The replica C15th caravel, Boa Esperança, is sailing along the north-western Spanish coastline to drum up business for the Algarve’s tourism industry.
The Algarve Tourism Board's Desidério Silva aims for the ship to help promote the attractions of the Algarve as a year round destination with the Boa Esperança dropping in to ports including A Coruña, Baiona and Vigo to treat locals to a tour of the boat, explanations of Portugal’s history and then dishes of freshly cooked cataplana.
The Boa Esperança was in Andalucía in September and set sail for Galicia on October 9th aiming to travel up the west coast of Portugal despite the predicted storms coming in from the west.
"The Algarve has been promoted in our neighboring country in an original way so as to stimulate the interest of the Spanish public for the tourist offer in the Algarve throughout the year. Spain remains one of our main markets, which to July this year accounted for 446,000 overnight stays in the region," says Desidério Silva, President of the tourist authority.
"We want them to get to know the strong link the Algarve has with the sea, its history and its cuisine which can be sampled in each of the locations with some cataplana showcooking on board the caravel, for the trade, press and local officials” adds Desidério Silva.
This replica of the 24 metre caravel was built by craftsmen who followed the naval construction rules of the fifteenth century.
It is a design of Moorish origin chosen by Henry the Navigator for his maritime adventures. The original caravels managed to sail around the Cape of Good Hope so a trip up the west coast of Portugal should not present too much of a challenge.
