Setting off from the rotunda da vela (“Sail Roundabout”), head along the ER 125 road towards Vila Real de Santo António. Cross the bridge (ER 125), turn left and head down to the junction. On the right, head towards Cachopo. Admire the scenery as you drive alongside the river. After about four kilometres you will come to another junction with a sign indicating Cachopo (on the left). From there on, you will be driving for about 40 kilometres to reach the municipality’s most upland parish, where you can explore a vast cultural, archaeological and natural heritage. Along the EN 397 road, you will find signs directing you to the typical hamlets of Picota, Portela da Corcha, Vale da Murta and Garrobo. A Monte da Ribeira, enjoy a beautiful valley, in between the hills of the uplands. Try to visit the hamlets of Azinhosa, Graínho, Casas Baixas and Monte de Alcarias de Baixo too. A little farther on, you will come across the upland architecture: schist and whitewashed houses, community ovens, threshing floors, furnaces and lacy chimneys. Cachopo is the biggest civil parish in the municipality of Tavira, in terms of surface area (20,352.65 hectares), and encompasses around 37 hamlets. The inhabitants mostly make their living from farming, livestock, beekeeping and cork production. To the left, on your way into the village, you will see a Windmill, which was built for the purpose of grinding grain by wind power. It can be visited if you book in advance1. On arrival in the village of Cachopo, turn left where the road forks and park your car. This is where a walk around the centre of the civil parish starts. Walk to the Largo da Igreja (Church Square) and visit the Main Church of Santo Estêvão (Saint Stephen). This church, located in the centre of the village, was built on the initiative of the residents in the early 16th century. Major alterations were carried out on it in the 20th century, around the 1950s, during which the original structure was taken apart and the whole interior was altered. Further renovations were carried out in 2007. Stroll around the typical narrow streets of the village and head to the street called Rua Matos Casaca, where you can visit Cachopo Museum. The building housing the museum was formally used by the “cantoneiros”, who were responsible for cleaning and maintaining the roads. This ethnographic and anthropological museum facility portrays the culture and customs of the upland peoples2. A few metres farther on, on the left-hand side, visit the Linen Museum exhibition, next the O Moinho Kiosk. The exhibition portrays the entire process all the way from sowing the seeds to crafting the artisanal pieces. After these visits, take the São Brás de Alportel direction and stop at the Fonte Férrea de Cachopo. The name means “iron fountain” and it is so called because of the iron-rich waters, surrounded by lush vegetation. Take the opportunity to stop for a rest or to have a picnic and, if it is hot, enjoy a dip in the pool. Back in the centre of Cachopo, look for the turn-off to Monte da Mealha, indicated as Vale João Farto. Here you can see the Casas Circulares (Round Houses), commonly known as “palheiros” (“haylofts”). These stone buildings of prehistoric origin have straw or rye thatched roofs and are used to store animal fodder. Next to Mealha, you will find a necropolis, the Pedras Altas Dolmen, a Neolithic funerary monument and, in Alcaria Pedro Guerreiro, the Masmorra Dolmen. There are also various trails in the civil parish of Cachopo for walkers and cyclists to enjoy. The Centros de Descoberta do Mundo Rural (Centres for the Discovery of the Rural World), based in the old primary schools, provide users of these trails with any necessary assistance. After enjoying the landscapes and traditions of this parish, head back to Tavira!