enough room to squeeze through. Reserva Natural do Sapal de Castro Marim Vila called Ferrari. And the bar manager Mariana We pass some orange groves, the trees heavy Real de Santo António. This is Portugal’s oldest Gonçalves runs a lovely 1997 Camel Trophy with ripe fruit, and then a gravel track goes nature reserve, opened in 1975 on marshland edition 300Tdi Discovery. through some olive groves towards Afonso and salt pans (which date back to Roman times). There’s a great restaurant here too, and Vicente and Cortes Pereiras. Here we turn south, It’s located alongside the Guadiana, tucked into tonight we get our first taste ofcozido de grão – on a rough, narrow track going high above the the south-eastern corner of the country . Portuguese chick pea stew. This tasty traditional beautiful valley of the river Cadavais. We pause A total of 169 different species of birds visit Algarve dish includes lamb, pork, beef, sausage, to take in the magnificence of the geology, here during the year, including black-winged fried bread, vegetables and chick peas. with its dramatic angular layers of rock. It’s wild, stilts, avocets, storm curlews, fish eagles, After the meal we also sample some remote, beautiful and very peaceful. hundreds of flamingos and the rare short-toed medronho, a strong, schnapps-like spirit distilled ‘This,’ says José, ‘is the Algarve nobody knows.’ lark. Guide Agostinho Gomes takes us to several from the fruit of the medronho (strawberry tree) At the village of Guerreiros do Rio, we stop locations to view the wildlife. which grows wild on the mountain slopes. to visit the Museu do Rio. This small museum Eventually, with the sun going down, we drag Next morning we head north-east into the – housed in the former local school – gives a ourselves away, heading along the Algarve coast mountains above Quinta do Marco, the track fascinating look back at the importance of the to the Quinta do Marco hotel, nestling in the flanked by olives and carob trees, which are Guadiana – which here forms the border with Serra do Caldeirão hills north-west of Tavira. grown for their edible pods. The next track, Spain. There was fishing for eels, sardines and in the direction of Daroal, climbs even higher, sea bass – as well as cross-frontier smuggling ‘It’s rough in delivering lovely views back to the sea. until the border was opened officially in 1974, Then we drop to a river crossing, the clear after the Portuguese revolution to overthrow the places, with a waters lined by bamboo canes which are country’s right-wing dictatorship. couple of rock traditionally harvested for insulating house There’s also a display of replica boats of the roofs in this region. type traditionally used on the Guadiana, all crawls, and I After crossing the ford we stop to say hello to Most rivers were fastidiously built by a local. have to engage an elderly couple, Rosa and João, who inhabit a higher than normal Continuing south, we take a gravel track to Foz remote house some distance from the nearest de Odeleite, then another that runs alongside low range’ village. They’ve lived here together for more than

