The caravel Boa Esperança has reached the aptly named Puerto Sherry in Cádiz and now is safely moored at the Honra jetty where it will repeat the successful entertainment formula used in Seville to promote the Algarve region as a tourist, gastronomic and wine rich destination over the next seven days.
Two weeks out from Lagos the replica C16th caravel has at last been put to a useful purpose with a cargo of promotional materials and merchandise from the Algarve that will be sold off at cost price to the Spanish public and passing tourists.
The Seville event was a huge success and now is serving as a template for the voyage's promotional role with show cooking and some dedicated wine tasting for invited journalists, opinion leaders and tourism professionals.
The next part of the voyage is rather more taxing then floating down the Guadalquivir from Seville as the caravel must sail through the Strait of Gibraltar and along the northern Mediterranean coastline to Malaga and then Almeria, aiming to return to its Algarve base in Lagos in September.
This initiative lasting three months has been organised by the Algarve tourism board with the support of Fundación Nao Victoria, a non-profit entity which promotes the use of replica ships from the time of the Discoveries in education. The foundation in turn is supported by Andalucían public and private institutions, the Junta de Andalucía and many Spanish organisations and institutions in the civil service, corporate sector and Universities.
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For the Seville report:
http://www.algarvedailynews.com/news/2607-algarve-s-boa-esperanca-sizzles-in-seville
