The recently-opened Rota da Laranja orange route in Silves is a project that “has great significance for the municipality” said mayoress Rosa Palma at the official launch on Friday. The municipality is made up of over 700 square kilometres, and is responsible for 40 percent of Portugal’s national citrus production.
The Silves Orange Route, presented to the press last week at Quinta de Santo Estêvão, will be an experience tailored to the interest of each individual visitor, whether for leisure or business, “on the secret paths” of the territory’s orange groves.
According to the head of the division of Culture, Tourism and Heritage of the Municipality of Silves Paulo Lourenço, the Orange Route of Silves, is a "means promoting the territory and its multiplicity of valences, starting with three objectives.”
“The idea is to offer the most authentic and genuine experience showcasing the values of the territory, a demonstration of what is our material and immaterial heritage, and the use of new technologies to better the experiences of visitors” he explained. In addition to the “orange cluster tours, we include production, processing, transformation and consumption” he adds.
“When people come to us, they can choose the type of experience they want to have, or delight in the result of this chain directly at the producer” Mr. Lourenço explains. The Route intends to "also value wine and other regional products" and in the future, it will cross paths with the protected marine area of Armação de Pera and the recently established geological park, Geopark Algarvensis.
According to Paulo Lourenço, this is a developing process. “When working with members and partners, monitoring and management work must be done” to improve the route. João Garcia, current manager of Quinta de Santo Estevão, a family estate covering eight hectares where he grows several varieties of orange and citrus, is one of the partners of the new route. And for the Rota to flourish at its opening ceremony, Garcia invited the Mayor of Silves to plant a young orange tree.
Mr. Garcia hopes to combine regular production with tourist visits, which will have to be booked in advance, and will give access to the experience of picking citrus fruits, tasting them on the ground, and making juice on the spot.
