Pulse

27 September 2026

Good morning. Today brings meteorites for Azorean classrooms, the long journey of Algarve carob, river walks and harvest fairs, and a few matters that deserve a closer look.

Curious finds

Meteorite hunter to visit Azores schools with rock collection

Geologist Vera Assis Fernandes, known as a meteorite hunter, will visit the Azores between 6 and 9 October for World Space Week, at the invitation of the Regional Government. She will bring a collection of meteorites, including a lunar rock, to schools in Faial and Pico. Her sessions, aimed at students from primary through lower secondary level, will cover the solar system, the origin of extraterrestrial rocks and scientific research work, as part of the UN-backed international initiative.

Azores Education & Eco-tourism Read more at Açoriano Oriental ↗

How Algarve carob turns into a global food additive

An article on carob's value chain in southern Portugal traces the product from traditional dryland orchards in the Algarve's Barrocal region, now expanding into irrigated plantations in Alentejo near Alqueva, through to industrial processing. Pods are crushed into pulp and seeds; seeds are further processed into locust bean gum (LBG, additive E410), a thickener used in ice cream, yoghurt, sauces and pharmaceuticals. The piece describes intermediaries, crushing mills upgraded with stainless-steel silos and temperature control, specialised 'recipe' firms serving food multinationals, and the retail stage where consumers rarely notice LBG listed among ingredients.

Algarve Food & Agriculture Read more at Jornal do Algarve ↗

Bussaco forest gains recognition for health benefits

An opinion piece by Gonçalo Breda Marques argues that the Bussaco forest in Portugal has, for the first time, been recognised not only as a heritage site worth preserving but also as a place that generates a measurable public benefit. The author frames this as a shift in how the historic forest is valued, moving beyond conservation for its own sake towards acknowledgement of its therapeutic and wellbeing value to people.

Centro Health & Wellbeing Read more at Público ↗

Landscapes, culture and film

Paredes de Coura hosts film and heritage event this weekend

The municipality of Paredes de Coura is holding the "Encontro com Paisagens e Pessoas" this weekend, an event combining film, heritage and reflection on territory and identity. The programme features films, talks with directors and researchers, nature walks and heritage visits, addressing themes such as collective memory, changing landscapes, demographic challenges and new ways of inhabiting and caring for the land. The event is organised by the municipality together with the AO NORTE association, aiming to promote and give visibility to the local territory.

Norte Education & Eco-tourism Read more at Alto Minho ↗

Entries close 1 October for Pico mountain festival and Azores film awards

Submissions for the 13th Montanha Pico Festival and the Azorian Audiovisual Awards (PAA) close on 1 October, organisers announced. The festival, held on Pico Island and run by the cultural association MiratecArts, focuses on mountain culture, cinema, arts and the environment. Its 2027 edition will take place from 8 to 15 January, with additional sessions on 22 and 29 January. Artistic director Terry Costa said filmmakers from anywhere in the world working on mountain themes or settings, as well as other audiovisual projects, are welcome to apply for either opportunity.

Azores Education & Eco-tourism More on this story →

Boomland opens grounds to locals, event to become annual

About a thousand people attended the first Dia da Boomland, a free event that opened the Herdade da Granja near Idanha-a-Velha to local residents. The site, home to the Boom Festival since 2016, offered nature walks, art, music, gastronomy and workshops throughout the day. Organisers said the gathering will now be held annually, aiming to connect the festival grounds with year-round residents. Local officials and partner institutions praised the project's cultural, environmental and economic impact on the Idanha-a-Nova region, ahead of Boom Festival's return to the site in July 2027 for its 30th anniversary.

Centro Community & Social Innovation More on this story → View project: ICNF - Instituto da Conservação da Natureza e das Florestas →

Castro Verde launches new tourism route with Vidigueira exchange

Castro Verde marked World Tourism Day on 27 September by launching the 'Rota da Biosfera', a year-long project of exchanges with other municipalities to showcase its territory, people and heritage. Vidigueira was the first guest municipality, with a delegation visiting sites including the Museu da Ruralidade, the Igreja Matriz de Entradas and the Basílica Real. The day closed with the debut of 'CASTRO WINE 2026', a sunset event near the Basílica Real featuring music and Vidigueira wines, part of the 'Baixo Alentejo - Cidade Europeia do Vinho' programme, attended by both municipalities' mayors.

