The hills are alive with the sound of huffing and puffing lol. Yes we are back in the mountains. This time a little further afield and with the challenge of lots of stairs and a suspension bridge. The Algarve is getting me over my fear of heights and wide open spaces for sure.

I love the water, I love the coast, so I was pleasantly surprised at how beautiful the Monchique Mountains were. The stunning views went on forever with dips and peaks adding so much texture to the area. Having just spent the first 3 weeks of our holiday staring out at the ocean every minute I could (never did spot a dolphin or whale) the mountain landscape was a stunning change.

The Barranco do Demo (The Devils Gorge) Walkway is located in the little town of Alferce. We were very lucky to have friends who did the walk the year before, so being seniors we decided to take 2 cars and park one at each end. Surprisingly it is just over a km walk (one way), down and up the gorge, approximately 500 stairs and a suspension bridge to cross. The day was quite hot and I was so happy that I managed to find lots of excuses to stop and take pictures (actually trying to catch my breath 🙂

I was also very thankful that I had a hat and water with me, and in Portugal standards it was just a nice day, not overly hot lol. My Canadian blood was still warming up lol.

After our walk we went onto Monchique for lunch. Our gps thought it would be fun to take us along what felt like a one lane farm trail. Luckily there wasn’t anyone going the other way. Monchique was a beautiful little town with lots of hills and stunning views. It is famous for its hiking and bike trails. Our lunch was at a bike and cafe store called Velochique. Great food and coffee and a bike rental if you felt like it.

A stunning day, from the drive up the mountain along windy roads with beautiful viewing points to the suspension bridge. If you ever go to the Algarve, don’t just stay on the coast, the mountains are spectacular as well.