Cities
Understand
The Algarve is Portugal's most popular holiday destination due to the clean beaches (approximately 200km of them), the cool, unpolluted water, and the facts that it is relatively cheap and very safe.
Get in
By plane
Faro Airport is the main airport for the region.
On arrival there is a wide selection of car hire options both at static desks in the airport and also within the terminal at a meeting point.
To pre-arrange your car hire before arrival try these sites:
By bus
There are daily bus connections between Lagos, Olhao, Faro (and many other cities) and spanish cities like Sevilla and Huelva.
A single ticket Sevilla - Faro costs 16 euros and the journey needs 4 to 5 hours.
By train
There are daily train connections between Faro and Lisboa (4 hours).
Get around
Take the train or buses, more detailed information: see above.
Car rental
See
Lagos - The old inner city inside the remnants of a protective wall. You'll find winding streets barely wide enough for small cars, quaint shops and wonderful (but pricey) restaurants.
Silves - The red stone castle. The road there is narrow and winds through some rural areas, but it is definitely worth a 1/2 day trip if you like castles.
Do
Play golf - the Algarve is littered with high quality courses. For a list of locations and further information, see
Eat
The Algarve is famous for its hot and spicy Piri Piri Chicken, which can be found all over.
Since it has a big and rich coast, it boasts a very interesting array of fish and seafood, from sardines to "cataplanas", and many dry fruit sweets that will make your mouth water for more
The Algarve (pron. ; from the Arabic الغرب — al-gharb, "the West") is the southernmost region of mainland Portugal, incorporating, amongst others, the cities of Faro, Albufeira, Lagos, Olhão, Tavira, Portimão and Silves. The Algarve is one of the Regions of Portugal according to NUTS II subdivisions. The region's administrative centre is the city of Faro, which has its own international airport (Faro Airport) and public university (University of the Algarve).
Geography
The Algarve is hilly, but traversed with rich valleys. Its highest point is the mountain range of Monchique, with a maximum altitude of 906m (Peak of the Fóia).
It is composed of 5,412 square kilometres with approximately 410,000 permanent inhabitants (density of 76 inhabitants per square kilometre). This figure increases to over a million people at the height of summer due to an influx of tourists.
The region is also the home of the Ria Formosa lagoon, a nature reserve of over 170 square kilometres and a stopping place for hundreds of different birds.
The Algarve is a popular destination for tourism, primarily because of its beaches, Mediterranean climate, safety and relatively low costs. The length of the south-facing coastline is approximately 155 kilometres. Beyond the westernmost point of Cape St Vincent it stretches a further 50 kilometres to the north. The coastline is notable for picturesque limestone caves and grottoes, particularly around Lagos, which are accessible by powerboat. Praia da Marinha, Lagoa was classified as one of the 100 most beautiful and well preserved beaches of the world. There are many other beautiful and famous summer places such as Albufeira, Vilamoura, Portimão, Lagos, Armação de Pêra, Quarteira, Monte Gordo and Tavira. It is also host to the annual Algarve Cup invitational tournament for national teams in women's football.
Municipalities
Maps: Interactive map of the Algarve
The region is divided into 16 municipalities:
Note: the Algarve province and the Faro district correspond exactly to the same territory. This is often a cause for confusion.
History
The Conii, influenced by Tartessos, were established by the sixth century BC in the region of the Algarve. They would be strongly influenced by the Celtici. The Phoenicians had established trading ports along the coast circa 1000 BC. The Carthaginians founded Portus Hanibalis (so named because it is believed to be where Hannibal landed on European soil) — known today as Portimão — in circa 550 BC. The Romans in the 2nd century BC spread through the Iberian Peninsula, and many Roman ruins can still be seen in the region, notably in Lagos.
In the 5th century, the Visigoths inhabited the Algarve until the beginning of the Moorish invasion in 711. When the Moors conquered Lagos in 716 it was called Zawaia. Faro, which the Christian residents had called Santa Maria, was renamed Faraon, which means "the settlement of the Knights".
Due to the Moorish occupation of Iberia, the region was called "Al-Garb Al-Andalus". As stated above, Al-Garb means "the west"; Al-Andalus, as the greater Iberian region was known, makes reference to the Vandals, a Germanic tribe who had previously occupied the southern part of the peninsula. Arabic has no way of expressing the 'V' sound. In the mid-12th century, the Moorish occupation ended: the "Al-Gharb" has been since then the Algarve (or Algarves). It was not until the 13th century that the Portuguese finally secured the region against subsequent Moorish attempts to recapture the area - see Reconquista.
In the 15th century, Henry the Navigator based himself in Sagres and conducted various maritime expeditions which established Portugal as a colonial power.
The Algarve was a semi-autonomous area with a governor from 1595 to 1808, as well as a separate taxation system until the end of the 18th century. During this time, to reflect the Algarve's unique status, Portuguese monarchs were known as "King of Portugal and The Algarves".
In 1807, when Junot was leading the first Napoleonic invasion in the north of Portugal, the Algarve was occupied by the Spanish troops of Manuel Godoy. The Algarve became the first part of Portugal to liberate itself from Spanish occupation, in the rebellion of Olhão in 1808.
Traditional agricultural products of the region include fig, almond, medronho, carob beans, and cork oak.
Tourism and immigration in the Algarve
In the 1960s the Algarve became a very popular destination for tourists, mainly from Britain. It has since become a common destination for the Germans and the Dutch. Many of these tourists own their own property in the region. There are Algarve-based English-written publications and newspapers specifically addressed to this community. In addition to the natural beauties and plenty of beaches, the Algarve has invested in the creation of a network of golf courses. Well-known beaches in the Algarve range from Praia da Luz to Armação de Pêra. A well known spa town is Caldas de Monchique.
Algarve's mild climate attracts interest from Northern Europeans wishing to have a holiday home or residence on the region. Being a region of Portugal, and therefore in the European Union, any EU citizen have the right to freely buy property and reside with little formality in the Algarve. British expatriates, followed by German, Dutch and Scandinavians, are among the largest groups wishing to own a home in this Portugal's sunny region.
Tourism plays an important role in the economy of the Algarve region. A large number of seasonal job opportunities are tourism-related and are fulfilled by thousands of immigrant workers arrived from countries like Brazil, Ukraine and Cape Verde, among others.
In March 2007, the Minister of Economy, Manuel Pinho, announced the creation of the "Allgarve" brand, as a part of a strategical promotion of Algarve as a tourism destination for foreign citizens.
Weather
The summer months see high temperatures that attract beach-goers and sun-lovers from around the world.
With more hours of sunshine than California and only short periods of rainfall, generally between November and March, the Algarve has the perfect weather and climate for tourism.
The maximum temperatures in the Algarve fluctuate between 15°C and 31 °C, with the temperature never falling below zero in the winter months.
See also
External links
