Tourist Accomodations made from ‘Taipa’

In our search for Portugal’s hidden treasures, 3EcoBees found one of the pearls: a tourist accommodation site made by applying the ‘taipa technique’. It is a way of building houses in a typical Portuguese way, using mainly local and natural resources. In the Santo Estevão area (Algarve), 3EcoBees visited this ‘taipa’ construction and was delighted by the whole concept of this initiative.

Taipa
Taipa is a technique used in the building of walls using the raw materials of mud, chalk, lime and gravel and has been used in the architecture of many cultures throughout the world. Because of the nature of the materials used, it is incombustible, thermally insulating and very strong and hardwearing. It also has the added advantage of being a very low cost and simple way to construct walls (source: Wikipedia).

To protect the walls, they will be covered with a waterproof layer of sand and lime. The technique used for this project, originates from the Alentejo region and was commonly used until the 1950’s. The unique method has been re-introduced and promoted by some municipalities, such as Odemira. Even special ‘Taipa-building’ workshops are organized. As the Algarve is known for its (minor) seismic activity, the units had to be built on a base of concrete and supported ‘conventionally’ by constructed pillars.

Going Green
As most building materials are extracted from the area itself, little transport is necessary to supply the materials and equipment. Due to the good insulation qualities of the material, less energy is required to maintain a pleasant and constant climate within the units.

Besides this ‘greener’ way of building the apartments, other measures are in place to turn the whole concept sustainable. Solar panels will generate sufficient power for the accommodation; an organic garden with a variety of fruits and vegetables will provide healthy and responsible food ingredients. Some rooftops will be covered by gardens; others will be covered with re-used tiles. And rather than building a common swimming pool, a biological pool will be constructed. Even the in-house furniture will consist of recycled materials and pieces. With respect to the water issue, a special Wastewater Garden will be constructed. This concept, where waste water is collected in a sealed tank and then flows to a special designed wetland where it is treated by gravel and special plants, has been originally designed by the Biosphere Foundation. The cleaned water can be used for irrigation and non-drinking applications.

3EcoBees were impressed by this project and of course we will continue to follow the progress of this unique development, which foresees its opening in June 2009. It is a good showcase of how more sustainable holidays can be developed, promoted and experienced.

14 August 2008 · Filed Under Eco-Investments, Eco-Tourism

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Quinta da Fornalha

Have you ever thought about the consequences of your holidays abroad? Ok, everyone needs a holiday and it is always best to go elsewhere to get some real relaxation. So how about feeling less guilty about your carbon emissions by going to an eco-hotel? Sustainable tourism is becoming more and more popular, even in the Algarve, as people want to enjoy their holidays to the fullest without damaging the environment.

(photo credit: jimpg2)

An appropriate definition follows:

“Sustainable Tourism in its purest sense, is an industry committed to making a low impact on the natural environment and local culture, while helping to generate income and employment for locals” (source).

Quinta da Fornalha is a perfect example of sustainable tourism located in the natural reserves of Sapal in East Algarve. This family business in the council of Castro Marim cherishes the Algarvian culture by its organic agriculture, accommodation for guests in refurbished traditional country houses and informative tours exploring the local fauna and flora. For about 100 years they have been producing organic milk products such as half-fat milk, half-fat yogurt and yogurt cheese with their “holsteinfrisiarr” animals. They are also established with other organic produces such as figo and olives and also in the near future in oranges. Last but not least, they also produce organic salt.

Alongside their delicious organic agriculture business, they run a sustainable tourism centre which allows guests to be accommodated in refurbished traditional farm houses. They can provide their guests which different types of activities such as visiting the agricultural sites, exploring Castro Marim’s cultural history and also seasonally guests can try collecting and drying aromatic herbs or collecting salt. Future plans also include a restaurant, an

organic food store and a natural Spa (one that I will most certainly visit!).

I know, sounds too good to be true. But it is. So it is worth a visit.

For more info, visit the Quinta da Fornalha website.

31 July 2008 · Filed Under Bio-Products, Eco-LifeStyle, Eco-Tourism, Responsible Agriculture

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Portugal’s Hidden Treasures: How will they be discovered?

Today is the final day of the Eco Fair in Olhão and so far, it’s been three days of learning, sharing and connecting with other socially responsible people from across Portugal.

Before we head down to Olhão to open our booth for one last time, we thought this would be a good opportunity to write this post.

In the past few days, we’ve shared the 3EcoBees story with curious strangers, new friends and partners and now, more than ever, it’s clear why 3EcoBees has formed.

(photo credit: Francisco Oliveira)

All across Algarve and Portugal, there are hidden treasures from ecotourism activities, culturally rich traditions, new investment opportunities that make Portugal a unique place to live, visit and do business with. BUT, these treasures are not always visible and there’s no clear map to help locals, tourists and investors discover them.

Sometimes, when everyone else is waiting for someone else to take the first step, you need to be the one to drive change. We like to think, 3EcoBees is the right step to promote and further develop the hidden treasures that make Portugal a unique country beaming with potential.

See you at the Faira for food, wine and eco bingo.

27 July 2008 · Filed Under Eco-Tourism, General

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