Nature on the Rota Vicentina : Arrifana to Aljezur

Nature on the Rota Vicentina

Morning on the Fisherman's Trail

Usually on a long-distance hike or pilgrimage, we try to start walking between 6 and 7 AM.   We like to be on the trail early to 1) enjoy the sunrise, 2) take in the peacefulness of nature, and 3) get as many kilometres done in the coolness of the morning before the heat of the day sets in. However, since today's stage was a short 17-20 km along the coastal Fisherman’s Trail (5.5 km by the more direct Historical Way), the weather was forecasted to be a high of only 17°C, and check-in at our hostel in Aljezur wasn't until 4 PM, we decided to stay for the complimentary breakfast and leave slightly later.  This turned out to be a dubious decision, and one we probably won't be in a hurry to repeat.  

We were awake and packed shortly after 7:00 AM, and spent the hour and a half before breakfast was available watching families of European House Martins feeding their young in the nests under the veranda roof outside our window.  Curiously, the hanging lamps outside the hotel had wicker shades on them that covered the spot where they were hung from the ceiling, and which birds had used to build rounded mud nests into.  

House Martin nests in the eaves of the guesthouse

At 8:30 AM we went to the breakfast room, which was initially empty of anyone else.  Here we leisurely poured ourselves a cup of coffee and chose a seat before going to get our food.   Now, to be clear, buffet-style meals are never really our cup of tea, but today’s fair looked wonderful. Unfortunately, in the time it had taken us to get a cup of yogurt and our coffee, the room filled.  In short order, any semblance of a line or social niceties disappeared as breakfast soon turned into a full contact Rugby-style event, with people vying for position, and body checking each other out of the way. The passion some people put into eating mountains of food when it is presented to them 'for free' has always amazed us, but the actions and attitudes of some guests this morning astonished us.  People who two minutes before were limping and moving as slowly as possible on sore limbs were now hustling from bowl to bowl and tray to tray to get as much food on their plates as possible, regardless of others.  One woman even went so far as to come to breakfast with a hiking pole that she used to block others and slap people’s shins in order to move ahead of others in line.  At the same time, another gentleman stood in front of the automatic coffee machine, blocking all other attempts by others to get a cup of java, as he imbibed 3 successive cups.  

It soon became clear that us being able to reach anything more substantive than the small container of yogurt and coffee which we had already retrieved was not going to be possible.  Even an attempt to get two pieces of sliced bread quickly gave way to other guests rushing to the buffet as though they were afraid that we were going to eat everything.  As such, we soon gave up, left everyone else to their breakfast, collected our backpacks, and checked out.  In the end, I am not sure we would intentionally reserve a place which offered a morning meal, or wait for breakfast, in our accommodations again.   It just seems easier to find a quiet café or bar along the way and sit in peace.  

Ribat of Arrifana

Despite the weather forecast and our hope of cooler temperatures, it was already pretty hot as we re-navigated the town streets and made our way back to the coastline where we could rejoin the Rota Vicentina. Near the ocean again, we could hear the thunderous waves pummeling the cliffs below us, as well as the slow thunder of stones grumbling as the tidal water slowly shifted them back and forth.  As we stepped back onto the Rota Vicentina, the churned-up sand provided for a tough stretch of hiking at the outset of the day.  Alongside us, gorgeous wildflowers lined the edge of the pathway while the distinctive call of European Stonechats could be heard as they flitted between the shrubberies.

 

Hiking on, we soon came to the remains of the Ribat of Arrifana, an Islamic fortress-convent occupied by warrior monks in the 12th century.  It is the only known Ribat in Portugal, and it was founded by Ibn Qasî, a political leader and spiritual guide of Sufism, a mystical form of Islam.  The archaeological remains of this historic site were perched on the edge of the cliffs, and the rooms looked like they must have been very small.  This site has only recently been excavated and has resulted in the unearthing of more than 60 graves.  

Storks and Stonechats

The trail followed the Atlantic coast on a path that could best be described as a ribbon of sand, and it was not long into the day when, to our delight, we noticed an active White Stork nest perched on the top of a rock just offshore. While this is not the first time we have seen Storks in Portugal and Europe, we typically see them in fields or in nests atop hydro towers or on top of church bell towers.  Here along the Rota Vicentina storks build their nests (somewhat improbably) on rocky sea stacks just beyond the coast.  As a result, they are essentially at eye level with hikers, which means that you can easily see right into their nests! 

