A TRIP TO SALIR

We take a look around the charming little Village of Salir. A short distance away from Loule, it has some of the most amazing hillside views and incredible History that makes it well worth a visit. S et in the breathtaking central Algarvean hills is the enchanting Village of Salir, filled with character and surrounded by nature it is a wonderful place to spend the day and has many trails to enjoy that take you through the Barrocal and gives you the opportunity to appreciate nature and all its beauty. Reaching as far back as the 12th century, Castelar (now, Salir) was occupied by the Moors who built the Castle of Salir to protect the region against the Christian re-conquest. The legend behind the name is said to have come from the cries of the Saracens as they fled from D. Paio Peres Correia, “Salir, Salir!” meaning “Escape, escape!”. The Castle of Salir Now left to ruins, the castle sits on the hill with a great viewpoint over the green hills of Serra do Caldeirão. The Castle was part of a regional defense system conquered from the Moors between 1248 and 1249. In an Archaeological study of the site between 1987 and 1998, Prof. Helena Catarino and her team revealed a dense urban area consisting of six houses and two streets, with each house containing various rooms, each with different functions. These rooms are identified as being bedrooms, kitchens, livingrooms, courtyards, etc... The kitchens being identified by the recovered ceramic kitchen utensils and the courtyards by their paved stone slabs. These houses were used during the 12th century and were abandoned after the Christian conquest. The Archaeological record shows that the conquest of the castle was very hard on the population of Salir and caused a lot of destruction to the people and structures of the village.

Ermida Nossa Senhora do Pé da Cruz

Igreja Matriz de Salir

Rocha da Pena Besides the castle, the main landmark of the region is Rocha da Pena (pictured above), a natural park with an area of 637 hectares that stretches from Salir to the town of Benafim. The park has a maximum height of 479 meters, making it a great spot for climbing and hiking enthusiasts. Spring is the best season to visit Rocha da Pena as the plants begin to flourish, covering the hills with layers of colour. Wild orchids, narcissus and wild peonies are a few species you can expect to find in this protected area. As for the fauna, the park is home to several birds, like the Alpine accentors, the Ring ouzel and the Bonelli’s Eagle.

The Pedestrian Trail The Pedestrian Trail is very popular amongst tourists, it starts along the EN525 where Sector 7 of the via Algarviana also begins. The Trail crosses the Algarvean Barrocal, Ribeira dos Moinhos, Fonte Figeira and more. Along the way you can expect to see traditional dry Orchards, Citrus Groves, old tanks and water wheels, Almond, Fig and Olive trees and of course a plethora of Fauna to go with the beautiful serene countryside such as the Genet, the Beech Marten, the European Rabbit, Red Foxes, the Moorish Gecko, Sharp-ribbed Salamander and more. If you’re lucky you might even see some Otters, though they are very hard to spot.

Though quite small village, Salir has much to offer and we thoroughly enjoyed our visit. We hope you are conviced to experience it for yourself. To reach Salir we recommend following a quick Google maps search, the Route from Loulé is quite simple and is a very enjoyable drive in itself. Let us know about your experience in Salir! Email us at simplyalgarvemag@gmail.com we would love to hear what you thought of this Historic little Village.

Pólo Museológico de Salir

In 2002, the Loule Council decided to build a small musuem next to the castle ruins in order to preserve and present the findings from archaeological studies that have taken place in the area. This little museum has a glass floor above the 12th-century Moorish foundations. Other local archaeological finds include Neolithic menhirs (standing stones), Iron Age stelae (stone carvings) and Roman pottery.