Recreation in the Montada today: be prepared to cross fences!

This landscape is made for walking

This morning, I went out for a walk in the surroundingsof the Hotel da Ameira, walking first on the road going south. After a while though, i thought it would be more interesting to walk in the "fields". I climbed a fence and started walking towards the east and decided to make a circle around the hotel, coming back to it from the north. I walked through pastures all the time, with varying amounts of Holm oak. Everything was actually being grazed or had very recently been grazed. The ground was varying degrees of soft soil with thin vegetation because it had been recently tilled, or it was solid gras-mat. I crossed a few small creeks, saw several ponds near houses (does every farm have its pond?), only one road but a few tractor tracks, and some paths along fences that had been established by cattle. It was easiest to walk on the solid grass-mat areas. It was especially nice in the highest areas where the soil seemed to be thin (lots of "clumps" of large stone with bushes and trees around them were sticking out). I saw one hare, lots of small birds, some ducks in one of the ponds and cows in a herd. I heard many gun-shots, but did not see hunters. Lots of Holm oak, 5 kork oaks, many mushrooms and no particularly interesting plants - to my knowledge. BUT: DURING MY HOUR'S WALK I CLIMBED OVER AT LEAST 15 FENCES WITH BARBED WIRE THAT WERE NOT VERY EASY TO CROSS. At only three places I encountered possibilities to open gates.

MY conclusion: 
For walking, seeing animals and plants, tourists and locals should be allowed to cross fields. Therefore a network of especially designated "public footpaths" are needed with fence-crossing facilities. The roads are perfect for cycling: the speed is perfect, there are many places to stop and the terrain varies: between ups and downs, shaded and sunny places and open views and secluded stretces. Maybe some roads that are not connected today could be connected for cycling. When it's not obvious, cul-de sacs should be marked.
The "soundscape" is very rich: dogs bark, cattle-bells ring, there are birds and the wind can be heard in the trees and from the town churchbells can be heard occasionnally. There are poeple to be seen and traces of all types of activity are evident everywhere. For bicyclists, the interesting area is wider that the study-area. Restaurants and bars should be marked on a map.