In the case of the first nesting pair of storks we saw today, we were able to watch as these large gangly birds periodically flew off their nests over the water or inland to hunt for lizards, snakes and frogs.  Minutes later they would return, gliding back to feed their young, who appeared as small white fuzzy chicks, that one of the adult storks was sitting on top of!

White Stork nests along the Rota Vicentina, Algarve, Portugal

Apparently, stork nests can be used and re-used for some time.  Over the years, as successive storks take advantage of these nests, they repair and continue to add to them.  As a result, these structures grow with each successive season.  Stork nests have been measured that are over a meter in height, and one particularly large nest in Poland was estimated to be 1.5 tons in weight! 

Yellow-legged Gull playing in the waves

European Shag nesting in the cliffs along the Atlantic

Yellow-legged Gull coming in for a landing

Sardinian Warbler on the cliffs along the Rota Vicentina

White Wagtail keeping watch on the beach fence

Over the years, these stork structures have been used by other birds as a source of insects and shelter.  As we stood watching the storks feed their young, we could also see a number of smaller birds, likely House Sparrows, swooping in to eat insects out of the nest.  In addition to the White Storks, we also spotted Yellow-legged Gulls and European Shags nesting on outcroppings of rock in the same area.  Amazingly, all of these nests were precariously perched on eroding sea stacks and tiny rock ledges as huge waves continually broke around and below them!  

White Stork nest in Portugal's Algarve

Clearly, nature can always find a way.

Algarve Coastal Vegetation

Eventually, we tore ourselves from this stork nest, only to find several more on the next rocky promontory.  Apparently, today would be a day of storks!  With each new nest the charm of seeing these huge birds soaring overhead and acting as seemingly loving pairs was just as amazing.  

Beyond these fascinating birds, we also found it stunning to travel through a region with vegetation growing so abundantly in the wild that someone from Canada usually only sees in garden centers.  In the Algarve, succulents that one buys in a small pot in Canada are massive, clearly thriving in the sandy coastal stretches of Portugal.  

In addition, the vegetation that carved life amid the sand dunes included a stunning variety of species, such as rosemary, thyme, lavender and myrtle, which grew alongside junipers and other scrubby bushes.   Beyond these plants, apparently, this region also has medicinal and edible plants such as wild asparagus and Portuguese crowberry. 

Praia de Monte Clerigo 

With stretches of the coastline suffering from erosion, parts of the trail followed installed boardwalks, which made for easy walking.  Throughout this area, we also enjoyed magnificent views of beautiful and empty beaches far below us.  From our vantage point, we could also see hundreds of gulls resting on the sand down below us.  

Having spent almost an hour photographing and IDing the huge diversity of plants and flowers along the Rota Vicentina, we continued on.  Eventually, the pathway led us to descend away from the coastline, weaving us between vibrant pink and green homes on a paved sidewalk to the center of the village of Monte Clerigo.  This small community is clearly very much a resort town on the edge of a beautiful beach.  The benefit of this for us was that we were able to stop at a local establishment, the O Zé café on the beach, for cold iced tea and fresh orange juice on the shaded patio!  Here, owing to the lack of tables at the popular bar, we were joined by a number of other northbound hikers that we had seen but never had the chance to talk with.  

Refreshed and cooled off after our café break we crossed the beach, which was filled with surfers, and climbed back to the top of the cliffs on a busy, curving, paved roadway.  Unnervingly, the narrow road which we followed out of town was filled with fast-moving traffic that was unable to give hikers much room.  Reaching the top of the slope we were again soaked in sweat, but we were rewarded for our efforts with great views over the region.  

Praia do Amoreira and Ribeira de Aljezur

Soon after leaving Monte Clerigo the trail wove along the coastline to the Praia do Amoreira.  As it turned out, our time on the coast – with its deliciously cool breeze – would be short. Not long after departing the Praia do Amoreira, the Fisherman's Trail turned inland.  With the afternoon temperatures rising, and our progress slowed by a combination of the sandy conditions and frequent birding stops, we soon regretted our late start this morning. 

A European Stonechat, one of our constant hiking companions

Walking towards our final destination for the day, the Rota Vicentina began to navigate along the Ribeira de Aljezur or Aljezur River. As we trekked through the countryside we could see a river valley below us, which was filled with lush green fields. Along this route, we would get occasional glimpses of the river itself as it ran alongside what appeared to be either fish farms or salt flats. The highlight of this section was spotting a couple Little Egrets and Black-winged Stilts on the edges of these areas, which gave variation to our bird sightings for the last couple of days.

