Hidden Gems

Cerro de São Vicente is a 169-metre hill west of Paderne with the ruins of an old windmill on top. It is the high point of the PR2 ABF walking route and one of the best places to take in the Barrocal countryside around the village. From the summit you look over the valleys of the Alte and Algibre streams, which meet nearby to form the Quarteira. The valleys cut through Upper Jurassic rock about 160 million years old. You can also pick out the remains of a former brickworks, with its chimneys and flooded clay pits, and the motorway crossing the valley. The PR2 ABF is an 11.5 km loop that leaves Paderne, passes the chapel of Nossa Senhora ao Pé da Cruz and the hamlet of Purgatório, climbs the hill and returns along the Alte and Algibre floodplains, between dry-stone walls and almond, fig and carob trees.

The highest point in the Algarve, at 902 meters, Foia offers wide panoramas that extend from the Algarve coast to the Monchique mountains and, on clearer days, to Cabo de Sao Vicente and the African coast. It is the top of the Algarve in every sense, an ideal place to appreciate the scale and diversity of the landscape in this region.

The second highest point of the Monchique mountains, at 774 meters, the Picota viewpoint offers a grand panoramic view over the Algarve and the mountains. Less visited than Foia, it is surrounded by dense forests of cork oaks and strawberry trees, making the path to the top a total immersion in mountain nature. The solitude and the breadth of the view are the great reward.

Viewpoint at the top of the cliff at the northern end of Castelejo Beach, overlooking the beach, the neighboring Cordoama Beach, and the dramatic black schist rock formations. The cliffs in this area are among the highest in the Algarve, and the rugged landscape of the Vicentina Coast is particularly impressive here. Located in the Southwest Alentejo and Vicentina Coast Natural Park, it offers an almost panoramic perspective of the Atlantic Ocean and the wild coast.

One of the best spots for cliffs and wild landscapes in the Algarve, Pontal da Carrapateira is a windy promontory that juts out over the Atlantic with dramatic force. The views over the coast, the waves crashing against the rocks, and the immensity of the ocean create a powerful sensory experience. It's a perfect place for contemplation and landscape photography.

A scenic road and elevated viewpoint in the Cerro de Sao Miguel area, near Estoi, offering one of the best panoramas over the Algarve's eastern coast. From the top, you can see the Ria Formosa, the city of Faro, the airport, and the vastness of the barrocal. It's a discreet and poorly marked spot, but it generously rewards those who seek it.

Remnants of a watchtower and sentinel post from the 16th century located on the highest cliff along the Algarve coast, about 156 meters above sea level. A white obelisk marks the summit and is visible from a great distance. It was part of the ancient defensive network that controlled navigation and coastal attacks. The panoramic views extend from Cape Saint Vincent and Sagres to the entire Vicentina Coast. One of the most dramatic and least visited viewpoints in the Algarve.