As most of you know, I am Portuguese. I was born in this beautiful country by the sea that gives me great pride.
It may seem cliché, but I always say that no matter how much I travel to other places, returning to Portugal always makes me proud. This is a country that surprises every day, for its nature, culture, for its people — my people! —, for the beauty that spreads in each city, town, village, forest, or beach.
In the last few years, Portugal has stood out as one of the most incredible tourist destinations in Europe… and even — bear with me — in the world!
For this reason, Portuguese tourism has become one of the main livelihoods of the country, a significant contributor to the national GDP, with several families depending on it.
With the appearance of COVID-19, everything changed…
I know that it wasn’t just here. The whole world has withdrawn. Portugal, which was preparing for another great year, saw everything close. Hotels closed, restaurants, bars, and clubs, the coffee shops and stores empty. The museums, parks, even the beaches… all closed.
The trips were suspended and with them our hearts.
#IStayInPortugal brings together Portuguese travel bloggers
Since last week, Portugal started to get out of the confinement imposed by the pandemic, and little by little, people began to leave home. For now, the most basic routines are being resumed, and the movements are still quite contained. But where is tourism in the middle of it all?…
This is where the ABVP comes in!
As I told you on another occasion, together with other colleagues, we created last year the Portuguese Travel Bloggers Association (ABVP). In its foundation, since the beginning, it’s the mission of creating ethical relationships not only with our readers but also with partners linked to Tourism. So, when faced with this unprecedented crisis in the sector where we work, we thought about how we can help. The answer is: with what we do best!
Together we decided to launch a huge mission — #IStayInPortugal — that will take each one of us to a different region of Portugal. In total, there will be 18 districts in mainland Portugal, plus Madeira and the Azores islands.
In a time frame yet to be decided (but it will be as soon as traveling is possible), the authors of 46 Portuguese travel blogs (myself included!) will publish various content with the best of each area they are going to visit. From historical, cultural, natural, architectural, and gastronomic attractions.
With this action we want to show the best in Portugal, inspiring our readers to visit and, in this way, helping tourism in Portugal.
And me, where am I going to be?
Among the ABVP members, we split the country from North to South, from East to West, and I chose the seaside to (re)discover Alentejo. In the #IStayInPortugal project, I will be exploring the area between Vila Nova de Mil Fontes and Zambujeira do Mar, passing through Almograve and Odemira.
You can count on incredible images and stories from Costa Alentejana. This territory integrates the famous Rota Vicentina, has amazing cultural particularities in its villages and towns, and, of course, fantastic surf.
The date of this adventure is still open. But I will announce it in my social media — on Instagram and Facebook — and, later, you can count on detailed posts here. Stay tuned! After this, you’ll definitely want to travel and discover Portugal for yourself!
UPDATE! And because we don’t want any corner of Portugal to be left unexplored, I added a new destination to my mission: the area between Nazaré and Foz do Arelho!
You’ll also be able to count on new places to explore and things to do on this part of Portugal’s West coast!
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