Walk Eighty One. Pereira. 

Ascents: Main route: 15k: 550m    Extension 1. 800m    Extension 2  830m 

GPS: 37/ 13. 12. 57   // 8/ 38. 49. 37

The area north of Portimao, centred on the tiny settlement of Pereira, formerly included a very large expanse of upland walking territory. Since the arrival of the F1 motor-racing circuit some years ago, the range had diminished, but there is still a considerable area between the circuit and the Barragem de Bravura which can yield most satisfactory routes, and which provides some excellent views up to the Serra de Monchique. The first of these is a comparatively short excursion north of Pereira. Then there are two extensions, which I have added to the main route rather than making separate walks, as all end at the same place.. There is a bar at Pereira to supply pre- and post-walk needs, and another one on the second extension.

Getting to Pereira.

Leave the A 22 motorway at junction 3, signed to Mexilhoeira Grande, Odiaxere and the Autodromo. Drive north along this excellent access road for just over 6k. Reach a roundabout close to the F1 circuit, signed left to Pereira, and follow it for 1.6k. Arrive at a T junction and see the Cafe Bar Goncalves over on the right. Park where you can.Coming from the west,, the exit from the motorway taked you a short distance south and round a roundabout, to pass under the motorway and follow the road towards the autodromo.

The Walk. 1. Main route: 15K

From the cafe, (1) walk for 200m back along the road on which you arrived, and then take a sharp turn left onto a dirt road. Follow this for around 700m, roughly parallel to the road and on level ground. At a fork (2), stay left and follow the track past the entrance to a house on the left, and then along the side of a small plantation, into a bamboo thicket, across a strem and up to the tarmac road. (3) Turn right and walk  for 200m to the next building on the left, turning left onto a track beyond it.The track soon begins to climb. Passa large house and two barragems down on the right, and coming to a cross-tracks after 450m, turn left. (4) Follow this narrow path uphill for 200m, arriving at a wider track. Turn right and continue to climb, now on a ridge-line, for just under 1k.

Reaching a summit (5) amongst recently planted trees, turn right and now descend, rapidly at first, then more gently, to reach a T junction after 380m. (6) (Ignore 2 forest track turnings on the left as you descend.)  Turn left and continue to descend, fairly rapidly, for 220m, then turn right onto a track which begins to climb again. Come to a junction after almost 650m (7) and turn right. Ignore a track going right immediately, and continue north-east on the main track for another 300m. Come to a junction with a track coming in from the right, and turn left. After a few metres, turn right, (8) again following the obvious main track, and descend. After 200m the track turns due north and continues for a further 230m, rising a little. Take the third on the right after the turn northwards (9), and after 100m turn sharp left and then curve right.

Immediately stay left at a fowk, then stay right after 100m, and right again after a further 100m. Now climb for another 400m, swinging round a wide left hand curve to reach a junction with a wider dirt road (10).Turn left and walk just over 200m uphill to a junction. Turn left with the main track, which heads first due west then southwest over the next 220m, then turns northwest and then almost due north for another 300m, descending all the time. Finally, after a short distance facing west, the track curves first left and then sharp right to emerge onto a wide dirt road.   Turn right and after a few metres bear lerft at a fork onto a narrower track (11). Follow for 100m, veering left with a small barragem on the right, then curve right, with a parking area on the right, to wind through the tiny settlement of Tojeiro.

After a wide left-hand curve, come to a building in trees with a sharp left hand turn onto a track heading due south.It soon turns south-west, climbing, passes a barrgem on the left, and after 250m, arrives at a junction. (12) Turn left to head due south again, still climbing for a short distance, then reach a plateau, turn slightly south-west, and walk on an undulating path, reaching a high point after almost 500m. now descend steeply over the next 300m, due south-west, to reach a junction (13). Swing left here and head due south once more, descending much more gently for a further 750m. Turn right here along a wider dirt road (14), and follow this for 1.8k, south-west and south, on more or less level ground. At the end of this stretch, just after a farm on the right, turn sharp left at a junction, (15) and head more north-easterly, still on a wide dirt road. Ignore a turn to the right opposite a farm, and follow this road for a little over 3k, rising steadily at first, turning easterly and then descending very gently into a valley. Arrive at a tarmac road, (16), turn right and walk around 750m back to the cafe.

Extension 1. 18k , with a very steep climb to start.

