Nature & Biodiversity

Taste Tavira > Annick shows you around

Category: Nature & Biodiversity

🍯 Sweetness of the Sun: Honey Producers & Bees in the Eastern Algarve

Local Flavours & Products,  Nature & BiodiversityPosted on

Honey and the Algarve go hand in hand—sun-warmed blooms, aromatic herbs, and busily buzzing bees all combine to make some of Portugal’s most beloved honeys. Here in Tavira and across the Eastern Algarve, small apiaries are reviving traditions, supporting biodiversity, and crafting pure, seasonal honey based entirely on local flora and age‑old methods.

🐝 Bee Heroes of the Algarve

Apicultura Algarve – Founded by Tomás

Tomás, a Belgian-born ecologist with a master’s in Sustainable Rural Management from the University of Algarve, fell for bees while researching raspberry crops. He started Apicultura Algarve to support pollinators and produce 100% raw honey in harmony with nature. His hives dot the Serra Algarvia , Barrocal , and Baixo Alentejo , offering small-batch honey without pasteurization or additives.

Melaria do Monte – Manuel & Célia Jesus

Located near Monchique (1,5 hour drive) but with production zones reaching into the Eastern Algarve, this family business began in 2003. Manuel, raised in a beekeeping family, now runs 350+ hives. Harvests happen from May through August , using natural smoking techniques and careful handling.

  • Varietals include orange blossom, thyme, and wildflower
  • Sold in eco markets and select Algarve shops
  • Proudly uses no mechanical filtration or heat

🌼 A Taste of Local Flora

Each honey reflects local blossoms:

  • 🍊 Orange Blossom Honey – Springtime freshness, pale and floral
  • 🌿 Thyme Honey – Rich, earthy, and high in thymol
  • 🌰 Carob Honey – Autumn-harvested and bittersweet, perfect with cheese
  • 🍓 Medronho Honey – Rare, late-season from the strawberry tree, slightly bitter

Production depends on rainfall and flowering seasons, so local honeys vary every year—true slow food at work.

🧂 Real Honey: Pure & Protected

Portugal’s local honeys are among the EU’s most genuine. Look for labels like:

  • “Mel de Rosmaninho” (rosemary)
  • “Mel Multiflora do Algarve”
  • Or simply buy from the Tavira Municipal Market on Saturdays for zero-km authenticity.

Beware: the Algarve wildfires of 2023–24 devastated many apiaries. Projects like Tomás’s are critical for bee recovery and future harvests.

🍯 Experience It: Tastings & Tours (not personally checked)

Note: The tours and producers mentioned have not been personally tested by Taste Tavira. Please check availability and reviews before booking.

Pego do Inferno: Tavira’s Hidden Waterfall & Its Legend

Family Friendly,  Hiking & Outdoor Activities,  Nature & BiodiversityPosted on

Tucked away in the countryside near Tavira lies a slice of nature legend: Pego do Inferno , or “Hell’s Pool.” Once a popular swimming spot, today it’s more of a secret pilgrimage—quiet, wild, and wrapped in mystery.

🏞️ What is Pego do Inferno?

  • Located on the Asseca stream in Santo Estêvão , just 7–10 km northwest of Tavira , Pego do Inferno consists of a modest 3‑meter waterfall flowing into an olive-green plunge pool, estimated to be around seven meters deep .
  • The falls are part of a trio—including Cascata da Torre and Cascata do Pomarinho —all created by water flowing over calcareous tufa formations along the stream.

🕯️ The Legend Behind the Name

According to local lore, a carriage once plunged into the pool and neither the vehicle nor its passengers were ever recovered . Divers reportedly couldn’t find the lake’s bottom—so it earned the dramatic name, “Hell’s Pool”

Some say hidden underwater passages connect to nearby rivers like the Guadiana or Gilão, though no proof exists beyond storytelling.

🚧 Why It Remains Mostly Closed

  • In 2012 , a forest fire swept through the area, destroying the boardwalk, bridge, stairs, and facilities that once made the waterfall easy and safe to visit. The municipality officially closed the area afterward and never rebuilt the infrastructure.
  • Since then, efforts to reopen the site under safe conditions have stalled due to drought , lack of water flow, private land negotiations , and priority projects funded by the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR).

🧭 Visiting Now: What to Expect

Although officially closed, Pego do Inferno still attracts adventurous locals and holidaymakers who navigate informal paths and dense overgrowth to reach the pool.

Taste Tavira by Annick desribes how to find it.

AllTrails users describe:

  • Overgrown trails through bamboo and citrus groves
  • Stream crossings becoming impossible in winter or bad rain
  • Risky, unclear terrain and degraded trail infrastructure

Tripadvisor reviewers echo concerns:

  • In wet seasons, paths are hazardous
  • In dry seasons, the waterfall may be reduced to a trickle or a stagnant green pool
  • Trash and poor maintenance also worry visitors \.

