Walk Across Europe

2004-04-15 - Trip 2

Portugal, Algarve East

Antennas to Estoi

0 km today. Mini came too.
2 hours 58 mins walking time.
131 km this trip.
273 km from start.
0 metres minimum height.
320 metres maximum height.
0 metres ascent.
0 metres descent.
 Track Log: Logged.
 Travel: Taxi, bus and train.

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2004-04-15-Antennas-to-Estoi.kml
2004-04-15-Antennas-to-Estoi.gpx

Quiet mountain lane. 8km

This walk is the same as the first half of the Estoi-Livramento walk but the other way round and downhill all the way.

Get a taxi to take you to the roundabout below the antennae at São Miguel, or if you like peak bagging, to the very top. Even if you are not interested in peaks, it is worth going a short way up the little track leading from the roundabout to the peak as the flowers in there are unbelievable and include several which we saw nowhere else.

Set off along the road heading west round the back of the aerial summit and stay on this all the way to Azinheiro (1 hour 15 minutes). Cross straight over the cross-roads here and continue downhill until you get to a T-junction (1 hour 50 minutes). Turn left here and go under the motorway. Then, when your road swings round to the left, bear right into Estoi. The aim now is to get to the main square. Head down hill and more or less straight ahead until you see a large church on your right. Turn right here and go down the steps past the church and into the main square. From here, there are regular Eva buses into Faro and, from there, you can get a train back to Tavira. It makes a lovely day out (2 hours 15 minutes).

We are not botanists so some of them are described rather than named. Can you help us?

Flowers seen on this walk in order of seeing them

• campanula
• tall spiky tulip yellow and red
• daffodil several flowers on spike
• red pea
• yellow pea
• orange pea
• purple pea
• mignonette
• anchusa
• borage
• tragopodon
• white campion
• pink geranium
• rose
• pink allium
• white allium
• large yellow umbelliferal
• pink gladiolus
• white gladiolus
• pale pink gladiolus
• dark blue iris
• short dark blue iris tall
• Peruvian scilla
• buttercup celandine-type
• fleabane
• winter jasmine
• lavender purple
• cerinthe orange
• cerinthe black
• hounds toung
• muscari
• star clover
• white clover
• pink clover
• yellow daisies various
• cape sorrel single flower
• cape sorrel double flower
• small white convolvulus
• large white convolvulus
• blue convolvulus
• large pink convolvulus
• thorny aristolochia
• aristolochia with flower
• small pink umbelliferus
• small white cistus
• pale pink cistus
• very soft thistle
• soft thistle
• yellow bee orchid
• yellow bee orchid brown centre
• centaury
• brown serapias
• yellow bee orchid green sepals
• white mustard
• yellow mustard
• brown orchid with green sepals
• blue flax
• love in a mist
• iridescent blue/brown orchid
• mimosa
• hawthorn with green sepals
• elderflower
• ornithogalum asphodel-type
• pink orchid with brown centre fly
• umbelliferal
• pale pink geranium
• neat pink and white antirrhinum
• small white geranium
• little pink spiky flower
• gorse
• everlasting pea
• yellow honey suckle
• vetch
• eating pea
• pink honeysuckle
• yellow elder flower type small plant

This walk was not part of the trek across Europe. It was just a day out to look at flowers and the views. The antennas are visible from most of the eastern Algarve, being on the highest hill. Often you see them on the descent to Faro airport. We took a taxi to a point near the summit and walked down to Estoi church and square. From the square, buses run to Faro and ice cream is available. This walk is noteable for orchids, cillas, muscaris, nightingales and really nice views.

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