The Romans were also on the beach in Ferragudo

The coast of the Algarve was an ideal place 2000 years ago for the production of ‘garum’, a fish sauce that was very popular in Roman cuisine. The main ingredients fish, salt and sun were (and are) abundant here. The long-lasting sauce was shipped in amphorae to every corner of the Roman Empire, from ‘Alexandria’ to ‘Londinium’. At that time in Ferragudo there were fish salt tanks on Praia da Angrinha, in which the ‘garum’ was made. There also was a garum factory on the beach at Presa da Moura, between Ferragudo and Carvoeiro. Unfortunately, there are no visible remains of the fish salt tanks. A few years ago, however, amphorae in good order from the first century BC were excavated at Ponta do Altar, which can now be seen in Museu de Portimão.

Garum, the Roman seasoning from the Algarve
The fish salt tanks were on the beaches because fresh fish was needed to produce the fish sauce. The fish, mainly tuna and mackerel, was cut up and mixed in the tanks with the sea salt. The heat of the sun caused the mixture to ferment or rot. The pieces of fish slowly dissolved and turned into a brown liquid substance, which was then sieved and put in an amphora.. The long-lasting garum went to all parts of the Roman Empire, where the seasoning was used liberally in the preparation of dishes. At the excavations of Pompeii, even a specialized garum shop was found with the sauces from the Algarve.

Roman fish salt tanks at Praia da Angrinha
At the end of the 19th century, several Portuguese archaeologists in the Algarve mapped remains of ancient times. Then at Praia da Angrinha the remains of three fish salt tanks were found. The image gives an impression of what it looked like here 2000 years ago. Remains of Roman structures, such as pieces of a mosaic floor and painted stucco, have been found in the garden of Castelo São João do Arade. And on the outskirts of Praia da Angrinha a Roman bronze snake has been found, which is now in Museu Nacional de Arqueologia in Lisbon.
Garum factory at Presa da Moura between Ferragudo and Carvoeiro
At the end of the valley between Presa da Moura and Vale da Lapa you can see the remains of a dam, which is now 5 meters long, 2 meters high and 3 meters thick. Originally, the dam, which is about 50 meters from the sea, was 6 to 7 meters high and thus created a water reservoir of about 10,000 m3. This water reservoir is, according to specialized historians, a characteristic that there once was a large factory on the beach for the production of ‘garum’.

More than 2000 year old amphorae at Ponta do Altar
Due to the dredging of the Arade river, many broken remains of Roman amphorae have surfaced. It was therefore a great surprise that a few years ago divers found a series of completely intact amphorae on the seabed at Ponta do Altar. Since these amphorae are from the same period of a century BC, it is believed that a Roman ship, which brought empty amphorae, sunk here.