Loulé Interior
QUERENÇA
is about a 15 minute drive from Casa Martin up the very picturesque but
twisting N396 road through forests of eucalptus, pine and arbutus trees.
It is a much photographed small village built around a church, Nossa Senhora
da Assunção on the top of a hill. The restaurants in the
square offer traditional Algarvean cuisine and get very busy at weekends.
SALIR
is a modern small town which has the remains of a castle which was peculiar
for not including a fortress. It was probably built in the 12th/13th centuries,
during the Arab occupation, with the purpose of protecting the peasants
from Christian attacks. There is nothing left of the Castle of Salir except
from some ruins of the walls, the site affords dazzling views of the surrounding
green hills and fields, tuerning this village into a homely and pleasant
place to visit. Salir has a nice little restaurant Mouro Bar Castelo in
the ramparts of the castle with lovely views.
ALTE
is a very pretty village with a dramatic waterfall (when there is enough
water) and peaceful freshwater springs, pools and an old mill. The houses
set in cobbled streets have colourful window frames and intricate chimney
pots. There are a number of traditional potteries here with many handicrafts
on sale.
These villages taken in this order make a lovely half day trip from Casa Martin passing through wonderful peaceful scenery. Return via Paderne and see if you can resist a detour to Purgatorio!
The
administrative district of Loulé council actually stretches much
further than these three villages. If you keep driving north on the N2
road (the old Lisbon Road) towards Ameixal in the heart of the Serra do
Caldeirão then you will notice that the countryside takes a much
more Alentejan look and you will see lots of cork trees along with carob,
olives, almonds and citrus. The villages on the way are very small, the
population low and you are more likely to encounter tractors on the roads
rather than other tourists. You may see local honey, cheeses and liquers
for sale along the roadsides which are usually very reasonably priced.
The opportunities for bird spotting, especailly raptors, are good in this
quiet area.