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News and Events For Algarve
With gorgeous sandy beaches, friendly locals and year-round sunshine, the Algarve has everything for a perfect villa holiday.
Although the region is a firm favourite with British tourists, all our villas in the Algarve are in beautiful unspoilt locations, both on the coast and in the quiet countryside around Monchique.
All our Algarve villas have private pools - and wherever you choose to stay, you're never far from a world-class golf course.
Golf Masters in Vilamoura
Keen golfers holidaying in the Algarve in October may like to attend the Portugal Golf Masters, taking place at the Oceânico Victoria Golf Club in Vilamoura from 10th to 13th October 2013. The greens of this world famous course have been trodden by the world’s best golfers, including Shane Lowry who won the tournament last year.
Calling motor sports enthusiasts
The Algarve stadium near Faro is to be the base for the annual Rally de Portugal taking place between 11th and 14th April 2013. Established in 1975, the event has five times been named “The Best Rally in the World” and many famous international rally drivers appear in its rankings. Drivers will start and end each day at the Stadium and this year three night stages have been introduced. The stages include a mixture of open roads and technical and narrow sections, characterised by their abrasive surface.
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we say...
“One of the many pleasures of visiting The Algarve is experiencing the warm welcome extended by the friendly locals! Combined with an excellent sunshine record, delightful sandy beaches, crystal clear waters and fascinating 180km coastline I believe the region is the ideal choice for anyone looking to relax and unwind. I also love the vast choice of sports on offer, particularly the tennis and golf facilities... and let's not forget the excellent local cuisine and wines! These are just a few of the reasons that I can wholeheartedly recommend The Algarve!”
Pat Shipp
Area Specialist - Algarve
Explore... Portimão Enjoy a morning of shopping in the narrow streets and browse among the shops selling excellent value leather goods and handicrafts. Follow this with a quayside lunch of freshly caught sardines served with salad, bread and local 'vinho verde'. And then take a well deserved rest on the beach of Praia da Rocha!
Escape... to the coolness of the Serra de Monchique and enjoy the shady woodlands of chestnut, pine, eucalyptus and cork oak. Indulge in a spa treatment at Caldas de Monchique and then soak up themagnificent Atlantic views from Fóia, at 902m the highest point on the Algarve.
Taste... the delights of sea and mountain with the typical local dish of 'cataplana', a casserole of cockles and pork cooked in a special copper pressure cooker. Chicken 'piri-piri' is also a firm (spicy) favourite and, if you have any room left, round the meal off with a delicious almond based tart.
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La Ferme Margot |
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Maison La Seguinie |
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Maison La Seguinie |
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Saint Marty |
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Villa Carisma |
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Algarve, Southern Portugal - Area Information
The spectacular Atlantic coast of The Algarve is blessed by dramatic rocky outcrops, long sandy beaches and one of the longest sunshine records in Europe.
Home to wonderful golden sand beaches warmed by over 3,000 hours of sunshine a year, the Algarve coastline of southern Portugal stretches fromthe Spanish border at Vila Real across to Cabo de São Vicente, the most westerly point of continental Europe.
Being just 40km in width from north to south means the region can be easily explored within a relatively short period of time. The western Algarve is renowned for its sandy cove beaches and many traditional fishing villages while the east, with the region's capital at Faro, has flatter sandy stretches of beach and many pretty islands, accessed by boat, lying just offshore.
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Forming a natural border between Portugal and Spain is the Rio Guardiana surrounded by a collection of pretty hilltop towns with stunning views out to sea and a renowned nature reserve. A pedestrianised bridge dating back to Roman times spans the gently flowing Rio Gilão which flows through Tavira, one of the eastern Algarve's most attractive towns with its maze of cobbled streets, interesting shops and river front cafés. Ferries depart from the town's fish market for the spectacular local beach at Tavira Island, where 14km of golden sand and a backdrop of rugged dunes await.
Heading westwards, small towns such as Estói with its Roman ruins and Loulé, in the rolling foothills of the Serra do Caldeirão and famous for its colourful market are both well worth a visit. Faro offers something for everybody including museums, an impressive Cathedral, an intricate network of bustling streets filled with all types of shops, various restaurants and many local cafés in which to sit and watch the world go by.
