A new website connects neighbours across the Algarve to share skills, goods, and events - no fees, no ads, no app download required.
Lagos, Algarve - Troca.info, a free community exchange platform for the Algarve, is now live. The website allows residents and communities across the region to post and discover local events, share skills, exchange goods, and connect with their neighbours directly - all from a browser, on any device.
The platform works around a simple idea: users drop a pin on a map where they live, set a radius, and instantly see what is happening and what is available in their area. Two tabs cover everything - Events for markets, workshops, meetups, and cleanups, and Exchange for offering skills, sharing goods, or finding what you need.
"Information about what is happening in the Algarve is scattered across closed WhatsApp groups, private Facebook pages, and abandoned event listings all over the internet," said Marc Mennigmann, the creator of Troca.info. "Most of it is fragmented and missing the basics - what, when, where. I wanted to fix that and give the Algarve one simple, open place where anyone can post and find things."
Troca.info is the successor to AlgarvEvents, Mennigmann's earlier attempt at building an event platform for the region. "AlgarvEvents failed because it was too complicated," he said. "With Troca, I started over with one rule: it has to be fast, straightforward, and easy enough that anyone can post something in under a minute."
Built on transparency, not tracking
Troca.info collects no personal data beyond what users choose to share. There are no ads, no tracking scripts, no algorithms promoting content or manipulating what you see. A single session cookie keeps users logged in. The platform is entirely free, with no subscriptions or hidden fees.
Users control their own privacy on every listing, choosing whether to show an email address, a phone number, or to keep contact details private.
"No corporation is behind this," Mennigmann said. "I built it because I believe we need communities again. We need to know our neighbours, exchange things, help each other. The more people join, the more useful it becomes for everyone."
A living platform, shaped by its community
Mennigmann sees Troca.info not as a finished product but as a living organism that will grow and adapt alongside its community. "I listen to what people need," he said. "If users report something or suggest a feature that feels right, I build it. This platform belongs to the people who use it, and it should reflect what they actually want."
Coverage and availability
Troca.info covers the entire Algarve, from Sagres and Aljezur in the west to Vila Real de Santo António in the east. The interface is available in English, German, and Portuguese. Listings can be written in any language.
The platform works in any modern browser on phones, tablets, and computers. No app installation is required.
About the creator
Marc Mennigmann is a German-born entrepreneur, developer, musician, and photographer who moved to the Algarve with his family in 2021. After 27 years as co-founder and CEO of an industrial optics company in Germany, he relocated to Portugal to work as a freelancer under the brand Algarve Sound & Vision, focusing on music, photography, videography, and software development. Troca.info grew out of his direct experience with the Algarve's fragmented community information landscape and his belief that local exchange and mutual support should be simple and accessible to everyone.
More information: troca.info
Media contact: Marc Mennigmann
marc@asv.pt | +351 911 919 817
