From The Algarve Daily News at http://www.algarvedailynews.com/

Photographs from the Facebook collection of Antonio Carvalho.

The first biennial event for ‘Nature Tourism in the Algarve’ was held in Aljezur on 26, 27 and 28 September, organized by the Associação Vicentina, Associação In Loco and Terras do Baixo Guadiana, co-funded by ProDer and the Associação Vicentina.

Two policy makers headed south to open the event: the Minister for Regional Development, Poiares Maduro and the Secretary of State for Planning and Nature Conservation, Miguel de Castro Neto.

According to the organisers, BTN 2014 (Bienal de Turismo de Natureza ’14) was running a number of seminars and presentations by national and international speakers, a wide range of environmental education activities and celebrated World Tourism Day on September 27 with two walks, one organized by Rota Vicentina and the other by Almargem on part of the Via Algarviana.

Over 100 exhibitors, mostly from the Algarve and relating to nature tourism and associated products, filled the Multipurpose Space in Aljezur.

Opening speeches included, “For many years the Algarve has concentrated its promotional efforts on sun and sea tourism products, causing a concentration of business along a small coastal strip which is reducing year after year. In the ’80s and ‘90s the economy was still smiling at this type of tourism.

“Today with a profound change in the tourism economic model where online and low cost dictate the rules, and competition from other destinations multiply, one realises that seasonality and the lack of alternative tourism products may create short-term problems and accentuate socioeconomic problems in the region.

“It is also in the ‘80s and ‘90s that we saw the depopulation of nearly 70% of the territory of the Algarve, as well as the decline of traditional industries, fishing, salt, agriculture and canning.

“The strong institutional presence at the Biennial of Nature Tourism ‘14 could bring new life and a new interest in rediscovering the low density areas of the Algarve, a territory now visibly in decline, but with specific assets that can be streamlined and translated into economic activity.

“New uses for land and sea give rise to tourism companies, ranging from hiking to bird watching, biking, surfing and diving. The fishermen’s paths are now transformed into hiking trails. The villages and old farms have been made into lodgings of great charm. The salt flats are recovered and we invent new uses for even the traditional products. Cork is made into bags and umbrellas, and beeswax now is used for surfboards.”

The organisers of the Biennial of Nature Tourism ’14 want to bring “a new vision for these areas that is positive and is focused on the opportunities available. Many of the 100 exhibitors at BTN ’14 are examples of this vision, which in Europe has a tourism market of more than 20 million potential customers.

“These are customers who choose the off-season to take holidays and are looking for regions where nature and the authenticity of the destination are key purchase factors.”

Atalaia Point Archaeological Discovery

900 Year-Old Cemetery at Atalaia investigated by archaeologists.

By Elisabete Rodrigues

Story and photographs from the website:

http://www.sulinformacao.pt/

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Seven graves in the cemetery of the Ribat Arrifana (Fortress Arrifana), located at Ponta da Atalaia (Watchtower Point) in Vale da Telha on the coast of Aljezur, have been excavated by a team of archaeologists co-ordinated by Rosa and Mário Varela Gomes, in a short project during the last fifteen days of July.

Ponta da Atalaia has been described by the “Real Adventures” website as a “fantastic promontory where we can see many ruins and excavations of an ancient Moorish fortress (Ribat) controlled by Ibn Qasî around 1150”.

One of these graves belonged to the twelfth century Ibrāhīm bn bn Sulaymān Hayyān, perhaps one of the monks of this monastery, or an Islamic pilgrim who ended up dying there in 1148 AD.

Or perhaps, as surmised by Rosa Varela Gomes, “did he perish in battle and was buried here? “

How do the researchers know the name of the man buried in just one of about seven dozen graves discovered in the necropolis situated alongside the ancient Ribat?

Thanks to a stele epigraph – ie a tombstone with an inscription carved in stone – which was discovered two years ago, still attached to the head of the grave they were able to identify the man whose skeleton was discovered there.

This and other stele discovered in the Islamic cemetery are considered a find of great importance and rarity. As archaeologist Rosa Varela Gomes explained: “The two epigraphed stelae we found here are the only ones known in situ in the Iberian Peninsula”.

Of the seven graves, another discovery is also said to be an oddity, since it is the skeleton of a woman. “We do not know if it was a woman who lived here,” said the archaeologist, which would be somewhat unusual, since this was a gathering place of Islamic warrior-monks.

Despite the heat, wind and strong sun beating down, the team was dedicated to digging with infinite care, around the skeletons buried in that little peninsula on the sea, nine centuries ago. Sometimes it meant these young archaeologists lying prone on the ground, with their heads hanging down into the pit inches from secular bones.

“There are so many well preserved graves here in this timeline,” explained Rosa Varela Gomes.

