Stage 1
Ameixial (Algarve) - Santa Cruz
Turismo do Alentejo, ERT
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Igreja de Santa Cruz, AlmodôvarPhoto: Upstream, Turismo do Alentejo, ERT
Alternatively, you can arrive there in other ways:
- Leaving Ameixial, where the previous stage, coming from Faro, ends, the route extends in easy trails to the valley of Ribeira do Vascão, passing through Revezes village and continuing to Cascalheira mill, for a total of about ten kilometers; - By the municipal road 1029, which connects Ameixial to Revezes, proceeding on a trail from there, intersecting with the Caminho Algarvio that will follow for three kilometers until the entrance to the Alentejo; - Coming from the north, by the road that leaves the village of Santa Cruz in the direction of Alcoutim, Martim Longo and Cachoupo, taking the right on a nearby crossroad and following the signs of Cerro das Águias and Monte Branco do Vascão, on a dirt road. Arriving at Monte, the road gives easy access to the trail's beginning at the Ribeira do Vascão.
Author’s recommendation
In Santa Cruz village there is no commerce to supply the traveler, and the only local coffee shop (A Colmeia do Vicente, D. Paula, Phone No.. 965 836 403) should be contacted before the start of the day so that they can be prepared to serve meals to those who will spend the night there. Prior contact is also essential with the parish council, Junta de Freguesia (Phone No. 286 453 119, from 8.30am to 4.30pm, or President of the parish council, Mr. Eduardo Gonçalves, Phone No. 963713025), so that you can arrange accommodation and any other support you may need. All the usual resources for supply and continuation of the trip can only be found at the end of the next stage, in Almodôvar.
In the Alentejo you really have to try the typical delicacies. The Alentejo bread, the olive oil, the wines. The starters with olives, a cheese board and delicious smoked ham. The Alentejo soup (there are several). Savour the açordas and the migas, the lamb and pork. Why not a sericaia, which is a conventual sweet for dessert, for example? But the menu is diverse. See where you can taste the Alentejo gastronomy. And because when travelling in Alentejo, restful nights are a must. Here you will find many options where you can rest and relax.
Track types
Show elevation profileSafety information
For information regarding conduct, recommendations and self-safety, please refer to this page.Tips and hints
Useful contacts:
- Santa Cruz Parish Council: +351 963 713 025
- São Barnabé Parish Council: +351 286 463 134
- Dogueno Health Center (Santa Cruz): +351 286 454 108
- GNR - Almodôvar Territorial Station: +351 286 660 051
Start
Destination
By road
O percurso dos Caminhos de Santiago Alentejo e Ribatejo tem início na ribeira do Vascão, um afluente da margem direita do Guadiana que, em grande parte do seu curso, faz fronteira entre o Alentejo e o Algarve. É na ribeira do Vascão que se inicia a primeira etapa do percurso, logo após a travessia pedonal junto ao moinho de água dito da Cascalheira. Segue depois pela direita ao longo do vale de cerca de mil e 1300 metros, até alcançar o Monte Branco do Vascão. É possível lá chegar por três vias:
- Saindo do Ameixial, onde finaliza a etapa algarvia anterior de quem já vem no Caminho desde Faro, a rota estende-se por bons trilhos entre as cumeadas de sucessivos cerros até ao vale da ribeira do Vascão, passando ainda pela aldeia de Revezes e prosseguindo ao longo do vale até ao moinho da Cascalheira, num total de cerca de dez quilómetros;
- Pela estrada municipal 1029, que liga o Ameixial a Revezes, prosseguindo em trilho a partir daqui, entroncando com o Caminho algarvio que acompanhará ao longo de três quilómetros até à entrada no Alentejo;
- Vindo de norte, pela estrada que sai da aldeia de Santa Cruz na direção de Alcoutim, Martim Longo e Cachoupo, virando à direita num cruzamento próximo e seguindo a indicação de Cerro das Águias e Monte Branco do Vascão, em estradão de terra batida. Chegando ao Monte, o estradão dá acesso fácil ao início do percurso na ribeira do Vascão.
Coordinates
Equipment
Always carry water, supplies, sunscreen, a hat, waterproof, comfortable shoes, and a map.Statistics
- 2 Waypoints
- 2 Waypoints
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