Abandoned Algarve village restored into rural tourism destination
In Pedralva, in the municipality of Vila do Bispo, dozens of ruined houses have been restored and now operate as accommodation for visitors. The village once had over a hundred residents but by 2006 counted only nine, with most of its roughly 50 houses in disrepair. Between 2006 and 2008, project organisers contacted more than 200 owners and heirs across Portugal and Europe to acquire 30 properties, restoring them with traditional materials while the municipal council upgraded infrastructure. Since 2010 the village has offered 26 tourist cottages, a restaurant, a café, a pool and outdoor activities including mountain biking and surfing.
Historic Douro spa to reopen this year after €4m revamp
The Termas das Caldas de Moledo, in the Douro region near Peso da Régua and Mesão Frio, will reopen by the end of the year following a roughly €4 million investment, according to the president of Turismo do Porto e Norte de Portugal, Luís Pedro Martins. The site, inherited abandoned, sits beside the Douro river in the Unesco World Heritage landscape and includes two bathhouses within the historic garden of Dona Antónia Ferreirinha. It will become the region's 17th thermal facility, creating over ten direct jobs. One bathhouse will remain public, while other buildings, including a former casino and hotel, will go to tender for hospitality use.
New digital guide charts Cossourado's Camino de Santiago route
The parish union of Cossourado and Linhares, in Paredes de Coura, has launched Via Cossourado, a digital guide at viacossourado.pt aimed at pilgrims walking the Portuguese Way of St James. The route follows the ancient Roman IV Via Militar, which linked Bracara Augusta (Braga) to Asturica Augusta in Spain, and now includes interpretive signage explaining local heritage sites. Highlights include the Iron Age fortified settlement of Cossourado, classified as a National Monument, and the 13th-century Romanesque Church of São Pedro de Rubiães. The platform also offers an interactive map and a pilgrim registration area.
Guarda schools raise healthy snacks to 80% via fruit programme
A study by ISAMB/FMUL and APCOI found that the "Heróis da Fruta" programme has raised the share of healthy snacks to 80% among schoolchildren in the Guarda district. The research points to improvements in school snacking habits and success in getting children to try new foods. The findings suggest the programme, which promotes fruit consumption in schools, is having a measurable effect on pupils' eating patterns in the region.
LIPOR to host 12th youth sustainability university in November
LIPOR's Academia is holding the twelfth edition of its Universidade LIPOR from 4 to 6 November at Casa do Corim in Águas Santas, Maia. Around 20 young professionals and recent graduates will take part in the event, run with the Instituto Português do Desporto e Juventude and the Associação Portuguesa de Business Intelligence. Under the theme 'Ecoar o Futuro: Sustentabilidade, Conexão e Carreira', the programme combines talks, debates and contact with specialists and companies, aiming to build skills and a network of young people able to bring sustainability practices into their future workplaces and communities.
