Discover woodland discos and pink 18th century palaces on one of Europe's most beautiful walks

As I walked through the forest I suddenly heard a heavenly chorus that seemed for a split second to be putting me on the path to cloud nine.

But a shake of the head revealed this wasn’t a dream. My feet were still on terra firma hiking through woods in the glorious and the ethereal sounds stopped me in my tracks.

The singing was in Portuguese but the performers – from different nationalities and communities – were part of the spirit-uplifting live entertainment at Algarve Walking Festival, which was enjoying its 10th anniversary.

Included in the two-day celebration of art, nature, heritage and community – were events such as yoga, silent discos, a children’s choir and spray-painting to name but a few, scheduled around dozens of themed walks, I’d arrived a couple of days earlier for the festival and checked in at the Pousada Palacio de Estoi, a small five-star boutique hotel, around seven miles from

This restored 18th-century palace with dusky pink walls, regal French-style gardens dotted with fountains, statues and busts, and a fabulous pool is a truly lavish affair. And inside it bursts with Rococo glamour such as ornate ceilings painted with cherubs, glittering gold leaf plasterwork and antiques.

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The spacious rooms are pared back and sleek with polished wood floors, pristine white walls and marble bathrooms.

The hotel’s fine-dining restaurant, O Visconde, gave me my first taste of the flavours of the Algarve. The clams – served Portuguese-style with garlic butter and coriander – and the panna cotta and tomato marmalade and salted caramel dessert come highly recommended.

After a restful first night and a hearty breakfast I headed into Loule, a town steeped in history. Among its landmarks is an old fortress that dates back to the time of the Moors, as well as an Islamic bath house, rediscovered by archaeologists 16 years ago, preserved and opened as a tourist attraction.

is also very proud of its traditional arts and crafts and formed Loule Creative to preserve and promote the work of its artisans. The project includes workshops, spaces for live work and product sales so it’s great for tourists to explore.

I visited a traditional palm-weaving shop called Casada da Empreita where I watched craftspeople weaving an assortment of items such as light shades and even backpacks, as well as a traditional coppersmiths that makes jewellery using old methods and a cataplana (Portuguese cooking pot).

I later took a drive up into the countryside to the village of Alte where art and nature are intertwined. On the walls of some of the white-washed houses are paintings from local artists. It’s also a great place to see carob trees, known for their large bean pods.

I took a stroll around the village, wandering around its cobbled streets and its two natural springs, then through the countryside past streams, lakes and an abundance of flora and fauna including clementine trees.

Lunch at Quinta Do Freixo, a family-run farm stretching 800 hectares, just north of Loule was certainly a highlight. Set up for, it offers 15 rooms to stay in and a beautiful organic restaurant with far-reaching views.

There I enjoyed wonderful dishes of sea bass, roast lamb and vegetables, before taking a tour of the farm, which sells its own produce including an assortment of jams, fig brandy and fig cheese, which was a very nice accompaniment to coffee at the end of a meal.

Back at the Pousada Palacio de Estoi that evening, I indulged in a relaxing swim in the and a head, neck and foot treatment in the hotel’s dedicated massage room. There’s also a beautiful Turkish bath and a sauna.

Rested and rejuvenated, the next morning I was very excited at the prospect of walking the spectacular Seven Hanging Valleys coastal trail. This scenic route runs from Praia da Marinha in the east to Praia de Vale Centeanes in the west, passing the famous Benagil Cave, a spectacular light-filled dome enclosing a beach within its walls.

It’s considered one of the most beautiful walking trails in all of Europe for its elevated views of cliffs, stone arches, sea stacks, beaches, and through forest patches and deep gorges. Just follow the painted posts on rocks along the way and there are different access points that make it easy to walk parts of it at a time.

A one-time return trip would take around four to six hours. After this most glorious walk, I spent the afternoon at Villa Alvor sampling some of the Algarve’s loveliest wines. You can book three different experiences, including a 45-minute tasting of the Villa Alvor Colheita white, rosé, and red wines, which reflect the originality of the Algarve terroir for €12 (£10.08). This wine isn’t exported for wholesale but can be purchased from their website, starting from just €5 (£4.20) a bottle.

My next stop was The Cascade Wellness Resort. Perched on the clifftops of Lagos with magnificent views over Porto de Mos beach, it is one of the Algarve’s most luxurious five-star hotels with rooms, suites, It has four very inviting pools, a football academy, a choice of buffet or a la carte dining, as well as a world-class spa.

For my final adventure of the walking festival, I head to Barao De Sao Joao national park to explore the trails and admire the plant life, stone sculptures and scenery. An original Iberian forest, it has pines, acacia, eucalyptus trees, cork oaks, and my walking guide talked to the group about how the forest ecosystem survives and adapts to the changing environment.

Along the way, I passed the choir performing for the festival ramblers –a real highlight of the day – then sat down for a quick break from the walking for an arts and crafts session. This one involved making bookmarks out of dried reeds and I was helped by an elderly Portuguese woman who had quite clearly mastered the art some years ago.

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You can break up the walks with activities such asin the shade of the trees or a silent disco, which is a lot of fun. I then went for lunch at vegetarian restaurant Beco do Sol Cafe in Barao de Sao Joao, which serves a mixture of and Middle Eastern dishes made from ingredients supplied by local farmers only on a sunny outdoor terrace.

Back at the walking festival in the forest, I took on more trails and met other walking groups there for the event along the way.

A final dinner of Portuguese-style steak and seafood at Gastropub, back at The Cascade Wellness Resort, turned out to be an indulgent way to round off a fabulous trip of walking my way to happiness.

Book the holiday

• Flights to Faro, Algarve, are available from multiple airports across the UK with carriers including British Airways, easyJet, Jet2, Ryanair and Wizz.
• Rooms at the Pousada Palacio de Estoi in Faro start at £133 a night B&B.
• Rooms at The Cascade Wellness Resort in Lagos start at £191 a night on B&B.
• More info at