The Algarve Region
Wherever you look, the colours of the mountains and sea are always with you, creating the impression of a water-colour dotted with highlights of gold, green and blue. The region is an extensive and pleasant one, with a Mediterranean climate, marked by the smell of the sea at low tide and the scent of wild flowers.
A stroll through the tangled web of narrow streets, alleys and steps to be found away from the coast is the best way of getting to know this part of the region. But you can also easily lose yourself in the vastness of the coastal strip. Here the backdrop is composed of some of Europe's most beautiful beaches, from where you can admire the rocky coastline and the playful shadows they cast on the sand.
After the enchantment of the landscape, you can discover the aromas and flavours of the traditional Algarve cuisine. The menu may consist of fish and shellfish, with such dishes as caldeirada de peixe (fish-stew) or cataplana de amêijoas (clams steamed in a copper pan), or you can enjoy the traditional mountain food of stewed chickpeas and cabbage. The range of choices will also include the famous regional delicacies, such as figs, almonds, carobs and the brandy made from the locally grown medronho (arbutus-berry), distilled up in the hills in old copper stills.
As you travel across the Algarve, amidst its hills and plains filled with places of great ecological interest, rich in biodiversity and ecosystems, you will feel as though you are passing through an area full of different traditions, unchanged for many centuries. The handicraft is skilfully manufactured by the local craftsmen, who make use of longstanding, ancestral techniques and produce an excellent range of pottery, woven baskets, copper and brass articles, or other pieces made of linen and jute. Only a step away from the tranquil peace of the inland region is the excitement of the Algarve nightlife. Bars, discos, marinas and casinos guarantee visitors the very best kind of merrymaking.
The region's built heritage is something you cannot afford to miss. The architecture of the whitewashed houses, with their brightly-coloured mouldings and remarkably beautiful chimneys, the church belfries and the museums, all reveal particular memories of the ancestors of the Algarve people and help to make this such a special destination.
Also to be recommended is the range of outdoor sports that are available, whether you're playing golf on lush green courses or enjoying some physical exercise at some of the region's excellent facilities, whether you're on the coast or perhaps up in the hills, where, after the rigours of winter and even before the first signs of spring, the land is covered in a pinkish white blanket, produced by the blossom of the almond-trees scattered across the horizon. This is the true portrait of an Algarve that you'll find waiting for you, all year round.
ALBUFEIRA
Famed for its beaches, for the countless shades and tones of its rocks and cliffs.
This is a place where people live to the rhythm of the great holiday destinations, sunbathing during the day and at sunset flocking to enjoy the restaurants, bars and discotheques that enliven the night time hours. Just a few miles inland and everything changes. The green of the countryside is dotted with almond, fig, orange and pine trees and decorated chimneys stand out against the ochre of tiled roofs. Bucolic villages invite you to experience a way of life rooted in the tranquillity of nature, to add another dimension to your holidays.
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ALMANCIL/ SÃO LOURENÇO
This town has become important in keeping with the needs of the Quinta do Lago & Vale do Lobo, there are a good selection of restaurants offering many different forms of cuisine. Close to and going to the east of Almancil is a small place named São Lourenço. The church here is well worth a visit as it is covered inside with beautiful 18th Century ceramic tiles and is an outstanding example in the Algarve.
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CARVOEIRO
Small intimate fishing village that has lost any resemblance to its modest origins. Today, the village spreads to the east and west with expensive villas and comfortable holiday apartments. The one and only village street has now become three, each lined with bars, smart restaurants and tourist shops. Happily, there are still examples of the older quaint small houses tucked in between the more recent ones. There is a variety and attractiveness of many small beaches. High cliffs surround most of these, and some of which have eroded to create beckoning dark caves. Most of them are mainly accessible only at low tide.
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CASTRO MARIM
Due to its location has played a considerable part in the history of Portugal. This later town was originally chosen as the founding headquarters in 1319 of the 14th Century movement of the Order of Christ. Although the buildings are now in ruins from the effects of the 1755 earthquake it still has the unusual feature of having a castle within a castle. In the 17th Century a stronger and more defensive stronghold was built on a hilltop to the north that also still remains. The castle acted as a well-known haven to escapees in the early days of the Spanish Inquisition.
