Monchique 2 Coast to Monchique to Coast From the Vicentine Vicentine the From Discovering the Through the Rural Algarve Rural Vicentine Coast 1 Monchique Hills 2 Secrets of Secrets Budens > Odeceixe Caldas de Monchique > Marmelete We are going to explore the Southwest Alentejo and Vicentine Coast Natural Park and follow the Torre de Aspa 1 Fortress of Sagres 1 Aljezur Castle 1 2 Fóia Scenarios of water and greenery Route of the Infante: forts, castles Fortress of Sagres 1 Lighthouse at Cape St. Vincent 1 with the sea forming the horizon. and viewpoints. We go in search In luxuriant valleys the sound of of the tastes of the sea and the water blends with birdsong. We land: goose barnacles, sea bream, discover hot springs, and the tastes beans and sweet potatoes. of the mountains and the land: We follow the Infante D. Henrique Routes through a sausages, honey and medronho. landscape of rocky headlands, cliffs, dunes, endless sandy beaches and an immense sea. This is “the world’s end”, in In this route through the Monchique Hills, the “Sintra the heart of the Southwest Alentejo and Vicentine Coast of the Algarve”, the scenery is characterised by water Natural Park. We may spot the occasional eagle, otter and Monchique Mother Church 2 and luxuriant vegetation. Springs and streams can other fauna. Mysterious standing stones, forts that bring be found at every turn, in a play of light and shade to mind corsairs and pirates, and the castles of kings and Monchique Hills 2 beneath strawberry trees, pines and chestnuts. We princesses. Viewpoints overlooking the endless horizon of discover hot springs and relax under age-old trees. the Atlantic. And with the wind for company. We descend What better setting for a family picnic than this lush to wild beaches, tranquil coves, traditional fishing ports, greenery, with the sound of running water mingling streams and yet more streams. And everywhere the with birdsong? We savour the tastes of the hills and taste of the sea: goose barnacles, cataplanas, lots of fish the land: sausages, honey and medronho. We cross and seafood. And the taste of the land: sweet potatoes, peaks and hills that lead us into sheltered valleys with beans, chickpeas. Through pine forests and Mediterranean luxuriant flora: camellias, acacias and wild peonies. At scrub we ascend hillsides tumbling with white houses, 902 metres above sea level stands Fóia, an imposing and enter small churches and local museums. We natural viewpoint with sweeping views over the are captivated by the people and their stories. Algarve and the Alentejo, the mountains and the sea. Castelejo Beach 1 2 Medronho fruit Credits Cultural Heritage Natural Heritage Cultural Heritage 4 Ermida das Caldas Chapel 1 Budens Mother Church 18 Sagres Biogenetic Reserve 7 Alferce Mother Church Publisher and Copyright Owner 2 São Luís (Almádena) Fort 22 Sagres Biogenetic Reserve 9 Monchique Mother Church Turismo do Algarve 2012 © February 3 Chapel of Santo António 34 Amoreira Beach and Dune System [email protected] 38 37 10 Museum of Sacred Art 4 Chapel of Nossa Senhora de 38 Odeceixe Beach Viewpoint 36 www.turismodoalgarve.pt 35 11 Church of São Sebastião Guadalupe www.visitalgarve.pt 12 Misericórdia Church 5 Raposeira Mother Church Registered Office 13 Chapel of Senhor dos Passos 6 Milrei Menhir Furnazinhas Av. 5 de Outubro, 18 15 Convent of Nossa Senhora do Desterro 7 Padrão Menhir Vale 8000-076 Faro, Algarve, Portugal 18 do Pereiro 20 Marmelete Mother Church 8 Mother Church of Nossa Senhora da 34 Portela 19 Casas Baixas Telephone: 289 800 400 da Viúva 21 Chapel of Santo António Conceição 33 Alcaria 7 Chilrão do Peso 8 Fax: 289 800 489 9 Museum of Sacred Art 26 17 12 5 6 30 32 27 9 Scissor chairs Rua Nova 10 Almada de Ouro Coordination 10 Castelejo Viewpoint 25 31 28 13 15 20 1114 Natural Heritage Marketing Department 11 Torre de Aspa 23 29 21 16 24 1 3 Alferce Mother Church Turismo do Algarve Casais 2 4 12 Group of Menhirs at Monte dos 1 Monchique Spa Resort [email protected] Amantes 2 Caldas Natural Spa 13 Traditional Fishing Port Graphic Design and Layout 3 Fonte dos Amores DCB design 14 Baleeira Fort 5 Picota Viewpoint 15 Fortress of Sagres Texts 6 Algerian Oak or Monchique Oak 16 Cape St. Vincent Archives of Turismo do Algarve 19 22 8 Barranco do Demo Gorge 17 Cape St. Vincent Fort Complex 20 Photography 21 14 Norfolk Island Pine - Araucaria 19 Carrapateira Fort / Carrapateira Hélio Ramos, Luís da Cruz, F32, Archives heterophylla Mother Church of Turismo do Algarve (Pedro Reis, Hugo 16 Magnolia - Magnolia grandiflora Santos, Rafaela Oliveira) 20 Carrapateira Museum of the Sea 17 Fóia Viewpoint and Land 18 Barranco dos Pisões Gorge Translation 21 