Why not give it a whirl?

Like I suppose most people I got involved through knowing other enthusiastic geocachers. Equipment, mainly a GPS, is not expensive and readily obtainable. Typically, a hand-held costs not much more than €100. The sport of geocaching began as recently as May 2000 in Colorado when a few far-sighted Americans recognised the potential for family fun through the use of a GPS (Global Positioning System) to hide and seek ‘treasures’.

There are now some 5 million registered geocachers and over 1.5 million caches located in more than 100 countries with the number growing rapidly. Recently, a cache was set in space by an astronaut, but as far as I know it has not yet been found! Another has been set some 6000 fathoms below sea level - and that also has not yet been found.

In the Algarve, the majority of geocachers are Portuguese though caches are often found by visitors from elsewhere. Periodically, social get-togethers are arranged allowing participants to exchange stories and views. Some visitors set caches as well. All this indicates tourism-attracting potential. The author of this article found one cache, set by a Russian, in the Patagonia region of Southern Chile.

I suspect that few people involved officially in the tourism industry will even be aware of geocaching - let alone its significance in regard to tourism. I suggest that, whilst it may not be very visible, there will be a significant number of visitors to Portugal - particularly from Western and Eastern European countries, who visit the Algarve specifically to enjoy its geocaching potential. I am certainly well aware of this from personal experience, judging by the nationalities of non-Portuguese who have found caches that I have set.

Also, I can tell the story of one Portuguese geocacher I know who used to come home from work, turn on the TV and sit watching it for the evening over a cerveja. Nowadays he comes home, mobilizes his wife and small children and sets off. He says it’s the best thing that ever happened to him! I have personally learnt more about the Algarve in terms of history (ancient and modern), culture, património, geology, architecture and archeology over the past four years since I have been geocaching than I did in the previous 18 years!

Finally, geocaching is totally non-commercial and involves no fee or hidden costs...