Olhao is a coastal town in the Algarve which grew out of the fishing industry in the seventeenth century. Olhão, located just ten kilometers east of Faro, is still one of the Algarve’s main ports. It was here that the first canning factory was established in 1882, sparking a trend that was to spread in both directions along the coast, with canned tuna and sardines quickly becoming the Algarve’s main source of income.
Olhão achieved its status as a town in 1808 after a group of seventeen Olhaneses sailed to Brazil in the Bom Successo, a sixty five foot fishing boat. They made the journey (without the benefit of navigation charts) in order to tell the exiled Dom João that the French had been defeated leaving the way clear for him to return to Portugal.
One of Olhão’s most intriguing legends belongs to Largo do Gaibéu, in the historic Bairro da Barreta. It is known as “A Lenda do Mouro Encantado” — The Legend of the Enchanted Moor. According to local tradition, a young fisherman named Manuel Caleça was playing in the streets with his friends when an unfamiliar boy appeared and asked if he could join them. After playing for a while, the mysterious boy invited Manuel to follow him somewhere else. He led him to a secret place and opened a hidden trapdoor in the ground. Beneath it, Manuel discovered something extraordinary: a magnificent hidden palace filled with riches and treasures. Overwhelmed by what he had seen, Manuel was reassured by the strange boy, who promised to return him safely to his parents. But before doing so, he revealed his secret. He was enchanted. From that moment on, the mysterious boy would remain close to Manuel, although no one else would ever be able to see him. And so it was. Manuel continued to feel the presence of his invisible companion and became deeply attached to his unusual friend. Until one day, Manuel's mother took him to church for confession and communion. Afterwards, the mysterious boy was gone. Manuel never felt his presence again.
