Guided Tours of the Algarve by Gato Preto de Silves

We created for our guests two different guided experiences in Algarve, in order to enjoy and discover the authentic side of the Algarve, far from the mass tourism. We personally take care of both guided tours, starting at our property after an early breakfast at our B&B. We will drive you across the most hidden and authentic villages of the inland Algarve, introducing you to the local traditions, farms and products that make this part of the Algarve so different and special. The group is maximum of 4 people.

1) The Barrocal - A different Algarve - Discover the sleepy villages of Salir, Alte, Sao Bras de Alportel

We start the tour driving through the villages of the inland Algarve, visiting the small villages where we will talk about local traditions, products and people. We then take a lunch in a very typical "Tasca", a rustic restaurants with genuine and fresh food like only the home-made cusine can be. After this stop we are going to visit a Cork Factory for a 1.5 half hour guided tour in one of the most important cork factories in Portugal, having the opportunity to understand the importance of the Cork Industry in the national context, its various components and the transformation process, from the harvesting to finished products.

After the cork factory, we are going to have a snack and a cup of tea in a local bakery, famous for its almond, figs and carrobs home-made pastries. We will explain the characteristics and why this products are so good for your health. We expect to come back at the B&B around 6 p.m. after driving across the Serra do caldeirão, maybe the most panoramic road in Algarve.

2) Monchique Hills - Discover the Black pork and Medronho liquor

We start the tour driving along the Arade River and the "stork road", where we will bump into hundreds of stork nests. Storks from all over Europe (that used to migrate to the sub-Sahara in the winter) have flocked to Portugal in the last 20 years to the point where the population has grown from about 1,000 in 1995 to 14,000 in 2016. In the past the storks would fly south to Africa in the summer, and return to Europe at the end of the winter, however in the last 20 years white storks have begun to stay here all year round. The magnificent sight of a White Stork in full flight is one of the most amazing sights for us here in the Algarve. We will then visit a black pork farm,where producing Portugal’s most flavoursome meat is done by methods that have been passed on from generation to generation. That one is one of the few remaining in Portugal growing and feeding pigs in a sustainable way, offering the pigs to live out in the fields. They’re still divided into age groups as putting them all together would lead to fights. The young ones are curious and constantly on the move; rolling in the mud, chasing each other in the grass, and playing with hay in the adjacent stables. You will also have the chance to watch how the sausages and famous choriços are produced at the farm.

After the visit at the farm, we are going to have lunch in a typical "Tasca" of Monchique, where meet dishes are cooked with special care and wisdom.

After lunch we will visit a distillery of Medronho liquor where local producers will show you the process of distillation and explain step by step how this incredible liquor is made.

We expect to come back at the B&B around 6 p.m.