Day 1 - Arrival in Faro
Arrival at Faro airport. Optional transfer to your accommodation in Faro (20 min).
Depending on your arrival time, explore this charming regional capital on the edge of the Ria Formosa Natural Park. Explore the "baixa" on foot, with its beautiful pedestrian streets covered with "calçada", these small mosaic cobblestones typical of Portuguese cities. The medieval Vila Denti, guarded by storks' nests, contains treasures of Pombaline architecture from the eighteenth century as well as the cathedral built on the site of the great mosque of the Moorish era.
Meals included: None
Night: Faro
Train (10 mn) from Faro to Olhão. A visit to the Olhão market is highly recommended to start the day. Admire the stalls full of regional produce: dried fig cheeses, almonds and carob cakes, oranges, mangoes... "muxama" (dried tuna steak), fish and seafood from the nearby ocean or lagoon. From the bustling port, a shuttle boat (30 min) crosses the lagoon of the Ria Formosa Natural Park to the barrier island of Culatra where no cars circulate. The sandy alleys of the small fishing village lead to the huge beach with turquoise waters that you walk along to the village of Farol, the southernmost point of Portugal. Return by boat (30 min) to Olhão and then train to Faro.
After a transfer (40 mn), a footbridge leads to the island of Tavira. The trail crosses a dune ridge before arriving at the long, pristine beach of Barril. In the former temporary fishing hamlet of the "arraial", an anchor cemetery and a small museum attest to the great era of tuna fishing in the region. The itinerary continues along a path that crosses the "Barrocal", a fertile coastal plain dedicated to gardens and orchards. The charming little village of Santa Luzia is ideal for a break and offers beautiful examples of Sotavento algarvio architecture. You will then walk along the salt pans and crystallizers of the Tavira salt flats, where, depending on the season, many ornithological observations are possible.
Transfer (30 mn) to the village of Santa Catarina in the wooded hills of the hinterland. From mountains to valleys, this hike allows you to discover the rural way of life in the Algarve: olive trees, almond trees, arbustus trees, some vines, cork oaks and carob trees, not to mention the beehives for honey. The scent of aromatic plants such as rosemary, Iberian lavender or large cyst enhance the walk. The "norias", wells and mills attest to the livelihood activities of the past. Return by private transfer to Tavira.
Transfer (20 mn) to the village of Cabanas on the coast near the border with Andalusia. From the fort of São João ba Barra, built in the seventeenth century, the path runs along the lagoon of the Ria Formosa Natural Park. Sandbanks and barrier islands form a unique ecosystem between land and sea, living to the rhythm of the tides. Thousands of birds love this area during the migrations between Europe and Africa. The village of Cacela Velha, built on a fortified rocky outcrop, enjoys an exceptional panorama of the entire coastline as far as Spain. Return by transfer (20 minutes) to Tavira.
End of the trip after breakfast. Optional transfer to Faro airport (40 min).
