Four guided tours have been launched in Monchique by a new venture named Alecrim Tours, giving people a chance to discover the town’s secrets, learn how honey is made, visit a local Medronho distillery or make delicious bread at a communal oven in Alferce.
The project is the brainchild of local resident Marie-Anne Ferran from Turisfóia, who grew up in Monchique and decided to explore the untapped potential of the town’s tourism sector.
“We already had a villa rental business, so we decided to create these tours to give our guests and everyone else something fun to do in Monchique,” Marie-Anne, the 38-year-old tourism graduate, told the Resident.
Backed by a grant from the national tourism fund and with the support of the local council, the tours have just been launched and are available to enjoy “all-year-long”. While they are ideal for holidaymakers who may be interested in enjoying a ‘taste of the real Algarve’, they are certain to appeal to locals as well.
Three of them are “foodie tours”. ‘The Honey Tour’ includes a visit to a local bee farmer who will explain how local honey is made. At the end, clients will be able to taste the delicious honey.
Those who choose ‘The Medronho Experience’ will visit one of the local Medronho distilleries where the town’s famous Medronho firewater is made and be able to learn the secrets behind what makes it so strong while also enjoying a taste of it themselves.
But for those who love a good loaf of fresh bread, ‘The Bread Making Challenge’ will be one not to miss. The experience begins by preparing your dough in the morning before exploring the village of Alferce and its surroundings. Then comes the time to knead the dough and make the bread, which will be ready in time for a “picnic lunch”.
Also available is a walking tour called ‘Discover Monchique’. As the name suggests, the tour takes people on a 90-minute journey that includes stops at many of the town’s landmarks such as the main church and the Nossa Senhora do Desterro convent.
Marie-Anne says she is excited to be part of a movement that is “injecting new life” into the town of Monchique, an area so badly affected almost every year by wildfires.
If all goes well, Alecrim Tours will soon launch two more tours, one focusing on pottery and the other on olive-oil making.
Prices for the tours range between €12 and €30. For more information, visit www.monchique.com
(+351) 282 912 822 | alecrim.tours@gmail.com
michael.bruxo@algarveresident.com
