The Trail
The Balconies above the Sea itinerary takes you along the most spectacular section of Portimão’s rocky coast, along the top of a limestone cliff dating back to the Miocene (23 to 5 million years ago). The rocks are now very worn by the sea, rain and run-off, as well as by the action of the wind and the plants, and you can see the different reddish hues caused by the oxidation of the limestone.
The rocks, sculpted by erosion, shelter numerous species of birds, in particular jackdaws and rock pigeons, the forebears of the domestic pigeon. In summer, you may be taken by surprise at various points on this trail along the Portimão region’s rocky coast by the raucous calls of the acrobatic alpine swifts, which nest on the ledges and in the cracks of the cliffs. And in winter, great cormorants patrol the coast on the rocky outcrops.
Along the way you will come across Mediterranean scrub vegetation with mastic and scattered stone pine trees, as well as encountering various birds, including Sardinian warblers and European robins.
