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Some of the best and most beautiful beaches in the entire world are to be found in the Algarve. Hardly surprising then that the region is a favourite for sun-seekers from all over. They come in search of the natural heritage that is now managed in a sustainable fashion, in order to provide quality recreational facilities able to meet all kinds of requirements. There are beaches to suit every taste with the majority having gained due recognition in the form of the EU "Blue Flag" for quality standards.
Along its 200-kilometre coastline, the Algarve features all types of coves, cliffs and caves, its rocky beaches contrasting with broad expanses of sand. Different types of beach, but all bathed in the calm, warm seawaters of this coastline.
Equally attractive is the Algarve's mild climate all year round. From Odeceixe all the way to Vila Real de Santo António, the entire coast enjoys a Mediterranean-style microclimate with temperatures that vary from 15º C in winter through to 30º C in summer. The beaches of the Algarve thus represent the ideal choice for some truly invigorating holidays!
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Far from the clamour of the summer months, there is a peaceful Algarve, conducive to concentration and ideal for staging business meetings and incentive programmes. In an intimate setting with the facilities to provide the necessary comfort for demanding meetings between professionals, the Algarve is a key destination area within the sector of business tourism.
Benefitting from good air and land links with other parts of the world, as well as the vast range of four- and five-star hotels on offer, this area has become the capital of business tourism in the South of Portugal.
The region provides many options for having a good time between meetings. With a series of planned activities, evening entertainment and cultural events, the circle that cleverly combines business with pleasure is complete. |
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You do not have to wait until summer to come to the Algarve to take part in sports or other outdoor activities. Throughout the region, and all year long, you can interact with the natural environment by playing sport in the healthy and intoxicating atmosphere of the Algarve.
Be it at the ocean shore, in the Barrocal, or in the picturesque mountains, the Algarve brings together the perfect conditions that enable a huge range of marine, land and aerial activities; some just for fun, some more adventurous, others more radical still.
Apart from the fine geography and climate with which it is blessed, the Algarve is also equipped with the most diverse and modern infrastructure to support outdoor activities. As a result, the whole region is now firmly on the map of Portuguese sporting destinations.
The Algarve is a region where no one can remain unmoved by the traditions of its people, the lush exuberance of its countryside or the variety of its landscape. To discover this natural haven, with the thread of Moorish influence running through its history, nothing can beat following its footpaths or trails.
Your journey might begin alongside the long coastal strip, where the sea area is redolent with fishing customs and traditions, and end in the Barrocal, or in the inland Algarve.
Always an inherent part of the landscape, the historical footprint of past peoples reveals itself in an evocative journey on foot, on horseback, by bike or by jeep.
In this last option, there are safaris which pass through the Algarve mountains, through magnificent landscapes, on journeys that also take in tasting the traditionally prepared, and always delicious, regional cuisine.
On a calmer note, but not free from its own excitement, cycle rides or walks are organised in the Monchique forest, or midway up the slopes of the Caldeirão mountains. These trips allow you to discover a different Algarve, one that is rustic and gentle, and experience priceless moments in a natural setting
Horse-riding is another sport that can be enjoyed all year round in the Algarve at various locations and is another way the most seasoned traveller can explore the more hidden places in the mountains.
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The Algarve’s natural diversity is undoubtedly one of its greatest riches. Visitors can easily pass through different environments within the same landscape. From coastal regions to the Algarvian Mountains, there is a whole world of diversity to be explored and just as many different ways to do so.
On the coastline, an ecological system of awe-inspiring biodiversity – from native birds with proudly built nests, to molluscs and crustaceans which are the main source of revenue for seafood producers in the South – invites visitors to observe fauna and flora closely on pleasant trail walks.
Far from the wide beaches and steep cliffs, bright green mixes with shades of brown in the vast plains of the Barrocal region that invites the visitor to experience a different Algarve, one that is covered with orange trees and orchards of fig, carob and almond trees.
