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The Algarve, Portugal’s Answer to the Costa Blanca -
A recent trip to the European team Bowls Championships in Vilamoura, Portugal, took me to the Algarve for the very first time. Situated on the southernmost part of the country it is a long coastal stretch of land that extends along 150 km of coastline overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.
An extremely mild climate with little rainfall, something along similar lines to the Costa Blanca, the region offers the traveller an infinite number of beaches. For the most part I was struck, however, by the sultry countryside, often reminiscent of the fertile regions of Morocco and Algeria.
Most of my time was spent exploring the area between Faro in the east and Albufeira in the west. This is the region most popular amongst tourists, a fact I soon found to be demonstrated by the prices. I will never complain about Consum and Mercadona again. I found the prices in hotels and restaurants to be on a par with UK. Shopping in supermarkets, however, was appreciably more expensive.
Faro is the capital of the Algarve. Once a fishing port and trading centre of some renown it was previously known as Ossonoba. In the centuries that followed Faro became an even more prosperous city due to its geographical location. It was elevated to city status in 1540 and later, in 1577, it became the Bishop’s sea of the Algarve.
Quarteria (15 minutes drive) is situated nearby and has rapidly grown from a small fishing village into a small but high density town. Holiday apartments and hotels eclipse the fishing harbour and overlook one of the longest seafront promenades in the whole region. A series of breakwaters, at right angles along the sand, curb erosion and make the beach ideal for families.
In the west Albufeira is a resort town in the region. Vestiges of its Roman origins survive in the oldest part, but in the last few decades, the town has expanded massively. It now runs seamlessly from the fishing village of Olhos d’Agua on the eastern outskirts to the beach at Gale on the west side.
The best buys in the Algarve include Portuguese manufactured leather goods, pottery, decorated tiles, crystal, copperware, embroidered tablecloths, handmade rugs, filigree jewellery and cork products. Bargains abound and items can often be supplied made to measure. Prices are set and usually clearly marked.
It is recommended that every visitor should experience at least one visit to a Portuguese market. Everything is on offer from the freshest fruit and vegetables to cheese, meat, fish and other local delicacies all alongside stalls offering handcrafts, embroidered linenware and pottery. Our advice is to go early if you want to have the best of the produce - but go late if you want to pick up the bargains!
Factfile:
GEOGRAPHY
Portugal occupies the southwest part of the Iberian Peninsula and shares borders in the north and the east with Spain, while to the south and west lies the Atlantic Ocean. The country is divided into various provinces, including the Atlantic islands of Madeira and the Azores; the latter lying some 1,300 km (800 miles) due west of Lisbon. Covering an area of 88,889 square kilometres, mainland Portugal is 218 km wide and 561 km long with 832 km of Atlantic coastline and 1,215 km of land border with Spain. The Atlantic islands of the Azores and Madeira cover 2,355 and 741 square kilometres. A range of low-lying mountains divides the Alentejo from the Algarve, which runs along the southern coast, and is one of the most popular resort areas with wide sandy beaches and attractive bays.
ECOTOURISM
Portugal’s diverse geography nurtures a wide variety of plant and animal life. A commitment to the preservation of its ecosystem has led Portugal to establish several natural and national parks throughout the country where scenic hiking, rambling, cycling, climbing and bird-watching are common activities. The islands of Madeira and the Azores are havens of unspoiled natural beauty, ideal for all types of outdoor activity.
CURRENCY
The former Portuguese unit of currency, the escudo, was replaced by the euro on 1 January, 2002, set at the fixed rate of 1 euro = 200.482 escudos.
CLIMATE
Mainland Portugal is blessed with both an Atlantic and Mediterranean climate, providing mild year-round weather with no excessive variations of temperature. In the south of the country, summers are warm with very little rain except in early spring and autumn. The northwest has mild winters with relatively high levels of rainfall and shorter summers. The islands of the Azores benefit from a temperate climate, influenced by the regulating conditions of the nearby Gulf Stream and the archipelago’s mid-Atlantic location. Madeira boasts a warm subtropical climate throughout the whole year.
LANGUAGE
Visitors with a working knowledge of Spanish will have less problems reading Portuguese, although the spoken language has many differences, most notably in the pronunciation. The locals always appreciate tourists’ efforts to say a few words, such as Bom Dia for ‘good day’, Boa Tarde (good afternoon) and Boa Noite (good evening). ‘Please’ is Se Faz Favor and ‘thank you’ is Obrigado for a man and Obrigada if you’re a woman. Of Latin origin, Portuguese is the third most widely spoken European language in the world and is mother tongue to about 200 million people in Angola, Cape Verde Islands, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, S. Tomé and Príncipe in Africa and Brazil in South America. The most-commonly spoken foreign languages are Spanish, English and French. German is also known in the main tourist regions of the country, such as Lisbon, Madeira and the Algarve.
GETTING THERE
Local airline companies such as TAP Air Portugal and PGA - Portugália Airlines provide domestic services connecting the mainland airports of Lisbon, Oporto and Faro with Madeira and the Azores. Most major European airlines operate scheduled flights to Lisbon, while SATA serves the islands of the Azores and a network of inter-island connections. Iberia offer flights Faro from Alicante airport with connections at Madrid, changing to TAP Air Portugal.
Alternatively you can drive to the Algarve from the Costa Blanca like Kevin, which takes a leisurely 6 hours.
