Easter in the Algarve

Páscoa no Algarve (Easter in the Algarve) is quite a bit different than in America. Sure, Lindt chocolate bunnies are found in the grocery stores but the Easter Bunny is not really that prominent here. What does stand out are the folares.

Folares

Folar da Páscoa is an Easter bread and folar recipes vary from region to region. From the Algarve town of Olhão comes Folar de Folhas (Leaf Folar). These folares are cylinder-shaped with a flat top and small raised edge. They are made in tall narrow pots, with the leaves of the bread being the layers of dough interspersed with syrup made from butter, sugar and cinnamon. Other Algarvan folares more closely resemble cinnamon rolls. Some folares are cake-like with flavors of medronho (Portuguese brandy), orange, or carob.

I did a double-take on the folares with an unshelled egg protruding from the top. Egg Folar is a traditional gift from godparents to godchildren at Easter time — the egg is symbolic of new life, of Christ’s resurrection.

Alcaria do Cume

The amid platbands and olive groves route in the Discovering Tavira Guide sounded like a perfect way to spend a Wednesday morning. This route promised to take us 535 metres up to the highest point in the municipality of Tavira: Alcaria do Cume, a prominent peak in the Serra do Caldeirão mountains.

Having already visited Santo Estevão, we headed straight to Santa Catarina da Fonte do Bispo. Here, we enjoyed a stroll through town, including a look at its church and cemetery. We also stopped in a cafe called Madeiras Pão Quente for a coffee. We ended up buying a gorgeous loaf of bread, a folar, and a pastry to go with the coffee.

Heading out, we missed our turn and in the process, encountered a small river that was covered with delicate little white flowers. What a happy mistake!!

The correct turn was just a few metres away, and back on track we headed into a rather beautiful area. We also appeared to have the road to ourselves and seeing a sign about bad road conditions made us wonder if this was the reason why. Yet, the road was in good shape for our entire journey – another happy circumstance.

Wildflowers were abundant alongside the road, and the view of the Atlantic Ocean to the south got more spectacular as we climbed higher. I saw my first cork oak tree here. A cute windmill was situated on top of a hill as we rounded the bend to the lookout at the highest point.

Pulling alongside the road, we found an old picnic area within a grove of pines. Here, we stood very still and listened to the wind blowing through the trees. It felt like magic yet I do admit that the toppled pillars made it feel a bit eerie.

Consulting the guide, we were told to continue, for about 400 metres, turn right and head down a dirt track. We didn’t feel that adventurous so we followed the small but well paved highway N397 instead. We passed many hamlets, and stopped at a roadside picnic area that had a swing and other things for Tom to play on.

Percurso dos Sete Vales Suspensos

In last week week’s blog post, Cinco Meses, I wrote about finding the 7 Hanging Valleys trail. This week, we went back to walk from Praia Marinha to the Alfanzina Lighthouse. Even though the trail continued another 1km to Praia do Vale de Centeanes, we had plans to head directly to the town of Carvoeiro, grab lunch, explore its coastal walk, and main plaza. 💎 Highlight Video.

7 Hanging Valleys

The parking lot at Praia Marinha was full when we arrived, so we drove 0.7 miles to the one at Benagil. Still, wanting to start at Praia Marinha, we walked back along another trail. This trail was covered with wildflowers and we were the only ones on it.

Arriving at Praia Marinha, I noticed a cat colony and wondered if the cats knew how lucky they were to live in such a beautiful area.

After admiring the cats, we headed out on the trail. The views were distractingly gorgeous, and even though there were quite a few people on the trail, it didn’t feel crowded at all. The trail was mostly flat with a bit gravel-y descents and ascents by Benagil. There is opportunity in some spots to go down onto the beach (and climb back up) but we didn’t do that.

Carvoeiro

The Passadiços do Carvoeiro are raised wooden pathways along the town’s seaside cliffs. From here, we saw many people exploring Algar Seco, a gnarly weathered limestone formation with caves to explore. The most famous cave is called A Boneca (the Doll) that has two openings overlooking the sea. We saw families with young children running around here, and cringed at the danger of it. Maybe we were too over-protective as parents?

We followed the wooden walkway until it became a regular sidewalk, then descended into the main plaza before returning to our car. Along the way down we found plaques showcasing hand-painted tiles every few feet.

Good Friday

On Good Friday, the Procissão da Enterro do Senhor (Procession of the Burial of the Lord) would start from Igreja da Misericórdia in the evening. Earlier in the day, we went inside the church to see the preparations. The scent of lavender filled the air as fresh sprigs had been placed on the path of the procession.

At 9pm, we waited at the bottom of Porta de Dom Manuel, the ancient gateway to the city. From here, we had a good view of the processional, which waited for sermons in Portuguese, Spanish and English before making its way across Ponte Antiga. The route would take over an hour to complete as it continued along the river, across the other bridge, up the top of Rua da Liberdade, and then back to the church.

Easter Day

On Easter, we visited the town of São Brás de Alportel to see the Flower Torch Festival. What’s special about this festival is the carpet of flowers displayed on the streets. It covers roughly 1 kilometer, takes 3 tons of flowers, and hundreds of volunteers to create. I had no idea the designs would be so elaborate. Check out the 💎 Highlight Video.

We walked along admiring the flower designs and then joined the throngs of people lining the street. The Procession of the Resurrection with the Flower Torches started at 11:30am. We watched men carrying torches made of flowers, stopping every few feet to do a traditional hymn and response — Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!