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If there is one dish synonymous with the Algarve’s rich ocean harvest, it’s this one. Fresh cockles are sealed in acataplana , a rounded copper cooking vessel resembling a wok. Allowed to cook in their own steam with a combination ofpresunto (cured ham),chouriço (sausage), tomato, lemon, olive oil and garnished with coriander and garlic, the result is a succulent seafood delight. Enjoy with chilled white wine.

The foundations of the castle at Arraiolos date back to Celtic times, while in Pavia, 18 km (11 miles) to the north, a tiny chapel has been built into a dolmen – architecturally unique in Portugal.

A regional speciality which again evokes the Algarve’s love affair with the sea. Tender morsels of fresh octopus are added to a mix of fried onion and parsley, and then gently boiled with wine vinegar and a dash of chilli powder. Rice is added with salt and pepper to taste. The meal is usually served with a side dish of black olives and generous slices of crusty bread.

The livelihoods of whole communities used to depend on tuna. It’s not fished so hard now, but is still a favourite in thousands of restaurants along the coast. Tryatum de cebola , a tasty blend of melted butter and tomato sauce with onions, garlic and parsley, poured over a firm tuna steak garnished with lemon wedges.

Roasted kid is what country folk sit down to. The meat is brushed with a thin layer of lard to keep it moist, sprinkled with minced bacon and laced with white wine. Garnished with whole garlic cloves and dusted liberally with paprika, it’s then slowly roasted until crispy brown. Rich and wholesome, this truly is one of the great gastronomic wonders of rural Algarve.

Dark and concentrated in colour with a ripe, red-berry-and-cherry aroma enhanced by subtle hints of spicy French and American oak. Excellent with steak and game.

Neat rows of whitewashed houses with yellow trim characterize this town, once the headquarters of the 14th-century Order of Hospitallers. Exhibits in the Museu Municipal explain more about Crato’s illustrious past.

The Cromlech of Almendres stone circles are considered the most important megalith group in the Iberian peninsula. Nearby is the Neolithic Dolmen of Zambujeiro.

Almonds (another Moorish import) are used to make these colourful little delicacies that can look like fish, fruit, birds, smiling faces and even vegetable baskets. They make wonderful coffee companions or little gifts.

Made exclusively from the Alentejo’s top white grape variety, antão vaz, to produce a wine of citrus colour with fragrant toast and vanilla spice aromas. Superb with fish dishes.