The ‘Barrocal’ region’s menu is a quite varied one, because it has relatively easy access both to the fish of the coast, and the livestock of the north, as well as the locally grown vegetables, so combinations of fish, beef and vegetables are the norm here.

This region is what one might usually associate with Portuguese rural cuisine, dishes that are pretty much guaranteed to whet one’s appetite when there’s talk about broad beans cooked in the Algarve style or cherry-coloured chicken, chick-pea stew or Algarve cabbage stew, just to name a few.

One can take a gastronomical tour of the region while at the same time visiting some interesting sights and taking in the landscape and sheer variety that extends to all areas of life, especially the culinary part.

This great variety is what gives Algarve cuisine its own particular type of aroma, which is quite literal, because it arises from the many different condiments and spices that are native to the region and whose use has been honed over the centuries by the cooks of the region to deliver sometimes subtle differences in taste.

The subtle taste comes from a constantly changing combination of olive oil and locally grown herbs such as oregano, penny-royal, rosemary and coriander.

One can say that the Algarve is a place that produces simple and practical dishes, however this doesn’t mean that they can’t be rich and flavourful, quite the contrary, however the best way in which one can experience as much of this simple variety as possible is with the help of our Algarve car hire service.