Praia da Bordeira is well-known for its winds and waves and that’s why it is so popular with wind and surf sports enthusiasts. So much so that not many actually go into the little village itself really, especially since the main road that goes into the village is rather new and people have not grown yet accustomed to it. The road is however, wide and planted with rows of palms and flowerbeds.

The small church cannot be missed and it is said that it has been standing since before the major earthquake that shook the entire region centuries ago. The inside of the church is quite stunning featuring a heavily carved and gilded wooden centre piece, the church being dedicated to the patron, our Lady of Incarnation.

The village of Bordeira is located in a basin that is surrounded by green countryside that is protected by the government.

As opposed to most other small villages in the region, which are whitewashed, Bordeira has many buildings that are painted with vibrant colours which accent the building’s features. The many small and stone cobbled roads are planted with orange and lemon trees thus giving the place a very traditional village feel, some of the houses sitting staggered high above one another.

The village is quite small so there’s just a café/bar and another restaurant used by the locals, as well as a shop. The village is a thriving little community with not many ruins because even what was once the communal bake oven/house has been converted into living accommodation.

Getting to Bordeira can be made that much easier with some Algarve car hire services.

The Olhao Seafood Festival is ongoing at the present time and will be so till the 15^th of August, so you could still make it there in time to taste some of the most delicious seafood that the Algarve has to offer, as well as appreciate some popular local live music.

Another culinary-centric event will be taking place in Vila do Bispo between August 23 and 25. This is the Festival do Perceve – barnacles’ festival – where the star of the show is the perceve, a species of goose barnacle very appreciated across the entire Iberian Peninsula. This festival complements the ones in Olhao and the Sardine Festival which ended on the 11^th.

By now you have missed the Silves Medieval Fair, which ended on August 11, however, you can set your medieval sights upon Castro Marim’s Dias Medievais, which will take place between August 22 and 25 at the town’s centre and its castle. This event too will include a plethora of tournaments, traditional games and all manner of activities related to the medieval era.

Then there’s the event which normally captivates a large number of people, Lagoa’s FATACIL, which takes place between August 16 and 25.

This event features around 600 exhibitors from the handicrafts, tourism, agriculture, retail and industry sectors not to mention great high-class entertainment such as concerts and equestrian displays.

These are just the major events that are still to take place in the Algarve, there are many more smaller parties, festivities and fairs around the region. The best way to see them is to employ some Algarve car rental services and check as many of them as possible.

The town is characterized by the Igreja Matriz which sits at top of the town with its twin bell towers, even though only one of them has bells in it. The main church is important more for the look of the twin bell towers, rather than it actually having bells in both of them. Also you can see the church from the road before you enter the town, so you can understand why the look is important.

The city features a great park with a children’s play area, and across the road of the park you can find the large indoor daily Municipal Market where you can find fresh fish, bread, fruit and vegetables. Going up towards the centre you’ll see many narrow streets, very typical of Algarvean towns.

The town centre features the main church that we talked about earlier, as well as a large cobbled square which offers some great panoramic views of the surrounding countryside. You can also find some good traditionally-decorated restaurants here and quite a few small bars with some outdoor terraces just off the church square.

The town also features a very well-known vineyard, Quinta dos Vales, a successful vineyard which produces award-winning wines which is owned by the artist and businessman Karl Heinz Stock – the vineyard is open to the public. You can also see life-size works from the artists here as well.

Just a bit further away you can find a well-known Donkey Sanctuary that offers housing to many unwanted pets.

Consider employing some Algarve car hire services if you want to check the place out.

Once you’re atop of the hill you’ll see the town becoming you to wander its beautiful streets and keep in mind that Ferragudo has only been an official town since 1999, so lots of the rural atmosphere is still here.

Ferragudo is quite a popular destination for many locals because of its Sunday flea market, set along the river Arade. But for those settling in for a few days or who want to take in the typical atmosphere, there’s always the large cobbled square – Praca Rainha Dona Leonor – which is full of cafes and a general great place to just sit, relax and watch the people buzz around you.

Sitting on the Arade and offering views dirreclty across to Portimao, the local port can be an attraction in itself when you see big cruise liners moored across the river almost as big as the buildings. Ferragudo was once a rather thriving fishing village and some of that activity is still there especially when it comes to the riverfront walkway where several restaurants offer great seafood dishes.