The Aljezur River leads from the Atlantic to the town of Aljezur and, prior to silting up and being changed into farmland, allowed the village to be a port.  At one point it was possible to sail this river from the ocean to the town.  Seeing what exists today, however, and given the current drought, one could not imagine being able to boat along this narrow and marshy waterway. 

Our periodic views of the river soon came to a halt when the Fisherman’s Trail began to follow a long stretch (3-4 km) of exposed hot asphalt roadway.  This unappealing stretch was less of a hike and more of a long trudge along the pavement while avoiding the traffic racing through the region.  

This seemingly endless stretch in the heat eventually led us into a small stand of pines on the side of the road where we took a short break.  Here I must admit that our spirits were not much improved when we realized that a trail sign on the edge of this forest noted that Arrifana – our point of departure this morning – was a mere 5.5 km away.  The exact same distance it had been at the outset of our day from the door of our accommodations!

Resort Descent, Ascent to Alijezur 

Now off pavement and back on a dirt track, the trail wove across the undulating landscape.  Eventually, the route led us slowly on a tight gravel roadway switchbacking its way steeply to the base of the river valley. Once down at the bottom, we thought that perhaps we had gone the wrong way, as we were led to a complex of farmhouses being transformed into what looked like a high-end resort.  

As we trekked across the property we were watched closely by the workers, but thankfully no one said anything or impeded our progress.  We soon came to the imposing gates of the property.  Here we had to squeeze ourselves and our backpacks through a narrow opening in the stone gate, which someone had set a metal post in the middle of, making the already slender slot even tighter for those with a backpack on.

Freed of the resort, the Fisherman’s Trail meandered into a shaded valley, where we passed historical water springs and the remains of abandoned farmhouses.  From the bottom of the valley, we would see a fort and the white steeple of the local church sitting far above us.  From there we trekked along a narrow cobble road which eventually turned and climbed uphill into town, arriving at a crossroads beside a beautiful white church. 

Nature in the City

The village of Aljezur is in a region that has been inhabited from 7000 BCE onward.  The town's name arises from the 10th and 11th centuries when the area was under Muslim control, and comes from the Arabic name of al-jazair, which means “the islands”.  As we soon discovered, a 10th-century Moorish castle stands over the city.   This castle is one of the 7 castles depicted on the Portuguese national flag, and it was the last castle in the Algarve to be captured during the Christian re-conquest by the Order of Santiago in 1249.

We walked into town down a cobbled main street, weaving between the traditional Portuguese white-washed buildings.  Both thirsty and hungry, we found a quaint vegetarian restaurant named Moagem which had a patio that overlooked the banks of the river.  The friendly staff warmly welcomed us in and soon had us enjoying a couple of Black Hole stouts (a beer made in Lagos) a wonderful cheese plate, torrinada toast, and several flavours of hummus.  

As we sat on the covered patio we watched as ducks, geese, turtles, and snakes swam constantly back and forth in the water below the patio, and baby Barn Swallows called out from a bush to be fed by adults.

Barn Swallow babies waiting to be fed outside the Moagem cafe

Domestic Muscovy Duck hoping for handouts on the river

Eurasian Moorhen swimming the river in Aljezur, Portugal

Domestic Mallard paddling along the stream

One of several Pond Sliders in Aljezur, Portugal

Viperine Snake swimming across the river

Ultimately, this restaurant was so good that we stayed too long.  Indeed, we felt bad when we discovered that they already closed and cleaned for the day before we noticed and made a hurried departure.   Despite us holding them up, both staff members were friendly, talked about local birds, and were incredibly kind to us. 

Releash Guesthouse

Leaving the riverside oasis entirely refreshed, we crossed a local stream via a pedestrian bridge and navigated through the new section of town to our night’s accommodations.  En route we passed a large Intermarche supermarket and followed a busy roadway – both of which served as a shocking change from the quiet hillsides of earlier and the more peaceful historical district.  

After only a few minutes we located the stunning Releash Guesthouse.  This gorgeous and cozy private hostel is owned by a young couple who travelled the world before settling down in Portugal. After a brief chat with the owner, we were shown our spacious room, as well as the impeccably clean showers and washrooms.  Here we were also able to machine wash our laundry for the first time since beginning the Rota Vicentina, which was both necessary and a much-appreciated treat.  

After settling in and cleaning up we sat in the common lounge and planned out the coming day’s hikes and lodgings.  As night began to settle in, and having already eaten, we instead decided to go to the grocery store and purchase some snacks rather than going out for a full dinner.  Later, we went for a quiet walk around town to explore.  All in all, being here has made it a wonderful end to a beautiful, though tough, day.

See you on the Trail!