The fewer and fewer green paths of Portugal

As a child and teenager, I had the privilege of roaming free in my bike in the village I come from, in its beach, and in its surroundings agricultural fields and woodland, but it was not until I arrived in Scotland in 2007 that I really understood the importance of the right to roam or freedom to roam. In Scotland 83% of rural land is privately owned and only around 400 people, out of a population of around 5.5 million people, own half of the private land (~50%). For me who come from small village where a great proportion of the population is a small landowner, owning from 0.5 to 4 hectares of land, this shocked me as a huge problem of land inequality. In Scotland, most population do not own land, and would not be allowed to walk, experience and harvest the benefits that land provides, if there was no right to roam, which has been consecrated under the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003. With this right, anyone from the public can walk, cycle, run, climb, and even wild camp in private land and inland water (rivers, lakes). This right is valued by many UK nationals and foreigners (e.g. Americans, Germans, Dutch) who mention how they enjoy being able to experience remote places and beautiful landscapes, going up and down the highest (Munros), second (Corbetts), third (Grahams) mountains of Scotland as well as walking or cycling its Glens or moorland areas and forests. This attracts thousands, if not millions of tourists to Scotland every year. It is indeed a priceless right, the right to be free in nature, to be with yourself and to connect with something as special as nature. When I moved to England, I stumbled to another set of rules. In England, the public can only freely roam off-path on mountains, moorland, heathland, downland, costal margins (now the designated King Charles III England Coast Path) and dedicated land voluntarily opened by private owners. Apart from this, the public can only legally walk on established paths, which network is protected by the Countryside and Rights of Way (CROW) Act 2000. Even though England has a good coverage of these paths all over the country, it is believed that a great number of have been lost since the enclosures (the process of enclosing and fencing common land, excluding people from it), which had its peak in the 18th century. In the North of England, I have not yet come across landowners or farmers telling me to "keep off from my land" while accessing the land but have been told this is common in the South. And to be fair, I usually hear people saying that they do not want the public to have free access to land or water bodies because of anti-social behaviour or because they will drown (in the case of rivers and lakes). This is incredible because so many people are killed by car crashes, and I hear nobody saying we should not drive. I must confess that only more recently I have learnt, how naive I have been thinking that Portugal was a special case, and that we could do anywhere we wanted. In the past 40 years, since so many roads have been tarmacked and built (with EU money) and cars have become accessible to everyone, that the network of paths that before connected villages and that people used to attend the festivities in the parish council, to go to the church, to go fishing, to see the doctor, has been highly degraded. Many of these paths are not visible anymore and not recorded apart from the dated military maps. And even though a network of PR (small routes) and GR (long-distance routes) has been mapped out, signposted and increasingly promoted by local authorities, it is also true that those paths that are not mapped out, promoted or signposted become unknown, not walked or even blocked by new landowners (many foreigners or investors) that buy the land without respecting the easements on the land (burden created over a property for the benefit of another property that does not terminate when the ownership changes). I have already come across coastal walks blocked by new owners and fences and gates blocking old paths, with this being tolerated by local authorities and, to be fair, by most people, now well attached to the car as a sign of progress. These paths are, in many cases, public paths used since time immemorial, and owners may be obliged to allow people to cross their property. My son has benefitted, and still benefits, very much from many of these paths as he can walk freely on them, and explore the wildflowers, insects, birds, small mammals, butterflies, snails, without the worry of a car or motorbike running over him. It is with great sadness that I see many of these paths being lost and disregarded by our local authorities, only interested in showing off the "opening" of a few and limited number of PRs with colourful brand-new signs, as if these paths have not already been "opened" by people for centuries and centuries. I have barely arrived at the Northeast England after 10 days of free roaming in the west of Scotland, to read the deeply concerning news of the increasing attempts to prevent our fundamental right to access the beach in Portugal by private interests with the connivence from the local authorities. If this small right is lost, it will be a tragedy for the country and its people.