But the survey of seven skeletons in as many graves was not the only new discovery of the short fifteen days of the excavations during this summer campaign at Ribat Arrifana.

“The big news was the identification of a section of the wall, about 10 meters south of the Ribat,” explained Rosa Varela Gomes; one more piece in the jigsaw as they try to reconstruct the history of Ribat, which was last year classified as a national monument.

The excavation campaign team coordinated by Rosa and Mário Varela Gomes included further ten students with a Master’s Degree in Archaeology from the New University of Lisbon, as well as the anthropologists Nathalie and Filipa Antunes Ferreira dos Santos Amado.

The presence of two anthropologists is essential for monitoring the survey and making further study of the osteological remains, ie the skeletons removed from the old cemetery. After the field work, “the osteological estates are now being cleaned and studied at the Laboratory of Archaeology FCSH UNL,” said Rosa Varela Gomes.

After the early years, the campaigns of archaeological excavations have relied on the logistical and financial support of the Chamber of Aljezur and the Gulbenkian Foundation. This latest project was only possible thanks to the research project funded by the Fondation Max van Berchem, Geneva.

This time, Mário Varela Gomes lamented, ‘the Board has not given us accommodation or transport, as in previous years, which is unfortunate. We are not asking for money, we just needed logistical support, namely that let us accommodate students in the sports gymasium’.

A Sufi master grappling with Christians

For the past twelve years, ie, since 2002, the archaeologists and Mário Rosa Varela Gomes have co-ordinated excavations at the tip of Ponta da Atalaia, a small rocky promontory, on the coast of Aljezur.

At its tip, in the troubled twelfth century, there was a Ribat, a kind of fortress-monastery, inhabited by Muslim warrior-monks who took a vow of poverty, led by the celebrated Ibn-Qasi, a Sufi master who then inhabited the community until the Moors were driven out of Portugal by the Christian Knights of D. Afonso Henriques.

During over a dozen archaeological campaigns, researchers have already uncovered several structures of the ancient monastery-fortress, namely the circular base of the minaret, with its mosques mihrabs (oratories facing Mecca), Koranic school ( madrasa ) and necropolis. Because these, by neccessity of cost and opportunity, are short archaeological campaigns, much work remains to be done—in fact only about a third of all the Ribat is already dug.

The Ribat of Ponta da Atalaia is considered the most important structure of its kind in the Iberian Peninsula and its discovery has sparked the interest of researchers across Europe. It is, according stressed Rosa Varela Gomes, the “most western Islamic archaeological site of Europe.”

Classified as a national monument last year – the only one of the entire municipality of Aljezur – the Ribat is located on private land, but has not yet been purchased by the state, something that came to be expected in the first version of the Southwest Coast Polis Environmental Assessment Study of the Strategic Intervention for Rehabilitation and Improvement of the Southwest Alentejo and Costa Vicentina / Polis Coastal South,

Over the years of archaeological work, the Ribat Arrifana has been visited by many citizens of Islamic countries, some quite distinguished, especially princes, ambassadors and other dignitaries.

These contacts left the arachaeologists constantly hoping that they would generate some financial and logistical support, taking into account the historical importance of the site for Muslims. But so far none has been fortchcoming.

Europe’s best known Retirement Secret!

American journalist Kathleen Peddicord*, writing this month in the US News & World Report, lists 11 reasons to retire to Portugal’s Algarve………….

She says the golf courses, beaches and European lifestyle are among the many attractions of southern Portugal and claims that Portugal’s Algarve, home to more than 100,000 resident expat retirees, could be the best place in the world to retire that nobody’s talking about. Particularly appealing are the two municipalities of Silves and Lagoa that are situated slightly west of the center of Portugal’s southernmost province. In these two spots, you can enjoy the best the region has to offer, from medieval towns and fishing villages to open-air markets, local wine and some of Europe’s best sandy beaches. This is a land of cobblestoned streets, whitewashed houses with lace-patterned chimneys and everywhere there are fig, olive, almond and carob trees.

Here are 11 reasons the Algarve qualifies as one of Europe’s top retirement havens:

1. Great weather. This region enjoys one of the most stable climates in the world and 3,300 hours of sunshine per year, meaning more sunny days than almost anywhere else in Europe. As a result, the Algarve has a longstanding reputation as a top summer destination among European sun-seekers and a top winter retreat for those looking to escape Northern Europe’s coldest months. It’s a popular holiday destination among the Portuguese year-round, and the Spanish love the region’s wilder western coast.

2. Safety. Portugal ranks as the 17th safest country in the world. Violent crime is rare, and petty crime is limited to street crime during the busy tourist season.

