WHO WE ARE
The Concept
-
"The impetus for the creation of an association such as Casas Brancas came from the need to fill a regional gap. This way we set up a way to join forces, joining small tourism projects with one voice and with the same goals. Together with the evolution of the Internet allowed us to market and promote our products and services, having another influence - with a wide choice - while contributing to promote the region. Today, I think it was a pretty good bet."
Casas Brancas founder
he Alentejo coast and west Algarve region, with a major area occupied by the Parque Natural do Sudoeste Alentejano e Costa Vicentina (Natural Park) , is one of the biggest treasures of ecologic and rural tourism in Portugal, more and more visited by national as well as by informed foreign tourists.
Casas Brancas grew out of the need to organize, in an integrated and selected offer, the good examples of tourist initiatives in the region. Representing the several classes of existing offer, this network integrates very diverse accommodation, restaurants, and outdoor activities governed by demanding quality criteria and assuring the clients’ total respect and satisfaction while promoting the tourist quality in the region.
The region’s sustainable development is the ultimate goal of this non-profit association, which identified quality tourism as a way to combine the protection of local identity, culture, landscape and ecologic balance with the development and renovation of the region and its
population.
In this context, the Casas Brancas Associates hosts responsible and dedicated to this mission, decided in 2014, through the concept of Creative Tourism * , to take on the challenge of finding more immersive, integrated and specialized ways for the tourist to enjoy the SW region’s identity in all its aspects, cultural heritage, ecological and scenic – with the aim of bring benefits not only to the communities but also to individuals who share their experience, knowledge and enthusiasm and to visitors to the region who participate in creative experiences.
Thus, in a strategic partnership with the various cultural players in the South-West region of Portugal, the Casa Brancas Network seeks to create conditions which give visitors cultural, social and innovative experiences to which they would not otherwise have access. They do this by offering a structured and strategic partnership with the various agents of local communities in the territory in which they operate.
* “Creative tourism is travel directed toward an engaged and authentic experience, with participative learning in the arts, heritage or special character of a place, and it provides a connection with those who reside in this place and create this living culture.” (UNESCO, 2006)
Quality Guarantee
The Quality Manual is a fundamental instrument that serves as a quality commitment, establishing indispensable and preferable criteria for the accommodations, restaurants, e activities, always with respect of their diversity, which is considered an important strength in this network.
We aim at promoting the quality of the tourism in the region supporting all the good initiatives of those who like to and know how to host visitors,
frequently through small scale establishments managed by local people, not following a merely commercial perspective.
To guarantee the respect of the Quality Manual principles, the Quality Control Commission visits the establishment regularly and uses also other different means. We also rely on our clients’ participation, by sharing their experiences in Casas Brancas, or maybe even commenting on the sector and the region.
The Association
asas Brancas – Associação de Turismo de Qualidade do Litoral Alentejano e Costa Vicentina (“Association of Quality Tourism of the Alentejo and Vicentina Coast”) has been constituted in 2002, comprising of 10 accommodations. Today it has 52 members, including restaurants and outdoor activities.
Although it is not profit-orientated, the Association Casas Brancas is very near to a total self-sustainability, which enables it to have a certain degree of independence and to focus on its main purpose.
Casas Brancas Association has its headquarters in Odemira,
at a local Associative Dynamization Centre, where our office works and where you can find us every day.
Being its founders mainly located in the Alentejo coast, Casas Brancas is open to promoters located between Sagres and Grândola, as well as in Serra de Monchique.
In a territory where Nature appears in all its splendor you can find a great variety of accommodation to stay.
Gastronomy is the starting point of the whole Alentejo. Here with the freshness of the sea attached to a secular tradition we have the perfect marriage.
You can leave your comments and suggestions here
The field of action is Nature itself, with a wide offer. Boating or donkeys, surfing, massages, art workshops, come and choose.
