Monchique

To the interior lies Monchique. It is the mountain range that gives this small town its name, and also the Algarve its temperate climate, protecting the region from the cold northern winds. The highest point is Fóia (902 m), but it has much less vegetation than Picota, the second highest. The mountain views are spectacular, especially the panorama over the tip of Sagres, and exploring the range reveals a wonderful variety of vegetation. Nestled on the slope, in the middle of a tranquil forest, are the Caldas de Monchique, a famous thermal spring that reminds us of the characteristic ambiance of the 20's.

"Green, how I love you green". The poet could have been writing of the wooded slopes of Monchique, for after the heat of the Algarve's beaches it is the coolness of the hills that is most striking. These are landscapes that weave a spell of reverie and spur the visitor to stride out in search of unglimpsed horizons that end only in the sea. Here crystalline rivers gurgle between rocks and boulders, while the presence of man is evident in the white dots of houses and the slopes cut into terraces and planted with fruit trees and vegetable plots. The charms of Monchique municipality extend a never-ending invitation.

Caldas de Monchique

The Romans built impressive baths on the site now occupied by thermal facilities dedicated to treating rheumatism and chronic respiratory illnesses and the springs have been put to therapeutic use ever since. In 1495 King Joao II came here seeking relief from the illness to which he was ultimately to succumb.

A pretty square shaded by trees and flanked by attractive buildings dating from the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries epitomises the calm and relaxing atmosphere of Caldas de Monchique. It's worth visiting the little glazed pavilion where the fountain plays and the chapel of Santa Teresa (St. Theresa), which contains a series of 18th century tiled panels telling the story of the saint's life.

The biggest attraction of Caldas de Monchique is however the extensive wooded park that rises up the hillside. Dappled patterns of light and shade, a softly murmuring river and trees that are hundreds of years old make the perfect backdrop for a gentle stroll or a picnic at the stone tables provided.

0 Alferce

This charming village is made up of houses built in the style typical of the Algarvean countryside. The medieval origins of the village church are evident in its ogival porch, its triumphal arch and the ribbed vault in its main chapel. Nearby, on Cerro do Castelo, stand the ruins of a fortification with concentric walls that was probably built by the Romans.

Marmelete

The low white houses of the Algarvean hills stand out from a palette of warm browns and ochres. The bucolic country chapel of Santo Antonio (St. Anthony) stands on a small elevation and affords fine views of the surrounding countryside.

A walk in the Monchique hills

Take the road up to Monchique and at almost every turn you encounter a stunning panorama of sea and mountains. For the broadest vistas, continue as far as Foia, which at 902 metres is the highest point in the Algarve. From there the view stretches away on one side as far as Cape St. Vincent and north to the Serra da Arrabida, near Lisbon, and on the other to Faro and a vast semi-circle of hills.

Picota is 774 metres high, but steeper, and has broad and perhaps even more beautiful views that take in a long sweep of the Algarve and the sea.

Such viewpoints make a good starting point for an exploration of this region of steep massifs cut through with valleys and ravines, of rivers and springs where all year round cold water bubbles clear over stone.

There are many routes to choose from. The road to Marmelete traverses a landscape of terraced slopes, fertile valleys and orchards, passing by the gigantic scar of the "foiaite" quarries at Nave. The narrow tracks that wind into the Serra lead you to places like Romeiras, settled like a sunken ship beneath a sea of mountains, or surprise you with the sudden apparition of lakes like the one formed by the dam at Bravura. Serious fans of mountains, forests, magnificent scenery and splendid isolation will venture as far as Chilrao, CM de Casinha and Taipa. The road that leads to Saboia and the Alentejo passes through some of the most beautiful countryside in the Algarve, a bucolic region blessed with leafy woods and groves of fruit trees watered by fast-flowing streams. It is worth taking the turn off to Barranco dos Pisoes evocating the old water-driven machinery that was once used to beat the woollen cloth and blankets produced locally. Abandoned water wheels are another sign of the region's bygone economic importance.
But the most spectacular route is perhaps the road down from Alferce to Fornalhas and Monchiao through the mountains, where peaks pile up grey on the horizon and valleys and slopes are covered with the green of a million trees.

Trees, flowers and birds

The temperature and rainfall of the Monchique hills are those of a subtropical maritime mountain type climate, which is why exotic plants like yams thrive here. The serra is like a marvellous botanical garden, with more than 1,000 plant species, for many of which it constitutes the southwest European limit.

Despite forest fires and huge plantations of pine and eucalyptus, patches of oak, cork oak, chestnut and arbutusberry tree still persist, along with hundreds of types of colourful wild flowers, turning the hills into a paradise for amateur botanists.

