This trip has to be one of the best ways to discover the real Algarve. Jump into a 4x4, leave the coast behind and make your way up into the Monchique hills. You'll discover a different Algarve with a slower pace of life, one that most visitors never get to see. Ines, one of our expert local guides, says, ‘These hills are relatively untouched by the modern world, and this tour gives visitors a glimpse of traditional Portuguese life. Little farming villages dot the landscape, and you'll get to try local citrus fruit when we visit an orange grove at Silves.'

Travelling in small groups winding along earth tracks and past tiny villages, you'll get a glimpse of a peaceful lifestyle that is quickly disappearing. After a stop at an orange grove, you'll explore the timeworn streets of the whitewashed village of Alferce, known for its pretty church which dates back to the 16th century. Any cultivatable patches of land in the area are filled with citrus orchards and eucalyptus groves. Next, you'll continue on your journey to explore the natural wilderness of ‘Barrancos dos Pisoes'.

There'll be plenty of stops along the way to capture those perfect holiday pictures and then we'll travel up to the highest point in the Algarve. At this special viewpoint you'll watch the sky change colour as the sun sets and toast the view with a glass of sparkling wine. Hop back into the 4x4 and as darkness blankets the landscape, you'll head to a local restaurant for a traditional dinner including specialities from the Monchique hills.