Blue, green, yellow - Spring in Parque Natural de Sintra-Cascais

Parque Natural Natural de Sintra Cascais is on my doorstep. I can see the Peninha chapel at the top of the hill from the village viewpoint and also from my house. I seldom visited the Park until a Bristish explorer entered my life. Since then we have climbed in Penedo d'Amizade several times, we have explored Sintra Palace gardens, we have hiked many of its trails, we got lost in its thick vegetation and came out of it just before dark, we have visited many caves, we have climbed in the cliffs, we have tasted the pastries. There is an intense and beautiful smell of flowers in the spring and of the sea in the winter. We found a good spot for a beer after our walks or climbings (suitable for British taste): Moinho D. Quixote. The Natural Park was established in 1994 and apart from its natural beauty, there are many cultural points of interest, such as Palacio de Sintra, Palacio da Vila, Quinta da Regaleira, Palacio de Seteais, Castelo dos Mouros, Convento dos Capuchos...The most famous pastry shop in the village of Sintra is Casa Piriquita, which bakes many delicious pastries on site including "travesseiro de Sintra". Sintra has always been a touristic, burgeoise, cultural and literary village. It is a central point of convergence in several books by Eça de Queirós, one of the most important portuguese realist authors. In the past 10 years tourism has exploded beyond limits and there are noise and people everyhere in the village and in many parts of the hill as well as in the most western point of Europe, Cape da Roca, an hotspot for foreign visitors. When we climb in Penedo d'Amizade, there is a continuous noise from tuc tucs up the hill, which is disturbing and saturating. If cycling in the twisty roads of the hill, the cars misbehave. It is also almost impossible to eat a travesseiro without waiting in a long queue. The best time to go to Sintra is the winter in a week day. In COVID-19 days it was paradise and we deeply enjoyed the quieteness of its corners all for us. In the summer it is impossible to enjoy Sintra, unless after 5pm. The Park is protected for its biodiversity and habitats but it feels like an island under high pressure, more and more squeezed by cars, people, pollution, noise. It is disappointing.

Green and blue lagoon (Lagoa de Obidos)

Lagoa de Obidos is a good site for birdwatching. Even though the lagoon is polluted with fertilisers from adjacent agricultural fields and quite possibly other sources of pollution I could not identify, there are still resistent birds that search for food and shelter here. This is the largest lagoon in the coast of Portugal, but even then its size has shrinked due to human intervention. The first time we went there was in April and we hardly saw anyone walking in the footpaths. But the quietness was welcomed and it went well with being able to appreciate the beauty of the place. Surpisingly, the application for the lagoon to become a RAMSAR site was only submitted in 2025. Ramsar sites are wetlands of international importance designated under the Ramsar Convention (1971) for their biodiversity, rarity, and ecological value. Nevertheless, the lagoon is now also part of the Oeste Geopark (UNESCO), which was approved and established in 2024. In my memory remains the flocks of white flamingos that we saw, as well as the flowers and the butterflies. This site should have a robust strategy with effective actions protect it against pollution, invasives, climate change impacts, people and development. Unfortunately, the Atlantic woodlands that surround it are becoming decimated by construction, surely not for the buyers' continuous residence but for second houses or by international investment funds and other foreign buyers. In Portugal, we are giving up our natural places and all the benefits these bring for society, for concrete, money and greediness.

The colours of music

Following my active, non-stop and free spirit lifestyle, I have decided a few years ago to formally restart the study of piano and music theory. So far, the journey has been full of joy, friends (mostly new), search for undiscovered music, Beatles listening, live music and concert attendance and live perfomances. The certification body I have chosen to learn and pass through the grades (N=8) is ABRSM - Associated Board of the Royals School of Music, which is a UK-based music examination board and registered charity founded in 1889 that provides assessments, graded exams, and diplomas for music students worldwide to promote high standards of musical education. As I pass the grades the study becomes more intense and difficult, even though not less interesting or pleasant. There is less time for playing with friends and it becomes more of a lonely journey with the piano teacher and with online music theory classes. However, this also allows for stimulant conversations and time to embedd ourselves more in the music. As new exams approach, the feeling of apprehension arrives too but also the feeling of achievement, acquired learnings and confidence in playing. And here I go again!