Alentejo Education & Eco-tourism Read more at Rádio Pax ↗

Needs attention

Pig and poultry waste pollution in Spain's Lima river reaches Portugal

Environmental groups say pollution from pig and poultry farm waste in Galicia's Limia river, upstream of the Alto Lindoso dam, has spread into Portugal's Alto Minho, affecting Ponte da Barca, Arcos de Valdevez, Ponte de Lima and Viana do Castelo. Spain's Supreme Court ruled the Xunta de Galicia and the Miño-Sil river authority must end the chronic pollution, but residents say nothing has changed a year on. Recent sampling by a Madrid university research group found toxic cyanobacteria levels above WHO alert thresholds in the Lindoso reservoir, contradicting Portugal's environment agency APA, which says monitoring shows no cause for concern. Campaigners are demanding enforcement of the court ruling and stricter Portuguese monitoring.

Norte Ecosystems & Biodiversity Read more at O Minho ↗

Lousada mayor demands urgent overhaul of e-scooter laws after teen's death

Lousada mayor Nelson Oliveira has asked the Internal Administration Minister to urgently review Portugal's rules on electric scooters, after a 15-year-old boy died in an e-scooter accident in the municipality. Oliveira said the case was not isolated, citing excessive speed and lack of protective equipment as recurring risks, and argued current legislation has not kept pace with the scooters' growing use. He proposed banning sales to minors, setting a minimum riding age, compulsory helmets, age- or speed-adjusted limits, clearer usage rules and a ban on pavements, alongside stronger enforcement and awareness campaigns.

Norte Energy, Water & Mobility Read more at Portugal Resident ↗

Opinion piece criticises Portugal's bottle deposit return scheme

An opinion article examines problems with Portugal's deposit-return scheme 'Volta' for plastic bottles and metal cans, under which consumers pay a 0.10 euro deposit refunded when the empty container is returned to a collection machine. The author says the machines are insufficient, slow, frequently broken or full, causing queues, and reports people rummaging through bins for containers, raising public health concerns. Germany's 'Pfandringe' metal rings beside bins are cited as a dignified alternative. The piece also flags an estimated 40 to 60 million euros in uncollected deposits by end-2026, which SDR-Portugal plans to reinvest in improving the system.

Products, Consumption & Circular Read more at JM Madeira ↗

Expert calls for more affordable housing for Madeira's middle class

At PS parliamentary sessions in Funchal on the cost of living, geographer Gonçalo Antunes said housing prices in Madeira have become incompatible with many families' incomes, urging more housing aimed at the middle class, built by public, private and cooperative entities. He linked the problem to a decade of rising property pressure, also affecting Lisbon, Porto and the Algarve, plus local policy choices. Other speakers addressed the cost of living's impact on workers, taxi drivers and the restaurant sector, with one union representative calling the current national government the worst in 20 years.

Madeira Construction & Housing Read more at JM Madeira ↗

Energy, mobility and investment

Electric car sales jump 65% in Portugal as diesel halves

Electric vehicle registrations in Portugal rose 65.2% in August 2026 year-on-year to around 5,000 units, while diesel registrations fell 49% to 415 units, amid rising fuel prices. The overall car market grew 8.4% to about 14,000 units. Over January-August, electric vehicle sales climbed 43.1% to 45,388 units, while petrol and diesel sales fell 17.6% and 29.8% respectively. Total new registrations reached over 169,000, up 9.5%. The trend mirrors the wider EU market, where electric vehicles took a 21.7% market share and Chinese brands such as BYD and SAIC posted strong growth.

