The Algarve

Holidays In The Algarve

Stretching across the whole of southern Portugal, the region, over recent years has attracted a great deal of tourist development, especially along the coastline between Faro and Albufeira. At the outer fringes of the region, including Sagres, Olhao and Tavira, the development has been minimal and the towns and villages have retained their original charm and character – This is the area that we feature, THE REAL ALGARVE!

Located 6km from Capo de Sao Vicente, the most southwestern point of continental Europe Sagres is famed for its maritime past and for its links with Prince Henry the Navigator.  It is in Sagres that the school of Navigation was established in the 15th century and from where Prince Henry, alongside cartographers and navigators, pushed forward the borders of the new world. The Portuguese explorers Pedro Alvares Cabral and Vasco da Gama both studied in Sagres. Around Sagres the coastline is dotted with more than 20 beaches – some small coves hidden at the foot of cliffs, others broad expanses of sand. There is also a breeding ground for Common dolphins just off the coast of Capo de Sao Vicente and the mammals are frequently visible in the waters.

To the east of the Algarve, the Natural Park of Ria Formosa is a haven for bird and fish life. Covering an area of 18,400 hectares and stretching for 60km from Ancao, near Quinta do Lago, to Manta Routa, this coast has some of the regions most spectacular beaches – many only accessible by boat. Traditional fishing villages are scattered along the eastern coastline, of which the sardine and tuna fishing port of Olhao and the charming whitewashed town of Tavira are worthy of a visit.