Officially launched last Tuesday, Bom Dia Algarve offers tailored tours in Lagoa, Silves and Portimão.
This week marked the official launch of Bom Dia Algarve, a new tour company located in the western region of the Algarve. The event took place at the Convento de São José in Lagoa and was attended by Belgian Ambassador Serge Wauthier and Lagoa Mayor Luís Encarnação.
With a passion for showcasing the finest aspects of the Algarve, Sonia Boulanger created Bom Dia Algarve, a company that specialises in tours of Lagoa, Silves, and Portimão, highlighting the region’s wine, culture, and tradition. The retired Belgian journalist first visited Portugal in 1998. In 2021, she relocated to Lagoa and said, “Having fallen in love with the region, I intend to share my passion for the country with anyone who wishes”.
The tours cater primarily to a French-speaking audience but are also offered in Portuguese and English. At the beginning of each tour, guests are greeted with a typical café experience and a tasty pastry, introducing the two main themes of the tours: The Wine Routes and Cultural Traditions of the Algarve.
The Algarve’s Wine Routes, Bom Dia Portugal’s main focus, take visitors to a selection of wineries where they learn about the winemaking process, taste several wines and end the tour with a typically Algarvean meal.
The Algarve’s Culture and Tradition Routes take participants on a tour of each city’s historical, cultural, geographical and artistic aspects. In Portimão, the sardine industry; in Lagoa, pottery; and in Silves, the city’s Moorish history. On top of the tours, Sonia and her team organise seasonally themed events every month.
Praising the project’s creation, Mayor Luís Encarnação of Lagoa highlighted the integral role of wine tourism in the municipality’s history and its potential to combat the seasonal nature of tourism in the Algarve.
“Viticulture is part of the culture and history of Lagoa. That is why it was important to look at this determining factor and understand how it can contribute to the development of the local economy,” said the mayor, pointing out that these days, “more people are travelling worldwide for good food and wine, rather than for sun, beach, and golf, which are our main attractions”.
“For this reason, the municipality has been stimulating wine tourism for some years. We approached this work, leading the way in the hope that someone, namely from the private sector, would come after us and grab it. So, personally and for the municipality of Lagoa, it is a very happy day. Bom Dia Algarve is grabbing this business idea and is available to boost it”.
Vincent Jonckheere, a fellow Belgian citizen, spoke briefly. “Projects created to enhance the terroir, the heritage, is something that seems fundamental to me, and which, I hope, will awaken the interest of others,” said the Belgian entrepreneur who founded the Conserveira do Arade and the brand Saboreal in Parchal, which is on the Bom Dia Algarve’s Lagoa route.
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