Cacela Velha

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Cacela Velha (meaning "Old Cacela" in Portuguese) is a village located in the civil parish of Vila Nova de Cacela, municipality of Vila Real de Santo António, Algarve, Portugal. Cacela Velha is situated on top of a hill with a view to the easternmost lagoon of the Ria Formosa.

History

Cacela Velha and the surrounding towns were a stopover for Greek and Phoenician navigators [http://www.algarve-portal.com/en/cities/tavira/history/ “Tavira History,” Algarve-Portal.com] ] , and according to some authors it may have once been near the location of Conistorgis, the still-unrecovered capital of the Conii. [ [http://www.uwm.edu/Dept/celtic/ekeltoi/volumes/vol6/6_11/gamito_6_11.html “The Celts in Portugal,” Journal of Interdisciplinary Celtic Studies, Vol. 6] ] Roman and Arab occupiers also played a significant role in the expansion of the region.

Archeological excavations conducted from May 7 to July 4, 2007, determined the village was the Medina of Qast’alla Daraj, an Islamic town dating back to the 10th century, when much of the Iberian peninsula was controlled by the Moors and Berbers who arrived from North Africa. [http://portugalresident.com/portugalresident/showstory.asp?ID=20559, “Islamic Medina found in Cacela Velha,” The Portugal Resident, August 9, 2007] ] Archeologists determined the area was an agricultural center, and part of the excavation recovered seven corn pits that were used for storing cereals and grain.

Tourism and development

For many years, commercial fishing has been the main source of commerce for Cacela Velha. [http://www.observatoriodoalgarve.com/cna/noticias_ver.asp?noticia=7370 "Beautiful Cacela," July 22. 2006, Observatorio do Algarve] ] In recent years, the village has seen additional revenue from being a tourist destination. Cacela Velha’s beachfront location and lack of modern overdevelopment has been attractive to many visitors, [ [http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-5504511_ITM “Winter brings better prices to Portugal's Algarve coast,” Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service, December 20, 1993 (library card access required)] ] while the village's fishing fleets have supplied the local seafood restaurants with oysters, clams, prawns and baby squid.

Cacela Velha’s major cultural event is the annual Noites da Moura Encantada (in English: Nights of the Enchanted Moor Woman), which provides evenings of music, street fairs and artisan exhibitions that pay tribute to the region’s Arab and Berber heritage. [ [http://www.observatoriodoalgarve.com/cna/noticias_ver.asp?noticia=23756 “Odalisques seduce in Cacela Velha,” Observatorio do Algarve, July 24, 2008] ] Other cultural events include concerts at the Church of Cacela Velha,which have featured presentations of medieval music and contemporary classic music. [ [http://portugalresident.com/portugalresident/showstory.asp?ID=26957 “Church Concerts,” The Portugal Resident, May 29, 2008] ] [ [http://www.observatoriodoalgarve.com/cna/noticias_ver.asp?noticia=23803 "Music brings colour to the Ria Formosa," Observatorio do Algarve, July 27, 2008] ] In 2008, the village saw the opening of its first five-star hotel, the Quinta da Ria. [ [http://portugalresident.com/portugalresident/showstory.asp?ID=15277 “New five-star hotel for Algarve’s east coast,” The Portugal Resident, Septmber 28, 2006] ]

Cacela Velha is one of ten Portuguese villages that the regional development commission (CCDR) has chosen to renovate in an attempt to encourage more Portuguese residents to relocate to the region. [ [http://portugalresident.com/portugalresident/showstory.asp?ID=26597 “Helping the Algarve move forward,” The Portugal Resident, May 15, 2008] ]

References