After launching our CLIMA+ tourist routes and activities in Alvadia in October with our partners in Ribeira de Pena, the Hotel Pena Park and Pena Aventura, we began a new partnership, this time at national level with Inland Portugal, a company based in Lisbon.
The route chosen by Inland’s clients was also a first, this time in the village of Souto and Outeiro with the choice of the route “Interpreted walk in Souto and Outeiro – Extensive grazing and regeneration in the mountains” whose tour guide and Maronesa cattle breeder Tommy Ferreira, had the mastery and wisdom to present in a captivating way to Inland’s new clients.
In a visit that lasted all morning, the participants had the opportunity to initially look for the maronesas, using the GPS tool, and discover and learn about the extensive semi-wild regime of the Casal da Bouça farm, its advantages and the obstacles of this type of husbandry. They were also able to observe in loco, through the guide’s stories, the transformations in the landscape on this hillside of the Serra do Alvão created by the investment in grazing of these animals and the association of herbivory with prescribed fire (pastoral and technical). They were also able to see the positive results of the recovery of mountain soil vegetation after the fires of September 2024.
In the second part of the visit, the participants went to the lower area of the Casal da Bouça farm, where they were able to visit the farm’s hay meadows, learn about the history of the area and the farmer’s future plans, as well as visit the different management areas of the farm with the key equipment promoted by our project. Finally, they couldn’t go home, of course, without visiting the centrepiece of the farm, the famous Casal da Bouça handling cattle “sleeve”, the original, creative and technical work of breeder António Moutinho and his son Tommy.
At lunchtime, already at the Castle of Pena de Aguiar, the tour was crowned with the famous shepherd’s lunch, consisting of Maronesa meat raised by Casal da Bouça and other local products, prepared by CLIMA+ chefs Rita and João from the Forno de Jales Restaurant.