🗺 Planning Your (Responsible) Visit

If you’re drawn to hidden spots and you’re well-prepared:

TipNotes
Footwear Wear sturdy shoes—trail is uneven and slippery.
Waterflow timing Best after recent rainfall; drought years may leave little to see.
Safety Bring water & snacks, avoid solo visits, and respect “no entry” signs.
Timing Spring and autumn offer the best balance of water and navigable trail.
Access routes Park near Santo Estêvão/Tavira outskirts using GPS and follow local informal directions

Tasting Tavira’s Salt Soul: A Visit to the Historic Salt Pans

Local Flavours & Products,  Nature & BiodiversityPosted on

There are many things that sparkle in the Algarve sun—ceramic tiles, whitewashed rooftops, chilled vinho verde… But none quite like the salt flats of Tavira. Just a short walk or cycle from the old town, these shallow pools shimmer with a history and craft that stretch back centuries. If you’re curious about where your flor de sal comes from—and you fancy a peaceful stroll with flamingos for company—this is your sign to explore Tavira’s salty soul.

✨ Ancient Tradition in Every Grain

Tavira’s salt pans have been used for salt production since Roman and Moorish times . Even today, the process remains charmingly low-tech: sun, sea, and wind do most of the work, while local salt workers—called marnotos—rake the gleaming crystals by hand.

The real treat? Flor de Sal de Tavira . This delicate salt “flower” forms on the surface and is skimmed gently using wooden tools. No additives, no industrial machinery. Just pure, sea-born flavour.

🚶 How to Visit (And When To Go)

You can explore the salt flats freely by walking or cycling along the Ecovia Litoral trail . From Taste Tavira AL , head toward R. Eng. João Bruno da Rocha Prado, and continue on gravel paths. Best times? Early morning or sunset , when the pools glow pink and gold. July, August, September and early October are the harvest months.

📏 Birds, Colours & Calm

The salt pans aren’t just about salt. They’re part of the Ria Formosa Natural Park , a Ramsar-designated wetland teeming with birdlife. Depending on the season, you might spot flamingos, herons, avocets or even spoonbills, wading delicately between the glinting pools.

And then there’s the colour: subtle pinks, dreamy turquoise, even rusty reds—all caused by natural algae and minerals. Bring your camera, or better yet, a moment of stillness.

🚢 Want to Go Further?

If you prefer a deeper dive, local outfits like Monte da Ribeira (near Estoi, by car) offer sometimes guided salt-harvesting experiences (€28), complete with tools, history, and hands-on raking (yes, you can try it!). Check for actual information.

Or visit Salinas do Grelha (Olhão), where you can also float in a mineral-rich salt lagoon (think Dead Sea… but Algarvian!).

🌿 Salt That Tells a Story

Back in town, look for locally harvested flor de sal at artisan shops or farmer’s markets. This is salt that speaks of place: sea air, sun-drenched patience, and the quiet determination of marnotos.

A visit to Tavira’s salt pans isn’t loud or flashy. It’s slow, grounding, and strangely moving. Just you, the wind, the birds, and a glint of salt underfoot.

🌳 Pomar dos Sabores – Orchard of Flavours – A Taste of Algarve’s Biodiversity

Nature & Biodiversity,  Taste TaviraPosted on

Tucked just a few kilometres from Tavira, Pomar dos Sabores —also known as the Orchard of Flavours —is a beautiful living experiment in sustainable fruit cultivation and agroecology. It’s not your average orchard—it’s a botanical playground bursting with exotic fruit trees, wildlife, and educational inspiration.

🌱 A Living Botanical Garden

Founded in January 2019 , Pomar dos Sabores is a non-profit edible botanical garden certified by Botanical Gardens Conservation International in November 2022 . Spanning 2 hectares , the orchard hosts more than 300 species of fruit trees, ranging from mangoes and lychees to pomegranates and starfruit—each carefully chosen to see what thrives in our Mediterranean climate.

It’s designed as a living classroom: guided tours, self-guided visits, food tree safaris, interactive nature trails, and hands-on workshops in propagation, permaculture, and water-saving techniques.

🧠 Meet Miguel — The Founder’s Vision

Under the leadership of Miguel Cotton , the team at Orchard of Flavours brings passion and scientific rigor to their agroforestry work. Miguel and his team pursued an agroecological approach from the outset: contour-based planting zones developed to prevent erosion, ground cover for soil health, drip irrigation systems, compost ditches, and banana circles for fertility—all shared openly with gardeners worldwide.

Miguel’s commitment is to show that sustainable fruit production in Europe is possible , and that others can replicate these methods in their own gardens or small farms econtigo.ptOrchard of Flavours.

🌿 What You’ll Experience

  • Guided or self-guided tours across diverse planting zones (citrus groves, tropical fruit zones, neglected Mediterranean varietals) with detailed background on each species.
  • Tasting sessions , where you can sample freshly harvested fruits and discover new flavours—often from rare and region-adapted cultivars.
  • Educational workshops —from seed propagation to food forest creation—open to gardeners and curious visitors alike.
  • A public database of over four hundred plants, detailing soil preference, irrigation needs, and climate adaptation data for each species.

🗺️ Sample Visit Outline

ElementExperience
Guided Tour Learn about diverse fruit zones and tree lore
Fruit Tasting Sample exotic varieties—like criollo cacao or cacao pods
Workshop (Optional) Dive into composting, micro-irrigation, water-saving techniques
Picnic or Relaxation Rest under shade trees and soak in the orchard atmosphere