At the age of 14, Pedro Faria Bravo received his first binoculars and began his passion for birdwatching, exploring the natural wonders of Portugal. For 22 years, he worked as a wandering beekeeper, traveling across the Alentejo fields, from the Upper to the Lower, through the Algarve, as well as along the coast and inland. Finally, Pedro settled in Mértola, in the picturesque village of Corte da Velha, nestled on the slopes of São Barão Mountain.A lover of authentic food and fascinated by the history that fills the streets of Mértola, Pedro believes that, although he cannot discover the whole world, the world can come to him through the travelers who seek him out to experience the wonders of Alentejo, the bees, and the birds crossing the skies.
Pedro’s Activity Proposals: (Choose one of them when making your booking)
1- Birdwatching
Pedro guides visitors on a journey to spot the great bustards, the emblematic birds of the steppe between Mértola and Castro Verde, not always easy to find. The search benefits from the expertise of someone who knows the most common spots and the paths to reach them.
2- Wild Foraging Walk: Foraging is part of Mértola’s cultural heritage. In times of poverty and hunger, people relied on wild resources for food, including wild asparagus. This walk takes you along the slopes of the Guadiana River, through paths used by shepherds, offering the chance to collect wild asparagus, which will be cooked with eggs at the end of the tour (Available from February to March).
3- Tuber Foraging in Early March: Early March sees a flurry of activity on São Barão Mountain. The pink rockrose blossoms, and corn buntings and skylarks perform free concerts in the fields and skies, celebrating the arrival of warm days. During these exceptional days, the tuber harvesters head into the mountain, digging for this underground delicacy. This activity involves a walk up the mountain trail through flowering rockroses, reaching the chapel, and a leisurely return to the village of Corte da Velha, where a tuber lunch awaits.
4- Spring Stroll: When spring awakens on the hills of the Serra de Mértola, the first almond trees blossom in February.We walk along the paths surrounding Mértola, paying attention to the flowers that appear in greater numbers each day. On the way we will visit one of the bigest trees in Alentejo and, on our way back, we treat our eyes to the beauty of the horizon, with the Guadiana River and the village perched upon it.