Albufeira - Once a peaceful fishing village, it keeps its narrow streets in the old town and whitewashed houses perched over a charming beach where, when tourism allows it, you can walk amidst colouful fishing boats. Shops, bars and restaurants are in abundance, but there is also the old castle, the buildings which still preserve Moorish arches and interesting churches, like the one of São Sebastião. lbufeira - History
Albufeira was a thriving seaport with it's own castle, that was later destroyed in the earthquake of 1755. Most of the older parts of the town survived have been carefully maintained. In Roman times it was know as Baltum and later changed by the Moors to Al-Buhera. During the Moors 8th Century occupation the town became an important trading port. In 1532 and in 1755 the town was badly hit by earthquakes. During the "War of the Miguels" the town was besieged and set ablaze. Consequently Albufeira suffered a long period of poverty and really only recovered with the help of tourism.
Albufeira - Description
As a result of the tide of tourism, Albufeira has expanded since the 1960s into a leading holiday resort and now has over 12,000 permanent residents. As the sun goes down the centre of the town changes. An abundant collection of restaurants bars and clubs start to fill-up with people, flowing over into the narrow streets. A splendid selection of beaches extend East and West from the town. Praia de Balaia, Praia de Castelo, Praia de Falésia, Praia de Galé, de Olhos d’Agua, Praia de Maria Luisa, and Praia de São Rafael, being the main ones. There is also a small museum of 15th and 17th century Ming ceramics and an art gallery that holds regular exhibitions during the season. A further addition to the town is a new Virtual Archaeological Museum. A new Marina has been completed on the west side of the town and offers a different and attractive view.
Albufeira - Nearby Locations
Other places of interest near to Albufeira are, Armação de Pera, Boliqueime, Guia and Paderne with it's ruined castle balanced on an isolated hill some distance from the village. At Ponte Grande there are impressive caverns with large arches and the underwater caverns of Grutas do Xorino.
Alcoutim - Away from the crowds and the bustle of the tourist centres along the coastline of Algarve, the pretty town of Alcoutim lies near the Alentejo (about 10 miles) and has a natural border with Spain formed by the river Guadiana. A winding road that runs alonside the river offers superb views of the countryside. With its orchards and orange groves, and the rural way of life, Alcoutim remains very much unchanged.
Aljezur - From Aljezur you can explore the wonderful beaches of the Algarve’s west coast, bathed by the Atlantic, they are often wild and deserted in contrast to the warmer ones of the south. Aljezur is small and serene, overlooked by a Moorish castle from the 10th century. Aljezur is divided into two parts and lies in a fertile valley where various crops are cultivated.
Castro Marim - Famous for its flamingos, the soft sand and the turquoise blue of warm waters. Immense ranges of hills covered in a bright carpet of wild flowers. The tranquil countryside along the banks of the Guadiana, lush with orchards and vegetable gardens. These are just a few of the wonderful sights that stretch from the sea inland, with a river as its boundary.
Faro - The capital of the district, with a medieval wall and a large number of monuments: Cathedral (Roman-Gothic origin), Nossa Senhora da Assuncão Convent (Renaissance), São Francisco Church (16-18th centuries). Museums to visit: Infante Dom Henrique, Regional Ethnographic, Ramalho Ortigão and Antoniano (next to the Santo António do Alto Hermitage). Also worthwhile visiting are the beautiful churches of São Pedro da Misericórdia and Nossa Senhora do Carmo. Roman ruins of Milreu in the suburbs.
Faro - Description
The old part of the city still surrounded by the Roman walls is paticularly attractive. Inside a expansive open square that was once the site of the Roman Forum is a 13th Century Cathedral that faces the 18th Century Episcopal palace. An interesting building is the neighbouring 16th Century Convent that is now the home of the city’s archaeological museum. This houses a section devoted to the Arab occupation. The "golden" church of Nossa Senhora do Carmo is claimed to be the finest example of gold-leaf woodwork in southern Portugal. It also includes the grisly spectacle of a chapel lined with the bones from over 1.200 monks. Next to the small boatyard bordering the Praça de Dom Francisco Gomes is a small Naval Museum composed of scale model boats and galleons showing the maritime history of the coast. Much of the city is now composed of apartments and there are many attractive shops and a particularly artistic theatre.
