Almodôvar - Castro Verde

From Praceta do Poço de Beja square, we leave Almodôvar through the Antiga Estrada de Ourique (Old Ourique Road). The asphalt doesn't last long, giving way to the macadam at the intersection to access Monte Fernão Dias, which is worth a visit if there is time. We follow the Path for another 3 km and stay parallel to Corte Zorrinha, a small cluster of houses. But the stage is long, 30 km, a respectable distance that doesn't augur well for an easy day. So, we'll have to focus on reaching Castro Verde or, alternatively, decide since now to calmly enjoy the experiences offered by the Path and spend the night in the village of Rosário, at half distance. Mountains in ruins and others in activity arise in an extensive, rural landscape without any shade points, where cereal fields coexist with olive groves, scattered holm oak and cork oak forests, pastures, and even vineyards. The village of A-dos-Neves appears in the perfect time, either for a light rest or even to cool off on hotter days.

After 3.5 km, we arrive in Rosário, already in the municipality of Castro Verde. We follow Rua do Lavadouro, cross the N2 national road and, through the cemetery street, we head to Castro Verde on a track road. We flank the old manganese and iron mines of Ferragudo but, with the construction of a private house on the site, this important mining point goes unnoticed to those who aren't aware of its existence. We walk down the hill towards the railway line, which we pass through in an uneven tunnel. Always accompanied by sheep flocks, we arrive at Monte da Filipeja, where we should know about the possibility of meeting some shepherd dogs at large. We turn to the right, pass the lock gate and we keep on opening and closing wire gates that are essential to condition the herds' movements and ensure the pastures rotation. We cross the stream over a passageway in solid stone slabs and follow the olive grove to the rural road that will take us to one of the Castro Verde entrances. In between, on the left, we note an old property, the "Horta da Ordem" (Order’s Garden), which proudly displays the initial "S" of Santiago at the front gate. Through Rua do Cemitério, we turn to the right on the roundabout and walk up Rua dos Ciprestes. Then we follow Rua Dr. António Francisco Colaço, continuing to the left through Rua D. Afonso Henriques. The stage ends in front of the Igreja das Chagas do Salvador (Church of the Savior’s Wounds), next to which the Tourism Office is located.