A round of the Great Idyllic location Portuguese Bake-Off for a picnic

lue sea and sky, endless golden chain ferry across the river in the days before while José and Jérôme are leading the way in beaches, holiday apartments and there was a bridge here. This gives us an amazing José’s black Td5 Defender 90. swimming pools surrounded by view across to the town, which transforms into A solitary swallow swoops past our Defenders, sunbeds. That’s many people’s something truly magical as night falls and the welcoming us to the first track of the adventure, perception of the Algarve, an lights come on. just south of Mértola. It’s an undemanding area that’s little different to We’re crossing into those narrow streets for gravel road with no need to drop into low range, Bholiday resorts all around the Mediterranean. our evening meal, at the Casa de Pasto Tamuje but what is special about it is that it takes us But there’s another Algarve – the one that has restaurant. This is where José’s local knowledge high above the Guadiana’s fast-flowing waters, wild, remote mountain tracks, beautiful rugged pays dividends; from the outside it looks like a delivering delightful views back over Mértola. terrain, and towns and villages where the nondescript café you might walk straight past After this we drive a variety of tracks, passing region’s culture, tradition and rich history can without giving it a second glance, but once through areas of pines, olives, wild herbs, prickly still be experienced. It’s probably Portugal’s best- inside there’s a gem of a dining room where pears and the pervasive gum rock-rose. kept secret, and I’m here with our Portuguese fabulous local food and wines are served. We make several stream crossings, where correspondent José Almeida to discover it. the waters are higher than normal after some We’re starting in historic Mértola in the heavy rain in a region that typically suffers from Alentéjo region, just outside the Algarve. Sitting Days 1 and 2 drought and high temperatures in the summer. strategically on the Guadiana river near the Mértola to Boliqueime The track to the remote farming village of Spanish border, this delightful old town has Vicentes is rocky and washed out in places, then retained much of its Arabic heritage gained from Highlight: Wild Algarve scenery another rocky one brings us to Sedas village, the country’s Moorish occupation during the where we drop down on to the N122 road. This eighth to the 13th centuries AD. Whitewashed This is my first major overseas adventure takes us to a bridge over the Ribeira do Vascão, buildings on narrow streets could easily pass for since the passing of my partner and travelling the river that marks the border between the somewhere in north Africa. companion Pat last year. But I’m with José and Alentéjo region and the Algarve. Incidentally, the We’re staying on the eastern side of the photographer Jérôme, whose company she name ‘Algarve’ goes back to Arabic times, being Guadiana, in the lovely Casa Amarela (the Yellow enjoyed – and I’m also joined by friends Roger derived from Al Gharb, which means ‘the west’. House) B&B. This was once a busy store, which and Gilly Chown from my village. We’re in my A track off the N122 shortly after crossing the Driving high above the Cadavais valley sold goods to travellers who caught the nearby much-travelled ex-G4 Challenge Defender 110, bridge goes to Santa Marta. It’s rough in places,

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getting there: You could cross the Channel and take the long drive down through France and Spain, but these days I prefer to cut out a huge chunk of mileage by taking a Brittany Ferries boat from the UK to Santander or Bilbao in Northern Spain. When you take into consideration the cost of fuel, tolls and overnight accommodation through France, the cost of the ferry makes a lot of sense. Our outbound journey from Portsmouth to Santander, Spain was on the company’s économie boat, Baie de Seine. This is a ‘no frills’ service. The self-service restaurant has Picnic on the Making medronho a limited number of options (although the 110’s wingtop the traditional way food is good) and the voyage takes five or six hours longer. But it is cheaper and the cabins are still very comfortable. Mértola I also looked forward to sailing back from ALGARVE Santander to Plymouth on BF’s flagship boat, Pont-Aven. It’s a great way to round our route Guadiana off an adventure by having a slap-up meal Alcoutim in the Le Flora à la carte restaurant, where Odeceixe the food is superb. There’s also a self- Mealha Monchique service restaurant and a café for snacks. Cachopo Economie sailings start from £235 each St Bartolemeu Benafim Odeleite way for a car + 2, including en-suite cabin. de Messines Grande Serra de Azinhal Cruiseferry sailings start from £274. Monchique Barranco Velho Info and bookings: brittany-ferries.co.uk. Castro Caldas de Marim Monchique Silves Santa Catarina da Fonte do Bispo Portela Portimao Loulé Cape St Gilvrazino Tavira Vincent Lagos Sagres Olhâo Faro

