Setting off from Portimão or Silves and heading up towards Monchique, after a curve you’ll be surprised by the lush greenery resting on a hill dotted with little colourful houses. This is Caldas de Monchique. The identity of this village is intimately associated with the wealth of its waters and their healing properties. Connected to this thermal-mineral heritage is the Monchique Thermal Complex (1), which currently offers more than just health options to tourists, it also has well-being and beauty facilities. These added SPA facilities complement the traditional treatments concerned with digestive, bone or respiratory problems. The Caldas Natural Complex (2) offers relaxing holidays in a backdrop of water and greenery where pathways that invite you on a revitalising interaction with nature stand out. As for the local cultural heritage you should enjoy the architecture of Caldas de Monchique and visit the Chapel of Caldas (3).

You then set off from Caldas de Monchique heading for Monchique and just before the entrance to the town turn right and take the EN 267 to Alferce.On this road you can climb up to the Cerro da Picota (Hill). At 774m, this is one of the highest and steepest points in the Serra of Monchique, which requires a visit to the Picota Lookout Point (4). Then return to the EN 267 and you’ll be impressed by a magnificent tree, the Canary or Monchique Oak - Quercus canariensis - (5). Further on, on the hill that rises out of fields of olive trees you come across a rural village with whitewashed houses and flowers in the doors.This is Alferce. It is believed that the name Alferce comes from alfaraç (knight) and relates to the Moslem presence in the “Castelo da Pedra Branca or Castelo de Mouros” (Castle) (6). In this village you can visit the Mother Church (7) with its single nave and rectangular chancel. Dedicated to Saint Romão, the church was built at the end of the 15th century and renovated in 1578, the date inscribed in the keystone of the triumphal arch. Also of interest is the primitive image of the patron saint in stone, the covering of the chancel, its carved altarpiece and the pointed arched doorway. Head for the Barranco do Demo (Devil’s Gorge) (8) where you’ll find a gorge the waters of which empty into the Ribeira de Monchique (Brook), in a landscape of rare beauty with views over the spurs of the Serra of Monchique. The Bonelli’s eagle, peak of Portuguese birdlife and of Europe, despite its rarity, is on the increase in this part of the southwest. It nests in large eucalyptus trees, while those more to the north prefer rocky slopes. The Iberian lynx, the most endangered feline species in Europe, also lives in the low and thick undergrowth of this area.

Take the road towards Monchique and you then arrive in the town. Monchique is situated between two rock massifs, that of Fóia and that of Picota, in the heart of the Serra of Monchique. You can begin by visiting the Mother Church (9), a listed building. In the town the natural heritage is represented by a magnificient Norfolk Island Pine - Araucaria heterophylla - (10), seen as such due to its bearing, rarity or age. One of these can be found next to the “Largo dos Chorões” (Square) and the other in the Quinta do Viador.Before leaving the town you should pay a visit to the Casa dos Arcos (11) for some local handicrafts. The most representative of these are the “scissor” chairs. Clay works are on display and for sale in the Casa da Nogueira (12).Honey from the Serra of Monchique and “medronho” firewater are an absolute must and should not be missed. Sausages are other emblematic products: gravy, the “farinheira de milho” (pork sausage made from cornflour), “morcela de farinha” (flour and blood sausage) and “chouriça” (smoked pork sausage) also serve as ingredients in the dishes of Monchique cuisine. And why not try out some beans or chickpeas with rice, beans with cabbage, Monchique style cabbage, some roast meat and a corn meal with a Moorish broth.We recommend a look around the Convent of Our Lady of Exile (13), which is now in ruins but where you can behold the Southern Magnolia tree - Magnolia grandiflora - (14), as specimen considered the highest of its kind in Portugal. You can then leave Monchique and head upwards towards Fóia.