One attraction that you shouldn’t miss is the Sao Jao de Arade fort  which you can see in its full glory from the beach nearest the village – Praia da Angrinha. The fort originates from the 15^th century and has benefit from later additions during the 18^th century.

Then you can head towards the lighthouse and you’ll see many villas overlooking the coast and in case you’re into walking, the furthest beach is the Praia dos Caneiros which has some great coffee, but a bit expensive.

Keep in mind some Algarve car rental services for your visit to Ferragudo.

You may have heard of Guia, but only if you’re a very big foodie, because the place has become quite famous nowadays thanks to its great chicken piri-piri and its local wine. Back in the 16^th century when Portugal firs discovered the piri-piri pepper, it became a major trading item with other European countries. The Chicken piri-piri is believed to have started somewhere in Angola and Mozambique, but it is today world-known as one of Portugal’s national dishes, which in turn makes Portugal the biggest consumer of chicken in Europe.

The village features a number of windmills which have played a major role in the past of the region, having been a centre for the milling industry. These have been such an important part of the village that the mill is present on Guia’s coat of arms.

A well preserved windmill can be found on the grounds of the vineyards of Adeva da Cantor – the vineyard of the singer – this being the name Sir Cliff Richard gave to his enterprise, which has produced some award-winning wines in a few very short years.

Guia can be a good pit-stop, featuring a good daily covered market for fish and vegetables – for self caterers – as well as quite a large array of restaurants and café/bars.

For those employing some Algarve car rental services, you’ll be glad to know that the place has lots of parking just off the high street and there are also several ATM machines. For a more relaxed stroll you should stroll around the many back streets to gander at the cottages which feature brightly colored frontages and a couple of bigger houses with carved stone door and window surrounds.

The village is located on top of a hill and overs some great views over both the river and Portimao, so amateur photographers might want to give it a look just for this reason alone. The place is also the site of several archaeological finds, so those interested in the local culture and history shouldn’t miss it.

Those who are fans of seafood will thoroughly enjoy the Algarve, for certain, but Mexilhoeira’s past is deeply steeped in oysters, clams and mussels which are harvested from the mud flaps in the marshland below it. Entering the village will have you climbing a gentle slope with bronze statues of well-known locals greeting you on your way up.

The village has a very strong community spirit built up around its roots, and this is publicly demonstrated by the many tiled benches on which people rest that can be found outside one of the smaller village chapels. A large church graces the top of the village, its surroundings too feature seating areas which are usually occupied by locals chatting in the late afternoons. From this point in the village you can also snap some great panoramas of the river and the coast but don’t forget to take note of the 18^th century church doorways.

The village is small but it has quite a few good restaurants offering some great traditional fare for lower prices than Portimao. There are also several bars dotted around the place and there’s a mini market as well.

You might also want to consider visiting it for the local temperature because the village is a little cooler in the summer thanks to a breeze coming from the coast and settling throughout its narrow roads and one-way streets.

With some Algarve car rental services you can easily check the place out on a day-trip or more.

Being located very close to the much larger and much better-known town of Armacao de Pera, Pera is usually associated with it, the former being located directly on the coast and still featuring a fishing industry.

The village gets its name because it sits on sandy soil which is ideal for the growing of pears, a fruit that was rather popular between the 16^th and the 18^th centuries. Interestingly enough, the variety grown here wasn’t that great for eating, but instead they turned it into marmalade or sun dried them. Other fruits that proliferated in the region were carobs and grapes, so much so that the Pera village has the carob and the grape on its coat of arms.

The neighboring village of Alcantarilha still holds an annual fair dedicated to dried fruits during the first week of September. The fair is a typical Algarve celebration, you come for one thing but get a bunch of many others, such as live music and stalls selling home-cooked food, as well as the opportunity to try the local vintage.

Back to Pera now, you can expect to find quite a few cobbled stone streets and two churches, which means that the village isn’t as small as you might initially think. One was built back in the 18^th century, being set on the highest point of the village and offering some great views of the coast and the surroundings.

The village has a pretty solid daily indoor fish market, lots of smaller shops and many bars and local restaurants where you can eat on the cheap.

