São Brás de Alportel
A relaxed inland market town in the hills north of Faro, shaped by the cork trade and good for walks and local history.
São Brás de Alportel is an inland town and municipality in the hills north of Faro, with the Serra do Caldeirão rising beyond. In the 19th century it grew wealthy on cork from the surrounding oak woods, and its costume museum, set in a former cork merchant's house, covers both traditional dress and the cork industry.
The town also has a former bishops' palace and the Calçadinha, a stretch of old paved road with Roman roots that once linked the area to Faro. The municipality is mostly countryside of small hamlets, cork and orchards, and the town is a member of the Cittaslow network, which suits its gentle pace.