The village of Santa Margarida sits on the side of a hill above the small tourist town of Alte, in the central Algarve. It is a good start-point for several walks. This walk runs west from the village out along a long rocky spur towards Messines.Crossing to the hamlet of Pico Alto, it takes in three wind turbines and the Pico Alto trig pillar before descending and turning eastwards, along the  beautiful Conqueiros valley, to head back towards Santa Margarida. Near the bottom of the hill leading back to the village, it turns off northwards to climb the height of Picota (not to be confused with Picota in the Serra de Monchique) on the opposite ridge, swinging round in a wide arc to descend through the villages in the valley before making the final climb back up to the start-point. NOTE: This route involves some tricky navigation. The terrain underfoot is also quite difficult in places, so be sure to have good footwear. There is a stiff climb towards the end, but you can avoid this by turning right instead of left at point   

Leave the A22 motorway at the IC1 turn, north of Albufeira, heading for Messines. Turn off at Messines, and follow signs to Alte. At the roundabout at Alte, turn left up into the town. Take the first left, a hairpin bend, which is signed to Santa Margarida. Follow the road up past the Alte Hotel and round the curve onto level ground. Drive into Santa Margarida village, and at the crossroads turn right, uphill. Bear right at a fork, and when over the rise, park on the grass verge on the right, taking care to avoid sections with a shallow ditch. NOTE: There is at present no acceptable bar in Santa Margarida for pre or post walk refreshments, so you may wish to stop in Alte before and after.

With your back to your car, turn left and walk back to the centre of Santa Margarida.. The official start-point is at the crossroads, with a bar opposite.(1) Go straight across, leaving the bar on your left, and enter the Estrada das Eiras. Emerge on level ground overlooking a valley on the right, with a number of barragems.(dams). Into open country, pass a large pale yellow house on the left with an Estrada sign on the wall, and after 20m turn left on a gravel track. (2) After 30m, turn right uphill with the gravel towards a converted windmill ahead. Bear right past the mill and follow a rather overgrown dirt track up left and then right, to head gently uphill north-west.

View near the start, looking over to Picota, the highest point.

Follow the track for around 480m from the gate to the windmill, at which point it ends. (3)  You are now surroundeed by scrubland, with many alternative ways forward, so follow the next instructions carefully. A reasonable guide as to whether you are following a recognised path is to look for where other boots have discoloured the rocks, leaving an orange-brown stain. Go forward from the end of the track for a short distance on a patch of open ground, and where that ends facing low bushes, turn left. After around 20m, turn right on a narrow fottpath, heading just north of west, and follow it for something over 100m to the first landmark, the corner of a low wall. (4)

Pass to the left of the wall, and continue on the same heading, keeping fairly close to the edge of the plateau, for another 400m, winding through rocks and low scrub. As you go, see the first glimpse of three wind turbines ahead, and to the left through a gap, the town of Messines in the valley. At the end of this section, come to a house over on the right, with a garden between you and it.  Pass the house by way of a gravel area with a picnic table, and follow the path as it dips into a shallow depression on the other side. For the first 300m or so after the house, the path is pretty clear, but very winding. At this point (5), the path turns slightly south of west for about 250m, to point (6), and then resumes a more northwesterly line. On this section, you will find that the path sometimes seems to disappear in front of small trees or bushes. Work round both sides to find where it resumes.

Continue to follow the path quite close to the edge of the plateau for another 300m, to point (7). Keep on passing by or over the remnants of stone walls, a reminder that the whole of this large area was once clearly divided and cultivated. Small concrete markers indicate where land ownership is maintained. From point 7, the path keeps roughly to the northwesterly line, but the edge of the plateau moves further away on the left. After another 180m, come to point 8, and turn slightly to the right with the path, which becomes steadily more rocky, but you will see and sense that you are coming towards the end of the plateau. Another 16m brings you to that point, (9) where you can stand and look out over the valley, with the motorway and Messines in the foreground, and away in the far distance, the Serra de Monchique, the highest hillis in the region.To continue the walk, and to descend from the plateau, retrace your steps for around 60m, and find a path similar to the one you have been following, heading over to the left. (10). Follow this is it descends over rocks and through bushes, ending after around 120m at a wide gravel track. (11) 

Turn left along the track, and after around 350m  on a right hand curve as the track starts to descend, find a track on the right going downhill quite steeply.Follow this down for 200m, coming to an open space where the track turns sharp left. (12) Look over to the right here, and see a wall of rocks and a tree line ahead. Walk right for a few paces, then turn left and find your way over the rocks at a gap in the trees, and drop down onto a track, with a tree plantation in front. Turn left and walk around the plantation for around 220m. At a sharp right hand corner, look left to see another track slightly below the one you are on, and drop down under trees to reach it.Turn right and follow the track for about 350 as it rises, eventually coming to a junction with a tarmac road. (13) Turn left. At this point there is the opportunity to shorten the walk. After 130m, turn right on a track. Following this will bring you after 550m to Point 18 Turn right here to continue the route. To continue the full walk, continue along the road for a further 700m, to the hamlet of Pico Alto.

