The PR18LLE Rocha da Pena and PR16LLE Fonte Benémola Pedestrian Routes have already been approved by the Federation of Camping and Mountaineering of Portugal (FCMP), announced the City Council of Loulé.
These two paths are included, respectively, in the Local Protected Landscapes of Rocha da Pena and Fonte Benémola, protected areas under the management of the Municipality of Loulé.
In this context, the Councilor for the Environment and President of the Directive Committee for Protected Landscapes of Rocha da Pena and Fonte Benémola, Carlos Carmo, and the President of the Parish Council of Salir, Deodato João, together with the technical team of the Environment Division, carried out a visit to the renovation and maintenance work of signage in these places.
The Municipality of Loulé recalls that the main phases of the approval process consisted of drawing up the project and filling in the registration forms for the route by the promoter; in the registration of walking routes; in the implementation of the project in accordance with the regulations for the approval of walking routes; in the homologation of the courses by the Federation and in the maintenance, which must be ensured by the promoter, for five years.
Hiking in Portugal has undergone a significant increase, as a result of the commitment of the Federation of Camping and Mountaineering of Portugal and local authorities, as well as tourism regions, among other entities, equally committed to promoting the practice of this sport and, in particular, as a Nature Tourism activity.
Hiking is generally practiced on rural, traditional and old paths, which deserve to be preserved, as they are a privileged means of contact with nature and interpretation of the environment, promoting sustainable development and nature conservation.
The regulation of the practice of hiking is based on the marking of walking routes. Properly marked walking paths in areas of interest for nature conservation (such as protected areas), promoted and monitored with a view to their maintenance, become essential as a way to reduce the impact on vegetation of high value for nature conservation thus constitutes an active and responsible tourism product, dignifies promoters and contributes to the socioeconomic development of the regions where they are located.
With the approval of Local Protected Landscapes of Rocha da Pena and Fonte Benémola walking routes, the aim is to «guarantee the quality of facilities for the practice of hiking, as well as the safety of practitioners and the protection of the environment where the sport takes place». explains the autarchy.
An Approved Pedestrian Route is defined as a sports facility identified by the brands GR (Great Route), PR (Small Route) or PL (Local Route), with the respective registration number, and which bears the approval mark assigned by the Camping Federation and Mountaineering of Portugal.
It complies with requirements relating to the layout, marking and maintenance, particularly with regard to the safety of practitioners and the preservation of the environment. It is an itinerary marked on the ground through right path marks, left and right change of direction, wrong path, general information panels, along rural paths.
On the online page of the Câmara de Loulé, the leaflets of the Local Protected Landscapes of Rocha da Pena and Source Benémola for each of the routes, in five languages, namely Portuguese, Spanish, French, English and German.
The Camping and Mountaineering Federation of Portugal is responsible for publicizing these routes, nationally and internationally, through editions (own and in partnership) and in the your website.
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