uwild coastlineAlentejo’s untamed shores offer spectacular seascapes of white-crested waves and toothy cliffs. Popular with surfers, temperatures stay pleasant until the end of October, but the coastline is at its elemental best on those stormy, wind-lashed days when the cliffs are held in thrall to the Atlantic.

teVeRGReenAlentejo stays lush all year round thanks to its vast numbers of evergreen trees. Pines, cork oaks and eucalyptuses crowd the paths of the Historical Way, as here between San Teotónio and Odemira.

qBiRdlifeCabo Sardão is the only place in the world where storks nest by the sea. The chicks can be seen from late spring before flying the nest in late summer. Sagres in the far south is also on an important autumn migration route for several species of raptors, including booted eagles and Griffon vultures.

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Photo: Rota Vicentina

Photo: Rota Vicentina

High above the surf of the atlantic, a pair of storks guard the Rota vicentina. this is the walker’s gateway to alentejo, the forgotten frontier of Portugal’s sleepy south. “People

come here to find themselves,” says Rui graça, owner of the local guesthouse, Naturarte Rio. “alentejo belongs to nature, and to simpler times.” For visitors more familiar with the neighbouring algarve, it’s a place of rediscovery. Chartered flights and rounds of golf are replaced by the rhythms of nature, with autumn and spring bringing idyllic walking conditions. Right now, the sizzle of summer is burning off into fresh, clear skies, and vineyards in the still-green hills are ripe with next year’s wines. it’s autumn, but not as we know it.

as of May last year, walkers can now discover the landscape’s untold secrets on two intersecting trails: the Fishermen’s trail, which follows the region’s wild coastline, and the inland historical Way, a long squiggle through ancient farmlands and terracotta-tiled villages. together they form the Rota vicentina, 350km of virginal footpaths.

For the locals, the new trail has been a source of ongoing bewilderment. “the Portuguese, they think to themselves: why walk for no reason?” explains Rui. but

to any newcomer unfamiliar with alentejo’s treasures, the reasons are plentiful. one of the most seductive sections of the Fishermen’s trail is a 15km clifftop jaunt between vila Nova de Milfontes and almograve, 20km south of the footpath’s official start point at Porto Covo. Milfontes itself is a beguiling outpost, its narrow sandy streets gripped by the atlantic ocean to the west and north and the aquamarine estuary of the Mira River to the south. but it’s the people-less shores which make the biggest impact.

the walk south from Milfontes is filled with the taste of salt and the sound of rock-splitting surf. this is a coastline which dances to nature’s tune, a raw extremity of whipped waves and serrated rocks. the cliffs morph and contort into kaleidoscopic shapes: crumbling sandstone falls beneath the waves and black, toothy rocks gnaw at the water. Further on, a bubbling moonscape of pockmarked rock is drilled by unrelenting white-capped atlantic rollers. it’s the kind of longed-for wilderness which empties the mind of worry; every algarve holidaymaker should come here first.

it stays wild thanks to the creation 18 years ago of the Costa vicentina Natural Park. the Fishermen’s trail tiptoes through the park to odeceixe, where the

overseas walking portugal

72 CouNtRy WalkiNg october 2013

Portugal’s lost worldPortugal’s Alentejo region has lain undiscovered next to the Algarve for centuries, but thanks to a new long-distance trail, walkers are finally starting to uncover its secrets…Words: Rachel Broomhead

Photo: Rota Vicentina

Photo: Rachel B

roomhead

tcoRk oaksStripped from the bark of these remarkable oaks once every nine years, cork is an entirely natural, biodegradable and renewable product. As well as sustaining over 15,000 workers, cork oaks are an important habitat for a wide variety of wildlife. It is thought that 42 species of bird depend on them, including the endangered Spanish imperial eagle.

ton tRackThe Rota Vicentina is a fully waymarked trail and directions with maps are also available online.

qRuRal BlissAlentejo remains refreshingly undeveloped, and wild flowers bloom unchecked. Even now, crocus and autumn snowflakes will be decorating the green hills. Ph

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historical Way continues the journey south to the algarve border at Cabo de São vicente. birds and plants thrive here. Particularly common on the walk from Milfontes to almograve are the swathes of swifts, which evaporate in fork-tailed flashes between the cliffs and the sky. the remaining footsteps to almograve are punctuated with the snap of lizard tails and the soft beat of butterfly wings while a few miles further down the coast at Cabo Sardão is the world’s only colony of seaside-nesting storks. From the top of the folded cliffs, walkers can peer down into their nests and play peek-a-boo with lanky, scruffy-haired chicks.

the historical trail strays from the Natural Park, but it’s just as special. Rodolfo Müller is the man responsible for mapping its route. Swiss by birth, Rodolfo worked as a walking guide in his native country for ten years before moving to alentejo to run a guesthouse and, ultimately, co-found the Rota vicentina. “it was easy,” he says, “i just picked the most beautiful bits.” and so he did. the trail meanders south from Santiago do Cacém through dazzling wildflower meadows and sprawling olive groves to Cabo de São vicente in the far south.