There is plenty for birdwatchers to see too. Among the dozens of species to be found are storks, goshawks, round-winged, royal and mottled eagles, wild pigeons, doves, water hens, kingfishers, cuckoos, owls, nightingales, bluecaps and wrens.

A rock called "foiaite"

Many millennia ago a mass of rock erupted through the schists of which all the hills of the Algarve are made, giving birth to the broken relief that lends the Serra de Monchique its charm. The igneous rocks of which the serra is formed are known collectively as syenites. One of them, because of its specific qualities, has been named foiaite" and is thus forever associated with Foia, one of the places where it has been found. The other, larger outcrop is Cerro da Picota.

A land of crafts

The craftsmen and women of Monchique still make wicker baskets, wooden spoons, knives and other kitchenware, cloths and other linen items as their predecessors did for generations before them. Scissor chairs, so-called because of the way they fold shut, are possibly an invention left behind by the Romans, and are to be found in all sizes.

Modern craft trends are reflected in dried flower arrangements, tapestry pictures and sculptures made of tree branches.

Historical Centre

The houses of Monchique display many of the traditional features of Algarvean architecture - white walls, carved stonework, bands of colour around doors and windows - but their "saia" (literally "skirt") chimneys are quite distinct from those found on the coast. The narrow streets that wind up the steep hillside, revealing fresh views of verdant hills at every turn, lend the town a certain exoticism to which camellias, hydrangeas and fruit trees add a fragrant suggestion of gardens and orchards. An opportunity to discover a facet of the Algarve unlike any other.

To appreciate fully how pretty Monchique is, head for the Largo de Sao Sebastido. The white houses look as if they are perched on steps carved into the hillside, amid a fairy tale setting of bright flowers and cool, green trees.

Visiting Monchique

Monchique is best visited on foot. A walk through the steep streets of the town centre is rewarded with views of magnificent hills, glimpsed between houses, and moments of sunlit calm in unsuspected corners. It leaves a memory of a hill town with a history and character all its own and instils a strong desire to return.

The Main Church

Raised in the 15th/16th centuries, the church was rebuilt following the earthquake of 1755.

The main entrance is in the Manueline style, decorated with cogoilos at its five corners and masks between its columns. The side doorways, which are plainer, date from the same period.

The interior is made up of three naves. The capitals of the columns are fashioned in the shape of twisted ropes, repeating the decorative theme of the main entrance.

In the main chapel is a carved and gilded retable (18th century) that is quite distinctive in design: on the arch are two angels holding up the sun and the moon, while a curious pair of atlantes support the ensemble as a whole. There is an interesting tabernacle in the form of a miniature church. The statue of Nossa Senhora da Conceicao (Our Lady of the Conception) (18th century) is attributed to the sculptor Machado de Castro.

The Capela do Santissimo (Chapel of the Most Holy) contains a small collection of 17th century tiles. Those on the Manueline vault include four panels depicting suffering souls in purgatory and those on the walls show St. Francis saving souls and St. Michael killing the devil.

The waxed chestnut retable (18th century) in the chapel of Nossa Senhora do Carmo (Our Lady of Carmel) possibly came from a now-defunct Franciscan monastery. It is convex in shape, which is unusual in the Algarve.

In addition to an interesting collection of statues, the church also houses a number of ceremonial objects which once belonged to the monastery of Nossa Senhora de Desterro (Our Lady of Exile) (17th century) and some fine vestments.

Church of Sao Sebastiao (St. Sebastian)

Modest-looking from the outside, this church contains a statue of Nossa Senhora de Desterro (Our Lady of Exile) which is highly expressive of sorrow. An accomplished work of 17th century sculpture, it came from the former Franciscan monastery. The baldaquin and the whimsical columns which are incorporated in the retable around the altar possibly share the same origin.

Misericordia (Mercy) Church

The carvings on the altar, pulpit and baldaquin in this church are its chief artistic attractions, together with two large 18th century canvasses and the panels carried in religious processions. There is an interesting raised tribune, decorated with coloured marbling, and a statue of St. Francis (17th century).

Senhor dos Passos (Lord of the Stations of the Cross) Hermitage

This small chapel, topped with two bell-towers, evinces the unassuming style of popular architecture. Inside there is a life-size statue of Christ.

Nossa Senhora de Desterro (Our Lady of Exile) Monastery

The earthquake of 1755 wreaked severe damage on this Franciscan monastery, which was built in the 17th century. Today it is a ruin of some charm, surrounded by trees, with a magnificent view of Monchique and the encompassing hills. The old monastery garden contains the so-called Birds Fountain (Fonte dos Passarinhos), which is decorated with tiles showing birds in a variety of poses, and an impressive magnolia tree which is possibly the biggest in Europe.