Almost halfway along the Algarve's 180km of coastline sits Vilamoura, home to one of Europe's most vibrant marinas flanked by a promenade of convivial waterside cafés, boutiques and a tempting selection of international restaurants. Pristine stretches of wide sandy beaches, world class golf courses and a wealth of sporting facilities all contribute to its wide appeal.
Stretching to the west of the erstwhile fishing village, now well established resort of Albufeira are glorious golden sandy beaches. Vale de Parra, bordered by a fertile plain and low hills fringing the Atlantic Ocean, overlooks the picturesque and intimate coves of Castelo and Coelha at São Rafael as well as the sweeping golden crescent of sand that is Galé beach. Bustling Armação de Pêra marks the end of this huge expanse of beach and has some excellent fish restaurants.
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Heading inland Monchique is a small hill town famous for its smoked meats and locally crafted x-shaped chairs. Nestling in a valley of eucalyptus, pine and cork oaks is the pretty spa town known as Caldas de Monchique whose natural springs date back to Roman times and are reputed to have healing powers. Fóia, at 902m the highest peak on the Algarve, affords breathtaking views, on a clear day, of both the south and west coastlines.
The important fishing port and regional centre of Portimão lies at the mouth of the Ribeira de Arade, which has its source in the hills of Monchique. Offering excellent shopping facilities it is also famous for quayside restaurants where the tradition is to eat freshly caught sardines, barbecued over charcoal and accompanied by salad, fresh bread and the local 'vinho verde' (young red or white wine).
Lagos is the gateway to the western Algarve, an area of glorious beaches and peaceful villages. Originally established by the Moors this fortified city is steeped in a rich cultural history with walls dating back to the 15th and 16th Centuries, narrow cobbled streets, an eclectic array of churches, an excellent daily market, many traditional craft shops and a wealth of first rate restaurants.
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Enjoying an ideal climate of mild winters followed by hot and sunny summers, cooled by pleasant sea breezes, the Algarve lends itself perfectly to outdoor living. However, this lovely region has so much more to offer than just wonderful beaches! Probably the most famous of the wide variety of sporting facilities available is golf with various championship courses dotted along the coast and more being planned all the time. World class facilities include the famous Royal Course at Vale do Lobo, the recently opened Millennium course and four other celebrated courses at Vilamoura. Tennis, horse riding, scuba diving, surfing, water skiing, sailing and fishing are but a few of the other activities on offer.
There is also a variety of walking trails through woodland in the Serra de Monchique, along rugged cliff tops, or amongst the flora and wild grasses of the coastal sand dunes. Several nature reserves are home to huge varieties of wildlife with storks, flamingoes, eagles, owls and vultures among the many species. The Rio Formosa wetlands of the eastern Algarve provide habitat for a diverse selection of indigenous and migrating birds. Within this protected area, accessed via a short, scenic boat trip from the mainland, the islands of Faro, Farol, Culatra and Armona all boast beautiful, natural beaches.
Portugal as a nation boasts a rich history and this region is a full contributor to that heritage. There are castles, forts and ruins to explore, interesting museums to meander around, statues, monuments and churches to visit. This coastline was also the departure point from which several epic voyages of discovery were launched hence Henry the Navigator features prominently in local history.
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Cuisine
Cuisine here varies from the simple and unpretentious in the form of freshly caught sardines at a quayside bar to sophisticated Michelin starred restaurants. There is a huge variety of fresh fish, meat and vegetables to be sampled with sweet dishes using eggs, almonds, sugar and butter appearing on most menus. Likewise, the high standards of the wines are gaining a well deserved reputation with 'vinho verde' perhaps the best known.There are some fine reds, whites and rosés to be sampled and all at very reasonable prices.
Fiestas
Hardly a week goes by without some kind of 'festa' taking place in towns and villages along the Algarve. These vary from highly organised displays of folk dancing and traditional music followed in the evenings by dazzling firework extravaganzas, to more simple traditional gatherings in small communities, all accompanied by sumptuous feasts of food and wine.The Algarve - A fascinating land of stunning beaches, diverse sporting facilities, wonderful countryside and lovely cuisine waiting to be explored and enjoyed... with a charming population waiting to welcome you!
Getting there
The Algarve is well served by a wide range of no frills, charter and scheduled airlines flying into Faro airport. From here, all our properties can be reached in a drive of between 50 and 90 minutes.View villas in Algarve, Portugal
Book your villa holiday online or telephone: 00 44 1954 261 431