Ana, our lovely Portuguese language teacher, lives in Alte and talks fondly of her small village. It is nestled in the Algarve hills, about a 40 minute drive north from Vila Sol and not far from the Alentejo region of Portugal. We had to go check it out!
Alte is definitely off the beaten tourist path. It is home to artists of various kinds and their work is on display at every turn. Perhaps its most famous resident was Francisco Xavier Cândido Guerreiro, a 20th century post-symbolist poet. His statue and a few of his verses, displayed in azulejos, the ubiquitous blue tiles, can be found in a small park next to the Alte river that runs through the town. The Igreja Matriz de Alte church dates back to the 13th century although it was largely rebuilt three centuries later. Inside, its chancel is supposedly decorated with ornate altarpieces and azulejos depicting angels playing musical instruments, but unfortunately, the church was locked during our visit. The village is so quaint; we enjoyed strolling its narrow, twisty roads, exploring nooks and crannies, popping into local artisans' shops, sampling the local pasteis de nata (yum!), and marveling at the street art.
One of the town's few overt tourist attractions is Baltazar, a donkey who willingly poses for photographs with passers by. It was only after a friendly German had taken ours that we saw the sign, "Be careful. Baltazar bites!"
[Scroll left/right to view gallery]
Alte é uma das aldeias mais típicas do Algarve, com as suas casinhas brancas e as suas ruas estreitas. Alte também é conhecido pela bela queda do
vigário (quando tem água).
O Baltazar é um burro muito famoso, mas ele pode morder, cuidado.
Deixo-aqui uma foto do vigário e da Igreja, têm que visitar Alte!