Querença, near Loulé, has become part of large entrepreneurial project to turn the village into a rural attraction for businesspeople and visitors alike.
A group of University students and business people, with the support of Loulé Câmara and the local parish council, is keen to develop a series of initiatives to promote the best the village has to offer in terms of local produce and natural heritage, as well as create the conditions to attract business people to invest in the area.
One of the initiatives that is expected to bring visitors to Querença on a regular basis is a new monthly market.
The first takes place on Sunday and then on the last Sunday of every month.
Visitors will be able to browse through the various stalls offering fresh local farm produce, handicrafts, food and wine tastings and a variety of workshops.
The first market, starting at 10am at the Church square, will be placing a strong focus on two themes, the olive fruit and theatre, thus covering the subjects of agriculture and culture which organisers are keen to promote in the area.
At a recent conference, João Faria, president of CCDR Algarve, the commission for the economic development of the Algarve, praised the work being developed in Querença.
He commented on the project’s success in trying to attract new investment to “this lowly populated village”.
The Projecto Querença, as it has been named, has also been taken to the local schools, with students becoming involved in activities that aim to raise their awareness about the need to preserve the local environment and biodiversity.
