Western Algarve, Portugal
Lagos, Western Algarve
Lagos had been the capital of the Algarve for almost 200 years, the home of Henry the Navigator, Who pioneered the first naval school here at the South Westerly most point of Europe.
Still maintaining a strong tie to the past, this is truly an undiscovered gem. Recently made more appealing by the new motorway connecting it to all the major cities of Portugal and also making the travel time to the airport less than an hour, the city has flourished.
Also, boasting an impressive marina nestled on the Eastern side of the city, and surrounded by a stunning beach and the beautifully preserved Old Town. Here you can still see the old city walls running around the entire city, history has been a strong part of this area of the Algarve and you can’t help but marvel at it.
With a new Formula One racetrack being built a short distance away, and a new internationally airport already in the pipeline, this stands to be a truly spectacular investment for many years to come.
Most recently a new plan for an International airport in the area has fuelled reports of the increasing popularity of the Western Algarve.
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Portimao, Western Algarve
First the blue sea and its gently lapping waves. Then fine golden sands framed by cliffs and rocks. The cosmopolitan atmosphere of an international tourist destination. This is the Algarve of beach holidays in the sun.
All that is left of medieval Portimão are a few stretches of the city wall now hidden by houses. The old town is dominated by the architecture of the late 19th and early 20th centuries: houses on two storeys, with wrought iron balconies and ornate stonework around windows and doors, decorated with balustrades of stone and ceramics and walls covered with, tiles. The old palace of the Viscounts of Bivar (18th century), a building of fine classical lines, is now home to the municipal council.
To savour the spirit of Portimão there is nothing better than to sit in the shade of the trees in the Manuel Bivar gardens and forget about time, to watch the fishing boats and pleasure craft motor pass and to walk through streets and squares that exude the ambiance of an active, hard-working town which has succeeded in keeping pace with progress.
Portimão and its municipality have more to offer though. A rich heritage of historical monuments. The eternal natural beauty of the Ria de Alvor. The charm of cultivated fields, of slopes covered with pine trees and wild flowers. The allure of walking up into the hills and looking down on the Algarve from a new perspective.
Portimão is one of the main big game centres in the Algarve, offering the chance to catch fighting swordfish and other big fish. There are also facilities for sailing, hind-surfing, para-sailing water-skiing and scuba diving the golf course set among the pines of Penina is internationally renowned. With courses at Alvor and Vau too, keen golfers are spoilt for choice.
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Alvor, Western Algarve
This town's long history is clear from the discovery on Vila Velha hill, overlooking the Ria de Alvor, of a Neolithic village retaining traces of subsequent Roman occupation. During the period of Moorish rule, Alvor was a thriving port.
The ramparts defending it were the scene of violent fighting when the Portuguese army led by King Sancho 1 conquered it in 1189, with the help of Crusades en route to the Holy Land. Retaken by the Moors in 1191, it was only returned to Christian dominion in 1250, at the time of the campaigns that resulted in the conquest of the whole of the Algarve.
The town walls were rebuilt in 1300 and Alvor was made a town by King João II, who died there in 1495. It shared in the prosperity of the 15th and 16th centuries, but was laid low by the earthquake of 1755. The old town was never to regain its farmer splendour. Alvor retains much of the charm of a picturesque fishing village, with streets of white houses and colourful boats which, after a day at sea, congregate around the old fishing market.
The Main Church - Built in the 16th century, this church was rebuilt in the 18th century. The profusely decorated main doorway - one of the most beautiful in all Algarve - and the side door are in the Manueline style. The columns supporting the three naves are also part of the original structure as are the fonts and the triumphal arch of the altar. The carved ret able on the high altar, with its impressive life-size statue of the lord Jesus, is from a later period (18th century).
There is also a fine panel depicting the Saviour. The sacristy drat adjoins the church is a former Moorish marabout's retreat, since adapted to his new role. This small, but nonetheless important church also contains polychrome tiles with two 18th century figurative panels - the Washing of the Feet and the last Supper - several statues and a number of tombs. From the churchyard there is an excellent view of the Ria de Alvor, the town and the encircling sea.
The castle has long disappeared but for two stretches of wall that were once part of the fortress and now lave houses built against them. Marabout Chapels of São João and São Pedro (St. John and St. Peter) - Cubic structures with spherical cupolas that testify to the Moorish influence, these chapels evoke the holy places where Moslems would bury the religious ascetics known as marabouts.
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Silves, Western Algarve
The deep green foliage of orange trees in fertile valleys. The blue sea and the fast paced life of an international seaside resort. The picturesque charm of houses surrounded by almond and carob trees.The broad sweep of hills that are a haven for ramblers and nature lovers. These are among the attractions of Silves district, a holiday destination where it is a pleasure simply to be alive between orange groves and hills the vast triangle defined by Silves.
São Bartolomeu de Messines and Armação de Pêra is a land of fruit trees and vegetable gardens, of small villages where the houses have whitewashed walls, with doors and windows picked out in blue, and ornate chimneys that resemble a more solid version of lace. A walk through this region is a chance to appreciate the glowing colours of oranges, the green foliage of almond trees, the broad crowns of carob trees and the fig trees that are often bent right to the ground.
To the north lie the hills, smooth and round as pebbles covered with typically Mediterranean vegetation consisting of evergreen oaks, arbutus-berry trees, oaks, citrus and gorse. In addition many other species of flora that have adapted to the poor schist soils and harsh climate are interesting from a botanical point of view. In a landscape of heat and light, the Arade and Funcho dams open like cool windows and the scattered white houses of villages offer welcome relief the near desert conditions in the hills. The area as a whole is home to a variety of animal life, including approximately 80 species of nesting birds.
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Carvoeiro, Western Algarve
This was a very small intimate fishing village that has lost any resemblance to its modest origins. In 1965 a foreign resident wrote about the place - “the mode of living remains essentially medieval”. Then there came the tourists and the money. Today, the village spreads to the east and west with expensive villas and comfortable holiday apartments. The one and only village street has now become three, each lined with bars, smart restaurants and tourist shops. Happily, there are still examples of the older quaint small houses tucked in between the more recent ones.
A 36-Hole Golf & Holiday Complex can be found to the west of the village together with a well run Tennis Centre. To the east and on the outskirts is a further 9-Hole Course. A couple of Lawn Bowling Clubs add to the choice of sport. The area has long been considered an excellent area for tourist to acquire property and also due to the variety and pleasure provided its many small beaches. High cliffs surround most of these, and some of which have eroded to create beckoning dark caves most of which are only accessible at low tide. Beaches to visit are Praia de Centianes, Praia de Carvalho, Praia de Benagil, Praia de Marinha and Praia da Albandeira.
To the west and near to Carvoeiro is the village of Ferragudo, which still remains as a virtually un-spoilt small fishing village. Lagoa, the nearby area administrative town is also close to the birth place of the 11th Century renowned Arab poet "Ibn Ammar". Inland is the typical inland small village of Porches. Another place that is a must to be visited is the inland historic and interesting city of Silves with its remains of its castle as a reminder of its greater past.
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