3. Good infrastructure. Portugal and the Algarve have enjoyed important infrastructure investments, specifically in the country’s highway network and airports. This could be a great base for exploring all of Europe and northern Africa.

4. International-standard health care. Medical tourism is a growing industry in the region, particularly if you are interested the aesthetic, hip replacement and dental specialties.

5. Golf. The region boasts 42 courses in less than 100 miles and is generally recognized as a top golfing destination in continental Europe, and some would say the world.

6. Great beaches. The Algarve’s 100 miles of Atlantic coastline is punctuated by jagged rock formations, lagoons and extensive sandy beaches, many awarded coveted blue flags from the European Blue Flag Association. The water off these shores is azure and the cliff-top vistas are spectacular. Most beaches have lifeguards during the summer season. Many have restaurants or snack bars, sometimes open only seasonally.

7. Affordable cost of living. The cost of living in Portugal is among the lowest in Western Europe, on average 30 percent lower than in any other country of the region. A retired couple could live here comfortably but modestly on a budget of as little as $1,500 per month. With a budget of $2,000 per month or more, you could enjoy a fully appointed lifestyle in the heart of the Old World.

8. English is widely spoken. Thanks to Portugal’s strong historic and cultural links with England, English is widely spoken in the country in general and even more so in the Algarve, the country’s main tourist draw. Retired here, you could get by without learning to speak Portuguese if you wanted to.

9. Healthy living and eating. The Portuguese are the biggest fish eaters per capita in Europe, and fresh fish of great variety is available in all the ever-present daily markets. In addition, the abundance of sunshine in this part of the world means an abundance of fresh produce is also available in the local markets.

10. Retirement income is not taxed. Recent legislation allows resident foreign retirees to receive pension income in the country tax-free. The law also provides for reduced taxation on wages, intellectual property, interest, dividends and capital gains.

11. Severely undervalued property market. Real estate in Portugal is undervalued and among the most affordable in Europe. Further, Portuguese real estate has one of the most favorable price-to-rent ratios (a measure of the profitability of owning a house) and price-to-income ratios (a measure of affordability) in the region. What that means is that housing is cheaper to buy and investors can make more money from rentals than in many other European countries. Print Email

So, what else does the Algarve have to offer?

Kathleen Peddiford writes:

Portugal’s Algarve, located at Europe’s westernmost tip and boasting more than 100 miles of Atlantic coastline, could be Europe’s most famous secret. This region boasts Europe’s best beaches, Europe’s best golf courses, some of Europe’s friendliest folk, and Western Europe’s lowest cost of living. It’s also Europe’s newest tax haven.

European retirees have recognized all that the Algarve has to offer for a long time and this sunny coastal region is the chosen destination for more than 100,000 of them. Beyond Europe, the Algarve is largely ignored as a retirement haven.

However, if a Continental lifestyle appeals to you and don’t have the budget for France, Italy, or Spain, this could be an appealing alternative, that offers history, Old World charm, and spectacular beaches.

Portugal has been named Europe’s “Best Golf Destination” for 2014, and 40 of its top courses are in the Algarve.

What else could you do with yourself, retired to this part of the world?

Fatacil, the large fairgrounds in the province, hosts the International Algarve Fair every June. This unites the local and expatriate communities, as does the annual summer fair in August, with daily live concerts. Admission is a few euros a ticket per day, and you won’t find better value for money on a sultry summer night.

The Medieval Fair in Silves is a celebration of the city’s roots and features dancers, jugglers, flame-throwers fire-eaters, and snake charmers, along with a feast of regional cuisine. Many attend in period costume.

In Lagoa, the annual sweets festival showcases delicacies produced from local ingredients, including fig, orange, almond, and carob. And once a year in June the municipality celebrates the start of sardine season with more festivals and grilled sardines on every restaurant menu. Order by the half-dozen.

Throughout the year there are open-air jazz and classical concerts, most free. Experience jazz at Lagoa’s Sitio das Fontes and local youth concerts at the Lagoa Auditorium. The Arade Congress Centre is the place to come for special events, from a motor car launch to a performance by the Russian ballet or the finals of the World Dance championships.

If you’re looking for sporting and outdoors activities, try kayaking, paddling, or cave fishing on the Arade River. The sailing schools at the river mouth are a bargain by international standards.

Bottom line, Portugal in general and the Algarve in particular offer an opportunity to savour the best of an old-school, Old World lifestyle at a very affordable cost.

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*Kathleen Peddicord is the founder of the Live and Invest Overseas publishing group. With more than 28 years experience covering this beat, Kathleen reports daily on current opportunities for living, retiring and investing overseas in her free e-letter. Her newest book, “How To Buy Real estate Overseas”, published by Wiley & Sons, is the culmination of decades of personal experience living and investing around the world.