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Fall in love with Algarve,that beautiful and magnificent Southern Atlantic coast of Portugal is simply very easy.When you enter in this strip of land from Vila Real de San Antonio and Tavira situated in the most eastern side bordering the Spanish Costa de la Luz and running along the coastline to west packed by famed and famous seaside resorts,summer destination of many tourists and paradise for golfers and surfers until the wonderful to Cabo de Sao Vicente you will immediately understand why.
The Algarve is mainly famous for beach tourism and seaside resorts in its Western coast but I recommend you also visit the interior where there are great places such as Silves,Loulé,both with a relevant historic past and wonderful monuments and the Sierra de Caldeirao a mountainous area of the region which offers landscapes all to remember.In this area you can enjoy beautiful paths in the Sierra,ideal places for trekking and visiting tiny villages where people is very kind and trying the best Frango Assado,the roast chicken one of the best in the world.The interior of Algarve is also a place very picturesque with its olive groves scattered on hills,the lights,reflects at sunsets or in the first morning hours at dawn are absolutely unique.
When you come in in this region from the Spanish County of Huelva in the Western Costa de la Luz, your attention will go immediately towards the formation of this small coastal paradise,several kilometres of sandy and golden beaches,tourism in this area is not yet at the levels as to the western side where there are the major and most famous seaside resorts such as Albufeira, Portimao,Lagos,Lagoa, and Praia da Rocha,but you can stop in Altura,I suggest this place because the beach is wonderful,soft golden sands,peaceful and furthermore there are a couple of excellent Restaurants near the beach absolutely fantastic serving fresh Bacalhau and Sardinhas Assas among the best in Portugal.
Continuing to Vila Real de Sa Antonio famous for its flea market where you can find everything and also something pretty interesting and very cheap,enjoying not far the other splendid beach of Monte Gordo
and then proceed towards Tavira stopping there to eat and enjoy a classic Cataplana one of the specialities of Algarve should not be missed.In this town you can stroll its narrow streets,admiring the wide number of white houses many of them decorated with typical coloured tiles and and walking in the old town you will discover the real life of Algarve,fishermen adjusting their nets,women cooking sardinhas assadas,(grilled sardines),small picturesque alleys leading to historical churches and on the other side,the beauty of the Atlantic Ocean.Furthermore you can have a brilliant excursion to the small island Ilha da Tavira.The beaches in this area are very peaceful and more it is also a great place to enjoy windsurfing.
In this area the beach is different than the famous western part,there are not the huge rock formations and high cliffs of which the Algarve is so famous and that you find mainly from Faro onwards,but the coast is pleasant with some typical genuine restaurants near the beaches preparing some of the best Bacalhau Grelhao of the the region.The beaches of Tavira and surroundings are pretty peaceful,long and spacious.You can continue then towards Estoi and Olhao where the coast form a gentle curve and from there in a sort of in-out visit the the splendid National Park of Formosa and the nearest hilly area with Mediterranean vegetation.
When you reach at Faro,the capital of the region,immediately after you will meet the captivating Quarteira a nice small coastal town with excellent restaurants and if you love fish and seafood,it is one of the best places of cours thanks also to a famed fish market very popular in all the Algarve for the high quality and for its ancient history and fishing traditions..The nearest Vilamoura is so famous for its Casino,the impressive Marina and to enjoy Golf,it is an exclusive destination of Algarve,very busy but with charm,a lot of things to do,shopping,many bars,estaurants,clubs,a vibrant nightlife and wonderful beaches also is a very good resort to practise diving and water sports in general.
Albufeira is another lively and famous resort,I suggest apart the beautiful beaches and in particular the beach of Sao Rafael with great little grottos,to enjoy a walk in the historical centre.Not far ,there is Armaçao da Pera,if you want relax,sandy beaches and unforgettable landscapes with its castle it is the right place,do not miss the marvellous beach Praia Senhora Da Rocha with beautiful views on the Atlantic Ocean and magnificent cliffs dominating the beach,here you can take a millions of pictures of course.
The nearest small town of Carvoeiro is very interesting,it is an old peaceful fishing village with marvellous beaches and white houses perched on the rocks,in a little beach in front of the main square you can enjoy some beautiful private excursions by boat admiring the fantastic bay behind the promontory and tasting at the end a good wine in the first bar on the left outside the beach.
South of Portimao is the so popular Praia da Rocha a spectacular long a wide beach,one of the symbol of Algarve,probably the most spectacular beach of Algarve,golden sands and rocky formation of different type,majestic tall cliffs and packed of small rocky islets.If you stay on the top,near the main road Avenida tomas Cabreira linked to the beach by a wooden comfortable step you have a fantastic view and I suggest to go there at sunset because is absolutely magnificent,to see this beach,with the reflections of the sun.
There is a big variety of rocks some of different colours from red to yellow,from ochre to light brown,if you continue after the area of the hotels and aparthotels you can see different kind of coves and splendid tiny grottos.Someone come inside writing on the sand love words a romantic way to spend a holiday in Algarve.
Continuing toward Lagos one of the most historical towns of Algarve and for long time in the past the 3rd town of Portugal due to the great Portuguese Navigators started from here many trips on the sea,not far Meia Praia,a great long beach the longer in Algarve,about 4,5 km it is an excellent place to have long walks enjoying the clear and crystalline waters a mix of shining green and light blue absolutely fantastic.
When you take the road to continue to Sagres,you can find several beautiful beaches,Praia da Martinhall is one of them,famous for windsurf lovers and after Praia da Figueira,Praia Azul, Praia de Dona Ana,a magnificent long chain of infinitive sands,until Ponta de Sagres.Very close is the famous Cabo de Sao Vicente geographically the highest point in the southwest of Europe.It is also a place mentioned by by the geographer Strabo, inhabited since Neolithic times and the object of special devotion probably by Celt populations devoted to Menhirs.
From Cabo de Sao Vicente,toward Aljefur you can find other wonderful beaches with impressive cliffs and rocks of different size,colour and formation the most important are Praia da Castelejo,absolutely recommended for its picturesque coves and because is linked by a natural path to the town of Vila Obispo,Praia da Beliche is another one,it is a long beach with many spectacular small bays and cliffs,from the upper hills you can admire an infinitive horizon and I suggest this point in the evening for the lights reflections of the sun on the rocks and a little bit later the lights of the small fishermen boats in the sea offer a fantastic night view.
Algarve is all to discover and enjoy after 12 years working with this product,well I do not know everything. but I wanted to suggest you something hoping it will be useful for a beautiful holiday in this marvellous and great corner of a wonderful country called Portugal.
Francesco Mari
www.visitportugal.com
www.algarveuncovered.com
www.algarve-information.com
www.visitalgarve.p
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Thanks a lot to read and note.