«Are you seeing this raiadinho here? That's why black pork is so tasty» said, holding a section of loin still with ribs, 19-year-old Miguel, proud of the quality of the meat that would soon give rise to the sausages from your father's factory, evangelist de Oliveira, in Monchique.
The “raiadinho” that Miguel pointed out were the fat veins of naturally raised pigs. «This is what gives flavor to chorizos and especially to ham», added Miguel, who one day will follow his father's example and stay ahead of the traditional sausage production business. But not only that.
In Monchique, where there are already four permanent factories and two temporary ones, these sausages are stars of Gastronomic Tourism, one of the four pillars of tourist activity in the county. The others stars they are the medronho brandy (75 distilleries already legalized), the products of the land and, of course, the restaurants dedicated to serving the more or less traditional dishes that delight visitors.
Precisely to make known the tourist potential of Monchique to journalists, travel agents and tour operators, the Algarve Tourism Region (RTA) promoted, on June 5th, another “Fam Trip” (familiarization trip), inserted in the project “Rediscovering the Secrets of the Algarve”, which has already led them to the discovery of the municipalities of Alcoutim and Sao Bras de Alportel. This third edition is the result of a partnership between RTA, the Municipality of Monchique and the Regional Directorate of Culture of the Algarve.
Hiking and abseiling, just to get started
The program of a very active day, in which journalists and tour agents walked as if they were tourists, with a camera at the ready and walking shoes, began in Fóia, the highest point of the Serra de Monchique and the Algarve, with its few more than 900 meters of altitude.
On that day, visibility was excellent, with a clear view of the coast from Carvoeiro to Lagos below. As Helder Renato Rodrigues, chief of staff of the mayor of Monchique and a very competent guide on this journey, said, it was "a day blessed by the sun and good visibility." Really was!
Opening the program, at the Fóia restaurant, the mayor Rui André, who accompanied the entire visit and also acted as a guide, explained that, in order to develop tourism in his county, the municipality of Monchique «got what they are. our activities, our reality». It was on this basis that the brand «Topo do Algarve» was created, which refers «not only to geography, but to the fact that we are at the top of the quality and modernity of the new concepts of tourism», guaranteed the mayor.
Associated with this brand, «four drawers» were created: Gastronomic Tourism, Nature Tourism, Cultural Tourism and Health and Well-Being Tourism. were these Drawers that fam trip has been opening up over an intense day.
It started with Nature and Active Tourism: a short walk of a kilometer and a half took the group, headed by two presidents – Rui André, from the Monchique Chamber, and Desidério Silva, from the RTA – down the north slope, following trails that connect to Via Algarviana and are part of the network of Monchique paths (Route to Cascatas and Fóia Route).
And so it was arrived at Parque Aventura da Fóia, a partnership between the company Alternativetour, which explores the activities, and the Municipality, which ceded the land, shaded by huge California pine trees. The park is open all year and offers tree climbing activities, paintball, climbing, archery, which delight people of all ages.
There, there was a group of brave people who experienced the emotions of recall. slides, of the rope bridge and archery, and there was still time for a collaborative game, in which even Rui André and Desidério Silva, always in a good mood, lined up.
Things went so well that several of the travel agents right there started negotiations with Lúcio Feio, responsible for Parque Aventura, to find out conditions and prices for groups and activities.
ubiquitous gastronomy
After some physical activity, followed by a visit to one of the four sausage factories of the county. The host was, as has been said, the young Miguel Alexandre de Oliveira, the owner's son, always with an open smile and a ballpoint pen behind his ear.
Miguel, who is still studying at secondary school, in the area of Economics, also spoke with enthusiasm of the «Destila da Ribeira», a distillery of medronho spirit that is already legalized and which has the particularity of having a part of accommodation, with three apartments for a total of 12 people. The «Destila da Ribeira» is located in Foz do Besteiro, next to the Seixe stream, almost on the border of Monchique and Odemira.
As, in addition to raising their own pigs, this family of enterprising people is also planting strawberry trees, Rui André expressed the hope that this distillery and tourist accommodation project could serve as an example for other flights: «imagine that they promote an end to themed week, in which customers participate in a pig slaughter, make sausages, or pick strawberry medronho and watch the distillation, visit Monchique to get to know what it was like in the past, go on walks. It is these experiences that today's tourists like and need».
At the sausage factory near Monchique, the group of special visitors were able to see how the chorizos are prepared, admire a huge traditional salted ham weighing 50 kilos, made with the leg of a black pig weighing 400 kilos…and end the visit with a snack, with sausages and ham from the house, freshly baked pork rinds and good local bread. In fact, gastronomy was a constant throughout the day, as the initial session, at Fóia, had started precisely with coffee, golden slices and cakes.
And that was how, right after the visit to the sausage factory, which ended with the snack, there was a traditional lunch (corn porridge, roasted sausage, stew of cabbage à Monchique) at the restaurant Garden of Olives.
Heritage, culture and traditional arts on the streets
To “break down” (as they say in the Algarve), the group then went to meet another drawer, Cultural Tourism, with a tour of the village of Monchique, to see a chimney that is being restored, visit the Igreja Matriz with its beautiful Manueline portico and visit the pottery of the potter Leonel Telo.
And also visit the old stores, which seem to have stopped in time, smelling musty but with lots of charm, such as Sapataria Boavista, by Senhor Fernando, which has already employed more than 50 people in the manufacture of shoes and now spends its days waiting of the few customers who still walk in the door, most of the time just for a chat.
“This is what my groups of Germans and Dutch are looking for, these old streets, the friendliness of the people, the places to discover”, said, to the mayor Rui André, one of the guest tour operators.
And it all ended with a glass of water…sacred
After an intense day, discovering the beauties of Monchique unknown to many, the fourth was missing. drawer, Health and Wellness Tourism.
With the Longevity Wellness Resort, and its 195 apartments built on a hillside, closed and under "reform", as mayor Rui André said, the group headed towards Thermal Village of Caldas de Monchique, where he visited part of the hotel facilities, the new Central Store that recently opened, ate a tiborna with warm bread just baked by Dona Celina, and finally ended up at the spa from the thermal hotel.
And then, to counter a day dedicated to four types/niches of tourism, but where Gastronomic Tourism was omnipresent, we drank a glass of thermal water from Fonte da Juventude, which the Romans, two thousand years ago, said it was. sacred, as the headstone on the small museum at the Hotel Central attests.
It was the culmination of a journey of discovery of tourism in Monchique, which, as Mayor Rui André underlined, is "complementary to the Sun and Beach Tourism of the coast", but which, despite being "in affirmation", still escapes the usual tourist itineraries.
The president of RTA stressed that the purpose of this fam trip it was “to enhance these products linked to Nature, Heritage, Gastronomy and Health, between October and April, which is the region's greatest flaw”. "If we manage to make Monchique have more visitors, it will be this municipality but also the whole Algarve that will benefit," added Desidério Silva.
«Adherence to the fam trips it has been very good and has resulted in a deeper knowledge of the offer by the participants, who will later help to sell destiny”, said the president of the RTA.
Here more photos from this journey to discover the secrets from Monchique.
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