Ameixal walk LLE PR1 walking route is a short and not too strenuous route around the village. This walk not only introduces the walker to the flora and fauna and the traditional ways of life in the area; it also offers something completely different. In this region, the south-west of the Iberian peninsula, remains of an as yet not fully deciphered writing system have been found. During this short walk you will find several examples.

The oldest writing system in the Iberian Peninsula

This Southwest Script, or Southwestern Script, is also known as Tartessian or South Lusitan. It is an enigmatic cuneiform script used to write an extinct language, which we now call Tartessian. It’s probably from the Phoenicians. Remains are mainly found in the southwestern part of the Iberian peninsula, mostly in the south of Portugal (Algarve and the south of Alentejo), but also in Spain (in the south of Extremadura and the west of Andalusia). On the attached photos, which we have taken from the Facebook site of the Walking Festival Ameixal, you get a picture of some of the characters. During the walking festival, the characters are projected on different walls and that looks amazing!

Although the traditional farming life is increasingly disappearing from everyday life in Portugal, you can still see several examples of it during the LLE PR01 walking route in this region. It is not uncommon to come across a goatherd and the Palheiros (traditional hay storage) are still used and maintained. Sometimes even, you come across a farmer on a donkey instead of in a 4wheel drive.

 The quiet countryside, deep in the Algarve hinterland offers an experience of utter mindfulness. The track is feasible for hikers with any level of training and for people looking for amazing nature and peace of mind, this is absolutely a track we can advise.