Lagos. The Romans gave the name of "Lacobriga" to the town but its natural river port would point to much earlier occupation. It was captured from the Moors in 1189 but it was not until 1249 that it was finally claimed by Dom Afonso III and combined into the kingdom of the Algarve. This ancient town has played an large part in the story of discovery and conquering the rest of the world. It was from this very harbour that Vasco da Gama sailed in 1499 on his historic and epic discovery voyage. It was the capital of the Algarve from 1578 until 1756 and there remain many ancient buildings to testify to its historic glory. From its port maritime expeditions were embarked upon to discover the world at the orders of Prince Henry the Navigator. Also, the armada of 800 vessels led by the ill-fated heir to the throne Dom Sebastião embarked upon from Lagos in 1578 to capture the town of Ceuta in Morocco. Inherently now a significant tourist town there are still many architectural signs of its ancient history, for example, a building dating originally back to around 1445, recorded as being Europe’s first building used as a slave-market. The walls of the town in the most part remain after parts were restored. Attached to the famous 17th century "gold" church of Santo António there is a small museum of regional items. There are many intriguing statues erected to the famous figures of the past linked with the history of the town. None more controversial that the sculpture of Dom Sebastião standing in the main square in front of the Town Hall. A more recently erected statue commemorates the Algarve’s only Saint, São Gonçalo de Lagos who was born in 1360 and died in 1422 in Torres Vedras.
Close to Lagos is a small beach village of Burgau. Beyond the river from Lagos is Meia Praia, a long sandy beach sheltered to the north by a gentle slope populated with villas. The peaceful fishing village of Praia da Luz is now dedicated to the quieter side of the tourist trade and residents from colder climates. Close to the coastal village of Salema there are some small Roman ruins. Vila do Bispo to the west of Lagos is a small administrative town for the Sagres area that is the most south-west corner of Europe. The village of Sagres is a must when visiting the Algarve. It presents a really impressive sight of the steep cliffs being thrashed by the vast Atlantic Ocean. It is from here, Cape Santo Vicente, that Prince Henry planned his several epic voyages of discovery. To the north of Lagos on the road to Lisbon is the small town of Aljezur with some splendid west coast beaches. Originally a hamlet, the Moors constructed a castle in the 10th Century which still stands today overlooking this small town.
Tavira along with Lagos is one of the most architecturally attractive towns in the Algarve and its origin dates back to around 2.000 BC. During the occupation of the Algarve by the Moors this town was considered of great importance due to its fishing industry. Dom Paio Peres Correia took it from the Moors in anger in 1242 after seven of his principal Knights were killed during a period of truce. In the 17th Century the port in its river was of considerable importance, shipping produce such as salt, dried fish and wine. Like most of the Algarve its buildings were all virtually destroyed by the earthquake of 1755.
Tavira – Description
The town has since been rebuilt with many fine 18th Century buildings along with its 37 churches. A Roman bridge links the two parts of the town across the River Gilão. The church of Santa Maria do Castelo is built on the site of a Moorish Mosque and in it are the tombs of Dom Paio Peres Correia and his seven Knights. Its original economic reliance on the fishing industry has now been surpassed due to the change in the migration patterns of the tuna fish. The population is in the region of 20,000 inhabitants supporting a military base whilst the surrounding area is still very rural and undeveloped. This is now changing due to the demands of the tourist industry and opening of golf courses in the near vicinity. The beach for this town lies past the salt pans and is reached by a ferryboat that takes the visitor to the sandy-bar island known as Ilha de Tavira.
Tavira - Nearby Locations
Near to Tavira is Cabanas and Pedras del Rey, both small beachfront villages catering specifically for the tourist. It is in the latter that there exists an olive tree that is said to date from the 17th Century and probably the oldest one of its type in Portugal. It stands 7.70 metres high and its girth is 11.80 metres.
Vilamoura is the name given to an area rather than to any actual town. It is outstanding in that it is one of the largest single tourist complex in Europe and covers some 2.000 hectares of land. The land is variable in its vegetation, some parts covered in pine forests whilst others open recovered marshland. The company that owns this complex is extremely environmentally conscious and every effort is being made to protect nature within its continued planned development. Due to the size of the resort area it offers the visitor nearly every form of sport and entertainment, and on the southern border is a long sandy beach and the Atlantic Ocean. Amongst the many attractions and facilities there are four different Golf Courses, a large Marina, a Lawn Bowling Club, a Tennis Centre, a Sports Club, a Shooting Club, 5 Star and 4 Star Hotels, Tourist Apartments, self-catering Villas, Night Clubs, an International Casino, a Cinema, and an excellent Riding School. Within the centre of Vilamoura there is a preserved Roman Site and Museum of Cerro da Vila providing an interesting glimpse into the past of the area. In Roman times this location was important in producing a fish paste known as "garum". The ruins also include the baths in which the mariners used to bathe. As a location specifically designed for tourism it has proved to be a very successful location for all ages due to the variety of facilities that it provides holidaymakers. The municipal administration of the area falls under that of Loulé.