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FARO
Faro's beaches and the Ria Formosa, where flamingos can be seen taking to the air, mark the border with the sea.
On the flat terrain behind are the houses and buildings of Faro, green vegetable plots that thrive on the fertile land and water wheels that were once used to draw water from the ground another reminder of the city's Moorish heritage. In the distance a semi-circle of gentle hills, their slopes clad with fruit trees, frames the landscape. Villages where life goes on at the same easy pace as in centuries past, where unassuming churches conceal art works of astonishing beauty, where vestiges of the magnificence of the Romans still litter the fields. These are among the charms of Faro and its municipality, an ideal starting point for exciting voyages of discovery.
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LAGOS
Gigantic sculptures carved by the pounding waves that plunge into a crystal sea.
The iridescent greens of sea caves. Beach after beach of soft sand tucked away between ochre cliffs or stretching clear to the horizon. Verdant countryside dotted with the white of houses. Just a few reasons for visiting Aljezur municipality and discovering one of the most attractive parts of the Algarve.
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LOULÉ
The racy, cosmopolitan lifestyle of the world's leading tourist centres.
A long ribbon of fine, golden sand tucked between the blue of the sea and the bold ochre’s of the cliffs. The splendour of tiles in a chapel that is itself a work of art. The changing greens of the orchards and the woods of the hills. An endless variety of decorated chimneys, carefully wrought in a filigree of whitewashed stone and art. Wide open spaces where it is possible to rediscover the meaning of solitude and listen to the silence of nature. With all this and more, Loulé municipality is a place of sunshine and colour, fun and excitement.
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MONCHIQUE
It is the coolness of the hills that is most striking. These are landscapes that weave a spell of reverie and spur the visitor to stride out in search of unglimpsed horizons that end only in the sea. Here crystalline rivers gurgle between rocks and boulders, while the presence of man is evident in the white dots of houses and the slopes cut into terraces and planted with fruit trees and vegetable plots. The charms of Monchique municipality extend a never ending invitation.
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OLHÃO
Firstly there are the islands, long sand banks that are an ideal spot for swimming and sunbathing.
Next come the tranquil waters of the Rid Formosa, a unique natural habitat teeming with plant and animal species. And in the background loom the hills of the interior, ringed like an amphitheatre, covered with orchards, dotted with white cottages. Three distinct environments, each with its special charm, which make Olhão a great place for a holiday or a visit.
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PORTIMÃO
First the blue sea and its gently lapping waves.
Then fine, golden sands framed by cliffs and rocks. The cosmopolitan atmosphere of an international tourism destination.
This is the Algarve of beach holidays in the sun. Portimão and its municipality have more to offer though. A rich heritage of historical monuments. The eternal natural beauty of the Ria de Alvor. The charm of cultivated fields, of slopes covered with pine trees and wild flowers. The allure of walking up into the hills and looking down on the Algarve from a new perspective.
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SILVES
The deep green foliage of orange trees in fertile valleys.
The blue sea and the fast-paced life of an international seaside resort. The picturesque charm of houses surrounded by almond and carob trees. The broad sweep of hills that are a haven for ramblers and nature-lovers. These are among the attractions of Silves municipality, a holiday destination where it is a pleasure simply- to be alive.
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TAVIRA
Beautiful empty beaches with sands that seem to go on forever.
Fields of orange trees, heavy with the scent of blossom. Then hills of fig and almond trees and houses with dazzling whitewashed walls and distinctive chimneys decorated to resemble the fine tracery of lace. And last of all, the great open spaces of the hills, where eagles soar, birds sing and flowers bloom.
This is just a hint of the charms of Tavira and its municipality, an invitation to come and find out more.
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VILA REAL DE SANTO ANTÓNIO
The pale gold of mile after mile of sandy beaches.
The turquoise blue of the sea. The green of pine woods. Brushstrokes of colour from the palette of pleasures that is Vila Real de Santo Antonio and its municipality, natural charms complemented by the lively cosmopolitan atmosphere of a major tourist centre. The tranquillity of a coast where it is still possible to rediscover solitude. The fauna and flora of a nature reserve and a nature park.
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AMI 8576