This is why Portugal’s a popular destination

Plenty of testing hillclimbs on the trip

50 years, and João was born here more than An hour later we’re taking the wonderful- then head north to a long, mega-steep, loose- 80 years ago. They grow their own vegetables, smelling baked bread from the oven with a surfaced climb that has me changing down make their own chouriço spicy sausages and, long-handled wooden pá, or shovel. Then we into low-first and engaging diff lock. After this, until recently, baked their own bread. eat it fresh, dipping it in olive oil with garlic and more tracks, including some quite challenging After saying our farewells, we climb to the oregano. This is called tiborna in Portuguese – ones, take us up to 1755ft. Then we drop down summit of the 1570ft Alcaria do Cume. Topped and even my bread tastes good. to the National 2 road a – which José tells us by a tower, this provides fabulous 360º views of The culinary delights aren’t over yet because stretches for 455 miles – and head towards our the countryside, and to the south you can see as we’ve invited down to the local riverside for a accommodation for tonight. far as Faro on the coast. picnic of a pot of cozido de grão produced by We’re staying at the delightful Molinum Then we’re visiting the narrow streets of the the ladies. It’s delicious, and the sun is shining ad Mare, to the north of Boliqueime. It’s a out-of-the-way village of Mealha. Here, some – for which I’m told we should thank St Peter, tastefully furnished B&B built on the site of an aspects of the way of life are unchanged from Portugal’s weather saint. old windmill – which itself has recently been how it was many years ago – including baking Feeling stuffed – very stuffed, actually – we restored and converted into a self-catering unit. bread in a communal oven. set off again in the Land Rovers on to some It’s in a beautiful, tranquil location, delivering As one of José’s ‘surprises’, I’ve been chosen to gravel tracks that wend their way high above spectacular views over the coast. have a go at kneading some of the bread dough the Foupana river valley, before descending to Our gastronomic experience continues before it goes into the oven. Village mayor, Otília cross it. Immediately after the ford we turn left unabated. We pile into a taxi and head for the Cardeira, shows me how to do this in front of our and follow the course of the river for a while, Veneza restaurant in the village of Paderne. This group and some of the village’s ladies – although is not only special thanks to the quality of its my ineptitude as a dough-kneader causes a lot ‘We head to a local Algarve food, but because the dining room of tittering from the audience. is literally the wine store. You’re surrounded by Once Otília has re-shaped my doughy long, mega-steep, an astonishing 1600 different types of wine, 95 offerings into something more like they should loose-surfaced per cent of which are Portuguese. There are also be, we transport them to the oven – which is more than 1000 different ports, sparkling wines traditionally lit once a week for community climb that has me and spirits, including many types of gin. baking. They use dried wood from gum rock changing down Originally a shop that had a reputation for roses gathered from the local hillsides as a free selling everything, the building was transformed source of fuel for the fire. into low-first’ into a disco in 1970 for 13 years before it became

52 LRO July 2018 July 2018 LRO 53 Adventure XXXXXXXXXXALGARVE a restaurant. Current owner Manuel Janeiro walk around it, making sure we’re keeping began the process of turning it into a wine store/ the positive frame of mind suggested by the restaurant back in 1995. adjacent noticeboard. PORTUGAL Next comes a series of undulating gravel tracks nEED TO KNOW Days 3 and 4 though areas that are completely overwhelmed ● Language: Portuguese. by the gum roses, before entering a eucalyptus ● Currency: Euro. Boliqueime to Casais, Monchique forest that looks more like Australia than ● Cost of fuel: £1.33 per litre for diesel – fill Portugal. Then there are some steep, first-gear your tank in Spain (£1.12 per litre) before Highlight: Monte de Lameira climbs with a couple of rock crawls. crossing the border. On a 60-litre fill-up, medronho distillery These tracks take us near to the medieval town that’ll save you £12.60. of Silves, where José has arranged for us to take ● Time difference to UK? Same. This The sun’s shining and the sky is a beautiful an exclusive look inside the National Breeding suprises many, but the Greenwich Meridian deep blue, enhancing the prettiness of our Centre for Iberian lynxes. It’s headed up by slices right through Portugal. surroundings. We head north-east from the B&B Rodrigo Serra – the director of captive breeding ● We stayed at: Casa Amarela, Mertola on to a track that becomes a little too tight for – who’s as passionate about Land Rovers as he (casa-amarela.pt); Quinta do Marco, Tavira comfort a few yards in. After a session of pruning is about his work. He drives a 1982 Spanish-built (hotelquintadomarco.com); Molinum ad by José and me, we emerge on to some rocky Santana Series III. Mare, Boliqueime (molinum.pt); Vale terrain, with drystone walls built from limestone Rodrigo tells us that the lynx was extinct in Fuzeiros Nature Guest House, Silves and, in places, deep red soil. Vibrant wild flowers Portugal as recently as 2002, but the breeding (zitur.pt); Vinha do Gaio, Casais line the tracks and we pass through areas rich programme has resulted in 210 being introduced (vinhadogaio.com); Casas do Moinho, with orange groves, olives, figs, carob, cork oak, into the wild, with a high survival rate. Odeiceixe (casasdomoinho.com); Memmo aloe vera, prickly pear and wild strawberry trees. Human contact with the animals is avoided for Baleeira, Sagres (memmohotels.com). We climb a sinuous tarmac road that’s used as when they are released, but we get to see some ● Other information: a mountain stage in the Tour of the Algarve cycle breeding females on live video in the centre’s Reserva Natural do Sapal de Castro Marim race to the high point at Moinho do Malhão. ‘mission control’, where specialists observe their Vila Real de Santo António Here there’s a Tibetan Buddist centre, Humkara activity. And then we drive to a public viewing (algarvewildlife.com); Cape St Vincent Just one of many river Dzong. Its stupa monument is open to everyone, area high above the centre – where we can see lighthouse (tinyurl.com/ycj7mqhs). crossings on this trip so we go in and do a traditional clockwise the lynxes through a telescope.

