writing and hiking in the sun
Portugal is a great place for walkers, particularly during the winter when it is generally mild and sunny. Spring and autumn are also good for hiking.
There are plenty of way-marked walks, ranging from long-distance trails like the Via Algarviana and the Rota Vicentina in the Algarve and the Portuguese Way from Lisbon or Porto.
Northern Portugal is more mountainous and is home to the Peneda-Gerês National Park, while the Silver Coast and Algarve provide hikers with some spectacular coastal scenery.
Inland, there are cork forests, eucalyptus groves, white-washed villages, lakes and rivers.
This Christmas – our fifth in the Algarve and the second in Armação de Pêra – followed much the same pattern as in previous years with hiking assuming the focal point in our holiday plans. We’re not currently in lockdown … Continued
Occasionally, I have the maddest ideas. Typically, these involve a walking challenge and (more recently) a little exploration with the help of my Viewranger app. My latest idea was to combine a much-needed trip to my bank and, at the … Continued
We’ve been hearing good things about Quinta da Figueirinha near Silves for some time now. Musician and producer Steve Lima heaped praise on the quinta’s Saturday afternoon jamming session when I interviewed him for Tomorrow magazine. Our friend Jőrg (a … Continued
With Depression Bárbara bringing the first real rains this autumn (not to mention bougainvillea-battering winds), I’m staying at home. Instead of going out walking, I thought I’d write about a waymarked route we did back in September for Walkingworld: a … Continued
