The Algarve

The Algarve is the southern most region of Portugal and it is one of Europe’s favourite holiday destinations well known for glorious year round sunshine and excellent sandy beaches. These vary from secluded coves with amazing cliffs to vast stretches of golden sand all sea washed by the fresh and clear Atlantic ocean. Inland you will find quaint villages barely touched by tourism. Traces of the Moorish presence are still evident in the local architecture. The orange groves and blossoming almond trees add colour to this fertile region in contrast with the whitewashed traditional houses. Due to the mild nature of the weather the Algarve is ideal for many outdoor sporting activities such as watersports, golf in one of the numerous world-class golf courses, tennis, horse riding, and many more.
The Algarve not only known for it’s cosmopolitan nightlife with many bars and clubs but also for the many waterside restaurants serving fresh fish and cataplana’ (a local shellfish speciality).

VILA REAL DE SANTO ANTÓNIO, was a small fishing port dating back to Phoenician times. This frontier town with Spain was designed and rebuilt after the earthquake of 1755 by the Marquês de Pombal, an important minister in the 18th Century who redesigned the centre of the City of Lisbon.
Between this town and the Ocean is the popular beach resort area named Monte Gordo with a casino, nightclubs, restaurants and a long golden beach backed by pine forest.
Also nearby is the village of Castro Marim with its Medieval castle and saltpans part of a nature reserve open for guided tours.
The trip up the River Guadiana to the charming small town of Alcoutim is a very pleasant and relaxing experience.

TAVIRA is one of the most attractive towns in the Algarve for its architecture with its typical roofs and chimneys and its origin dates back to around 2.000 BC. This picturesque town offers a beautiful view over the Gilão river and its Roman bridge. Judging by the amount of churches (37) the people of Tavira should be one of the most devout in Portugal. The most important ones are: Santa Maria do Castelo (13th-18th centuries) built on the site of a Moorish mosque, Misericórdia (Renaissance), Nossa Senhora das Ondas (17th century), São José (with Gothic and Manueline elements), São Paulo and Carmo (17th-18th-centuries).
Tavira beach, one of the best in the Algarve, is an island that can be reached by ferryboat, well know for its warm waters and golden sand.

FARO, the capital of the Algarve, was devastated by the earthquake of 1755, but part of the old town, surrounded by a medieval wall, has survived as well as a number of other monuments. The main sights include the Sé Cathedral, rebuilt in the 18th century within the old town, an Archeological Museum, the Nossa Senhora do Carmo Church with it’s chapel of bones and the São Francisco Church. Also worth visiting is the nearby Roman Milreu ruins.
Faro is the home of the Ria Formosa nature reserve, a stopping place for hundreds of different migratory birds. The modern International Airport is located west of the city.

LOULÉ has a weekly market famous for crafts such as leather and copper. Like most other towns in the Algarve, most of the potentially interesting historic buildings have been destroyed in the earthquake that occurred in 1755. One of the few remains is the 12th century Arab castle with some walls still standing. The most important yearly event is the annual Carnival considered one of the best in Portugal. To the west of the town there is a modern hilltop Church honouring Nossa Senhora Soberana that was built on the site of a 16th Century chapel. This is the destination of an annual religious procession that requires some physical effort on the part of the bearers of the church’s religious shrines.

VILAMOURA is an outstanding purpose-built resort, one of the biggest in Europe, with a marina and many golf courses. The company that runs this complex is environmentally conscious and has made every effort to protect nature within its continued planned development. Its southern border is lined by a long sandy beach and called Praia da Falésia. It offers visitors a myriad of sports activities and entertainment. Amongst the many attractions and facilities there are four golf courses, a marina, a lawn bowling club, a tennis centre, sports clubs, an excellent riding school, a shooting club, an international casino, a cinema and a private airstrip.
Within the centre of Vilamoura there is a preserved Roman Site and the Museum of Cerro da Vila provides an interesting glimpse into the past of the area.

ALBUFEIRA was an important Moorish trading port and is now a busy market town and well-established resort. Tourism transformed this picturesque fishing village into a major holiday resort. There are many good beaches
both to the east and west of Albufeira: Praia de Balaia, Praia de Castelo, Praia de Falésia, Praia de Galé, de Olhos d’Água, Praia de Maria Luisa, and Praia de São Rafael, being the main ones. There is a small museum of 15th and 17th century Ming ceramics, a new Virtual Archeology Museum and a Municipal art gallery that holds regular exhibitions. A further addition to the town there is a modern marina. Albufeira is known for it’s sizzling nightlife with its many restaurants, bars and clubs open until the small hours.

ARMAÇÃO DE PÊRA is a fishing village with one of the biggest beaches on theAlgarve.

CARVOEIRO is an old fishing village with a picturesque harbour.

SILVES was the capital of the Algarve during Moorish occupation. The few monuments that resisted the 1755 earthquake are: the remains of the Arab origin castle with an impressive underground water reservoir called the " Cistern of the Enchanted Moorish Girl’, the Gothic Cathedral and the 12th-century bridge built where formerly stood a Roman bridge. The Archaeology Museum has been built above the cistern and exhibits locally found objects including items from the Stone Age. The Cross of Portugal, a 16th-century religious sculpture, also deserves special mention. The Nossa Senhora dos Mártires Chapel and the Misericordia Church, fine examples ofManueline art, are also worth a visit.

PORTIMÃO is located at the mouth of the River Arade, that provides the up-river access to the ancient city of Silves, capital of the Algarve during the Moorish occupation. A boat marina was recently opened adjoining Praia da Rocha, adding the fascinating sight of the many boats at anchor and a further choice of bars and restaurants in which to enjoy the evening. Recommended sites to visit are: the mother-church (14th century, rebuilt in the 18th century), the Colégio Church (17th century), the Town Hall, the renowned Praia da Rocha (with its Santa Catarina de Ribamar Fortress) and the Roman ruins of Abicada.

LAGOS is a former centre of the slave trade, where Henry the Navigator’s mariners set sail for West Africa on their voyages of discovery. Enclosed within the 5th century walls are the magnificent churches of São Sebastião (Renaissance portals and 17th-18th century tiles), Santa Maria of Misericordia (16th-19th centuries), Santo António (Baroque) and the very old São João Chapel (8th-9th centuries). Other points of interest are the 17th century Forte do Pau da Bandeira (now a museum), offering superb views of the town’s natural harbour and the charming marina, the Regional Museum, the Governors’ Palace and the Old Slave Market. The town centre has many shops and restaurants and there are boat trips to nearby grottos and beaches.
Monchique is set high in the Monchique Hills and offers an alternative to the beach life on the coast. The Caldas de Monchique Spa, set in a verdant and peaceful setting is ideal for a quiet break. The town’s other attraction is the Igreja Matriz church, which boasts an amazing portal. The fantastic panoramic views from Foia are worth driving uphill to the highest peak in the Algarve.

SAGRES is noted for lobster fishing. The village contains the remains of a 15th century fort and there are beaches nearby. Legend has it that Henry the Navigator established a navigation school there, preparing the explorers which played a crucial role in the Portuguese Discoveries. Nearby are some of the most unspoilt beaches of the Algarve, and the Cape St. Vincent, the
most southwesterly point of mainland Europe.

OTHER PLACES OF INTEREST:
Alcoutim, Aljezur, Almancil (beautiful São Lourenço Church, a Baroque masterpiece), Alte, Cacela, Carvoeiro, Castro Marim, Estômbar, Lagoa, Moncarapacho, Monte Gordo (casino), Ponta da Piedade, Porches, São Bartolomeu de Messines and Vila do Bispo.