Blue Portuguese tiles in Beja green park

Life is full of happy coincidences and hence immensily interesting. I was just reading the the book "Lendas e Narrativas" by Alexandre Herculano when I came across the tile board at Beja green park portraying the scene: "O Lidador." This depicts the battle that conquered Beja to the moors, and which was led by Gonçalo Mendes da Maia, O Lidador. The chapter in Alexandre Herculano's book is named: A morte do Lidador (The death of the fighter).The chapter tells that Gonçalo Mendes da Maia urged his fellow knights to follow him on a battle to conquer land occupied by the moors near the border, that Gonçalo Mendes da Maia managed to kill a moorish leader (caliph) after being badly injured by a moor, and how the Lidador companions managed to scare 1000 moor with an army of only 70 portuguese men, before he finally died at the long age of 95 years old. An excerpt of the chapter in Alexandre Herculano's book is reproduced here: "Quem hoje ouvir recontar os bravos golpes que no mês de julho de 1170 se deram na veiga da fronteira de Beja, notá-los-á de fábulas sonhadas; porque nós, homens corruptos e enfraquecidos por ócios e prazeres de vida afeminada, medimos por nossos ânimos e forças, a força e o ânimo dos bons cavaleiros portugueses do sécuo XII; e todavia, esses golpes ainda soam, através das eras, nas tradições e cronicas, tanto cristãs como agarenas. Depois de deixar assinadas muitas armaduras mouriscas, o Lidador vibrara pela última vez a espada e abrira o elmo e o crânio de um cavaleiro árabe. O violento abalo que experimentou lhe fez rebentar em torrentes o sangue da ferida que recebera das mãos de Almoleimar e, cerrando os olhos, caiu morto ao pé do Espadeiro, de Mem Moniz e de Afonso Hermingues de Baião, que com eles se ajuntara. Repousou, finalmente, Gonçalo Mendes da Maia de oitenta anos de combates!"

Olive green in Alentejo

After a few years without visiting Beja, the return was full of disappointment. The surroundings of the city were not composed with fields of flowers, cereals and oaks anymore but with monocultures of olive trees with no underground vegetation, no birds and no flowers. The new land use changed the local climate, which became foggier and with grey sky as a constant. The city smelled like cheap olive oil. In the middle of the huge olive tree plantations, an artificial beach was created as a present, I believe, to keep locals happy and quiet about the change that brought an ugly landscape, bad smell, air pollution and lack of biodiversity. I could easily imagine the runoff of pesticides and herbicides into the waters of this beach and into the freshwater streams, or these being carried in the air. It was depressive. These infinite fields of olive tree monocultures arrived after the availability of water for irrigation provided by the Alqueva dam. This was seen as the engine of economic development of the Alentejo but instead it brought pollution, biodiversity loss, Asian migrants and simpathy for the extreme right wing party. I love olive oil but I would rather give up eating olive oil than contributing for such environmental, health and social disasters. In the past traditional olive orchards, with 100s of years, balanced olive oil production with biodiversity, but this balance is now lost.

Grey and scary face at Redinha

The joys of climbing, among feeling fit and being mentally healthy, includes also to find the exquisite places(in the middle of nowhere sometimes), to be surrounded by nature and sight birds, butterflies, or flowers, to pass by and stop at picturesque villages, to experience good food at remote cafes and restaurants and, sometimes to meet interesting people with interesting stories to tell. In Redinha, the landscape is beautiful, we can see as far as the sea, and the site is warm and sunny, which is important both in Spring and Autumn. Redinha is not far from Leiria and Coimbra and students from both Universities have a site to climb at hand. The ambience is, thus, energetic and lively. The rock is limestone with routes varying between 7 and 20 meters. The rock also presents weird and funny shapes such the one the photo shows. Is "he/her" not happy for being disturbed or suprised by the presence of crazy climbers?

