Easy hikes and walks around Pereiro

Furnazinhas is a charming mountain retreat, where time seems to have slowed down. The town remains faithful to the traditions and way of life of the Algarve's interior, proudly preserving its authentic soul.

High on a hill near Afonso Vicente, stand the Lavajo Menhirs, Neolithic stone sentinels that have guarded the silence of this valley for over five thousand years. Carved in greywacke and engraved with circles and dimples, these monoliths seem to align themselves in an ancient mystery. Recovered and restored in 2004, they have returned to their original location, inviting passersby to imagine a time when the stone spoke to the sun.

The castle sits atop a hill overlooking the Guadiana River. The river forms the natural border between Portugal and Spain.

Originating in the Caldeirão Mountains, this stream meanders down to the Guadiana, preserving one of the best-preserved riverbeds in the river basin along its mountainous course. In winter, it rushes down, carrying mud, sediment, and vegetation debris, carving the valley with sheer force. But it is in spring that it is reborn, crystal clear and fresh, until the summer heat causes it to shrink into thin streams, leaving only shimmering pools in the dry riverbed.

The "old" castle of Alcoutim is located about one kilometer north of the town, on a hill overlooking the Guadiana River and the Castillo de San Marcos in Spain. The site complements a visit to the Archaeological Museum and is freely accessible.

Alcoutim is a small but attractive village in the interior of the Algarve. It is located about 40 kilometers from the coast on the border river with Spain, the Guadiana. The most beautiful sight of Alcoutim is actually the view of its twin village Sanlucar de Guadiana. You can cross by ferry, but also very spectacularly with a zipline. The only one in the world with which you cross the border.

In Furnazinhas the 3rd walk of the Via Algarviana starts. After crossing this village in a northerly direction, the route leads you along a steep landscape with fallow land, meadows, vast sun rose fields and here and there a vegetable garden that is still in use. The pronounced relief is broken by several streams.

Alcoutim is a town and municipality in the Faro district of Portugal. The municipality has a total area of 577 km² and had 3,770 inhabitants in 2001. The town of Alcoutim, located in the easternmost part of the municipality on the Spanish border, just across the Guadiana River from the Spanish city of Sanlúcar de Guadiana in the province of Huelva. So you can cross the river to Spain by boat 🇪🇸