Messejana - Fornalhas Velhas

We leave Messejana through the back of Quinta da Cerca, entering immediately after a dirt track towards Aguentinha do Campo, a hill with agricultural activity, rural tourism services, and equestrian activities. Beside it is the Herdade de Buena Madre, where mineral waters, much appreciated in the region, used to emerge. Wavy lands, with cistus, olive groves, and diverse cultures, but always with dominant cork oak forest. Here and there other hills, a dam, horses, cattle, and in 7.5 km we reach the village of Elvas. Time for a coffee and we continue up the hill towards Monte do Cerro, from where you can enjoy a beautiful view over the green valleys, created by the streams descending from the plateau. We will follow this descent and then pass over the irrigation channel of Alto Sado, already in the municipality of Ourique. Through the tunnel under the IC1 road, we advance towards Torre Vã, where we are surprised by the silhouette of an old building of great dimensions, surrounded by several others of farm and housing use. This estate was a place of great importance in Roman times. Traces of an old villa and a dam have been found here. Shortly after Torre Vã, we are on the Sado riverbed, which we cross to the other bank, closer to the railway line, which we will also cross using the viaduct. Soon after, we enter, on the right, on a side road and walk about 6 km through cultivated fields and pastures until we reach the village of Fornalhas Velhas, in the municipality of Odemira. We enter through Rua 25 de Abril directly to the crossroad where we find Café O Jorge, and ask for the installations of the Centro Sóciocultural or for Monte do Marmeleirinho, the only places with accommodation prepared for travelers.