This is a linear walk, not a circular, so you will have to arrange transport back to your car at the end. There are taxis in São Brás de Alportel. The walk starts in the nondescript settlement of Vendas Novas da Tor, which straddles the main road between Loulé and Salir. Descending close to a local picnic spot, Fonte de Benémola, it then turns east and passes through two attractive small villages before taking to open country and following a long valley path towards Alportel, which sits astride the main N2 road north. A great variety of scenery, but no refreshments on the route other than at start and finish.

The easiest way to the start is from the Loulé Centro exit from the A22. Drive towards Loulé and follow signs for São Brás. The roundabouts on the Loulé bypass are all named, so come to the Rotunda de Salir and turn left towards that town. Go up and over a long hill and down an equally long way to traffic lights. Go straight on uphill, and after some distance go round a tight right hand bend. Pass a bar/restaurant on the left and start to climb again. The small Café O Padeiro is on the right, with parking just beyond it. If you are making an early start, the cafe might not be open - best to get your fix elsewhere if you need.

If you are being picked up at Alportel, drivers must make their way to São Brás de Alportel and then follow the N2 road from the by-pass, 2.5k to Alportel and the Bar Vitoria.

- Turn right uphill from the café, (1) and walk to the first corner (310m). Turn right here, along the Caminho do Moinho de Vento and walk along the lane, taking the right hand at a fork by houses (320m). (2) This becomes a dirt road and runs on level ground for a time before starting to descend. After 1.2k another track comes in to join from the right. Continue downhill, ignoring a turn to the right after a further 440m, and arriving at a junction with a track coming from the right 390m further on, near the valley floor.(3) Turn a hairpin left here and walk along this new track, descending to the side of the stream and following the line along the valley. After 940m, pass a house down on the right – a local basket-maker (cesteiro) lived and worked here for many years. Continue past the house and finally come down to the stream at wooden stepping stones after another 450m. (4) 

- Cross the stream. Turning left will soon bring you to a local picnic spot by a spring that rarely dries up – the Fonte de Benémola. The route however, lies to the right. Follow the track along the valley and round a left-hand curve as it starts to rise. Ignore a turn to the right on the curve after 480m and continue uphill. Reaching level ground, walk along and look for a turn on the right down a dirt track after another 800m (5) Walk down to the tree-line facing you (120m)and turn left along a path close to it. Now follow the tree-line due east along quite a faint path. Eventually it becomes more obvious, rising a little from the valley floor and ends at a tarmac road by a large house after 620m. Turn left here and then almost immediately turn right up the left-hand and narrower of two roads that meet at the junction. Go uphill on this track, which becomes more of  a green road, into the small but attractive settlement of Borno.

 

- At a junction just before the houses, after 340m, turn a hairpin bend left (6). Walk through the village on this road, ignoring a turn to the left after 110m, and follow it as it passes houses at intervals on both sides. Come to a junction with another tarmac surface after another 330m and turn right, then almost immediately left on a road signposted to Arneiro and Corte Garcia. (7). Pass between two houses after 190m and then just before reaching the next house on the right, another 190m, find a narrow rocky footpath going down on the left, with a small dam just to the left of it. (8) Go down this path and follow as it swings to the right and becomes wider, turning quickly into a dirt road. Go along this southeastwards until it ends at a wide tarmac road after 760m. Turn left along the road, but after 100m turn off right round a hairpin (9) and into a valley. Follow the track as it swings left along the valley. After crossing a shallow stream or stream bed take the left hand at a fork after 330m. Drop down into a stream bed and walk along for a short distance before climbing up onto the path on the opposite bank. Arrive at a track junction and swing down to the right to cross the stream again (10). NOTE. If the water level is high, you can walk up the main road from point 9 to descend to point 10 after 430 metres.

- The track climbs and then levels out. Take the left hand at a fork after 570m. The way soon turns to the southeast, descending for around 450m, then turning sharp left for a short distance downhill before an equally sharp turn right, starting to climb. This is soon followed by a swing left into a long quite steep climb.  After 170m, the path swings south-east again rising slowly to a high point after a further 275m.(11). It then runs due south for around 160m after this, after which resuming the southeasterly trend, turning more southerly at a sharpish bend to the right after another 700m (12). The track continues down to the valley floor, turning south-east again and then more south-west on level ground, to meet another track at a T junction after 930m. (13) Turn left to walk down the valley for just under 2.5k. Immediately before the first the first house on the left, look for a sharp turning onto a farm track on the right. (14)

- Follow this south-west along level ground. It turns left through trees and seems to almost disappear in an open field dotted with trees. See a track up to your right and make your way to it, climbing quite steeply, Follow this, continuing to climb, until it ends close by a wall . Turn right to walk parallel with the wall. After roughly 100 metres, find a broken section of wall, obviously used frequently, and climb through it onto a clear track. Turn right, go round a sharp bend, and come onto level ground with a large ruin on the left. (15)

- After 100m see a fork and take the left hand lane. After 100m it divides – take the middle of three possible routes, a narrow footpath, and follow it south-eastwards under trees for another 440m to reach the end of a tarmac road.  (16)  Turn left into it and walk along due east 460m, first on level ground and then downhill to the next junction, turning right and immediately left into a narrower lane to continue in the same direction. Come to a main road after another 200m (17) and turn left. This is the old main road north from Faro, the N2. Walk for 500m to find the Bar Vitoria on the left at the end of your walk. (18)

1	Cafe O Padeiro		12	12	48		01	44	89
2	Junction at Gemica		12	21	21		01	27	43		630m
3	Cesteiro road		11	54	02		00	24	93		2.03k
4	Stream crossing		12	27	75		00	29	22		1.39k
5	Turn off main track		12	35	77		59	48	97		1.28k
6	Borno		12	24	40		59	14	84		1.08k
7	Arneiro		12	22	79		58	59	09		500m
8	Turn off road		12	16	15		58	46	95		380m
9	Turn off main road		12	01	51		58	16	96		960m
10	Junction		11	57	35		57	56	89		740m
11	High point		11	32	76		57	15	06		1.57k
12	Turn right		11	15	00		56	51	83		860m
13	Valley Track		19	49	56		56	45	65		930m
14	Turn off track		10	26	07		55	16	28		2.5k
15	At ruin		10	17	72		55	16	96		420m
16	At tarmac		10	10	13		54	55	34		800m
17	At N2		10	12	70		54	29	48		640m
18	Bar Vitoria		10	28	47		54	33	23		500m