While doing this road trip through the EN2, visiting partners and the Pure Portugal community, we’ve had the chance of participating in some events.
Last weekend we went to the “75ª Feira das Colheitas”, the harvest fair in Arouca.
It is an annual big event with crafts and arts, regional products and many activities for families.
We saw a parade of ox carts bringing the crops, in gratitude to the mother earth and we met some inspiring eco social projects and great people working hard to make their dreams come true!
We were surprised by the work this Town Hall has been doing for the community, promoting the local economy!
They have now a shop that works as a cooperative to sell the local products of this region, and they are also trying in this way to bring the organic farming practices to the local producers.
This Town Hall is also implementing a project for restaurants, that consists offering a GeoFood on the menu, which has 80% of local food of the region!
We had a great conversation with a geologist of the Geopark Arouca, recognized by UNESCO as a Geological Heritage of Humanity. One of the highlight of this area is the Passadiços do Paiva“, an “untouched” walkway of 8 km, surrounded by a beautiful landscape. There are also many other trails in the nature that we highly recommend!
If you would like to visit this area and need a short or long term accommodation, go to our Holidays & Rentals website at: https://pureportugalholidays.com/holidays
We could stay a few months here, as we felt so welcomed by this people!
Despite being so close to Porto, Arouca is a very rural territory with lots of interesting things to do, especially on the nature! We felt that in the genuine people faces, the warm welcome and in the traditions they shared.
We were also very surprised by the work this Town Hall has been doing to promote the local economy!
We definitely would love to explore a bit more this piece of Portugal, but we need to keep moving to the next stop!
See you on the road!
Raquel & Daniel
