Alferce boardwalk will be part of 6km walking trail which also features a suspended bridge
A new boardwalk and suspended bridge are nearing completion near the small village of Alferce in Monchique.
If all goes according to plan, construction works which started in October 2022 should be completed by the end of April.
The 800m boardwalk and suspended bridge are being built in the Barranco do Demo gorge – sometimes referred to by locals as the ‘Grand Canyon of Alferce’ – and will be part of a larger 6km walking trail which will link the village to the local castle.
“The boardwalk and the bridge are being built in an area which provides stunning views and where unique species of fauna and flora can be observed,” José Manuel Gonçalves, president of the Alferce parish council, told the Resident.
He added that the Alferce castle is located on a hill which is “one of the best observatories of the coast of the Algarve and of vast areas of Algarve and Lower Alentejo mountains.” (also read about the castle here)
The €450,000 project also includes the opening of the Alferce Interpretative Centre, which will be located in a historic building in the village “which was once a chapel and a school” and has been renovated.
José Manuel Gonçalves said the main goal of the project is to “contribute in a significant way to the development of the parish,” citing examples of projects which have already been completed or are underway, such as the Alferce motorhome service station, the creation of new hiking trails and the construction of a support shelter for hikers and mountain bikers.
“These public investments aim to boost the development of tourism in the region by attracting the interest of new travellers based on our history, our landscapes, our gastronomy and our waters, thus increasing in a significant way the number of tourists (seeking us),” the parish council president explained.
He added that another goal is to improve the “economic and demographic sustainability” of Alferce, which like so many other inland villages is fighting against desertification, by promoting the creation of “new businesses, fixating new residents and sustainable investments” and generally contributing to the “global development of the parish.”
Updated on April 1
