Imagine a guide, called “Circuitos Ciência Viva”, which is a “work of fiction, where the characters are the places to visit”, and includes a route to discover the Algarve through science, nature and culture.
This is the proposal of this book, released on Monday, February 6th, which gives those who buy it, in addition to the possibility of getting to know the region in a different way, access to both a mobile application, such as discounts at various partners. Suggestions for visits range from the dinosaur footprints at Praia da Salema, in Vila do Bispo, to the lime kiln at Porto Nobre, in Loulé.
In statements to the Sul Informação, Luís Azevedo Rodrigues, director of the Centro Ciência Viva de Lagos, explained that this is «a very interesting guide, made at national level, where the itineraries are not limited to identifying the places, but also explain and tell stories».
In this way, other referenced places appear in the Algarve. Namely: «the visit to the center of Lagos and the Slave Museum, to Monchique (Algarvian Sintra) and its natural flora, spas and rocks, but also to the church of Santa Catarina da Fonte do Bispo, in Tavira, and to Fonte da Benémola, in Querença», he revealed.
Starting from the three Ciência Viva Centers in the Algarve (in Lagos, Faro and Tavira), the route suggestions made by each one also extended to other neighboring municipalities of their “areas of jurisdiction”.
At the Tavira CCV, for example, there is also a proposal for «contact with traditional fishing and the typical gastronomy of the area», while in Faro visits in the municipality of Loulé and in Lagos in Vila do Bispo are suggested.
Each route, as explained by Ciência Viva – National Agency for Scientific and Technological Culture, which promotes this initiative, has a “sequence of stages, relating different experiences and taking into account the best time of day to carry them out”. The routes are even divided into categories: easy, medium or difficult, depending on the state of the paths.
As for more visits, the director of the Centro Ciência Viva de Lagos believes that both the initiative and the technological aspect, through the application, developed with the support of the Vodafone Foundation, could "bring more people and arouse greater interest". In fact, this application will even be "updated with the schedules of events in the various locations and partners," he added.
The digital platform guarantees dynamism and constant updating to this program. Available on iOS and Android, the app includes interactive maps of the routes and allows you to share experiences, access the benefits of each partner and consult the schedule of activities.
Added to this, there will also be, for example, challenges with the objective of winning medals of knowledge along the routes, or the possibility of «taking and sharing photos or commenting on the circuits and making suggestions», as explained by Luís Azevedo Rodrigues.
Another advantage of this initiative is the discounts it gives to those who join. The partners are from areas as different as restaurants, hotels, but also mobility, with Galp and Comboios de Portugal (CP). For example, whoever buys the book, which costs 50 euros and has the application included, has a 30% discount on any round trip by train.
With a card, a guide and an app, the Ciência Viva Circuits offer free entry to the twenty Ciência Viva Centers, discounts at more than one hundred science, culture and leisure institutions, such as museums and monuments, parks and nature reserves, caves and mines, zoos and aquariums, among others, and also advantages in accommodation, food and travel.
Since yesterday, the 7th of February, these guides are already on sale at the Ciência Viva Centres, including those in the Algarve. And the advantages granted have a deadline.
The discounts, which also include free entry to the Ciência Viva Centres, last for one year and can be used either by a family with two children or by a single person. Free access to both the application and the site, it is done after activating a code, which comes on a card.
«Since Ciência Viva is an institution with a national dimension, with a network of 20 science centers well integrated into their local communities, we felt that we could be the catalysts for an innovative knowledge tourism project. This is a project of a sustainable nature, developed in conjunction with various science and cultural entities, which brings a vision of the future, while at the same time valuing tradition and heritage», said Rosalia Vargas, president of Ciência Viva – National Agency for Scientific and Technological Culture, during the presentation of the circuits, in Lisbon.
“This application provides users with a complete and highly creative experience. It allows not only the knowledge of national and regional heritage in a clearer and more practical way, but also allows the sharing of travels, photographs and knowledge. It is, above all, a dynamic, educational and fun way of discovering or rediscovering Portugal», stressed Mário Vaz, president of the Vodafone Portugal Foundation.
Now just go in search of the secrets of these circuits, which, in total, bringing together the Algarve and the rest of the country (including islands), are 18. Always hosted by a Ciência Viva Center, there are 54 routes and more than 200 stages to explore with science and culture.
Discover here how these Ciência Viva Circuits work:
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