Route Ancestral Footprints

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We’re almost ready to welcome you! The Algarvensis Geopark routes are not yet open to the public, but very soon you’ll be able to explore them with all your senses. For now, we invite you to discover the trails that will soon become part of your next adventure.

On this route, echoes of the past emerge at every step: from dinosaur footprints on the cliffs of Arrifes to the stories etched into the streets and spirit of Alte, Penina and Paderne. Begin in Olhos de Água, where the sea meets ancient freshwater springs. A true open-air library, the site of Arrifes holds the footprints of dinosaurs preserved in stone, a place to feel, discover, and contemplate.

Be inspired by traditional knowledge and craftsmanship at the remarkable Cerro do Ouro, and walk through memories in Vale de Pegas, where an old factory gave way to stories of workers, lively celebrations, and late-afternoon football matches. Marvel at the beautiful and unique rammed earth Castle of Paderne, a key stronghold in the Christian conquest of the Algarve, and enjoy the charming villages of Paderne and Alte, each with so much to explore. Feel the vibrant identity and deep love for the land in Penina, a community full of soul, colour, and pride in belonging to this Algarvensis territory.

Let yourself be moved by the grandeur of Rocha da Pena, where geological wonders meet local legends and rare biodiversity. And imagine this landscape in the age of the Metoposaurus algarvensis, a curious amphibian that swam these calm lagoons some 227 million years ago.

Stopping points:

Olhos D´Água