Portugal’s beautiful wild west coast

We’re overnighting at the nearby Vale Fuzeiros Inside the pot is a traditional meal of milhos it’s time for a substantial, traditional meal of Nature Guest House, an ecotourism B&B in a com feijão – which is maize with beans, pork and pork cheeks on a maize purée. With a glass of small farm nestling in a valley alongside orange various local sausages. After showing us how medronho, of course, to aid digestion. groves. Being close to the coast, fish is on the the medronho is produced, Helena serves up a menu, and our evening meal is the traditional delicious lunch from the caldeirada, and it would bacalhau com natas, which is cod with potatoes, have been very rude if we hadn’t washed it Days 5 and 6 onion, cheese and cream. down with a sip of the medronho. Well, actually Casais to Sagres We drive across one of the two local dams, the two sips, because we also try the variety that’s Barragem do Arade; the other being the Funcho. blended with local honey, which is claimed to be Highlight: Driving big climbs in Then we climb on a series of tracks heading good for sore throats. Monchique mountains north through more eucalyptus forests. The rain’s too heavy for driving any more tracks We’re into the Serra de Monchique mountain today, so we head for our accommodation. This Our journey takes us west across the Algarve, range, which lies to the north-west of the is the Vinha do Gaio (‘vineyard of the jay’). It’s cutting through the Serra de Monchique Algarve, forming a barrier with the Alentéjo. based at a former farm just outside Casais, south range. Many of the tracks we’re driving have It’s misty and rain is imminent, but that’s not a of the Monchique mountains, where six well- all-weather gravel surfaces, although a few are problem because we’re going to be spending appointed rooms have been built on to one of muddy after yesterday’s heavy rain. A lot of the some time indoors. We’re visiting the small the farmhouses. Olives and oranges are grown area we drive through is dedicated to raising artisan distillery where Monte de Lameira here, as well as a variety of vegetables that eucalyptus trees on terraces cut into the hillsides. medronho spirit is produced. guests can pick for their dinner. These are used for paper production, and their Helena Martiniano, who runs the business with Talking of dinner, we’ve just about recovered fast-growing and regrowing ability means quick her husband, welcomes us inside the 100-year- from the sturdy milhos com feijão lunch when profits compared to other species. old stone building the distillery is housed in. We stop for a coffee in the popular tourist It contains a number of large wooden barrels town of Caldas de Monchique. Apart from its – including some 100-year-old ones made from ‘The 110 is thermal spas, this is famous for its neo-Moorish chestnut wood – where the ripe medronho style of buildings built in the early 20th century. berries are fermented after harvesting. And carrying a lot of Back out on to the mountain tracks we drive there’s a copper still to produce the spirit. weight, but it a couple of steep, loose-surfaced hills and There’s also wood smoke in the air, with the then a mega-steep climb. My 110 is carrying contents of a large pot (caldeirada) bubbling keeps slogging a lot of weight, with the three of us and our away on a fire, smoke drifting up through gaps on. That’s what luggage, plus the extra tent and kit for my two Mountain tracks as far in the roof in the way it did back when the passengers, but it just keeps on slogging its way as the eye can see building was erected. There’s no chimney. Defenders do’ up. That’s what Defenders do.

