On that Monday in June, the village of Mealha, in the parish of Cachopo, was much livelier than usual. In the old primary school, a dozen men and women were busy cleaning and making small repairs, with the aim of giving it a new life and, on the way, bringing more dynamism to the heart of Serra do Caldeirão.
This “assistance” included elements from In Loco, the association for local development in the Algarve that has managed, for 20 years, three centers for discovering the rural world, installed in many old primary schools in this parish of Tavira.
More than giving a deserved cleaning to the properties, which for 20 years have functioned as mountain shelters, after «almost a year and a half closed», those responsible for In Loco want to prepare them for a future as Local Accommodation.
O upgrade aims to attract even more people to this territory.
«Our goal, when we opened these centers 20 years ago, was to create a centrality here in the interior of the municipality of Tavira, in the parish of Cachopo, for ecotourism practices», said Artur Gregório, president of In Loco.
«Well, what happens is that the road has many curves and it is difficult to make. If you're coming for an activity and you have to return the same day, it's very complicated. is the call Pee and Drive, that is: come here, pee and leave, because you don't have time to do the activity», he reinforced.
To overcome this problem, in 1999 In Loco signed a protocol with the Câmara de Tavira and created the Centros de Discovery do Mundo Rural in the old schools of Casas Baixas, Feiteira and Mealha.
These structures "are mountain shelters and support the carrying out of recreational, discovery and environmental activities".
The centers “are the basis for a set of initiatives, allowing people to stay here and get to know, participate, get involved with more time and get to know this territory in greater depth”.
«We are now going to convert them to Local Accommodation and make the dissemination and promotion as it should be, for all users», announced Artur Gregório.
And what's the difference between a mountain shelter and a local housing unit?
In the first case, it is a structure that welcomes any passing walker, without the need for a reservation, so “it is not easy to plan”.
«For those who want to plan a trip here with their family, for several days, it is difficult not to tell, not to book, not to book», explained the president of In Loco.
With the change of status to Local Accommodation, anyone who wants can make a reservation. To do this, call In Loco (289 840 860 and 969 992 240).
In each of the locations, “there is a local hostess, a person from the community, who welcomes people”, in addition to being responsible for “the general maintenance and conservation of things”.
In the three villages, visitors find accommodation with «all the conditions to accommodate family, group, and friends activities», with a capacity to accommodate up to 12 people, in two rooms.
The centers also have a lounge with TV, toilets, equipped kitchen and solar panels for heating water for baths and kitchens. Outside, there is a garden delimited by low walls, where a dining area was installed, with a grill, tables and benches.
At the site, visitors can immediately enjoy a network of walking routes.
«From each center three tracks emerge: a small, a medium and a large one. They are all circular and have a variable degree of difficulty, so that a family can come, a group of friends can come, anyone can come, leave the car here and, from here, do the activities», he said.
Part of the network of trails, which covers a total of 43 kilometers, coincides with the Via Algarviana route.
In the area, in addition to the good mountain cuisine, visitors can find the Cachopo Museum, the linen artisans, a local tradition that is still very much alive, the Fonte Férrea and the many local archaeological heritage, among other attractions.
“We want to open quickly because there are a lot of people interested. We receive calls repeatedly, every week, from people who want to resume activities. And it is a type of tourism framed in the landscape, respecting the community, creating economic dynamics with the localities, contributing to the territory's self-esteem», believes Artur Gregório.
In other words, «it has everything to do with what we want, which is to create an eco-tourism destination here in this Serra do Caldeirão», he concluded.
Photos: Hugo Rodrigues | Sul Informação
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