Energy, Water & Mobility Read more at Jornal PT Green ↗

Águas do Alto Minho tenders solar plants for seven municipalities

Águas do Alto Minho (AdAM) has opened a public tender worth around €374,000 to build photovoltaic plants for self-consumption in seven of the ten municipalities it serves in northern Portugal. The procurement notice was published in the Diário da República. The plants are intended to supply the company's own facilities with solar energy, reducing electricity costs and reliance on the grid.

Norte Energy, Water & Mobility Read more at The Portugal News ↗

Six Médio Tejo municipalities receive tractors for fuel management

Ourém and five other Médio Tejo municipalities have received tractors from the government to strengthen wildfire prevention through fuel management on roads and forest tracks. Each municipality commits to treating at least 80 km of tracks or 80 hectares annually, under five-year loan agreements. The delivery is part of a PRR-funded national programme worth about €27.5 million, aiming to provide 150 tractors to municipalities, with over 70% of mainland councils expressing interest. More than 280 tractors in total will go to municipalities and forestry organisations, alongside 18 tracked machines for intermunicipal communities.

Centro Ecosystems & Biodiversity More on this story → View project: ICNF - Instituto da Conservação da Natureza e das Florestas →

Algarve and Huelva launch €1.47m nautical tourism project

The Algarve Tourism Region and the Huelva Destination Agency have launched the Guadiana Nautic Experience, a cross-border project worth €1,471,561.40 aimed at developing nautical tourism along the Lower Guadiana. Funded under the Interreg VI A Spain-Portugal cooperation programme, it also involves the Eurocidade do Guadiana EGTC and Beturia. Running until the end of 2028, the plan includes a strategic map of the area, pilot projects, digitalisation, a nautical congress, and promotion of the destination, with a focus on supporting small local businesses and off-peak tourism.

Algarve Education & Eco-tourism More on this story →

Azorean firm Marques launches scholarship for civil engineering students

Marques SA, a company founded in 1979 in the Azores, has created a scholarship for students of civil engineering. Applications for the first edition close on 31 October. Up to two scholarships of 3,000 euros each may be awarded per academic year, paid in ten monthly instalments, to Azorean-resident students enrolled in a bachelor's or master's degree. The grant can be renewed for up to six years and includes integration into the company during and after studies. Selection will weigh academic record and a personal interview.

Azores Education & Eco-tourism Read more at Açoriano Oriental ↗

Close to home

Just a Change renovates five homes in Castro Marim

Five families in Castro Marim, Odeleite, Junqueira and Montinho da Conveniência had their homes renovated under the Just a Change project, supported for the second consecutive year by Castro Marim's municipal council. Work finished in late August, when the houses were handed back to their owners. About thirty volunteers, including university students, doctors, architects and engineers, some from Spain, carried out the repairs with technical supervision. The council funded the works and helped with materials, logistics and waste management, targeting households unable to access other forms of support due to their economic and social circumstances.

Algarve Construction & Housing Read more at Jornal do Algarve ↗

Moura hosts guided walk along Ardila river's memories

The Moura municipal council is organising "Memórias do Ardila", a walk taking place this Sunday, 27 September, in Santo Amador as part of the "Pelos Campos de Salúquia" programme. The roughly 8-kilometre route, rated easy to moderate, starts at 9am at Largo do Poço, with transport available from Moura departing 8.30am from Bica de Santa Comba. The activity aims to recover and share stories of encounter, work and leisure linked to the Ardila river, preserving memories that help explain the cultural identity of this Alentejo region.

Alentejo Education & Eco-tourism Read more at Rádio Pax ↗

Góis honey and chestnut fair returns October 31 to November 1

The Feira dos Santos, do Mel e da Castanha returns to Góis on 31 October and 1 November, held at the Municipal Sports Pavilion and surrounding area. The fair will bring together beekeepers, artisans, traders and representatives of local entities and institutions. Registration to take part is free and open until 16 October.

Centro Food & Agriculture Read more at Notícias de Coimbra ↗

Seven days of the Pulse, curated into one weekly read.Read the Weekly Pulse

The Pulse in your inbox

A short read every morning — what's happening across sustainable Portugal.