Serra da Picota
Serra da Picota
4.5
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
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4.5
96 reviews
Excellent
56
Very good
31
Average
6
Poor
1
Terrible
2
Danny C
Manchester27 contributions
Apr 2015 • Family
Most of the reviews in this section are of Foia, the highest peak in the Serra da Monchique at 902m. It is easily accessible by a winding climbing road, or by footpaths from Monchique. At the top is a large car park and miradorou, a visitor centre (that was closed on our visit), and a secured off area of radar stations. On a good day the views South over the Algarve, and North to the Alentejo region are stunning. However, Foia is not Picota.
Picota is described as Foia's little brother, and is just to the East of Monchique. A newly way marked walk to the peak of Picota has been set up. Starting from close to the town centre (near the Rei de Fruta store), the walk uses small local roads and footpaths to make the steep-at-times ascent past farms and (chained) barking dogs and through cork and eucalyptus woods to emerge at the base of the rocky outcrop. If anything, the sense of being high up is accentuated by the shape of the peak, and further added to by a scaffolding watch tower. Take care on climbing this as the iron grid 'balconies' bow under human weight. The views from the top are stunning, all the more for not having a car park immediately adjacent.
The suggested route for the descent was not easily found but there is a small road that is easily seen from the top that facilitates a way down back to the starting point. Overall the walk took a couple of hours
Picota is described as Foia's little brother, and is just to the East of Monchique. A newly way marked walk to the peak of Picota has been set up. Starting from close to the town centre (near the Rei de Fruta store), the walk uses small local roads and footpaths to make the steep-at-times ascent past farms and (chained) barking dogs and through cork and eucalyptus woods to emerge at the base of the rocky outcrop. If anything, the sense of being high up is accentuated by the shape of the peak, and further added to by a scaffolding watch tower. Take care on climbing this as the iron grid 'balconies' bow under human weight. The views from the top are stunning, all the more for not having a car park immediately adjacent.
The suggested route for the descent was not easily found but there is a small road that is easily seen from the top that facilitates a way down back to the starting point. Overall the walk took a couple of hours
Written April 9, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
girlfromSC
Liverpool, UK126 contributions
Jun 2019 • Couples
We hiked here from Monchique resort, then descended to Monchique, so took in both sides of the mountain. It was a wonderful hike with good markings, and beautiful views. The difference in the south side ascent and north side descent makes it feel like two different hikes. Very enjoyable and a very achievable hike for novices.
Written June 30, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
jasonbgregory66
Winslow, UK10 contributions
Aug 2017 • Family
You CAN drive up here but it's NOT the best idea because it's a VERY steep, winding, single track road that just stops a with little more than a three-pointing space to turn round at the top. So if more than one other person has decided to drive up at the same time, there's going to be grief. Besides, you can't see anything from where the road stops - it's a delightfully undeveloped 50 foot rock scramble to the base of the fire watchtower to get the view. Worth it though, because not only do you get 100km of coastline, 20km away at its closest, there's also a nice vista to Monchique and up to the Foia summit beyond. So if you're up to the rock scramble, you were up to the walk up from Monchique (5km?) in the first place! Not only healthier but far more interesting, serene and atmospheric too! And it's all downhill on the way back!
Written January 26, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ryon D
15 contributions
With out GPS both TomTom and Google maps we could not find it. So before you go wander in the mountains with your car please be well informed and have the right coordinates to get to it. Nonetheless the drive through the mountains was gorgeous.
Written April 23, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mary&BarryJackson
Lagos, Portugal2,389 contributions
Mar 2016 • Friends
Super walk to the summit of Picota from the town of Monchique, with great views of the town as you climb. From the top, there are incredible views in all directions, over to Foia, and down towards the Algarve coast and Portimao are some of the best. Takes about 45 minutes to get to the top, and there are many routes back down depending on how far you want to walk. Great scenery all the way!
