Brian & Eileen Anderson discovered Algarve's X factor many years ago. Eileen shares it with you in the following account which was published in The Lady Magazine on April 11th 2006 entitled 'Taking The Floral Route'

It’s strange but true. Despite the huge popularity of the Algarve as a tourist destination, its countryside remains relatively unknown. I blame it firmly on the outstanding beauty of the Algarvian coastline, on those wonderful coves of golden sand, on the promise they hold of sun-baked languid days of leisurely relaxation- and long may it continue.

Away from the coastline there is a verdant countryside full of tradition, history, old villages, farms and wild flowers in abundance. In spring, when the countryside is fresh and the fragrance of orange blossom everywhere, it is irresistible. In the Algarve, spring develops slowly and lazily, mocking winter as early as February by covering the countryside snow white with almond blossom. By March, it is in full flow with flowers carpeting the orange groves, filling the hedgerows and decorating roadsides. That is when I like to be there.

Each year, I lead a small group of flower lovers to show them an Algarve known to very few.

Admittedly, we stray from flowers to explore an old village or observe a custom. But countryside customs often have a great relevance to the flowers and the fruits of the earth. One such diversion is to sample the fruit of the strawberry tree, Arbutus unedo, in the form of the strong and fiery medronho (a locally distilled spirit).

The weather and what to wear are great preoccupations for new arrivals but, even at the end of March, I virtually live in shorts and am often in danger of suffering from sunburn, although there are sometimes showers so it is useful to have an umbrella. Whatever the weather, the remedy is our choice of hotel, Belavaista da Luz, in Praia da Luz. This is a welcome retreat at the end of great days out with its heated outdoor pool.

Our first walk takes us directly from the hotel to walk from Praia da Luz to Lagos - an eager band of fifteen enthusiasts raring to go, whose curiosity kicks in almost immediately with a barrage of What’s this? What’s that? Questions are fired non-stop and the climb goes unnoticed as an array of orchids, such as the Pyramidal orchid, Orchis piramidalis and Bumble bee Ophrys bombyliflora claim attention and cameras click into action. This first days walk wends its way along the coastline and provides a great opportunity for group members to get to know one another. Eventually- there is no rush - we descend to Porto de Mós, which makes a good stop for our picnic lunch. Avid walkers will of course complete this leg in under an hour! Next stop is the lighthouse at Ponta da Piedade, where an egret colony and the colourful and spectacular rock stacks have the camera shutters clicking and zooming again before we head for the lovely town of Lagos. First days are always slow and it has taken us all day to walk the six miles - roughly 1 mile an hour. The list of flowers and shrubs spotted along the way is fairly extensive, often over one hundred species.

Although list - ticking is not compulsory, after a reviving bath/shower and maybe a swim most of the group are quite happy to chat, gin and tonic in hand, over the days finds and to discover where we are off to next. Sometimes guests arrive with a mission to see a particular flower for a lifetime tick, usually an orchid, of which there are around twenty species at this time of the year, and the whole group becomes infected with enthusiasm for the search. Fortunately, Brian and I do know the locations of quite a few of the rare endemic species and just hope that the rarity is still in flower. An added bonus is having other natural history enthusiasts in the group, who share their knowledge of birds and butterflies for example. Add to this a smattering of local history and culture, which includes a lunch in a country restaurant of wild boar in red wine and, to me, this is what leading this type of holiday is all about.

Some walks are more floristic than others but all will probably have a particular speciality. After a day by the sea, an inland limestone ridge and Paeonia broteroi beckon.

Thanks to the new A22 motorway across Algarve, distances have shrunk and Rocha da Pena, off the N124, is reached with relative ease. Start from Rocha, which lies on the slope behind Pena, and follow the five mile waymarked circuit uphill. There is a virtual guarantee of finding the wild Paeonia broteroi in flower from the end of January until early May and sharp eyed birders will be able to tick off the blue rock thrush seen high on the ridge The steep start soon eases into a more gradual uphill.

Firstly though, opportunists instantly hive off into the cafe at the start of the walk for a fortifying coffee. Once on top, the views are magnificent. That is, for those who raise their eyes from the ground. Of course there may be the usual light-hearted comment about what some of us may have missed on the way up because we were gossiping.

One of the joys of leading though is the diversity within a group and the fact that not everyone shares the same level of interest.

Heading left leads onto the top of the ridge where there are more goodies lurking in the form of Narcissus bulbocodium and, if you are lucky, the diminutive N. gaditanus. But you have to look very carefully for the last one. Intrepids will want to divert up to the trig point for a really panoramic views. A stony descent leads thorough the village of Penina then back along a track to complete the circuit and maybe more coffee.

One of the province's best botanical hot spots is actually well known and well visited, but not necessarily for the flowers. It is windswept Cape St Vincent in the extreme west which the Romans regarded as sacred - they even considered it the end of the world. There are no specific walks in this area but our visit here is a combination day of specialist site visits and small walks to view rare endemics such as the shrubby violet, Viola arborescens.

Permanently crouching to escape the full effects of the seemingly ever-present wind, the low scrub looks to promise nothing, but once among it there are flowers galore and plenty of surprises.

Good hunting spots are all over this area but a couple of hours visiting the Fort at Sagres and exploring the surrounding scrubland unearths plenty of floral interest. Flower after flower can be found here with a little searching, all of them exciting in their own way, but one or two cause great excitement among unsuspecting visitors.

Anagallis monelli, a relative of scarlet pimpernel, is one of these. Its small, symmetrical flowers are an indescribable shade of intense blue. A careful search on the road out to Cape St Vincent itself will reveal a familiar snapdragon, Antirrhinum majus and the snow-white flowers of a candytuft, Iberis contracta. On the return, a diversion at Vila do Bispo out to the cliff top above Castelejo rewards visitors with stunning views along the west coast and carpets of Narcissus bulbocodium in a good season.

Another day might include the Quinta de Marim nature reserve near Olhão. A bird watchers paradise but good for the tiny Scilla odorata and yellow, salt loving Oribanche, Cistanche phelypaea. The reserve is also the haunt of nesting storks and home to the breeding kennels of the unique Portuguese Water Dog. Then it is back to limestone ridges, this time to Cerro, near Santa Margarida, and a walk out along the ridge to Pico Alto, with plenty of flowers along the way, including the naked man orchid Orchis Italica, and a fantastic viewpoint at the trig point. Next day it might be the Castle at Paderne for more orchids and then along the river bank below, a favoured location of the paper white narcissus, Narcissus papyraceus. Flowers are never far away, even when driving to walk locations, especially the Bermuda buttercup, Oxalis pes-caprae, which invades freshly cultivated ground and often turns the orange groves into carpets of gold.

A week speeds by and, all too soon, it is time for goodbyes. Our last evening is always a lively affair, friendships formed are cemented - and our Christmas-card list grows ever longer. Our small group tours now only run on request, so check our web site below for details. Currently, Brian and I will be in the Algarve for Honeyguide in March and next year with Cox & Kings also.

Hotel Belavista da Luz  tel: 00351 (282) 788655 (50min drive from the airport)

Car Hire: Holiday Autos

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