Walk x21. Parises - Cabeca do Velho Circular.  15 K. Ascent: 670m  GPS:  37/ 14.  52.  01.  7/ 51.  09.  47.

This is a walk in the wild country east of Barranco do Velho. The terrain is hilly, but the paths are all clear and easily followed. The area is marked by quite a number of abandoned settlements resulting from the flight from the land in the later part of the last century, though there are signs that some properties are now being bought and renovated. Phone connections are hit and miss out here, so make sure someone knows where you are intending to walk. There are refreshments to be had in Parises, but not at any other point on the walk.

Getting to Parises.

This is a long journey!

From the south, exit the A22 motorway at the Sao Bras de Alportel turn-off, and follow signs up to Sao Bras.  Follow the Sao Bras bypass road which is signed to Alportel and Almodovar. Take the exit signed N2 Almodovar, and follow this through Alportel and up towards Barranco do Velho. Approaching Barranco, find a turn to the right, signed to Javali, and take this road. Close to Javali, turn left, signed to Parises, and follow the road to the village. Come to a minor crossroads near a fonte, and park where you can. 

Start of the Walk at Parises. The starting road is on the left.

The Walk.

Take the narrow tarmac road to the left of the fonte, (1) and walk gently uphill for 130m. Pass a road on the right, and begin to descend. Pass by a collection of houses, swing round to the right and after 300m come to a T junction. Turn left (2). Now descend steadily into a valley over the next 2.7k, first due south going down quite steeply, and then southwest, more undulating. Arrive at a point where a narrow track forks from the main route on the left (3), and follow this as it starts to climb quite steeply. Stay right at a junction after around 100m, and follow the track for just under 900m to a junction with another track. (4). Swing round a hairpin bend to the left to join this track, and follow it eastwards for 550m on an undulating course.

Come to a junction with twin tracks on the right (5), and carry straight on, rather more north-easterly, for another 440m. Come to another junction (6) and curve left to walk due northeast, following the same undulating line, then starting to climb a little more steeply. Ignore minor tracks on the left, and after almost 400m turn quite sharply right to face southeast. Walk in this direction for another 700m, at which point the track goes through a sudden loop to the north and then drops south.  170m from the turn south, go straight on at a cross-tracks (7), and swing southeast. Follow for another 500m as it goes through another slightly wider loop and come down to a cross tracks. (8).

Go straight across here and continue east then southeast, staying left at a junction after 200m. After another 500m the track swings east, and soon comes to a T junction. (9). Turn right and head south uphill, going straight across at another crosstracks after 300m. Swing left and continue eastwards descending after another 200m (10). Now head northeast then east, descending very gently, over the nxt 1.3k.  At a crosstracks with water on the right (11) go straight on, heading north and starting to climb, more steeply as you go. After 830m, come to a small collection of buildings (Fronteira) (12), Turn left after the first building on the left, pass between this one and another on the right, and where the track splits immediately afterwards, stay left.

Go round a hairpion bend, still climbing, and 300m from point 12, take the right hand at a fork (13). Follow the track due north for just over 600m. Stay left at a junction and bear more northwest for another 370m. Go straight on at a crosstracks (15), and follow the track northwesterly, ignoring all turns to the left. After almost 600m, come to a small collection of buildings, and join a surfaced road. Continue on the same track, and shortly arrive at Cabeca do Velho on a wide tarmac road. (16)

At Cabeca do Velho.

From here it is possible simply to turn left and walk along the tarmac back to Parises, some 2.5k away.

To continue the marked route, turn left on the tarmac, keeping to the left, past the small picnic area, and take a track on the left as the road bends right. This track quickly starts to descend. Follow it as it turns first left and then right. 360m from point 16, turn right down a narrow track, heading first northwest and then west. The track then turns southwrads and the clear path ends after 300m, (18) leaving only a narrow footpath ahead. Stay on this path as it heads into the valley. After 130m turn right and pick up a clearer track leading down to the valley floor.. Turn left through a hairpin bend here (19).

Now start to climb quite steeply out of the valley. After 100m, fork left onto a minor track heading west, and shortly at a fork take the right hand (20). Head northwest and then north into a valley. At the floor, turn northwest and climb steeply. 800m from point 20, arrive at a junction with a much wider track and turn right (21). Continue to climb over the next 580m, coming to a tarmac road. (22) Turn left here to walk the last 400m into Parises and the end of the walk.

 GPS Points GPS 37/7