Tag Archives: faro
Algarve historic sites (part 1)
We only rarely focus our attention on the many Algarve historic sites that can be seen and visited in this region, usually we talk more about beaches and festivals, but today we’ll change that with a quick look at some of the historic sites that you can find while on your Algarve trip.
Algarve history travel guide 3
Continuing our Algarve history travel guide we’ll head to the small and quirky town of Olhao where two of its oldest quarters feature some very exotic white cubist housing, quite unique in Europe. Similar dwellings can be found in North Africa, however the ones in Portugal feature some unusual modifications in the form of verandas and roof terraces.
Algarve health destination branding for the future
Algarve health destination
Most people will know by now that the Algarve is quite well known both in the Europe as well as all around the world for being a great tourist destination for those looking for sun, sand and wonderful weather all year-round.
That is still true however recently it appears that the Algarve will start being promoted as a health and wellbeing destination as well.
Portimao tourist attractions
Today we’ll be talking about Portimao tourist attraction, a subject that we haven’t really touched upon yet.
Portimao is one of the largest towns in the Algarve, alongside the likes of Olhao, or the capital Faro. As opposed to most other Algarve locations, Portimao does not get most of its revenue from tourism activities, instead it acts as more of a headquarters for those who want to visit the various nearby tourist resorts, however there are things to be done in Portimao as well.
Lesser known Algarve destinations
We usually talk about the major Algarve attractions but today we’ll be taking a look at some lesser known Algarve destinations and locations.
Estoi
This small town is located at only about ten kilometers from Faro, so easily reachable on any day of your holiday, and it is filled with many examples of traditional Algarvean country architecture.
Tavira guide
Tavira
The town of Tavira, Portugal is a beautiful and elegant settlement, some consider it almost surreal in some aspects of it. Tavira is still an Algarvian fishing town, that much stays the same, however visitors might find what they see at odds with that particular notion seeing how unique this town is from most of the surrounding resorts.
Just like the rest of the region, Tavira spent quite a few centuries under Arab rule, in this case it was between the 8th and 13th centuries, after which it was conquered by the Knights of the Order of Santiago in 1242. Then between the 16th and 18th centuries, Tavira was the main trading port in the region. As you can plainly see, a very rich history, and we’ll try to give you a general overview on the place with this short Tavira guide.
What makes the town of Tavira stand out from most of the other Algarve towns is that it managed to somehow stave off the influence of mass tourism and preserve its unique traditions and handsome character. Part of this character is the seven arch bridge which spans the Gilao river; while its current appearance dates from the 17th century, the bridge itself is believed to have been built by the Romans. Severe floods affected the bridge back in 1989 and ever since it has only been open to pedestrian traffic, so you can still get to cross it, only you’ll be doing it on foot and some might argue that this is a much better way.
