Creative Travel in Portugal: Pottery, Painting, Weaving, Cooking & More!

I have really come to love “my” Portugal. The people, the soul, the culture of this land, last but not least its beautiful, melodious language, have completely drawn me in. Already in my first article about creative travel in the Algarve region, I have shared with you some alternative travel tips in this sunny southern district of Portugal. Now, the time has come to dive even deeper. We will therefore go on a journey into the interior of the Algarve, the small town of Querenca, also known as “Aldeia da Querenca” in the local language. Even though Loulé too is a small town counting only 30.000 inhabitants, travelling into a historic village located on the nearby hilltops is another experience altogether. I have come here with my local expert guide Susana, who works as part of the “TASA” project developing creative travel in the Algarve through a series of workshops named “Painting with Earth Colours“. Part of this experience includes landscape walks learning more about the history and culture while interacting with the land as a first-time visitor.

The small town “Aldeia da Querenca” in the backcountry of Loulé is located only 25 kilometres away from the southern coast of Portugal.

Water plays an important role in this dry mountainous land in the very south of Portugal, as this museum for local agriculture shows.

Susana is a “door opener” in the most literal way possible, explaining what Querenca has to offer in terms of history, Arabic legacy and architecture.

Talking a walk through the landscape surrounding Querenca …

… we “harvest” those coloured rocks whose origins date back to millions of years of volcanism in the area …

… crushing them in the mortar we carry, we gain the first base for our unique earth colours.

“Alfarroba” plants provide a great snack on the way, tasting sweet and juicy and providing a healthy, natural alternative to say cereal bars. Its flour is also being used for baking cakes here in the Algarve.

Brave are those with a creative travel spirit at heart: Tasting local “Medronhos” fruit that the local people then distill into “Aguardiente” …!

A little further, we are ready to harvest some more “yellow” from the land …

… turning them into colours for painting at the culture centre of Querenca.

Those natural colour mixes …

… certainly lead you to become creative, as this cow statue outside of Querenca culture centre shows?!

Last but not least, Susana shows me another treasure located right round the corner in the middle of the Querenca landscape: An old stone furnace used to burn calcium as a base for mixing with different Earth colours during many decades past!

Speaking of ceramics, earth colours & creative crafts in the Algarve, let me introduce you to a most welcoming local character: The ceramic artist Armando Martins!

Armando is truly mischievous. In the sweetest way possible. He appreciates me taking my first steps in Portuguese – only to talk to me in the fastest way possible during our creative pottery lesson, accrediting my language skills. I take on the challenge of our quick-witted verbal exchange, rising to become even more creative with words, and pottery of course. João & Graca, of ProActiveTur, a company set up to develop creative crafts initiatives in Loulé and in the Algarve, have taken me to meet local ceramic artist Armando Martins. Armando has already worked thousands and thousands of pots in his life time – “since times immemorial, including both my father and grand-father before me”, he laughs, brightly displaying his mischievous smile. All those pots have once played a big part in the local fishing industry, being used by fishermen to catch octopus. According to Armando, one of his pots even made it all the way to Spain, travelling as a shell to an octopus and identified by him again as one of his pots! Stories and stories … 😉

Creative travel here in the Algarve means: Unveiling countless local tales. Understanding, and living, many forms of traditional cultural expressions. Painting a real image of the marriage of past & present in a local area. And one thing, above all: Meeting unique local characters that live to tell the tale!

Meeting Armando and his pottery workshop near Loulé …

… means being welcomed in the sweetest way possible!

Armando truly lives his passion and loves to share it with his visitors …

… having truly mastered his art over the years and perfectly demonstrating how to make this perfectly shaped pot in less than one minute on the potter’s wheel.

A little later, he invites me to have a go on the wheel myself …

… and I must say that I am quite satisfied with the result: My first ever bowl from the potter’s wheel!

The city of Loulé itself merits a closer look when travelling in the Algarve, too. Check out Coreto Hostel for a great place to stay, centrally located for a culture walk through this quaint little town.

I just love Loulé. What a pretty little town full of light. Perhaps it is the agreeable size, neither too big nor too small for my liking. Its unique Arab heritage, both to be found in places such as the Old Baths as well as the historic market square in the heart of town. And that being in Loulé allows you to meet truly special, local people that all have one thing in common: They are open. Friendly. Welcoming. Full of light, as the city as well as southern Portugal, the Algarve itself.

Strolling around the historic market square of Loulé …

… we end up entering the very heart, and old town, of Loulé – picture postcard style.!

Here, it is even possible to meet one of the last shoemakers – “sapateiro” in town!

From this tower, the original inhabitants of “Al-Ulyà”, or Loulé, roughly translating into “slight elevation, hill”, checked for foreign invasions from afar.

The cute little alleys and passages of Loulé offer a lot of charm and southern sun light …

… as much as this lady, who offers to take me round Loulé!

Last but not least, a word of Thanks to dear Mafalda, at Hostel Coreto who has realized a life dream here welcoming national and international visitors to a cosy lounge, free WiFi, international flair, personal care, flexibility and good vibes. Check it out on your next visit!

Disclaimer: I have been invited by João Ministro and his team to discover and explore creative travel in the Algarve region of Portugal. All opinions are my own.