According to the Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera (IPMA), 13 municipalities in the districts of Faro, Portalegre, Castelo Branco and Santarém present a maximum fire hazard today, which will remain high in the coming days.

Speaking to Lusa agency, the mayor of Monchique, Paulo Alves, explained that the cancellation of the festival “is the result of the law, which prevents the performance of any activities in forest areas” when there is a high or maximum risk classification of fire.

“As the hikes were going to take place with various activities in the forest environment, we are forced to cancel the initiative”, he underlined.

Organised by the Câmara de Monchique, the event was expected to involve around 500 people, divided into 20 hikes on defined routes, scheduled between Friday and Sunday in the interior of the Monchique mountains.