Casa do Medronho

Casa do Medronho is a working recreation of a traditional medronho distillery in Marmelete, a village in the Monchique municipality, run by the Marmelete parish council (Junta de Freguesia de Marmelete). The project exists to preserve and promote one of the region's oldest crafts, the distillation of aguardente de medronho from the berries of the strawberry tree, a spirit long associated with the Serra de Monchique. The space recreates a full traditional distillery, with a boiler that operates during the usual working season and display panels explaining each stage of the process, from harvesting the berries through fermenting the must to distillation and bottling, alongside a documentary shown on site. Visitors can take a self-guided look at the equipment, book a guided visit with a medronho tasting, or go further and taste a wider selection of regional products such as sausages and confectionery. Casa do Medronho also arranges guided tours out to partner distilleries in the area, and runs hands-on workshops covering everything from picking the fruit to distilling it. Entry tickets are priced from EUR 1.50 for individual admission up to EUR 6 for a guided visit that includes a medronho tasting and regional products, with reduced rates for groups, young visitors aged 11 to 16, and free entry for children under 11. Casa do Medronho is open Monday to Friday, 9am to 12:30pm and 2pm to 5pm, with group visits also possible on Saturdays by prior arrangement. Casa do Medronho is located at Rua de Aljezur n.º 14, 8550-145 Marmelete, and can be reached by phone or email, with visits bookable through a form on its own website.