“one of my favourite sections is from São teotónio to odemira,” Rodolfo says. “it’s like tuscany, but better.” the comparison isn’t far from the mark. alentejo’s rolling hills cloaked in eucalyptus and vines are just as pretty and even more important: alentejo is the poorest region in Western europe’s poorest country and it relies

on agriculture. but the region is distinguished by its cork industry. on the trail north from São teotónio, farmers’ tracks are lined with half-naked oaks, bare from their middle down thanks to a nine-yearly stripping of their bark. it’s estimated that one harvest from a single oak produces around 4,000 wine bottle corks. “Just think of alentejo when you next buy a bottle of wine,” Rodolfo says, “and make it a corked one, not a screw-top!”

the cork oak is the only tree able to withstand such regular denuding of its bark, a suitably stubborn survivor in a place where nature calls the shots. tickling the bare trunks are rampant explosions of wild flowers. every spring, lavender, rock roses, chamomile, yellow lupins and wild orchids storm the meadows in a riot of purples, pinks, whites and yellows. towards odemira, the landscape is draped in lavender, parades of purple climbing hillsides against the soundtrack of nightingales, cuckoos and golden oriole.

on the road back to lisbon, the pylons groan under the weight of white and black feathers. Storks crowd them with their untidy nests, flapping their wings and looking nonchalantly down at the traffic. alentejo belongs to us, they seem to say, and to the ocean, wind and flowers. humans are nothing to worry about here.

Turn over for your full PlAnning guide including fligHTs And HoTels.

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Santiago do Cacem

Porto Covo

Vila Nova de Milfontes

Almograve

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Cabo de S. Vicente

Odemira

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Photo: Rachel B

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AleNteJo iS a cauldron in the summer months so spring and autumn are by far the best times to visit. Spring is a particularly spectacular time of

year with its displays of wild fl owers and mild temperatures. Part of the charm of alentejo is its back country sensibility, but it also means that public transport links are basic at best. it’s not impossible to get around using buses, but it will require some careful planning. alternatively, the accommodation network Casas brancas can taxi walkers around the path and transfer their luggage between guesthouses.

tHe Rota Vicentina:

Plan your visit

Make the most of your walking trip with our complete guide...

Photos: Rota Vicentina

neXt stePsuFor more information on walking the Rota Vicentina trail, visit their offi cial website at rotavicentina.com. For more comprehensive tourist information relating to the wider Alentejo region, go to visitalentejo.pt/en uFull details of the accommodation services provided by Casas Brancas can be found at casasbrancas.pt

essentials wHeRe to staY PackaGe oPtions

GettinG tHeReuAlentejo can be reached from both Lisbon and Faro in the Algarve. TAP Portugal (0845 601 0932, � ytap.com) off ers return fares from London to Lisbon in April for £130, while returns to Faro start from £200. From Lisbon, bus 86 runs regularly to the start of the Historical Way at Santiago do Cacem (€13.70) and to the start of the Fishermen’s Trail at Porto Covo (€16). A hire car is a good idea for couples.

Best foR solitudeuAt Naturarte Rio (+351 913 619 939, naturarte.pt), architect Rui Graça has created a slice of Alentejo heaven for visitors to enjoy all to themselves. The seven self-catered houses off er complete independence, with prices starting from €125 per night, including breakfast. HolidaY oPeRatoRs

uThe Rota Vicentina has caught the attention of several walking holiday operators who are starting to recognise the world-class walking opportunities in Alentejo. Inn Travel (01653 617017, inntravel.co.uk) off er a seven-day holiday along the Vicentina coast from Odeceixe to Tres Marias, passing virgin beaches and nesting storks along the way. Holidays start from £690 and include seven nights’ accommodation, seven breakfasts, four dinners and fi ve picnics. Headwater (0845 527 0271, headwater.com) also go to the coast on their seven-day holiday, but also venture inland to Santa Clara and the Corte Brique Valley with its golden fi elds. Prices start from £1,059 and include all accommodation and meals.

GettinG aRounduThe buses provided by the National Express Network (+351 213 581 472, rede-expressos.pt) are reliable and comfortable (usually air-conditioned coaches) but not extensive. Buses 81 and 78 run along the coast while bus 80 serves most towns on the Historical Trail. The further south you walk, the rarer the buses become. Avis (0844 581 0147, avis.co.uk) will rent out an economy car for around £60 for one week, or a large family car for £140.

Best foR RuRal lifeuSet on a traditional working farm, guests at Quinta do Chocalhinho (+351 283 327 280, quintadochocalhinho.com) can pick vegetables and fruit from the gardens between splashes in the outdoor pool. With local trails linking up with the Historical Way at nearby Odemira. Doubles from €75 per night, suites from €125 including breakfast.

MaPs and GuidesuThe best maps for walkers are published by the Instituto Geográgico do Exército. 1:50,000 scale maps can be bought from specialist map shop, Stanfords (020 7836 1321, stanfords.co.uk). There isn’t a dedicated walking guidebook to Alentejo, but rotavicentina.com off ers downloads with walking directions and some contextual information.

Best foR natuReuThere’s no television at Herdade da Estacada (+351 916 880 764, heredadedaestacada.com), just a moonlit veranda, natural lake and bird-fi lled skies. David and Maria Ingham off er rooms in their beautifully decorated house from €80 per night (b&b).

seven self-catered houses off er complete independence, with prices starting from €125 per night, including breakfast.

Best foR RuRal life

(€13.70) and to the start of the Fishermen’s Trail at Porto Covo (€16).

Olive groves and wild flowers: the spectacular meadows of Alentejo near Odemira.

76 CouNtRy WalkiNg october 2013