Jo’s Monday walk : Fuseta to Olháo

Something to always bear in mind when walking around our salt marshes is that they are tidal.  In a spirit of adventure, just after Christmas, I set out to explore the stretch between Fuseta and Olháo, entirely overlooking this fact.  In my defense, I was following the Algarve Cycle Trail and hadn’t envisioned that crossing water would be an issue.  On a glorious, sunny morning, I caught the train to Fuseta A (there are 2 stations in this small village, and the other one isn’t Fuseta B!)  A right turn will take you past the former fishermen’s houses and onto the coastal path.

Out in the bay the former coastguard station looks on without comment.  It’s a calm and peaceful scene, many people having not yet returned from the  holiday.  Birds wander, pecking and poking in the shallows, completely undisturbed when the occasional cyclist passes by.  The railway line also follows the coast, with minimal impact.  The colours of the heather are a lovely contrast in this sometimes dowdy landscape.

As often happens, a signpost throws confusion into the calm, either direction appearing to lead to Olháo.  The longer of the two, though interesting, doubles back on itself, but not before I have spotted the nesting storks, a rather endearing frog and a hoopoe.

Now it may seem a little early, but the sun is very warm and a decision is needed.  The perfect place to make it presents itself, a small restaurant, ‘O Farol’.  Does anyone mind a cake stop?  His and hers, of course!  Mine is the almond tart.

Decision made, we head in the general direction of the coast, hoping to be able to continue around the bay to Praia dos Cavacos.  And as luck would have it, we’re able to tiptoe around the edge of the sand and reach a boardwalk that looks quite new.  The surrounding buildings are unconventional, and ornamented with some rather wonderful artwork.

We are never out of touch with the quiet salt pans, which breathe life into this landscape.  You may have thought it all going swimmingly (bad choice of words  🙂  ) but a slight hiccup is just around the corner.

The railway track, which has followed us so patiently, decides to leap a gully full of water.  We shake our heads.  It’s too big a leap for human legs.  A family of cyclists approach from the direction of Olháo.  When they passed this way earlier the tide was out.  Bravely they hoist their cycles and cross the precarious track.  The alternative for us is a very long walk, so we grimace and hasten across the gap.  My heart is thudding.  If a train should suddenly appear… but minutes later we are in the heart of the nature reserve known as Quinta de Marim.

The plan was to skirt this park, and stay close to the campsite at Olháo.  But it’s simply a relief to be across the water.

The tidal mill is a beautiful sight at high tide.  It has not been operational since 1970, but the equipment still looks ready for action. I clamber up to the roof and look out across the water, to the low-lying barrier island, Armona.

The sun is low in the sky as we finally reach Olháo.  The contemporary theatre, itself a converted mill, stands in sharp contrast to the crumbling facades of neighbouring buildings.  Oblivious, the birds cavort on a high wire above.  Soon all trace of Christmas will be gone.

For us, it’s time to catch a train home.  If you should happen to repeat this walk, be very aware of the tide times.  And meanwhile, many thanks for accompanying me on the adventure that is the new year.

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Not too many walks to read as you get back into a routine.  Join me any time here on Jo’s Monday walk.  The welcome is always the same.

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Janet has enormous fun in a museum!

WNDRful walk

And we all know that Jackie never lets the side down :

Christmas Fare

No place like home, but Drake is happy to hang his hat in a number of places :

Not that boring

While Sandra takes me back to one of the most beautiful places I have ever been :

#Jerónimos Monastery – Lisbon, #Portugal

Irene shares the beauty of a beach in winter :

Winter Day on the Dunes

And Indra, the lush landscape of :

Ng Tung Chai Waterfalls-Hong Kong

In stark contrast, Karen takes us to Australia, where heat is a killer.  Do please donate something, if you can :

A parched walk in the Blue Mountains

Candy combines a history lesson with a great walk.  I had no idea!

The Roman Walls of Lugo

And Cathy takes us back to a very beautiful mosque :

Casablanca: Back to Hassan II, a walk along the Corniche, & Quartier des Habous 

Happy New Year to anyone I’ve missed.  Onwards and upwards!

110 comments

  3. A great adventure, well told. I’m sure you take care when you are out – level crossings and trains in the Iberian part of Europe have always been a bit dangerous – bt like the bulls – so use that extra bit of caution when walking. And boy, do I like the look of those cakes!

