Semana ID – A very special week at Rota Vicentina, in the Southwest of Portugal

It’s not a walking festival, it is not a cultural event, it has no headliners. It’s a special week, prepared during the year with and for the Natural Park’s community, as well as for visitors. It is all orchestrated by the Rota Vicentina Association and in line with its sustainability criteria.

“A week to visit, think and celebrate the Southwest” is the motto for an intense programme that could not be more eclectic. It all fits in: markets, arts and shows, guided walks, workshops, nature, mindfulness, crafts, science, regeneration, responsibility, community. What these all have in common is the idea of ‘ID’: identity. What is the true identity of this special corner of the continent, that’s been attracting so many visitors and new settling families?

For the past few years, the Rota Vicentina network has been working on this subject and concluded that the “local identity” is all about connecting people’s hearts.

Conscious living and travelling is one when tourism tends to be more and more “local like”. So whether you are a born&raised, a neo-rural, a digital nomad or a hiking traveller, everyone needs the same: to feel welcome and belonging, either for a lifetime or for a few days.

The result is a collection of proposals from local partners and the community, aiming to connect everyone around the land, the landscape, the local culture and endogenous economy.

2022’s edition was the second one and the first to leave the screens and go into the open air, on to the paths, streets and squares and we can already get a sense of the content from the official video.

This promotional week is a great opportunity for professionals to experience what is offered in terms of cultural dynamics, events and activities, available for groups and individuals.

Rota Vicentina Association regularly sponsors fam & press trips to the area, both for hiking but especially for the cycling market.