Carricos walk in the municipality of Tavira starts just below the village, about six kilometers north of Fonte Salgada. We park the car near the bridge of Carricos. First we walk up to the village. A sleepy little town, with many houses almost falling apart and others really nicely “done up” by immigrants, moving into the area. Leaving Carricos you walk into the valley where a little bit of agriculture is practiced the old-fashioned way: with a donkey in front of the plow. The first thing we notice, is the silence. We follow the main path and after a mile or two we arrive at the banks of river, which we cross immediately. Now we come to an area, dominated by many bee hives.

The sounds of silence

The buzzing of bees and the singing of the birds are the only sounds we hear when we follow the river, which we inevitably have to cross again at a later time to loop back towards Carricos. It is advisable to bring a towel in your backpack, in case the river has a higher water level in the winter period. After the second river crossing the path ascends. Slowly we walk up the low hills and we enjoy the flora and fauna along the way. The absence of sound is still noticeable. Look over your shoulder you every now and then during the climb because the view is getting better and better.

Panoramic view

Arriving at the top of the hill, a surprising panorama unfolds. In the south the glittering sea and the national park of the Ria Formosa. On the way back we pass the hamlet of Santa Maria and via a beautiful road and after almost 6 mile and a little over three hours we stroll, back into Carricos. Just in time to have a nice lunch in Tavira. Our tip would be Restaurante Come na Gaveta.