Armação de Pêra – Silves

This delightful half-day linear walk from coast to Moorish castle introduces you to the Algarve's beautiful countryside and its turbulent past.

Silves is a delightful town on the bank of the Arade River. Steeped in history, the town has an imposing restored fontaleza dating back to the time of Moorish occupation, a thirteenth-century bridge and a Gothic cathedral. Silves Castle is one of the best-preserved in the Algarve and the narrow, cobbled streets meandering up to it just screech history. The majority of visitors who make the trip to Silves arrive by car, bus or on an organised tour, but that doesn't mean you have to do the same. Follow peaceful roads, tracks and the occasional footpath on this half-day walk, then enjoy lunch in one of the many restaurants and cafes Silves has to offer before setting off to explore this pretty, traditional town.

Starting from Armação de Pêra, this walk proves how it is perfectly possible to leave a tourist resort and very quickly find yourself wandering among the orange groves and rolling hills of the barrocal. After leaving the coast, the route heads towards the whitewashed village of Porches before crossing the N125 to head north. There are sections of gravel track walking (with far-reaching views towards the high peaks of Fóia and Picota) before you join quiet roads. Look out for the levada (an irrigation channel snaking through the agricultural landscape) which you will cross more than once. This region's rich rust-coloured soil has resulted in the recent proliferation of vast fruit plantations; where once only oranges lined the roadside, the slopes are now covered with young avocado and mango trees. After passing Silves Golf Course, the route enters Silves Gare, the hamlet which is home to Silves' nearest railway station. The last section of walking becomes a little more rural and includes a short but steep section of grass or stony footpath and a longer section along a rutted clay path through a wooded valley.

There is something quite magical about glimpsing Silves for the first time (and I experience the same visceral response every time I visit). This walk reserves that wondrous moment until almost the very end (nearing Waymark 24). From your vantage point on the far side of the Arade River, the Moorish fortifications opposite appear vast and imposing. The first castle on the site is believed to have been built for the Romans or Visigoths, but it is the Moors who – between the 8th and 13th Centuries – created the vast sandstone structure now dominating Silves (it was classified as a National Monument in 1910). The views inland from the fortifications are simply stunning. Despite its small size, there is plenty to enjoy in Silves (and a lot of steep cobbled streets to walk in doing so). The Gothic cathedral (Sé) is situated close to the castle and the chapel opposite (Igreja da Misericordia) is well worth visiting for its impressive altarpiece. Don't miss the museum (Museu Municipal de Arqueologia de Silves) and a chance to peer down the 20-metre well at the site where the area's huge natural underground reservoir (Querença-Silves aquifer) was discovered. Near the old bridge, a Moorish-style garden has been created, with fountains and statues. Farther down the Arade, there is a beautiful riverside park – and if you have any energy left – there is a scenic 4.8km circular route to follow.

Portugal - South Portugal - Central Algarve - Silves

Walk id: 8723

Walk grade

Moderate Walk

Length

8.9 Miles

Height gain

216 Metres

Duration

3 Hours 56 Mins

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