Portugal's best outdoor experiences: Bom dia, Wilderness

From the summit of Fóia, Edwina Pitcher marveled at the ragged southern edge of Portugal. In Juromenha she looked at the Rio Guadiana, the border river to Spain. She wandered on coastal paths on the Atlantic and was delighted with the wildflowers that dot the Serra da Freita in the north in the spring.

Edwina Pitcher loves mountains, streams, glacial valleys and lakes, olive groves, Hinkelsteine ​​- and when the dragonflies land on their bodies while bathing. For the 33-year-old Englishwoman there is hardly anything better than wilderness. And Portugal. And exactly on these topics, the travel journalist has written a book that has now appeared (at Haffmans & Tolkemitt) in a German version.

In fact, the "Wild Guide Portugal" is a kind of compendium, the ideal guide for people who are not interested in the year of construction of churches but for all that nature has to offer. "Try the sweet berries , camarinhas , which are eaten raw in the fall," she wrote in a short text to the Praia dos Machados, a sandy bay in Carvalhal, which probably "only the locals know". And details of this kind are offered in abundance by the book.

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In 2015, Pitcher traveled around the country with a Portuguese friend for months on end, testing all the regions for their outdoor fun qualities. Where can you find pristine beaches? What adventure do you experience in the hinterland? Where do the stars twinkle the brightest?

In a jeep, the two women traveled all over Portugal - with preference to the remote areas. They met locals who led them to hidden rock pools, giving them advice on spending the night in the great outdoors and inviting them to celebrate. Traditional festas - and the joie de vivre of the Portuguese - are discussed in many places in the book.

Jump into the clear water in the morning mist

One focus of the travel book is on wild swimming experiences. In each of the 24 chapters, each dedicated to a specific region, Pitcher gives hints on special bathing sites such as rock pools, springs, and river bends. "Waking up to the birdsong and jumping into the clear water in the morning mist is still the best way for me to start the day," says Pitcher. Being outside and slowing down is good for the head. Swimming in the nature bring her to clear thoughts. "Everything feels right again," says Pitcher. "No matter what problems I have right now."

The book contains hundreds of tips for nature-loving travelers to Portugal who want to escape the tourist centers - and civilization. Often it is enough to drive from the Algarve 20 minutes into the interior to experience something exciting, says Pitcher. She also raves about the Costa Vicentina , the rugged coast in the southwest of the country with its fishing and smuggler trails. Some of her recommendations:

• "Descend the old seafaring steps to the sea behind the Fortaleza de Belixe."
• "Take a shower at the hidden beach of Praia da Amália under a waterfall."
• "On the pego, jump the pias from a rope into the deep, green water."
• "Watch the stork chicks in their nests on the windswept cliffs of Cabo Sardão."
• "Take a bath in Santa Clara Lake, whose waters are so clear that you can see your own toes in the moonlight.

These are just a few examples, but they illustrate what matters to Pitcher. She points with her finger to everything beautiful in Portugal's nature. It also enables the reader to gain deeper insights into the country - away from the popular Algarve and Lisbon. Or other mass tourism phenomena, such as the Harry Potter bookstore in Porto, which became a place of pilgrimage for Instagram tourists.

Eco hotels and octopus salad

Some of Pitcher's tips do not come without a safety notice. For example, a beach mentioned in the book is "only accessible at low tide or over dangerously steep paths," they say. And on the last page is generally mentioned again that swimming wild as any other water sports risks. (In this article, you'll find a few golden rules for outdoor swimming safety.)

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Edwina Pitcher
Wild Guide Portugal: Magical Porte, hidden beaches and the sweet life (Wild Swimming / Cool Camping)

Publishing company:

Haffmans & Tolkemitt

Pages:

256

Price:

EUR 22,95

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But every adventure needs its breaks. There are countless recommendations in the book: which fisherman buys a good day catch, which cook prepares the best octopus salad, and where shepherds sell their feta cheese.

Small guest houses, eco hotels and activities are also mentioned. For example, Pitcher has had good experiences with Casas Brancas, a local-based club that selects and provides accommodation, lodging and leisure activities in Costa Vicentina. "Inquire here about donkey hikes, bread baking courses and a good surfing school", writes Pitcher.

Not for all of Pitcher's adventure you have to go far. Even on a city break in Portugal's capital, travelers can make an easy detour to nature, as the Lisbon chapter shows: In it, the author recommends the mountains of Sintra with caves and wild forests and beaches "with significantly fewer towels and umbrellas" than on the popular Costa da Caparica in the south of the city.

Pitcher likes to jump into the adventure without much plans - and usually without any special equipment. "I like having a sleeping bag and a self-mixed citrus oil for the mosquitoes," she says. "And on my feet I wear an old pair of shoes." It has to be comfortable. More does not need the wilderness.