My wife and I were here on a Gate1 tour, coming from Tomar and headed to Evora…read more It was quite a different experience for us - visiting Corticarte - Arte em Cortica, a cork factory in Azaruja. This was very interesting in how cork is harvested from the bark of a tree and processed into one of Portugal's major exports. First of all, the tree should not have its bark removed until it is at least 25 years old. Thereafter, it is every 9 years, its bark can be harvested again. However, the first 2 times the bark is harvested, the cork is not of good quality. Starting with the third harvest, the cork is very good to great quality, and used to make various products similar to what goods can be made from leather. As an example, a cork used for bottling wine has 8,000,000 cells! A bark tree's life expectancy is 200-225 years. We bought some souvenirs for our friends back home.

Our tour guide arranged a visit to Corticarte - Arte em Cortica, a pruducer of cork. Very…read moreeducational where they explained the entire process. It is amazing how many things can be made from cork. They have a small retail store selling only cork products made locally including shoe, hats, clothing, and household items.