You can make Pera part of a day-trip or a tour of the Algarve if you use some Algarve car rental services.

The online travel site TripAdvisor – one of the most visited travel websites – has rated the Falesia beach in Albufeira as being the best beach in Portugal and the 18^th in a top 25 of European beaches.

Another Algarve beach that has been awarded as being the 22^nd in the top 25 is the Ponta da Piedare in Lagos, whilst Cascais beach in Lisbon is the second best Portuguese beach and 21^st on the European list.

When it comes to the Top 10 Portugal Beaches, as expected the Algarve beaches occupy most of the positions, with the Falesia in Albufeira taking the top spot – as we mentioned earlier, Olhos d’Agua being ranked fourth and five other following them, all of which are to be found in the Western Algarve. They are as follows:

Ponta da Piedade in Lagos

Praia da Rocha in Portimao

Praia Dona Ana in lagos

Praia da Luz in Burgau

Praia de Odeceixe in Aljezur

Albufeira was voted one of the top European beach destinations in 2012 as well, thanks to the great beauty of its beaches and the diversity which placed the entire municipality as 6^th in the Top 10 of Travellers’ Choice Awards.

We should also note that Albufeira was also given top marks for its good environmental practices and 20 blue flag beaches in the district.

So there you have it, in case you needed an extra boost to decide whether or not you’ll go to the Algarve for your next holiday, the visiting masses have decided and they’ve decided that the Algarve beaches are definitely worth your time.

And in case you want to see as many of them as possible, don’t forget to employ some Algarve car rental services while on your trip, they will serve you well.

Tavira Castle

The current castle was built in the 13^th century after the Christina re-conquest of the region, it used to be a Moorish stronghold before that moment, and you can easily understand why once you get there. The stunning panoramic views that it offers of the surrounding countryside means that the defenders in the fortress could see enemy troop movements from afar, nowadays however the place features a wonderful garden inside with shaded benches, how the times have changed.

Roman Ruins in Vilamoura

Vilamoura is the location of a very well-preserved Roman Site with a dedicated Museum meant to privde a great insight into the area’s Roman past. Vilamoura actually started as a Roman fishing town and you can still see the ruins of the baths in which the mariners would bathe.

Roman Ruins in Faro

Staying in the Roman era, Faro is one of the central destinations for Roman-related ruins and history to be found in the Algarve. The old part of the city is actually still surrounded by the Roman walls which date to sometime around the 9^th century, however by that time the town would’ve already been occupied by the Moors so that’s a bit odd and interesting at the same time.

Actually most of the Roman ruins in the region aren’t exactly in Faro, but in Estoi, which is a smaller town located at eleven kilometers from Faro. This is where you can find Roman ruins dating from the first and second centuries AD with thermal baths, columns, mosaics, and a very well-preserved villa.

Keep some Algarve car rental services in mind when visiting the Algarve.

This year’s Loule carnival will be socio-politically themed, “Troikered – The big circus” is its theme and the main Jose da Costa Mealha avenue will be the main staging ground for the floats and fun.

The Loule carnival is one of the oldest such events in Portugal and last year it saw somewhere around sixty thousand visitors during its three days. This year’s carnival will feature seventeen floats and hundreds of dancers and entertainers from samba schools and much more of course.

As has been the case with previous years, the revenue from the ticket sales will be donated to a local charity, so everything stays in Loule. The tickets will cost 2 Euro per person per day to gain access to the main avenue where the parade will start in each of the days from 3PM.

The public is encouraged to get into the spirit of the carnival and to either make or rent fancy dress costumes from the Loule town hall collection. Renting costs are just twelve Euros per costume from a store situated in Loule’s historic city centre that will be open in each of the carnival days, except for the 12^th.

But of course it wouldn’t be a carnival with just a parade every day, so the town hall has also organized several themed balls and parties alongside sporting and cultural events all throughout the municipality, so that as many people as possible can get involved in the fun. For instance, at 10PM on the 9^th of February, the NERA building will host a carnival party with live music and the theme will be ‘Wonderland’ as envisioned in Tim Burton’s “Alice in Wonderland” – tickets priced at 5 Euro per person.

So if you’re already in the region, use some Algarve car rental services to get a rental car and head on there to see what the whole thing is like.