Blue lake at Barragem de Santa Luzia

This is very peaceful inland beach created by the Santa Luzia dam. A book can be read, a boat can be sailed and a via ferrata can be climbed. I did not know much about what via ferratas were until I came across this one. A via ferrata can be defined as "a protected climbing route which includes steel fixtures such as cables and railings to arrest the effect of any fall, which the climber can either hold onto or clip into using climbing protection." Another definition is "a path in rock walls, prepared with stairs, cables, pythons, among other supports to facilitate the progression and optimize the safety of climbers." I have never climbed a via ferrata. I think rock climbing (sports climbing or traditional) is more exciting and less artificial. In any case, I think it would be easy to climb a via ferrata and would definetly give it a go. Especially, it would be worthwile to do it at Santa Luzia dam, surrounded by a beautiful and inspiring landscape.

Green and ancient landscape at Serra do Açor

Serra do Açor is one of the many hills we have been up in Portugal. It is located in the middle of the Schist villages (Aldeias do Xisto), which are a network of 27 traditional, historic and almost abandoned (some with as much as 5 inhabitants) villages in Central Portugal, and which houses are built almost entirely with the schist rock, quarried locally. The landscape is protected and hosts pockets of the ancient forests and vegetation- in Portugal. Serra do Açor is located at 1438 m altitude but there is no obvious path up the hill so we had to follow the old maps from IGEO (carta militar) and our own instinct. Fortunately, there is now an Adventure Map for Serras da Lousã and Açor. These maps are essential to navigate in the countryside in Portugal, for which good and updated maps are almost inexistent. The Adventure Maps are topographics map and provide suggestions for hiking trails in the covered areas, some relevant tourist atractions, freshwater beaches and swimming areas, waterfalls, campsites, picnic areas, tourist offices and climbing and hang-gliding spots. We have all available maps created so far and use these maps to find our climbing spots, our own hiking trails and quiet places for water dips. And it is amazing that most villages in Serras- da Lousã and Açor have this hidden treasury at everyone's disposal. It is important to choose the quietest villages, as some have become too touristic and have lost their essence, as for example Piódão, visited once and not to go back.

Golden walls in Castelo de Vide

Castelo de Vide was a surprise. We had a good stroll in this little town in Alto Alentejo full of exquisite corners, perfect to spy on the landscape ahead. Contrary to Marvão, this town was burst with life. In there we could smell culture and tradition, and good food. There is a judiaria (jewish quarter) as jews lived in Castelo de Vide since the 15th century when expelled from the Spanish inquisition. They were involved in activities such as commerce, crafts, and medicine. We almost could feel their presence and many signs could be seen, as well as architecture and even a sinagogue. After the expulsion order promulgated in 1496 by King Manuel I of Portugal, many Jewish families left Castelo de Vide, while others were allowed to stay, provided they converted to Christianity. This was a dark period of our story and of the story of the peninsula. How many families had to live and were persecuted and how many brains were lost to other countries with this expulsion. The dark ages of intolerance and ignorance, which are coming back again...

White church in empty Marvão

During the pandemic, as soon as we could travel, at least internally, travelling we went. For someone who grew up in the coast and lived by the coast for most of her life, travelling to inland Portugal was almost the same as travelling to a foreign country. In inland Portugal, the time almost stops, stress does not exist and it is so very quiet (apart from the dogs barking - there are always dogs barking in Portugal). Marvão is a village located at the top of Sao Mamede mountain (approximately 860 meters above sea level). We arrived to Marvão from the bottom of the hill, walking through one small hiking trail or PR (Pequena rota - small route). It was slightly zigzagging as the route was not very well marked and because landowners still think they can block these trails in places. Nevertheless, it was much more satisfying to arrive by foot than by car or bus, as most people do. Marvão was almost a ghost village, it seems that no one lived there, there was almost no life, only many spots with a view to the huge landscape and horizon of Alto Alentejo. The view and the silence were appreciated. The Marvão International Music Festival, which happens in Marvão at the end of July and beggining of August, brings classical music to the roof of Alto Alentejo.