The Hiking Festival returns to the tracks of the councils of Alcoutim and Sanlúcar de Guadiana between the 6th and 8th of March.
The two locations in Portugal and Spain are once again joining efforts to make known the landscapes and natural values of the Guadiana lane, in an event in which local traditions and products have a prominent place.
The event has some mandatory registration initiatives.
Those interested in participating in the “Sunsets of Alcoutim from Sanlúcar de Guadiana”, on Friday, at 16 pm, can register here. Participation in the initiative costs 10 euros.
On Saturday, there are several hikes that require registration [links in the names of the hikes]. As early as 8:00 am, a “Hot Bread and Fresh Cheese Tour”, at a cost of 2 euros.
At the same time, the free walk “Winding along the GR 15 between Guerreiros do Rio and Alcoutim".
At 9:00 am, there is the walk “By Rails of Honey", which is also free and at 9:30 am, the already famous "Morning with the Shepherd“, with an associated cost of 6 euros.
At 15:00 pm, the hikers will follow "On the Route of Plants in Sítio do Pontal” (7 euros).
On this day there are other walks, already sold out, namely “Alentejanices – Along the Great Route of the Guadiana, from Alcoutim to Mesquita”, “Walking in landscapes of peasants and metallurgists” and “Moinhos e Histórias via Ribeira do Vascão”.
On the 8th of March, a Sunday, at 9:00 am, the day starts with the tour “Between Montes and Alcarias” (12 euros) and with the free walk “the birds around us".
At 9:30 am, there is another "Morning with the Shepherd“. At 14 pm, kids and adults are challenged to embark on the “Senderkayak – Walk and kayak” initiative, with children up to 00 years old paying 7 euros and the other public paying 6 euros. https://forms.gle/KssRbw12WstL8XigB9
The initiatives “Algarve, with an aroma of Alentejo and Spain” and “Along the Trail of Shepherds and Mills – Walk in Ribeira do Vascão” are out of stock.
The Alcoutim and Sanlúcar de Guadiana Walking Festival is part of the Algarve Walking Season, supported by Turismo de Portugal and Turismo do Algarve, being the first held throughout the year in the region.
VII Hiking Festival 2020 Program
Friday March 06th
– “The more you walk, the more you imagine the story”, with Rita Sales – Story session exclusively for schools in the county
Rita Sales is an artist, facilitator of non-formal learning processes and storyteller who has participated in meetings of tellers, festivals and book fairs across the country, in Spain, Cape Verde and East Timor. She includes in her storyteller's bag sessions of short stories from photography, tales from the Orient, the Mediterranean, for babies, around tea, with chocolate, either from stories from traditional collections or from contemporary creation, from Portugal and of the world. It develops projects that involve art, creativity and the community, and facilitates workshops and training sessions on creating stories and oral narration, participatory photography and dramatic and bodily expression.
– 16:00 | “Sunsets of Alcoutim from Sanlúcar de Guadiana” | Price: €10,00
Hike from Sanlúcar de Guadiana, climbing to the Castle of San Marcos, from where we continue to Ribeira Grande to the south and return along the Spanish bank of the River Guadiana, with views of the village of Alcoutim. At the end tasting a typical Spanish tapa and drink.
Distance: 9 kms Difficulty: Low Registration limited to 30 participants
Guided by: Fun River and Alcoutim Municipality
Meeting place: Alcoutim Tourism Office | 37o28'16.9"N 7o28'17.1"O
Saturday March 07th
– 8:00 am | “Hot Bread and Fresh Cheese Tour” | Price: €2,00
Walk along the paths around the village of Vaqueiros with a stop for breakfast at Fonte da Parra, next to the Aldeia dam. A walk at walking pace with stops for photography.
Distance: 5 kms Difficulty: Low Registration limited to 20 participants
Guided by: Clube Desportivo de Vaqueiros
Meeting place: Headquarters of the Clube Desportivo de Vaqueiros | 37°23'02.0″N 7°43'38.0″W
– 8:00 am | Winding along the GR 15 between Guerreiros do Rio and Alcoutim | Free walk
Walk along sector 4 of the Great Route of the Guadiana, from the fishing village of Guerreiros do Rio to Alcoutim. Views over the Guadiana River and neighboring Spain and passing through floodplains, vegetable gardens, centuries-old olive groves and stone walls, help to discover the ways of settlement and use of the fields of the lower Guadiana.
Distance: 20 kms Difficulty: Medium Registration limited to 30 participants
Guided by: Odiana Association
Meeting place: entrance to Vila de Alcoutim | 37°28'17.2″N 7°28'20.8″W
With Transfer to Warriors of Rio
– 8:30 am | Sold Out |“Alentejanices” – Along the Great Route of the Guadiana, from Alcoutim to Mesquita| Price: €18,00
A path of unique beauty along the Guadiana River towards the North, through sector 5 of the Grande Route 15 and towards the neighboring region of Alentejo, to the town of Mesquita, in the municipality of Mértola. The walk will have fruit and drinks during the course and an Alentejo lunch at Venda da Prima Mariana, in Mesquita, with musical entertainment of Alentejo sing accompanied by campaniça viola, with artist Paulo Colaço. The return to Alcoutim will be made in 4×4 vehicles, following the old Mértola – Alcoutim road (not tarred), crossing the Ribeira do Vascão, and visiting the Menhirs of Lavajo and Castelo Velho de Alcoutim.
