❮ ❯

The Serra de Monchique is a gently rolling mountain range that separates the Algarve from the neighboring Alentejo. Its slopes are covered with deciduous oak and chestnut forests, making it one of the few places in Portugal where autumn brings truly vivid colors. At nearly 900 meters, its highest peak, Fóia, offers sweeping views on clear days across the southern Algarve coastline and westward to Cabo de São Vicente.

This tour reveals a different, more authentic side of the region. In Monchique, a small market town known for its handicrafts, honey, and traditional sausages, we take a pleasant walk to connect more closely with local life. Along the cobbled Rua da Igreja, just behind the main square, we visit the 16th-century Igreja Matriz, the town's parish church. It’s also time to taste what Monchique is famous for - the local firewater, Medronho, distilled from the small red berries of the arbutus tree that grows on these hills.

Arriving in Silves, you may even wish to pick your own oranges straight from the trees - with a bit of advance planning, it’s entirely possible. Today, Silves is an atmospheric town of outdoor cafés and fragrant orange groves, dominated by one of the best-preserved castles in the Algarve. The Moorish fortress, with its complete circuit of sandstone walls and detached towers, covers twelve thousand square meters atop the hill overlooking the town.