The parish is rich in environmental qualities, witnessed by the implantation of the Sanatorium Carlos Vasconcelos Porto, at the beginning of the last century.

Geographically, the parish is characterized by the transition between the areas of the barrocal and the mountains, divided by the Mediterranean collar, with red soils. To the north,
the mountains occupy about 65% of the area of ​​the parish, presenting thin soils, poor for agriculture, with shales and often sloping relief.

Much of its flora is made up of bush, with dense vegetation, but in some areas we can find tree species of Mediterranean tradition, such as cork oaks, arbutus and holm oaks.
In the cork oak forest of the old Serra de Mú, cork is extracted, whose industrial exploitation, at the beginning of the 20th century, was responsible for the great growth of the parish and for its autonomy from the municipality of Faro. The History of the commercialization and industry of cork in Portugal is unquestionably linked to the History of São Brás de Alportel.

To the south,
the barrocal, where the soils are calcareous, of the Jurassic, and of better agricultural benefit. The lands here are more fertile, welcoming small horticultural areas, such as the mixed rainfed orchard – almond, fig, carob and olive trees – the base of the typical typical sweets; that coexist with some scrub surfaces,
where the executioner predominates. The barrocal has softer reliefs, with more open areas and low elevations. The abundance of water is greater, justifying the existence of a valuable ethnographic heritage: fountains, wells and noras, which testify to the history of these places.