Here too, there are nature trails to follow. Miles and miles of landscape with special geological features – schist and granite-like rock – are here to be enjoyed in the tranquillity of the mountains among friends and family. |
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Much more than its magnificent beaches and favourable climate, the Algarve offers up its broad and diverse ethnographic heritage as a wonderful complement to its sun and sea. Indeed, such heritage justifies its very own consideration.
The Algarve is home to customs dating back centuries, traditions that have survived the ages in the company of the region's built heritage and can be enjoyed all year round. And the customs particularly come to life on the occasion of festivals (such as Easter, Christmas, Spring or many others) set against a backdrop of buildings dating back to both distant and recent times. Naturally, such dates include the very best of the regional cuisine.
Throughout the centuries, the Algarve's inhabitants have stood guard over a legacy that so richly deserves a closer look.
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A symphony of aromas
Discovering the extent of the Algarve's culinary range is a pleasure for anyone visiting the region. Simultaneously rich in flavours but unpretentious in preparation, the Algarve cuisine reflects both roots set deep in realities long since gone and a diverse set of influences, as is the case with so much of this region's heritage.
In a land of fishermen residing on the fringes of the Atlantic, fish and shellfish have always played a leading role in the kitchen. In many cases, the best recipes are those of fishermen who, over the centuries, have perfected the best means of sealing in all the natural flavour - ever so slow charcoal grilling. But yet there is much more.
There are many recipes in which the best of the sea's produce is cooked along with herbs, spices and other ingredients. The most famous is Clams cooked in the Cataplana, a copper utensil. Islamic in origin, the Cataplana is particularly effective in preserving delicate flavours.
However, the influences have come from all over. The inland region has also contributed to the Algarve cuisine with some wonderful recipes based on the local agriculture, wild herbs and plants, and the meats culled from the hillside pastureland.|
Now internationally famous, the cakes and desserts are the sweetest of delights! There is no holding out against the divinely produced specialities featuring their lavish dash of sugar and eggs in addition to the almonds, figs, oranges or carobs grown across the Algarve.
And, to accompany all this, there is the famous distilled spirit known as "Aguardente de Medronho", many fruit liqueurs and some fine regional wines.
This is the richest of legacies and one well cared for at any one of the many restaurants or traditional tasquinhas dotted across the region. |
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With almost 200km of coastline, the Algarve has landscapes that are so different that it is easy to find beaches with distinct characteristics which will satisfy individual interests.
Visitors with a passion for nature will find the Vicentine Coast a true sanctuary. Formed for the most part by grand escarpments, you can find well-preserved wildlife along this strip of coastline, where eagles and falcons are the main attraction.
The Barlavento region or Western Algarve is characterized by golden cliffs in extraordinary shapes which frame dream beaches. Amidst these beaches, there is a honeycomb network of caves and sharp rocks carved by the sea.
The Sotavento region or Eastern Algarve, on the other hand, is made up of expanses of sandy beach, interrupted only by the Formosa Estuary. Here, there are wide islands and sand spits which make for peaceful and delightful beaches.
A lot to choose from… and all with guaranteed quality, even by the most rigorous of standards. |
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This region has always proved attractive to settlers who down the ages have come here from a wide variety of origins and cultures. This has led the modern Algarve to retain very special characteristics that run throughout its people's way of life.
These special features are expressed in such distinct fields as Architecture (with the original chimneys standing out), Music or Gastronomy. Many such traditions have survived the ages and form a major attraction for visitors to the region. From the handicrafts, especially rich osier weaving and painted ceramics, to the very special way in which festivals are celebrated, you will find the rich heritage of a progressive region, which the local inhabitants take great pleasure in sharing with their visitors.
A particular attraction has proved to be the local music, heard throughout the region. From hotels to restaurants, from festivals to traditional celebrations, the typical Algarve dancing and singing celebrations, whose particular highlight is the "corridinho" folk dance, delight everybody with their infectious rhythm and pace.
As would naturally be expected, some of the Algarve's best traditions come directly from the sea. Take, for example, all the depth of the traditions to be found amongst the communities engaged in fishing and the gathering of shellfish.
Traditions that still convey their vibrancy to the delight of all visitors!
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