From Point 15, turn left as with the main route, and after 100m turn right and then almost immediately left (1a). From here, climb very steeply over the next 450m, starting just south of east, then turning due east. Reaching a high point, (2a), turn right and descend gently  almost due south on a rather rough track, for 100m to a cross-tracks. Go straight across and walk for another 330m as the track goes through a very wide curve to the left, climbing steadily. As it turns due east, see a turn to the right, leading in a few metres to another track. (3a) Turn right here and almost immediately curve round due south, Descend a little, then climb for a short distance to another high point.. Swing right here and first descend into a hollow and then climb out again over 300m, with a tree plantation appearing on the left.. Come to a corner of the plantation (4a) and turn right to walk along the edge of the trees, coming to a sharp left hand turn after 280m on level ground. Turn south with the track and come to a junction after 140m.(5a)

Turn left, and after 100m turn right with the track, then left after a further 120m. After another 100m, swing right and start to walk south along a ridge. Over the next 730m, the track descends, gently at first, then more steeply. Come towards the end of the ridge (6a), and take the right hand at a fork. Still descending steeply, after 150m, turn sharpish left, then at a fork take the right hand and drop down over another 240m to a junction. (7a). Turn left and follow a more or less level track south-east then south and finally east, for 560m.. At a junction with a track on the right, go straight on (8a). Walking more or less eastwards, climb fairly gently over the next 360m, the track starting to wind after a while, between planted trees. Arrive at a cross-tracks (9a), and take the track straight across, turning northwards almost immeduately, and continuing the winding course between plantations. Undulate gently over the next 600m, then rise to a highpoint briefly before dropping down again to a T junction, with a small barragem on the left. (10a). 

Turn left and walk gently uphill for something over 100m, to another junction (11a). Turn sharp right and head south-east for around 100m (avoid the first turn to the right just after the junction ). Now look for the thinnest of tracks on the left - you may have to force your way through the scrub here - but soon see a barragem over on the right, and make your way to it.  Walk across the dam wall, and swing left with a more obvious track, walking gently downhill to see another barragem on the left, and a farm ahead. Turn right with the track at the far end of this second barragem, (12a) and cross open ground to the right of the farm. Cross over the beginning of a track leading from the farm, and find a narrow path heading east downhill through a belt of scrub and bushes. Emerge from this after about 100m to see a junction of two tracks over to the right. Turn sharp left at the junction (13a), and walk first north-east and then just east of south over 150m, to come to the tail of another, quite large, barragem, with another one over to the right. Cross over at the tail, and follow a narrow path along the northern edge of the barragem. After about 100m, the path swings away from the barragem and climbs fairly gently to meet a wide dirt track. (14a).

Turn left, and climb steeply for 100m, turning right and rising more gently to a high point. Now descend steeply to join a track by a farm after 180m. Follow the track into the valley and swing right with it, coming to a junction after another 300m. (15a). Turning right here will take you to a tarmac road, where a turn to the left will take you back to the cafe. To avoid the road, turn left and walk past a farm on the right into a lane heading just west of north, uphill past a small barragem on the right. After just over 300m, turn right with the track and then left after a further 100m (16a). Now follow the track as it descends steeply, to emerge on a tarmac road, alongside the cafe.

Extension 2. 25 k or 21 k. The distance depends on how you decide to end the walk.

From Point 11, stay on the main track, and head due north. After just over 800m, climbing gently, come to a fork and take the left hand (1b).The track heads roughly north-west, winding quite a lot, climbing steadily over 1.4k. Reaching the high point, continue northwards for 230m, descending now, and then swing quite sharply left to continue the descent for another 600m to a junction with some ruins on the hill to the right. (2b) Stay left here as the track swings north-west again, then more southwesterly. After 700m, stay left again at a junction, as the track turns almost due south. At another junction after 350m, stay right (3b), and continue for another 500m to a tarmac road (4b).

Turn left and walk along the very quiet road for almost 2k. This area is the scattered settlement of Romeiras.You will pass a small cafe along this stretch of road (Casa Pacheco). There is a second cafe - Cafe Romeiras - which may or may not be open. 800m. after this cafe, take a turn on the left signed (small wooden sign) to Guena. Follow the track as it runs parallel with the road for around 400m, and then starts to turn away left. 1k of steady climbing south-east brings you to a junction (5b). Here a track turns off left at 90 degrees, and after a few metres turns right to resume the south-easterly trend. Follow this as it climbs further, levels out and then begins to descend, over the next 870m. Come to a complex junction of tracks, and turn left and immediately right (6b) onto a wide dirt road, heading due south.

After 650m, come to a clearing. (7b). You are now close to the tail of an inlet of the huge Barragem de Bravura. Make sure you stay left to avoid going down the wrong side. Continue  south on the same track, and climb through a forest plantation in a wide curve above the water, to reach a point where the track turns suddenly left, away from the barragem. Almost immediately come to a fork, and take the right hand, heading south-east. (8b) The tracks first descends towards the water of another inlet and then winds around the hillside before coming down close to water level. After 1k, stay right at a fork, (9b) and continue to another fork after 430m. This is Point 15 on the main route. From here you can decide whether to complete the walk via the main route (4k), or take on the longer Extension 1, ( 7.3k, and tougher.).

GPS Points. (37/8) The table starts with the main route. The extensions follow on without separate titles.

Main route.

 Extension 1

Extension 2.