Here is another choice, to cut out some distance and ascent. Instead of staying on the main road, take the lane on the right leading up into Pico Alto. A few metres along, turn sharp right up a narrow land  which leads after 170m to a building which used to be the local school, and is now a small environmental research centre. You are now close to point 17. 

To continue the full walk, stay on the road as it rounds the hamlet and starts to descend. 320m from the second short-cut, see a track on the right, ascending quite steeply. (14) Follow this as it climbs towards the first of the three wind turbines. When you reach the first one, there is yet another chance to take off some distance, and a void a backtrack. Off the bend on the right by the turbine, find a narrow path leading off sharply to the right. Follow this for just over 400m to reach the old school, and follow instructions from there.

Those still determined to do the whole route should carry on past the other two turbines. After the third one, the wide track becomes a rocky footpath. At a track divide, bear right and soon come to the end of the ridge, with a trig pillar and an excellent view, with a lookout tower and a swing!.(15)  A good place for refrreshment. To continue, you must retrace your steps to the first turbine. At the bend by it, find the narrow path on the left (16) which will lead you after 400m to the old school.

Cross the hard surface of the school yard and go over the low wall at the other side. Walk through the field beyond, keeping to the left, and find the beginning of a path leading down on the left. (17). Follow this for almost 500m as it descends, sometimes steeply. Come to a wide dirt track and turnright. After about 100m, come to a wide dirst road, and turn left (18).

 Follow ithe track down to meet a tarmac road after 350m.. Turn right  here, and walk along it for just over 1k, taking the right at a fork after 280m,(19) and then passing through the small settlement of Conqueiros. Beyond the settlement pass another small group of houses off to the left. Soon after, see a small barragem on the left, and take the next track on the left, going downhill. (20). At the bottom turn right, and walk along a track just above the valley floor. After 1k, the track turns sharp left to cross the valley floor. (21) It then kinks right and left, with a house over to the right, and comes up to another tarmac road. Turn right, and after 150m, bear left on a narrow dirt track leading gently uphill. (22)  After 280m, come to a track junction and turn right. Walk on level ground for 130m to reach a wider tarmac road, and turn left.

Take the second turn on the right after a short distance. (23). Wind uphill through trees and emerge onto open country, passing a rather dilapidated farm on the right. Go through a dip and up to a junction, with a house up to the left. (670m from the road) (24). Walk up past the house and climb steeply, due north. The track swings round to face more south-east eventually, but continues to climb. After 960m, arrive at another trig pillar.(25). Now start to descend, very steeply at one point, over 650m, along a ridge. Pass two or three tracks heading downhill on the right, and come to quite a wide track heading due south on a ridge.(26). Walk down for something over 900m, to reach the houses of the village of Macheira. Walk down through the settlement, leaving it behind, and after 300 m, come to a junction with another tarmac road. (27) Go straight ahead for a few metres, and at a junction turn left. Again after a few metres turn right along a rough track heading due south, Drop down into a stream bed and climb up the other side. After 200m, turn right (28) and walk round the right hand edge of a barragem. The path continues from the barragem. Fork left soon after leaving it, and climb to reach quite a wide dirt road after just over 100m.

Turn right, and after 100m, immediately beyond the first house on the left, turn left down a rough track towards a shallow valley. (29) Wind through trees to reach another barragem. Pass to the left of it, past a small stone building, (30)and follow a now more obvious track as it climbs over 450m up to a tarmac road. Turn right here, to walk back into Santa Margarida, 350m away.

Orientation normal.  GPS 37/8

GPS Points.

1	Sta. Margarida X roads	14	50	16		11	24	22
2	Turn left	14	37	65		11	39	25		430m
3	End of track - forward	15	06	84		12	01	00		670m
4	Wall corner	15	08	26		12	08	93		200m
5	Straight on	15	14	86		12	35	04		710m
6	Veer right	15	14	40		12	44	42		230m
7	Pathgoes right	15	16	80		12	55	60		300m
8	Bear right	15	19	66		13	01	85		180m
9	End of plateau	15	21	48		13	07	12		150m
10	Turn left	15	20	83		13	04	70		100m
11	Turn left	15	24	51		13	03	74		120m
12	Bear right	15	25	12		13	15	23		350m
13	Turn left	15	36	62		13	11	25		600
14	Turn right	15	36	60		13	54	54		1.16k
15	Trig point	15	46	41		14	24	44		1.12
16	Bear left off track	15	47	30		13	57	74		730m
17	Bear left downhill	15	44	08		13	40	62		460m
18	Turn left	15	47	15		13	24	15		460m
19	Fork right	15	56	12		13	05	83		630m
20	Turn left	15	46	65		12	35	40		900m
21	Left with track	15	32	63		12	05	33		1k
22	Left into woods	15	33	73		11	45	32		560m
23	Turn right	15	34	27		11	32	33		370m
24	Sharp left	15	36	86		11	11	44		630m
25	Trig point straight on	15	50	49		11	00	13		970m
26	Turn right	15	50	94		10	35	79		650m
27	Stay left	15	18	66		10	51	15		1.2k
28	Turn right	15	10	98		10	47	06		300m
29	Turn left	15	07	61		10	58	32		250m
30	Right round building	15	01	67		10	57	07		250m
	END ( x-roads)									850m

 

 

 

.