Carrapateira Fishing Port 8 19 London Plane - Platanus hybrida Euroscript Portugal, Lda. 23 Arrifana Fishing Port 9 1 10 11 3 Distribution 24 Arrifana Fort and Viewpoint 12 6 4 Aljezur 1 5 2 free 25 Arrifana Ribat 7 Cover: 26 Church of Nossa Senhora da Alva 14 Odeceixe 27 Misericórdia Church 16 17 18 13 Key 28 Monsenhor Francisco Pardal Museum ROUTE 1 of Sacred Art 15 BUDENS > ODECEIXE 29 Aljezur Castle Barranco PROTECTED LANDSCAPE 30 Fonte das Mentiras 31 Artist José Cercas House Museum ROUTE 2 RAILWAY CALDAS DE MONCHIQUE > MARMELETE 32 Antoniano Museum 1 2 3 4 EN 33 Municipal Museum Lisboa 0Km 5Km 10Km Co-financed by 35 Museum of Winemaking PRINCIPAL ROADS 36 Odeceixe Mother Church Faro 37 Windmill Museum SECONDARY ROADS Odeceixe Windmill 1 Aljezur / Igreja Nova Monthly Market: the winds keep us company day and night. The landscape is characterised Useful Information rd Aljezur > Odeceixe 15 km 3 Monday of the month Vila do Bispo > Sagres 9 km by maritime pines and Mediterranean scrub. Large numbers of birds stop Rogil Annual Fair: 3rd Sunday in August Discovering the We return to the EN 120 and continue to Aljezur where we stop to Services and Official Bodies In Vila do Bispo we visit the Mother Church of Nossa Senhora da Conceição to feed here during their migration, such as the black stork, the Egyptian Odeceixe Annual Fair: 1st Sunday in sample beans with sweet potato. The Sweet Potato Festival is held here 38 Municipal Councils: (8), which has a tower with four bells reached by a staircase. In an annex vulture, the griffon vulture, the booted eagle, Adalbert’s eagle, the great 37 September 1 every November by the Sweet Potato Growers’ Association. Sea bream, 36 Vila do Bispo 282 630 600 to the church, the Museum of Sacred Art (9) houses various artefacts shearwater and the Balearic shearwater, making Sagres one of the most 35 st Vicentine Coast gilthead beam and sea bass also feature among the culinary delights. Aljezur 282 990 010 AgroExpo / Vila do Bispo: 1 weekend including a Latin cross with the figure of Christ Crowned with Thorns and interesting birdwatching venues in Portugal. From May to October we can in September In the craft shops, look for patchwork, tin, copper and jewellery items. Portuguese Lifeboat Institution: two monstrances. And we should not leave Vila do Bispo without sampling watch a wide variety of aquatic birds and raptors as this is home to resident Annual Fair and Popular Festival in Aljezur, founded by the Moors in the 10th century, spreads over a hillside Sagres 282 624 493 Budens > OdeceixeFurnazinhas birds such as the red-billed chuff, little bustard, thekla lark, Dartford warbler Raposeira: 2nd weekend in September the goose barnacles! National Republican Guard: down towards the river. In the new part of the town, the houses are built Vale We recommend a detour to Castelejo beach with its viewpoint (10). From and peregrine falcon. Between August and November there is a peak in Vila do Bispo 282 639 112 Aljezur Annual Fair: last Sunday in do Pereiro around the Mother Church of Nossa Senhora da Alva (26). Known as here we can see the forested perimeter of Vila do Bispo, a panoramic view diversity, with over 170 species of aquatic birds, passeriforms and raptors 34 Aljezur 282 998 130 September Casas Baixas seen in this area. We go back up towards Vila do Bispo on the EN 268 to Aljezur. the New Church, it contains a valuable painting of Nossa Senhora da 33 Alfambras Annual Fair: 1st Saturday in of the coast and the Torre de Aspa (11) near Castelejo beach. The remains of 26 Health Centres: Amoreira beach Chapel of Nossa Senhora Alva. We can also visit the Misericórdia Church (27), one of whose wings October the tower stand alongside the present geodesic mark. 30 32 27 Vila do Bispo 282 639 179 de Guadalupe houses the Monsenhor Francisco Pardal Museum of Sacred Art (28). Almada de Ouro We continue towards Sagres on the old road and stop at Monte Salema 25 31 28 Aljezur 282 990 200 Carrapateira > Aljezur 18 km Not to be missed is the 10th century Aljezur castle (29) with its huge 23 29 to see the group of menhirs at Monte dos Amantes (12). These are 9 24 Tourist Offices: Eventos e Festividades Our next stop is Carrapateira, a village nestling among stone walls. walled enclosure and two towers. There are excellent panoramic views Sagres 282 624 873 mysterious standing stones of phallic shape bearing various inscriptions. Vila do Bispo Municipal Holiday - over the mountains from here. The Fonte das Mentiras (“Fountain of Aljezur 282 998 229 Festival of São Vicente: 22 January Carrapateira Fort has walls built from the local schist and encloses Lies”) (30) is situated inside the castle walls.