River explorations in the east Algarve

I’ve been sharing hiking posts on this blog since January 2015, so guess it is not surprising even I have forgotten some of the posts I have written. It is one of the reasons I am looking forward to using the next couple of months to look back over what I have written and to share some of them again. First though a short video to tempt you to explore my archives with me.

The above was taken near Sapal de Baixo, on the south side of one of our favourite rivers the Riberia de Odeleite. It is not the first time I have filmed the goats here, nor the first time I have shared them with you. Check out this 2017 post – It maybe midwinter but it doesn’t feel like it. The post is one of more than a dozen posts I have written about our walks beside and above the Odeleite. It really is a favourite hiking area. If you have a few moments why not explore one or two of our other Odeleite hiking adventures;

• On the trail of Nightingales – around 14km in length exploring forested hills and river valleys. There’s even a fabulous viewing platform.
• A stroll down memory lane – discovering the incredible flora and fauna of the Odeleite valley as well as little bit more about the village
• Sunbathing goats, snakes and Little Owls – you never know what you might come across on the banks of the Odeleite
• Exploring the ‘Grande Rota do Guadiana’ – we may not have walked the full 65km but we did get to observe Bee-eaters diving into water.
• Thank goodness a cloudy day – the perfect time to explore the Algarvian hills is in spring but even then it can be too hot sometimes
• A three river adventure in the Algarvian hills – this one is glorious but it is a longer hike of around 16km and best not attempted after heavy rains
• A venue rather than a kettle – another video but this one is of an Eurasian Griffin Vulture. They are becoming a more regular sighting.
• On the other side of the river – There are not many places to cross the Odeleite, so consequently we tend to do one side of the other
• Canyon gardens and riverside allotments – Tractors were unheard as late as the 1960s in this part of the Algarve; then work animals did everything.
• Hill walking in the Algarve – rapidly changing skies about the river valley meant we needed both shorts and fleeces!
• And not a sheepdog in sight – Shepherds and goat-herders seem to have extra special skills in Portugal
• Nightingales in the Pomegranate Trees – with the help of the excellent maps we discovered new circular trails in the hills above the Odeleite
• Glorious views abound – some days the weather is just perfect for landscape photography and picnics
• A return to the Odeleite & Foupana – who knew there were so many different colours and types of lavender
• A magnificent hike in the Lower Guadiana – we may have been in the hills above the Odeleite but for most of the walk it was the Guadiana that caught our eye

Looking back at that final hike reminds me of another video I took of the views from the hills above Foz de Odeleite. I will dig it out ready for next week’s adventures in the archives when I will also share some of our Guadiana hiking trips. For now though here’s a look at the view behind me if I had been looking the other way when I was filming the goats. This is a wonderful river valley.