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Dramatic views over Portugal’ s west coast

Historic Cape St Vincent lighthouse It helps to have a at Europe’s south-westernmost point Portuguese translator

We’re working our way across to the highest After a comfortable night in the cottages, the food’s good and the view over the harbour point in the Algarve, Mount Fóia. After more we’re on the last leg of our journey, heading is magical. And that’s the end of our Portugal tracks through eucalyptus plantations, we south down the Algarve’s dramatic west coast. adventure. Great driving, fabulous scenery, good emerge on to tarmac for the last bit up to the It’s a beautiful place, with a number of tracks food and a friendly welcome everywhere. LRO summit, at just over 2950ft. Low cloud prevents that bring us close to the angry Atlantic waters. us seeing the amazing view to the coast. The sea is deep blue, topped by milky white surf l Thanks to Hugo Nascimento and the But it gets better, because there are some and bordered by dramatic rock formations. Algarve Promotion Bureau for their help good, technical low-gear descents on the In the afternoon we meet a friend of José’s, with this adventure. For further info on the downward tracks, trickling over rolling rocks and Ana Carla Cabrita – who runs Walkin’ Sagres, a Algarve, go to algarvepromotion.pt/en. across loose surfaces. Then we continue west walking tours company. She gets us out of our across to Odeceixe on the Atlantic coast. There’s Land Rovers to take a closer look at the fauna a lovely beach here, but the sea is wild today. and flora in the Cape St Vincent Natural Park. We’re staying in some old cottages that have What’s good about walking with an expert like dreamoverland.com been converted into holiday accommodation. Carla is that you’re encouraged to take a macro- José Almeida started out as a Land Rover The Casas do Moinho retain the traditional look around you. For example, plants growing on enthusiast who offered to guide me exterior of the buildings, so the village still clifftops by the sea are significantly smaller than on an adventure in Portugal a number looks as it always did, but inside they are ones growing inland. Even the normally prolific of years ago, but these days he runs totally refurbished, with modern bathrooms gum roses are reduced to bonsai proportions. his own professional adventure travel and kitchens, and mezzanine floors for the Then we drive down to the south-westernmost company. There are a number of UK-based bedrooms. Owner Arnaldo Couto has brought point of Europe – Cape St Vincent. The historic organisations who run trips in Portugal, but new life to the village that had several derelict lighthouse on the edge of the cliffs is closed for the advantages of travelling with José on houses. He’s a Land Rover man, owning a restoration, so we grab a group photo outside one of his guided adventures are his local Defender 110 and L322 Range Rover. the gates before sheltering from the wind. knowledge for places to drive/visit/eat and, He also owns the Altinho restaurant, just up Our final accommodation is a contrast to the of course, he speaks the language (it must the street from the accommodation, where we small places we’re stayed at so far. It’s the 144- also be said that his English is excellent too). have another splendid feast, with a main course roomed Memmo Baleeira hotel on the rugged More information: dreamoverland.com. of tasty Iberian pork ribs. Baleeira harbour in Sagres. It’s comfortable, LRO

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