“Green, how I love you green”.
The poet could have been writing of the wooded slopes of Monchique, for after the heat of the Algarve’s beaches it is the coolness of the hills that is most striking. These are landscapes that are perfect for contemplation, for discovering horizons that end only in the sea, for healthy walks along footpaths and beside crystalline rivers in the midst of rugged hills.
The presence of man is evident in the white houses dotted over the landscape, and the terraces cut into the slopes and planted with fruit trees and vegetable plots. The many charms of Monchique extend an invitation to visit the municipality at length.