The workshop “Flavors of the Guadiana – Sustainable Traditional Cuisine” is an initiative of the River Museum – Guerreiros do Rio, aimed at valuing, preserving, and promoting the traditional gastronomy of the riverside communities of the Baixo Guadiana, linking it to ancestral practices of food sustainability. Part of the 5th edition of the “Discovering Industrial Tourism” Agenda, this activity will take place on March 28th at 2 pm on the Guerreiros do Rio waterfront.

To better understand the characteristics of this Network and its visitors, and also to boost the network, the Steering Group of the Portuguese Industrial Tourism Network, through Turismo de Portugal, launched the “Discovering Industrial Tourism” Agenda, whose 5th edition will take place from March 21st to April 4th, 2026.

https://business.turismodeportugal.pt/pt/Conhecer/programas-iniciativas/turismo-industrial/Paginas/agenda-descoberta-turismo-industrial-2026.aspx

The River Museum in the 5th “Discovering Industrial Tourism” Agenda

The 5th “Discovering Industrial Tourism” Agenda arose from a proposal by the Steering Group of the Portuguese Industrial Tourism Network and aims to promote industrial tourism through visits to working factories, museums, and spaces that tell the story of the evolution of Portuguese industry.

Through unique experiences, knowledge, and cultural identity, the techniques, machinery, and know-how of productive activities up to the present day are presented in an agenda full of original activities, taking place in various locations across the country from March 21st to April 4th, 2026.

The River Museum, the main branch of the Alcoutim Municipal Museum, is participating for the first time in the 5th “Discovering Industrial Tourism” Agenda, integrated into the Industrial Tourism Promotion Program of the Steering Group of the Portuguese Industrial Tourism Network, with the workshop “Flavors of the Guadiana – Sustainable Traditional Cuisine.”

https://business.turismodeportugal.pt/pt/Conhecer/programas-iniciativas/Paginas/turismo-industrial.aspx

Photography Exhibition “Time Lapses: In the algarve, freezing time”

Photography Exhibition by João António Fazenda

The Alcoutim store, on Avenida Duarte Pacheco, in Alcoutim, will host, from January 21st to November 30th, the Photography Exhibition “Time Lapses: In the algarve, freezing time”, by João António Fazenda.

This exhibition is a tribute to my homeland. I am from Algarve, born in Faro, and I take great pride in my roots. The Algarve has always been a cherished subject in my photography, and this is the fourth exhibition I dedicate to it.

I was born and raised in an Algarve very different from the one we know today – less “touristy” and, consequently, more authentic, deeply connected to its natural and cultural roots. The vision of that Algarve, from my childhood and youth, has stayed with me and, in many ways, has influenced my photography over the years. I hope this sentiment is conveyed through the images I present here.

The title of this exhibition, ‘Time Lapses’, reflects my belief that photography is a means of cutting through time – freezing it, capturing the fleeting moment when the camera’s shutter clicks. Each image becomes a fragment of time, preserved within it.

The photographs in this collection portray an Algarve that is both elusive and ever-changing, real yet dreamlike, but always captivating. These moments, captured through my lens, are shaped not only by the physical landscape but also by my imagination, which has itself been transformed by the passage of time. As such, photography does not merely depict reality; it reveals a version of reality filtered through the photographer’s personal vision.

Among the works on display are three self-portraits, taken at different points in my life. These are included to illustrate how time has shaped me, both physically and emotionally, and how this evolution has influenced my perspective as a photographer.

This is a black-and-white photography exhibition, as this medium first defined me as a photographer. It inspired my admiration for generations of master photographers and remains, to me, the most artistically expressive form of photography. The interplay of light and shadow – perpetually in conflict, yet constantly seeking balance amidst shades of grey – creates the “perfect images” I strive for in the intuitive, fast, and visionary act of capturing a moment. And what better setting for such work than the Algarve, where sunlight and shadow dance in eternal rivalry along its paths?

The Alcoutim Municipal Museum wishes all its collaborators, visitors, and friends a Holy and Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year full of new challenges, many successes and achievements.

Happy Holidays

In the last month of the year, and on these festive dates, the opening hours of the Municipal Museum will change:

River Museum – closed to the public from December 23th, 2025 to January 2nd, 2026;

Archeology Museum (Castelo de Alcoutim) – closed to the public on December 24th to 26th and 31st, 2025, January 1st and 2nd, 2025;

Blacksmith’s House – closed to the public from December 10th, 2025 to January 2nd, 2026;

Religious Art and Dr. João Dias Museums – closed to the public on December 18th, 19th, 24th, 25th, 26th, 30th and 31st, 2025, January 1st and 2nd, 2026;

Primary School – closed to the public on December, 2025, and January, 2026.

We appreciate your understanding and wish you Happy Holidays.