Our History
On the protected banks of the Castro Marim Nature Reserve, where the Guadiana River embraces the Atlantic, the story of Sal Correia is indistinguishable from the land itself.
Four Generations of Salt Guardians
We are not just salt producers; we are the custodians of a legacy that spans four generations. António Correia da Silva, my great-grandfather, who laid the foundations of our bond with this unique landscape. From "O Montinho" (Monte Francisco). He understood that the Algarve’s true gold was the convergence of sun, wind, and tide. He was the first to tend to these waters, establishing a relationship of deep respect for nature.
In 1987, the responsibility passed to my grandfather, Raúl Salvador Correia. In an era when industrialisation threatened artisanal production, he kept the "marinhas" (salt pans) alive against the odds. The warehouse in Venta Moinhos, which we are now proudly rehabilitating, it is a testament to his perseverance. The torch was then passed to our father, Custódio José Pereira Correia, who preserved this heritage, the ancient art of the marnoto (traditional salt harvester) is not lost to time, allowing us today to harvest a pure product within a protected Nature Reserve.
Today, the legacy lives on through Custódio and his children, Nuno and Soraia Correia. United by a shared passion, we are revitalising our ancestral salt pans with a contemporary vision to bring 'The Most Transparent Salt' from the heart of Castro Marim to the global stage. We grew up listening to the family stories and salt runs in our veins, and we have not changed the method, still harvesting by hand, respecting the cycles of the moon and tides.
Reclaiming a century-old family tradition in the Algarve. We are restoring the artisanal salt pans that once belonged to our great-grandfathers, preserving a craft that dates back to the Roman Empire.
Complete end-to-end natural production, free of additives or industrial processes. Harvesting respects the tidal cycles and the rich biodiversity of the salt marshes, including migratory birds.
We respect nature’s rhythm, producing with sun, wind, and care - no chemicals, just tradition.
The world doesn't need more industrial salt or “table salt”, but it actually needs truth. We are pioneering the concept of "Salt as a Vintage" and “Safra” when we share a specific harvest.
We do things the hard way, by hand, under the scorching sun, respecting the nesting birds and the delicate ecosystem of the Reserve.
Who we are
A Story Spanning Millennia
The salt of Castro Marim is far more than a product, it is a living heritage flowing through this land for over 2,500 years.
Phoenician sailors already traded here in the Iron Age, exchanging goods for fish preserved with our pure sea salt. Centuries later, the Romans turned the Algarve into one of the Empire’s greatest fish-preservation centres, using our salinas to produce “garum”, the legendary fermented fish sauce of the Ancient Romans.
In 1277, King Afonso III’s Royal Charter made all salinas royal property. King Dinis (1285) allowed locals to build their own, keeping only one quarter of the salt. King João I (1421) turned Castro Marim into a safe haven for saline workers, and Infante D. Henrique, the Navigator (1453) decreed that all salt for preserving tuna and sardines must come first from here.
By 1600, chronicler Henrique Fernandes Serrão proudly wrote: “These are the best assets that exist in Castro Marim.”
It is in this ancient land that our family’s story truly begins. My great-grandfather and grandfather worked the traditional salinas by hand. Today, we continue the legacy, harvesting manually, without machines or additives. Exactly as it has been done for centuries.
This is more than salt. It is the living memory of a people who turned seawater into white gold.