Distance: 18,5 kms Difficulty: Medium Enrollments limited to 23 participants Over 12 years old
Guided by: Mesquita, Turismo de Aldeia and Nuno Roxo Local Guide
Meeting place: Alcoutim Tourism Office | 37°28'16.9"N 7°28'17.1"W
– 9:00 am | By Rails of Honey | Free walk
This activity proposes a tour/experience around Monte do Laborato, unique place name in the country. A beekeeper who has several decades of experience works in this village. For Manuel Simão, the world of bees contains an enchanting fascination and passion. The honey produced by him, predominantly from wild rosemary, is of excellent quality, to attest it is the first place achieved at a regional level, in the Algarve honey competition at the Hunting and Rural World Fair of 2019. Along the way, the hikers will pass by Barrancos dos Pegos, Grande and Fonte do Barranco. About halfway through, a stop will be made to visit an apiary with a demonstration of beekeeping by the beekeeper, who at the end will show his traditional honey factory.
Distance: 10 km's Difficulty: Medium Registration limited to 20 participants
Guided by: Municipality of Alcoutim and beekeeper Manuel Simão
Meeting place: Monte do Laborato – Martim Longo | 37°27'15.8″N 7°45'50.4″W
– 9:30 am | Morning with the Shepherd | Price: 6,00€
Learn the ancestral art of shepherding with a true shepherd, enjoying the beauty and tranquility that the Serra Algarvia offers us, on a walk with a herd of Algarvian Breed Goats along the mountain trails, having the opportunity to learn about aspects of their behavior, eating habits , traditions and history of this endangered breed.
To conclude, there will be a picnic where participants will have the opportunity to taste the famous Fresh Goat Cheese typical of the Algarve Mountains.
Distance: 4Kms Difficulty: Low Registration limited to 25 participants
Guided by: Fonte D'Almece
Meeting place: Court of Silk | 37°26'42.1″N 7°29'47.2″W
– 15:00 pm | “On the Route of Plants in Sítio do Pontal” | Price: €7,00
An invitation to discover nooks and crannies where trees, herbs and plants grow that awaken our senses and whet our appetite. The Pontal site is a pearl of biodiversity that we will discover and share with you… We will follow paths of trees and spontaneous herbs that will surprise you at every moment… join us on this sensory journey.
The route starts and ends at the Pontal viewpoint, where a tasting of some products of the local gastronomy will be held, with plants used in the kitchens and meals of the Alcouteneja people.
Distance: Approximately 6 kms Difficulty: Low Registration limited to 25 participants
Guided by: Monte d' Ideias
Meeting place: Miradouro do Pontal | 37°25'21.3″N 7°27'17.3″W
– 15:30 pm | Walking in Peasant and Metalworker Landscapes | Price: €5,00
Route in the extreme west of the county in lands of bread and millenary grazing. The walk will cross the Ribeira da Corte next to Monte da Estrada to visit Tholos do Malhanito, a funerary monument occupied successively from the Copper Age to the Iron Age. It will end at sunset with a visit to demonstrate how the Pereirão windmill works and tasting a typical dish of local cuisine accompanied by a musical moment of traditional fashions.
Distance: 7 kms Difficulty: Medium Registration limited to 20 participants
Guided by: Municipality of Alcoutim
Support: Associação Intervivos and Wilson Rodrigues
Meeting place: Monte Novo do Pereirão, Martim Longo | 37◦24'37.8''N 7◦52'39.3''O
or transfer from the village of Martim Longo (roundabout) | 37◦26'22''N 7◦46'48''O
– 18:00 | Sold Out | Mills and Stories by Ribeira do Vascão | Free walk
In the late afternoon, we walk along Ribeira do Vascão, paying attention to the mills and their memories. We depart from Moinho das Relíquias along the edge of the Algarve, for 2,5 km after arriving at the near dusk to Moinho do Alferes. Along the way, we hear about mills and at any crossroads, a storyteller makes her appearance to start surprising us with the legends of the millers' universe. Arriving at the Mill, we'll make an interpretive visit and we'll stay there, listening to talk and sharing conversations. Return, at night, along the north bank to the starting point.
Distance: 5 kms Difficulty: Low Registration limited to 25 participants
Guided by: Pedro Bravo Guia and Nuno Rôxo Local Guide
With the participation of the storyteller: Rita Sales.
