Barranco de Pisões

One of many natural attractions that can be found in and around Monchique, the Barranco de Pisões is a wonderful place for anyone who enjoys time in the natural world. Named after a prominent family that once owned the land, the site offers shady woodland walks past hundred-year-old plane trees and wonderful spots for a picnic. These echo to the sound of clear mountain streams which eventually form the Ribeira de Seixe River that demarks part of the provincial border between the Algarve and Alentejo.

On the same site you'll also come across the Moinho do Poucochinho, a water-powered mill used for decades by the people of Monchique. First used to prepare their raw wool into useable material, it was later concerted to grind the grain they had grown in their fields during the long summer months.

A haven for native species of plants and animals, visitors have reported birdlife as varied as woodpeckers and blue tits, and a list of plants that spans common foxgloves to rare orchids.