Algarve Destinations

Tavira & Monte Gordo

Tavira: Tavira has been developed significantly in recent years, but retains much of its original charm. A visit to the Old Town is recommended with its historic church and beautiful medieval houses with Gothic windows and doorways.
There are plenty of shops, bars and restaurants to idle away the time. The best beaches require a short ferry ride out to Tavira Island, but there are smaller beaches around the town which are great for kids.

Monte Gordo: Formerly a fishing village, Monte Gordo was one of the first tourist destinations on the Algarve and one of the first hotels in the area was built here in the sixties. One of the most beautiful areas of the Algarve is Monte Gordo beach which has fantastic scenery. Monte Gordo is also a place of good gastronomy. In the town there are a great number of bars and restaurants where you can taste the best of the traditional Algarve cuisine. The Restaurant Marisqueira Monte Gordo is a favourite destination for tourists.

Vilamoura

Vilamoura is the most developed of the Algarve resorts and is popular with golfers and boat-owners, and could be considered as the Marbella of the Algarve. Vilamoura is centred on a marina surrounded by restaurants and bars.

Apartments and villas have been purpose built in the area surrounding the marina, and many are owned by British who use them as holiday homes. There are large sandy beaches to the east and west of the marina. To the east of Vilamoura is Quarteira which is a more typical Algarve town with a long sandy beach, and where prices are considerably lower.

Recommendation - The fresh fish restaurant "Casa du Pescador" just off Vilamoura Marina is popular with both visitors and locals.

Albufeira

Albufeira is considered by many to be a young people's destination, but there is plenty for older people and families to do, and the resort is much quieter outside the busy summer season.

The beaches are fantastic, and in the evening head for the Old Town and The Strip (the sea front area). There are plenty of restaurants, bars and nightclubs along the strip, and in the old town. The town is effectively 2 parts - the strip and the old town with its cobbled streets, shops, bars & resturants all based around a pretty town square.

Albufeira is also a good winter destination, with plenty of winter acitivities such as golf, fishing, boat trips and walking.

Montechoro is a short distance from Albufeira old town (about 15 minutes) on the little train that takes you around the resort. The resort is lively in summer, and there are lots of Irish bars, especially up near the Montichoro Hotel. In winter the resort is very quiet, tending to be frequented by older people.

Tip Many of the Albufeira bars have "Happy Hours" during which drink prices are reduced significantly. Be careful as measures are a lot larger than in the UK

Recommendation - Wild & Co bar/nightclub - excellent atmosphere.

Alvor & Portimão

Alvor: Alvor is a traditional Portuguese fishing village located on a sheltered natural lagoon which opens out into the sea. The town is a maze of narrow cobbled streets, with an old parish church at the centre. There are plenty of restaurants in Alvor serving a variety of cuisine, catering for most tastes. The quayside restaurants provide fresh sea produce at very reasonable prices. Fish stews and grilled sardines are local specialities. Deep sea fishing and boating trips are available at the harbour. Although this ancient coastal village is now a very popular holiday location the enclosed narrow streets have restricted the advances of developers, and much of the towns original charm is preserved. Many of these cobbled streets have bars with live music and different types of restaurants

Portimão: Portimão is one of the most densely populated cities in the Algarve, and is the largest town on the Barlavento/Western area of the Algarve. The city has a harbour and a small airfield. Praia da Rocha & Vau are nearby beaches where you can relax in the sun. The coastline around Portimão consists of sandy beaches and stunning colored rock formations. The Caves of Estombar are well worth a visit, as is the mosaic floor of the Roman villa at Figueira. Inland from Portimão, the scenery and traditional villages are also not to be missed.

Lagos

Heading west from Albufeira and Portimão, the landscape and scenery becomes more rugged and spectacular, with cliffs replacing the gentle slopes to the sea. Lagos is famous for its spectacular rock formations, Lagos Castle and the historical old town.

Around 6km to the west of Lagos is the Praia da Luz ("Beach of Light") resort. Formerly a fishing village, Praia da Luz is now a popular family tourist destination, based around a series of villa complexes.

Sagres

Those visitors interested in spectacular scenery and walking, or experienced surfers may prefer head for the far south western tip of the Algarve. Sagres is around a 2 hour drive from Faro, and resembles Wales in terms of its landscape. The beaches here can be dangerous due to the huge waves, and a number of unsuspecting people have been swept away in recent years. Sagres Fort is set on cliff tops above the sea and is a great place to view the fantastic landscape.