Meeting place: Moinho das Relíquias | 37°29'55.4″N 7°42'03.6″W
Sunday March 8th
– 8:00 am | Sold Out | Algarve, with an aroma of Alentejo and Spain | Price: €15,00
The return of one of the Festival's emblematic walks. Departure from Alcoutim by boat to Pomarão (Mértola), and walk to Sanlúcar de Guadiana along the Natural Route of the Guadiana, with impressive views over the Grande Rio do Sul. Stop for a snack in the old mining port of La Laja. At the end, in Sanlúcar de Guadiana, tasting a typical Spanish tapa and a drink.
Distance: 21 Kms Difficulty: Medium/High Registration limited to 25 participants
Guided by: Fun river
Meeting place: Alcoutim Tourism Office | 37°28'16.9"N 7°28'17.1"W
– 9:00 am | Between Montes and Alcarias | Price: €12,00 (Includes traditional lunch at the end – homemade chicken stew with potatoes)
The village of Pereiro is a central place in the municipality of Alcoutim, located on the large plateau between the streams of Vascão, to the north, and of Foupana to the south. The finds around the village have always been rich in hunting, attracting distinguished figures. himself the King D. Carlos. The monarch's hunting journeys led to the construction of the first road in the municipality, linking Alcoutim to Pereiro at the end of the century. XIX. The walk we propose aims to show you the magnificent landscapes of this territory, from the finds through Alcarias (alcaria means rural village of Arab origin), following through Barranco da Barrada to Ribeira da Foupana. The return will be marked by the ascent to the accentuated peaks, in the surroundings of the stream, where unforgettable panoramic views open up. Passing through Monte dos Matos and visiting the uninhabited village will mark the story of this trip.
Distance: 17 km's Difficulty: High Registration: limited to 20 participants
Guided by: Municipality of Alcoutim
Meeting place: Largo do Mercado, Pereiro | 37°26'45.9″N 7°35'45.2″W
– 9:00 am | Along the Shepherds and Mills Trail – Walk along the Ribeira do Vascão | Price: €5
Ribeira do Vascão is one of the most enchanting streams in the Lower Guadiana. We will follow the trails of goats and shepherds along the stream, from the village of Clarines to the Ponte de Giões. The landscape is breathtaking, when the eye tries to follow the morphology of the valley and the vegetation that covers it, where almond trees, cork oaks and holm oaks predominate. The surprise is repeated at every curve, the green highlights traces of other times, such as the water mills, fantastic constructions that mark the history of Ribeira do Vascão.
Stop at the old spa of Águas Santas, replenish energy and continue to find more traces of our ancestors.
Distance: 9 kms Difficulty: Medium/High Enrollments limited to 20 participants Over 12 years old
Guided by: Biotrails
Meeting place: Next to Ponte de Giões | 37°29'56.3″N 7°42'03.9″W
Walk with transfer at the beginning
– 9:30 am | Morning with the Shepherd | Price: 6,00€
Learn the ancestral art of shepherding with a true shepherd, enjoying the beauty and tranquility that the Serra Algarvia offers us, on a walk with a herd of Algarvian Breed Goats along the mountain trails, having the opportunity to learn about aspects of their behavior, eating habits , traditions and history of this endangered breed.
To conclude, there will be a picnic where participants will have the opportunity to taste the famous Fresh Goat Cheese typical of the Algarve Mountains.
Distance: 4Kms Difficulty: Low Registration limited to 25 participants
Guided by: Fonte D'Almece
Meeting place: Court of Silk | 37°26'42.1″N 7°29'47.2″W
– 9:00 am | The birds around us | Free walk
In the towns and cities we inhabit there are countless birds that we don't even notice. Whether in parks or in the skies, life is also that of the birds around us.
In the village of Alcoutim, in its alleys, in the river, in its floodplains and in the surrounding yards, there is much to see, birds, some more discreet, others less, make their living and present to us their color palette and their diversity for us open your ears and awaken your eyes.
Distance: About 2 km Difficulty: Low Registration limited to 10 participants, from 6 years old on
Guided by: Pedro Bravo Guide
Meeting place: Alcoutim Tourism Office | 37°28'16.9"N 7°28'17.1"W
– 14:00 | Senderkayak – Hiking and kayaking | Price: Adults €12,00 /children up to 7 years €6,00 (Passage Alcoutim/Sanlúcar de Guadiana is not included)
The return of a walk that had its debut in 2017 and that combines the pleasure of walking with the discovery of the waters of the Guadiana River and Ribeira Grande de Sanlúcar in Kayak. The tides will dictate the way to make the route, whether you start walking or you start paddling, stopping at Ribeira to change clothes. Accompanied by monitors.
Distance: 8 kms Difficulty: Low/Medium Enrollments limited to 30 participants
Meeting place: Fluvial Beach of Sanlúcar de Guadiana | 37°28'16.9″N 7°28'05.3″W
Information and registration:
All routes have mandatory registration and payment at the beginning of the walk, except those advertised as free and the activity “Em Canto pela Algarviana”, which is the responsibility of other entities.
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