Competition among Europe’s holidaying hotspots has long been fierce, but there’s one place that regularly stands out from the crowd when it comes to providing a healthy mix of sun, sea and unforgettable experiences.
The Algarve, located in southern Portugal, is renowned for its stunning beauty and diverse landscape. With its golden sandy beaches, rugged cliffs, and crystal-clear turquoise waters, the coastline of the Algarve offers breathtaking vistas and picturesque coves. Inland, the region boasts rolling hills adorned with vibrant greenery, charming whitewashed villages, and groves of almond and olive trees. The combination of the azure ocean, dramatic rock formations, and a Mediterranean climate create a captivating and idyllic setting that captivates visitors from around the world.
It is also more commonly known to tourists for its beautiful beaches, incredible nightlife in areas such as Albufeira, popular with stag and hen trips, and also its world-famous golfing scene. But the Algarve also boasts an array of creative experiences the locals are keen to show off and they’re some of the most rewarding things I’ve ever had the pleasure of experiencing.
The tourism board of the area were keen to promote this and, in turn, created the brilliantly named Handsome Festival which celebrates the creative tourism of the region. From a local pig farm that produces some of the finest presunto do Alentejo on the planet, to traditional cooking classes and even salt harvesting, the festival will have you questioning how you live your life back at home.
Ana our host for the trip was a delight who gave us a real local guide to the area and also an insight into the level of warmth you can expect to receive from the locals.
We began our journey in the tiny village of Zambujal in the rural east of the area and this place boasts more pigs than people, a lot more. With a population of 15, it isn’t hard but each year more tourists are visiting for their prized export, some of the most delicious pork products in the world.
Rui Jeronimo quit his job as a banker in the city of Faro and decided to follow his passion and move back to his native Zambujal. He took over a pig farm and set out on a quest to deliver some of the finest presunto do Alentejo on the planet. Feito no Zambujal is definitely one for the bucket list as Rui escorts you around the factory showing us each stage of the process from piglet to dinner table. The pigs have free roam of the massive site and truly live a life of royalty that had me questioning my own standard of living. It takes 18 months for the pigs to be ready and a further 4 years for the pigs to be ready to eat after the salt curing process along with smoking and cutting.
After the tour the real fun begins as Paulo, who has working there for years, takes out a fresh dry-cured thigh and hands me the knife. I doubt I will be winning any awards soon and he tried to humour me but his skills with the knife were almost as impressive as the feast. He explained that they only use ‘natural methods like our grandparents’ and that every bit of the animal is used with zero waste. We were delivered fresh presunto ham with the creamiest goat’s cheese I’ve ever tried, bread and a tomato salad. I was thrilled to discover that this was merely a starter and that the real fun was about to begin. Beer was served before a feast of fresh homemade chorizo with a balsamic and honey glaze, salad, pork belly, pork ribs, a barbecue of pork belly and dry-aged steaks. I’m sure I saw a glimpse of heaven during that feast but that may have been the food coma. This experience is available to book through Feito no Zambujal for €50 and it is one to try for something out of the ordinary to truly open your eyes to this land and its people.
It was one unforgettable experience after another as we visited Castro Marim and arrived at a destination covered in pools of white and pink. Jorge Raiado, owner of the Salmarim salt company was there to greet us and explained how he produces some of the finest salt in the world using traditional labour-inducing methods. His site sits on a nature reserve and the rich wildlife was abundant from the get-go. He deploys traditional methods because he simply believes it produces the best product. Learning how to produce and harvest salt wasn’t at the top of my bucket list but I would recommend it to anyone. Jorge made it a special experience through his wit and charm and I honestly thought he would offer me a job after my performance with the salt gatherer. The time comes to try our harvest and some of Jorge’s more premium products as he takes you on a salt-flavoured food journey. The €50 tour is well worth it and the beauty of these experiences is that you can fit them in with the rest of your day and it doesn’t take up your whole trip.
The next day it’s time for the sea as we visit the Island of Culatra which is situated off the coast of Olhão. Culatra Island is part of the Ria Formosa, a protected natural park known for its unique ecosystem of lagoons, marshes, and barrier islands. The island takes sustainability incredibly seriously and visitors are expected to help keep the island tidy. The island is also famous for oysters. Their oysters are highly regarded for their freshness and high quality. The island’s pristine water conditions, rich nutrients, and careful cultivation techniques contribute to the exceptional taste and texture of the oysters.
We meet Silvia Padinha after the boat ride over and she is introduced as the island’s long-standing community leader who the locals see as a hero. She often runs for the leadership vote unopposed as they simply love her too much to have anyone else in charge. She leads us over to the sand traps and oyster farms that you can see all across the island and brings up a fresh batch. If oysters are your thing then you won’t be getting a fresher product than the mere ten-second journey from sea to mouth. A tour of the island is an incredible chance to learn about the rich fishing history and struggles they’ve had to endure. Around 400 families live on the island and foreigners (which includes anyone not from Culatra) are not allowed to purchase land or housing to provide for the local community. After more Oysters, raw and steamed, at Silvia’s house, she talks us through why the island goes to extreme lengths to be sustainable and also that she rallied the island to refuse a French company that wanted to buy the land for its oysters.
Overall the Algarve has the potential to provide every type of holiday experience you could ever want to get the very most out of your trip. The creative tourism can transform you whilst the food and drink can most certainly transform your tastebuds leaving your food back home redundant. The Algarve offers a delightful combination of intimate, captivating, and delectable encounters that coexist alongside popular tourist destinations. This allows you to easily squeeze in a visit to one of these charming spots, even during a short window of free time. So my advice would be that if you get a chance to come here then be prepared to bring back a lot more than you came with.
Fact box
For more info, please visit www.visitalgarve.pt/en/
www.hotelquintadomarco.com From £82.00 per night including breakfast, based on 2 adults sharing a standard room
www.pousadas.pt/pt/hotel/pousada-estoi From £171.00 per night including breakfast, based on 2 adults sharing a garden view room. Min 2 night stay / £116.00 per night for November 2023 dates
www.easyjet.com Lead in price with Easyjet is from £75 pp from LGW – Faro (low season)