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    1. We are usually very careful, Mari, but there wasn’t a lot of option on this occasion. I wouldn’t take a group of walkers that way without checking the tides very carefully, though. If I could share a cake with you, I would love to 🙂 🙂

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  5. Nothing quite like a walk with a touch of frisson Jo … tide and tide and all that Lol .. so easy to be caught out especially with new rambles and diversions and the sheer s p e e d it a comes creeping in with .. glad you navigated those train tracks and got to enjoy CAKE ! Lovely … envious of those blue blue skies 😉

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  8. Another beautiful walk and so many great photos. I am sure next time you will avoid the high tide, in any case you managed to cross without too much trouble. Those blue skies are fabulous 😄

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  11. What a wonderful post-Christmas walk Jo, looks so good. Not too hot but sunny and clear and tons to see. Your photos are amazing as usual and I love the train track adventure, good for your blood pressure (not). Chocolate cake for me as I’m not really into tarts.

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  14. What an adventure. The scenery is absolutely beautiful. Your walk reminded me of the bicycle rides I use to take on the levees that made up the Leslie salt ponds on the San Francisco Bay. Great memories. 🙂

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  16. It wasn’t that long ago when my husband and I found ourselves in a similar situation where we’d walked too long along a beach surrounded by very rocky cliffs, and we hadn’t paid any attention to the tide levels. I wasn’t dressed in swim wear, but we found ourselves dripping wet when we finally waded to the path that took us back to our car. Judging by the beautiful photos you captured it’s clear the adventure was a good one, even with a little harrowing moment along the train tracks. 🙂 The salt marshes are really fascinating to me. I hope you’re planning dozens of new adventures this year, Jo. Lots of walking…lots of cake! 🙂

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    1. Off to the salt marshes again this morning, Debbie- much closer to home and not a train in sight 🙂 🙂 But those trains can be very useful at times. We use them whenever we can instead of the car, for environmental purposes and they give you a different aspect on life. By the way- something dreadful happened to me yesterday. I missed a cake festival! 😦 The longest cake in the Algarve- something special they do for Epiphany. It’s a bit of a drive from here and my husband didn’t feel like it, so we didn’t bother, but friends sent us photos of them scoffing free cake! Shocking!

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  17. Such a brilliant blue world you live in Jo and a never ending supply of walks to take us on. Pleased you made it safely across the train tracks. That cake looks yummy. Also pleased to hear in the comments that Meg is ok. A bit of a reprieve with cooler temps and some rain, but the horror of high temps and winds is due to return on the weekend.

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    1. We grumble if we come upon a grey day, Pauline! 🙂 🙂 Well, not me personally- I can stretch to 2 consecutive ones if I have to! 🙂 But seriously, it’s a nightmare situation for them. Meg has been in touch with us, trying to reassure and thanking everyone for their concern, but we know it’s not over.

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  18. Well your walks are certainly not without the occasional drama! I’m sure given all that flatness you would have easily seen a train approaching, but train tracks are not to be taken lightly, especially if they are electrified. I was disappointed though that the hoopoe was not a real one. They remind me of Africa, and although I think they sometimes visit England’s south coast during autumn and spring I have never seen one, the closest is a lovely bird on a table mat! The cakes look delicious but I do wish you’d stop torturing me 😧

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    1. Hoopoes are common here but I love them. 💕Actually it was walking over water with gaps between the tracks that was scary, not the trains so much with a half hour service but I could have been unlucky. 🤣 No lights from you today? I was waiting. Good news from Meg though xx

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      1. Light is up! Was a bit later today but published around midday. And yes good news, though they are not out of it yet. Rohan says the fire season is worse at the end of January and into February. My granddaughter in Canberra has experienced temperatures of 44 degrees! And there are fires all around there too.

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      2. Not in my Reader but I’ll go looking. 🙂 🙂 Yes- a long way to go till Summer’s peaked, but I’m grateful for small mercies. Living with constant angst is hard, isn’t it?

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  20. Happy 2020 dear Jo! Thank you for all the wonderful conversations and the never-failing support. Your walks are always my favorite part of this blogging world. May the new year treat you and yours with great kindness and love.

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