If your idea of a holiday includes getting your hands dirty for a good cause, the western Algarve has something worth timing a trip around. The Month of Regeneration returns this November for its second year, with a packed schedule of free environmental activities spread across the Barlavento region — from Odiáxere and Bensafrim to Burgau, Rogil, Aljezur, Pedralva and Barão de São João.
The programme is run by the Ecosystem Regeneration Community of the Barlavento, a network of local restoration projects, with support from the Mud Valley Foundation, a non-profit focused on ecosystem recovery in southwestern Portugal. Visitors and locals can join tree planting sessions, agroforestry work, water retention projects, landscape restoration, assisted natural regeneration and guided nature walks — some hands-on, others more about learning how degraded land bounces back.
Last year's inaugural edition proved there's an appetite for it. Around 320 participants turned up across 10 projects, taking part in 25 events and six guided agroforestry tours. They logged more than 750 hours of volunteer time and planted over 1,500 trees and perennial plants. Organisers hope this year's edition will build on that, with even more chances to see restoration work in progress across the region.
The barrier to entry is low. Most activities require no prior experience, and you can sign up for a single session or fill your calendar for the whole month. A few events carry age restrictions, so it's worth checking details before committing with kids in tow. Everything is free, though advance registration for each activity is essential — the full schedule and sign-up links are at mudvalley.org/november.
For travellers, this is a genuinely different way to experience the Algarve beyond the beaches. November is a quiet, mild month on this coast, and the event locations cluster around some of the region's prettiest inland and coastal villages — Aljezur's castle town and west-coast surf beaches, the laid-back hamlet of Burgau, and the countryside around Barão de São João. The programme also doubles as a chance to meet land stewards and environmental practitioners, which makes it a smart pick for anyone curious about regenerative farming or rewilding.
Richard Rushing, director of the Mud Valley Foundation, puts the appeal simply: regenerating ecosystems is long-term work that only happens when people pitch in together, and the month gives everyone a practical way to contribute while learning from each other.
So if you're planning a late-autumn escape to Portugal's southwest and want your trip to leave something behind, a few hours of planting trees near Aljezur might be the most memorable thing you do all holiday.