Written March 25, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
MunroBasher
Lancashire178 contributions
Oct 2019
The top of this hill is a fine walk from the Monchique hotel 500m below. The lower trail is well marked (blue paint) until that branches off towards Monchique, and then it's trails and more paths to the summit. About 2 hours. A great all-round view point and a totally different un-spoilt experience to the Foia summit across the other side of the valley - a single fire watch-tower and no fences or masts. None of the cafes and shops of Foia. A straight--forward walk down to Monchique provides lots of places for lunch.
Written October 31, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Cheese
Sheffield, UK192 contributions
Jun 2016 • Family
We visited the mountains whilst staying in carvoeiro it was a very hot day and thought we would be cooler up there, how wrong apparently it's 10 degrees hotter, but worth the trip. There were stones on top of stones you make a wish when you place one on top of another kids loved that little bit. Breath taking views from the top and a very reasonably priced cafe with homemade cakes pastries etc, a welcome very cool beer washed the beautiful cake down in fact a slice fed 4 of us it was huge. Plenty of parking and views across the algarve to die for. Shops selling lovely gifts again at reasonable prices and the drive up and down was a joy with lots of places of interest to stop and view along the way. Highly recommend a trip to monchiquie and up to Serra da picota.
Written June 24, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Markku N
Joensuu, Finland6 contributions
Apr 2016 • Couples
The rape of beautiful cork oak forests to euca fields has destoyed the landscape and the nature of Monchique mountains.
The shape the pulp companies have left the landscape, is horrible. They should be prosecuted of destroying national values and property.
The shape the pulp companies have left the landscape, is horrible. They should be prosecuted of destroying national values and property.
Written April 30, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
SHeuropa
Monchique, Portugal19 contributions
Dec 2015 • Solo
Picota is the second highest point in the Algarve. Unlike Foia access to its summit is not possible by car. Though you can get close. It is best to plan on walking or cycling. Though both are for people ready to face the climb. The summit is undeveloped except for the fire watch tower and provides great views of Monchique, Foia and the Algarve coast on a clear day or night. The Via Algarviana passes across Picota and there are marked walks from Caldas and from the town o Monchique.
Written January 30, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Richk77
Dursley, UK46 contributions
Aug 2015 • Family
The drive to the top of the mountain is interesting in itself. There are plenty of places to stop as your wind your way towards the top. Quality of the roads is good, and unlike some places I've driven in Italy or the Canary Islands, you never feel the proximity of vertigo-inducing drops at the side of the road. It's a nice easy drive and easy to find. Just keep going 'up' on the main road until you can't go any further.
When you reach the top there's a restaurant, which when we visited (during peak season) was empty, didn't serve particularly good food and was not very welcoming. The views, however, were great, even though we hadn't picked a very good day. You could still clearly make out the Atlantic coast 20-30 km away, and tall buildings in Portimao and Lagos in the distance.
We climbed the rocky summit to take some pictures, marvelled at the array of military hardware perched at the top, which must be listening to God-knows-who, and came back down. One odd tradition here seems to be making small stone piles which extend around the cafe in every direction.
Worth a visit.
When you reach the top there's a restaurant, which when we visited (during peak season) was empty, didn't serve particularly good food and was not very welcoming. The views, however, were great, even though we hadn't picked a very good day. You could still clearly make out the Atlantic coast 20-30 km away, and tall buildings in Portimao and Lagos in the distance.
We climbed the rocky summit to take some pictures, marvelled at the array of military hardware perched at the top, which must be listening to God-knows-who, and came back down. One odd tradition here seems to be making small stone piles which extend around the cafe in every direction.
Worth a visit.
Written August 4, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi David How long is the walk from Monchique to Serra Da Picota and will a couple of fit 60 year old fogies make it?
Written June 2, 2018
I think you would want to drive not walk.
Written March 3, 2019
I think the placepin is on the wrong place.
It is reached by car, from the north! By paved road! East on N267 from Cieciera. 3 or 4th road to the right.
Written October 31, 2017
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