Monchique is a small town on the Serra de Monchique hill, one of the most attractive places in the Algarve. Serra di Monshiki is a mountain range located in the northeast of the Algarve.
The city of Monchique has been known since Roman times. It was the Romans who gave him this name and built baths in Caldas de Monchiqui, which today is a famous thermal hospital. However, historians claim that Monchique has been known since the Stone Age, as evidenced by the found prehistoric instruments and several dolmens. Most of the archival information was lost during the Lisbon earthquake in 1755, but it is known that the kings and queens of Portugal visited Monchique to improve their health.
The center of Monchique consists of many narrow streets lined with cobblestone. There is a small park and a water wheel in the central square. You can wander among the ruins of the Franciscan monastery of the Holy Virgin Mary of the XVII century, visit the chapel of St. Teresa, near which there is a span of steps leading to a beautiful forest park.
The city can be safely called the "Garden of the Algarve": it is located in the depths of the valley framed by tall trees. Some of them are very old, for example, majestic century-old oaks.
Nearby is Silvish, the former Mauritanian capital, which houses a large castle built of red sandstone, also known as the Red Fortress.
In addition to thermal waters, Monchiques are also famous for the "medroneira" drink. This is a kind of aguardente, a Portuguese grape brandy, which is made from strawberry tree fruits and is a typical drink for the Algarve.