Favourite places to go off the beaten track in the Algarve

[Margarida]

Thanks to everyone for sharing their thoughts on the topic last month about their favourite time of year. This month I would love to hear your top tips for the undiscovered Algarve! Share your favourites and help us show people that there is always something new to find here!
For me, my favourite place off the beaten track has to be Querença up in the hills past Loulé. This little village perched on the top of the hill is beautiful and walking the local area is a must for those wanting to discover the rural Algarve. They have modernised the village a little but it still retains its charm – be sure to try the restaurant near to the church at the top for some hearty food and very healthy portions!

[smudger]

Alte for me. Not been for a while, hope the artists' gallery is still there, usually see something of interest to purchase.

[e-richard]

Alcoutim on the banks of the Rio Guardiana on the Spanish border
Its a tiny bit touristy, but well off the beaten track. The picture below was taken while sitting in Portugal of a village in Spain.

Alcoutim.jpg (158.21 KiB) Viewed 12167 times

[sunman]

we like Frank McLintock's birdwatching Qunita at Santa Clara, on the barragem North of Monchique

[cereza]

Always loved the beautiful wilderness around the Barragem da Bravura. Turning off the N125 at Odiaxere the drive up to the barragem provides some great panoramic views of this wilderness and the smell of eucalyptus permeates everywhere. The walks around the lake are well worth while.

[Legrospapa]

In Mach or April, on a weekday, a nice picnic on the deserted beach in Galé.

[SJ & RE]

Cabanas de Tavira, a small fishing village near Tavira.
olhaio beautiful fishing village near Faro.
Villanova de milefonte on way down from Lisbon along the coast, fab resturant the dunes I think it is called, hidden amongst the dunes here.
Herdade dos grous up towards Beja, brilliant winery with fantastic food and wonderful hotel on a farm

[petejevons21]

Really enjoying this thread and am writing down suggestions for our visit in May we try and see or do something different every visit - so far we've been to see Portanenese (?) at their last game of the season in 2012 which as a football fan I loved also went to the autodrome the year before to watch the superbikes which I surprisingly loved. I appreciate I'm veering a bit of the topic as neither are off the beaten track but they are experiences I hadn't experienced before! We tend to set the destination on the sat nav onto "scenic routes" and love driving through all the quaint places but will definitely try some off the suggestions on here.

[HampshireRich]

Praia da Arrifana - went there last year. Lovely little restaurant on the beach and a nice drive too.

[cereza]

Praia da Arrifana - went there last year. Lovely little restaurant on the beach and a nice drive too.

Yes the West coast is beautiful. If you go to Arrifana then also go a bit further to Monte Clerigo which has a fabulous beach with restaurants

[algarve123]

This is very good, great to hear some of the suggestions and getting some good ideas from it.

Though we have never been, an area we think looks interesting from what we have seen online and that we hope to visit when over in April is 'Barragem do Funcho', the dam located outside Silves.

[tricky]

We love the hippy beach and river at Odeceixe. There are a couple of nice cafes and a surf school. The town itself is pretty and the drive out to the beach past the river than runs into the sea is gorgeous. (oh btw, there is also a nudist beach around the next cove, but you don't need to know about that do you?)