We began by driving west to the Vicentina coast and drove to the Carrapateira walking trail, a huge wind-sweat beach and headland with high cliffs.
There is a 5.7 k circular trail along the coast, but with winds close to 35mph, we only did a small portion of it.
Then we headed north and inland to Monchique, driving through rich green mountains and valleys with terraced fields. Monchique is an artsy small town. We had lunch in a sunny cafe ( piri piri chicken and fresh sardines) before exploring the town.
Our last stop was in Silves, which was once the Moorish capital of the Algarve before knights on their way to the holy lands retook the area from the Moors. The castle is one of the best preserved in the region and dates back to the 900s under Moorish rule. It is red sandstone.
Beside the fort is a rather austere 12th century cathedral where many of the knights who were killed in the battle foe Silves are buried.
The town of Silves is charming, with tiny cobbled streets and old houses.