Activities include everything from tasting vinegars and learning to make traditional dishes to learning how to shape a clay bowl
A new catalogue compiling 20 creative tourism activities in the Algarve centred around gastronomy and handicraft has been launched by the regional tourism board (RTA).
“It is well known that the Algarve is no longer just synonymous with beaches. But now there is a new set of gastronomy and handicraft experiences that will actively engage tourists in an exchange with local communities,” RTA says in a statement.
From tasting vinegars and preparing classic Algarve dishes and sweets such as tiborna (grilled or toasted bread rubbed with garlic and drizzed with olive oil), xerém (a cornmeal porridge typically served with some kind of seafood) or doce fino (a traditional almond sweet) to learning how to work with esparto grass, basketry, shaping a clay bowl or making traditional Portuguese tiles, there is a wide range of activities to enjoy.
The catalogue, entitled “Creative Tourism in the Algarve”, can be found in several languages in the multimedia area of the Algarve’s tourism website www.visitalgarve.pt (click here for English).
“The objective of this catalogue is simple: to invite visitors to get their hands dirty in an artistic way in the Algarve, through activities that highlight the region’s agricultural and culinary products, as well as its arts and crafts,” the tourism board says.
“From now on, those who travel to the south of the country will have the opportunity to develop their creative potential by participating in authentic experiences, learning about the region’s historical and cultural heritage through the voices of local residents, creating a vibrant culture in the holiday destination,” it adds.
The new catalogue was developed as part of the Algarve Craft & Food project, promoted in partnership by the RTA, Tertúlia Algarvia, and QRER (Cooperative for the Development of Low-Density Territories), with funding from the Algarve 2020 Operational Programme.