Article provided by kind permission of The Leader Newspaper
A recent trip to the European team Bowls Championships in Vilamoura, Portugal, took me to the Algarve for the very first time. Situated on the southernmost part of the country it is a long coastal stretch of land that extends along 150 km of coastline overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.
An extremely mild climate with little rainfall, something along similar lines to the Costa Blanca, the region offers the traveller an infinite number of beaches. For the most part I was struck, however, by the sultry countryside, often reminiscent of the fertile regions of Morocco and Algeria.
Most of my time was spent exploring the area between Faro in the east and Albufeira in the west. This is the region most popular amongst tourists, a fact I soon found to be demonstrated by the prices. I will never complain about Consum and Mercadona again. I found the prices in hotels and restaurants to be on a par with UK. Shopping in supermarkets, however, was appreciably more expensive.
Faro is the capital of the Algarve. Once a fishing port and trading centre of some renown it was previously known as Ossonoba. In the centuries that followed Faro became an even more prosperous city due to its geographical location. It was elevated to city status in 1540 and later, in 1577, it became the Bishop’s sea of the Algarve.
Quarteria (15 minutes drive) is situated nearby and has rapidly grown from a small fishing village into a small but high density town. Holiday apartments and hotels eclipse the fishing harbour and overlook one of the longest seafront promenades in the whole region. A series of breakwaters, at right angles along the sand, curb erosion and make the beach ideal for families.
In the west Albufeira is a resort town in the region. Vestiges of its Roman origins survive in the oldest part, but in the last few decades, the town has expanded massively. It now runs seamlessly from the fishing village of Olhos d’Agua on the eastern outskirts to the beach at Gale on the west side.
The best buys in the Algarve include Portuguese manufactured leather goods, pottery, decorated tiles, crystal, copperware, embroidered tablecloths, handmade rugs, filigree jewellery and cork products. Bargains abound and items can often be supplied made to measure. Prices are set and usually clearly marked.
It is recommended that every visitor should experience at least one visit to a Portuguese market. Everything is on offer from the freshest fruit and vegetables to cheese, meat, fish and other local delicacies all alongside stalls offering handcrafts, embroidered linenware and pottery. Our advice is to go early if you want to have the best of the produce - but go late if you want to pick up the bargains!
Factfile:
GEOGRAPHY
Portugal occupies the southwest part of the Iberian Peninsula and shares borders in the north and the east with Spain, while to the south and west lies the Atlantic Ocean. The country is divided into various provinces, including the Atlantic islands of Madeira and the Azores; the latter lying some 1,300 km (800 miles) due west of Lisbon. Covering an area of 88,889 square kilometres, mainland Portugal is 218 km wide and 561 km long with 832 km of Atlantic coastline and 1,215 km of land border with Spain. The Atlantic islands of the Azores and Madeira cover 2,355 and 741 square kilometres. A range of low-lying mountains divides the Alentejo from the Algarve, which runs along the southern coast, and is one of the most popular resort areas with wide sandy beaches and attractive bays.
ECOTOURISM
Portugal’s diverse geography nurtures a wide variety of plant and animal life. A commitment to the preservation of its ecosystem has led Portugal to establish several natural and national parks throughout the country where scenic hiking, rambling, cycling, climbing and bird-watching are common activities. The islands of Madeira and the Azores are havens of unspoiled natural beauty, ideal for all types of outdoor activity.
CURRENCY
The former Portuguese unit of currency, the escudo, was replaced by the euro on 1 January, 2002, set at the fixed rate of 1 euro = 200.482 escudos.
CLIMATE
Mainland Portugal is blessed with both an Atlantic and Mediterranean climate, providing mild year-round weather with no excessive variations of temperature. In the south of the country, summers are warm with very little rain except in early spring and autumn. The northwest has mild winters with relatively high levels of rainfall and shorter summers. The islands of the Azores benefit from a temperate climate, influenced by the regulating conditions of the nearby Gulf Stream and the archipelago’s mid-Atlantic location. Madeira boasts a warm subtropical climate throughout the whole year.
LANGUAGE
Visitors with a working knowledge of Spanish will have less problems reading Portuguese, although the spoken language has many differences, most notably in the pronunciation. The locals always appreciate tourists’ efforts to say a few words, such as Bom Dia for ‘good day’, Boa Tarde (good afternoon) and Boa Noite (good evening). ‘Please’ is Se Faz Favor and ‘thank you’ is Obrigado for a man and Obrigada if you’re a woman. Of Latin origin, Portuguese is the third most widely spoken European language in the world and is mother tongue to about 200 million people in Angola, Cape Verde Islands, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, S. Tomé and Príncipe in Africa and Brazil in South America. The most-commonly spoken foreign languages are Spanish, English and French. German is also known in the main tourist regions of the country, such as Lisbon, Madeira and the Algarve.
GETTING THERE
Local airline companies such as TAP Air Portugal and PGA - Portugália Airlines provide domestic services connecting the mainland airports of Lisbon, Oporto and Faro with Madeira and the Azores. Most major European airlines operate scheduled flights to Lisbon, while SATA serves the islands of the Azores and a network of inter-island connections. Iberia offer flights Faro from Alicante airport with connections at Madrid, changing to TAP Air Portugal.
Alternatively you can drive to the Algarve from the Costa Blanca like Kevin, which takes a leisurely 6 hours.
Article provided by kind permission of The Leader Newspaper
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