Praia
da Luz |
is a lovely village with a gently shelving beach,
with soft golden sands, The remnants of volcanic activity
from long ago can be seen at the far end of the beach,
known locally as the Rocha Negra or Black Rock. Behind
the beach are some very impressive multicoloured sandstone
cliffs, greens, pinks oranges all sorts of colours!!
Very pretty and worth a closer look.
The beach has it's own Blue Flag as well as full time
professional life guards on duty all the time. It
is great for all kinds of water sports made available
by 'Algarve Watersports' & 'The Beach Hut'
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Burgau |
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Although
a modern holiday resort Burgau still retains its original
Portuguese fishing village ambience. Burgau has a
lovely sandy beach, with rocky outcrops on either
side.
Located on the beach itself is the excellent Burgau
beach bar, recently beautifully renovated and owned
by the same family for over 20 years, its a much apart
of Burgau as the local fisherman! |
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Sagres |
This
small town is close to the most sourtherly western
point of Europe known as Cape St Vincent. As Sagres
is located on the south side of the Cape its natural
protection from the western winds and rough seas
lent itself to the building by Prince Henry the
Navigator of a fort in which to house his school
devoted to Navigation and Exploration. The only
items left from his original building is the small
chapel of Nossa Senhora da Graca and reputably the
giant pebble wind compass.
The
furthest west you can go in the Algarve is Cape St
Vincent, The cliffs are spectacular and surmounted
by a stark Red and White lighthouse. Entry is permitted
to the grounds and sometimes into the lighthouse.
Built in 1846, the Sao Vicente lighthouse is the most
powerful in Portugal. The lighthouse keepers are part
of the Portuguese Marine Corps and the Cape is busy
with ships passing between the Mediterranean and the
Atlantic. |
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Going
East of Lagos there are many resorts all within easy
reach along the main A22. |
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Portimao |
Portimao, neighbour to Lagos and accessible by train
from the station opposite the Dunas de Lagos apartment.
It traces its origins back to a small trading port
of the Phoenicians, Greeks and Carthaginians. The
town is essentially commercially orientated and was
the main shopping town of the whole Algarve during
the 1970’s and 1980’s. The town church
dates from 1476. A boat marina was recently opened
adjoining Praia da Rocha and adds the fascinating
sight of the many boats at anchor and a choice of
bars and restaurants are alongside the marina. The
August Sardine Festival held every year in Portimao
is the best way to sample the great local delicacy
“Sardinha assada” sardines freshly caught
and grilled over charcoal in the open air. The traditional
way to eat sardines in Portugal is to take the fish
straight from the grill, place it on top of a thick
slice of home made bread (pão caseiro) and
eat the fish with the fingers, saving the bread. The
process is then repeated several times with the same
piece of bread. The bread is not eaten until the end
of the meal, by which time it has soaked up the juicy
oils of a succession of sardines. |
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Carvoeira |
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Carvoeiro
was originally a very small intimate fishing village.
Today, the village has three shop lined streets with
bars and smart restaurants and tourist shops. A golf
course and well run tennis center lies on its outskirts |
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Vilamoura |
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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 complexes in Europe. Due to its size
it offers the visitor nearly every form of sport and
entertainment, and its southern border is lined by
a long sandy beach |
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Albufeira |
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In
its history it was a thriving seaport and had its
own castle that was later destroyed in the earthquake
of 1755. Happily most of the older parts of the town
that survived have been carefully maintained. Now
a major tourist resort the center of the town changes
its character after the sunsets with a plentiful collection
of bars, restaurants and clubs. There is a good selection
of beaches. A new marina is at present being constructed
on the west side of the town |
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Loule |
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is
a rural administrative and active market town with
the remains of a castle dating back to the 12th Century.
Within the castle remains is a museum. The town is
mainly concerned with producing souvenir products.
The weekly fair attracts tourists from all along the
Algarve |
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The
Monchique Mountains |
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form
the backdrop to the Algarve coast. The town of Monchique
remains untouched by the invasion of tourism. It lies
in the sadle created by the two high hills, Foia and
Pictoa, the former reaching 902 metres above sea level.
The inhabitants of this town have retained the rustic
atmosphere with steep cobbled streets and small dark
doorways containing various artisan trades. The is
a very neglected 17th Century Franciscan monastery
overlooking the town from which a visitor has a panoramic
view over the beautiful countryside.
Between Monchique and the town of Portimao is the
village of Caldas de Monchique that was developed
in Roman times as a Spa. Here a visitor can try the
curing elements of the sulphur smelling hot spring
water that emerges at a constant temperature of 32oC |
