This is the second time running that the Algarve golf region gets the top spot, ahead of Turkey and Murcia, getting forty-three percent of the votes. On the whole the Algarve was also the one to get the most awards – six in total.

This means that the Algarve also got the top awards in categories such as Best Golf Course in Portugal and Best Hotel/Resort in Portugal – the awards went to Oceanico Old Course in Vilamoura and Vale do Lobo respectively.

The award-winning Oceanico Old Course – located in the heart of Vilamoura – is one of the oldest courses in the region and is well-known all around the world. The Oceanico Golf CEO was thrilled with the news of winning the award and commented that it is testament to the hard work of the entire team that works there. It would indeed appear that many golfers continue to grace its perfectly maintained classic layout, despite the very strong competition from newer courses.

The president of the Algarve Tourism Board also commented on the new awards saying that the Algarve golf has around forty golf courses and that more than one million rounds are played on these coruses each year. That’s not a coincidence, the courses having garnered many international awards during the years and these latest ones only add to the reputation of the region.

Today’s Golfer has only been giving out the Travel Awards for two years, however the magazine reaches more than two-hundred thousand British golfers each month in total, and that is the most important tourist market for the Algarve, not necessarily the golfers – although they are important – but the UK market in general.

We’ve talked about, and most likely we’ll continue to talk about the wonderful weather, beaches and culture of the Algarve in the future, but today we’ll focus on things that are less obvious, although just as popular once you get there.

Boat trips

Considering the size of the coastline and the weather, one should think these are a given but you’d be amazed how many people just think of the beach as their main go-to activity – or lack of activity. You can take a variety of pleasure boat trips from many of the resorts and towns on the coast. This way you can get to see some of the wonderful cliffs and hidden beaches and grottos.

Fishing trips

Yet again, those who are interested in fishing will head for the Algarve for this reason, rather than the beaches and great weather – although the weather helps with their pass-time as well. This is a region rife with big game fishing, and Portimao hosts daily fishing trips between June and September.

Check out a colorful Algarve market

Across the entire region there are regular market days and times being held. They all depend on the town or village that you’re in or near to because there is something quite wonderful about seeing one of these markets live. There are even tourist markets held in some places, such as the one held in Loule on Saturday mornings.

Golf

The Algarve is one of the best destination for golfing enthusiasts of all ages and experience level. The large number of sunny days combined with the large number of top-notch golf courses makes the region a Paradise for golf players.

This has been just a quick introduction to what the Algarve really is, for more information check out the rest of the website and don’t forget to consider our Algarve car rental services when you’re planning a trip to the region.

Well while in the summer its high temperatures and warm waters definitely attract the most of its visitors, one should also be aware that during the winter season, while most of Europe is encased in rain, snow or ice, or all of them, the Algarve is still wonderfully sunny.

In fact for quite a few potential visitors the winter season is by far the best time to see what the Algarve has to offer thanks to several reasons, not least of which being the considerably lower prices than those that you’d find during the summer peak season.

Golfers enjoy the Algarve already, thanks to its large number of top-notch golf courses, the place is that much better during the winter season because the weather is great during the daylight hours to spend on a course. This wouldn’t be possible in the summer season except for those very accustomed to those types of temperatures.

Winter in the Algarve is great for those who don’t like visiting crowded places, because usually the region is quite crowded, however in the off-season the number of tourists is almost negligible, which makes for a much quieter and easier time, getting access to attractions and the like.

Despite it being winter though, the water might actually be acceptable to those who love a chilly dip, however you can totally be lucky enough to get some sunny days which will actually allow you to lounge on the beach for a bit of a tan, it can happen.

Whether you’re choosing this period to explore a new location, or whether you want to see how places like Albufeira, Carvoeiro or Vilamoura are during the winter, keep our Algarve car rental services in mind while on your winter Algarve holiday.

The Algarve is amongst those holiday destinations that is popular not only during the summer but also during the winter, and that is due to quite a few reasons, one of them being the fact that it is located firmly on the European continent – which makes it relatively easier to visit from within the continent, and the fact that it features a lot of golf courses – but more on that later.

The reason for the region’s popularity during the winter and autumn is mainly due to the fact that even during these seasons the temperatures during the day will rarely go below fifteen Centigrade, but on average it’s usually above that. Considering how in most of the rest of Europe at the same time temperatures during the day are below zero, one can understand the appeal just from that stand-point alone.

While the Atlantic can be a bit on the chilly side of things – although there are always some thrill-seekers who enjoy the colder waters – one can still get quite a few solid hours of sunlight during any given day which will allow for some beach-side lazing.

Going back to the golf for a bit, the Algarve is a well-known destination for golf enthusiasts, it has somewhere in the region of thirty great golf courses which span the entire range of experience. Golfers love engaging in their favorite pass-time at any time of year that’s true, but when they can do it in great circumstances during the winter, well that’s just an extra incentive to visit the region.

Keep our Algarve car rental services in mind when visiting the Algarve during autumn and winter breaks.

The history of this once tiny hamlet isn’t very well known till around the middle of the 13^th century when the Moors conquered it and placed it under the control of the larger nearby Silves. The hamlet later become an official town, only for it to be mostly destroyed during the earthquake of 1755. however the settlement continued on, becoming an administrative town in the area which lived off agriculture, in the past. This is a very short Lagoa guide, meant to give you a better idea of the place’s history as well as present.

One of the main attractions of modern-day Lagoa comes from the start of the 19^th century when the parish church was inaugurated, however there’s an older church, the Igreja de Misericordia which dates to the middle of the 18^th century. The parish church features a very pleasant Baroque facade which is enhanced during the months of May and June when the surrounding jacaranda trees blossom. There also a war memorial erected nearby which pays tribute to the Lagoan soldiers who fell during the African colonial wars.

One other interesting building in the city is the Convento do Sao Jose which was built in 1713 and managed to survive the 1755 earthquake. Nowadays the building is used as a place to exhibit various art collections as well as house a small theater for cultural events. The building has an intriguing little feature in the style of a turn-box door, which was used to pass unwanted babies to the nuns in the convent. The mother would place the baby and any other small possessions on a shelf in the box and talk through a small aperture with the nun on the other side. The revolving door meant that the baby would reach the nuns without the mother having to show her face. Just a little piece of the curious history around this building and town.

During the month of August, the town plays host to a major commercial and rural produce fair named Fatacil. The fair exhibits products from all across the country, not just the region. This turns into a more major event because it offered something of an excuse for national bands and singers to do what they do best.

We mentioned earlier something about wine. During the months of September and October, the country lanes are packed to bursting with trucks and carts which shuttle freshly-picked grapes to the various wine-makers from the fields. The majority of the wine produced here is red and high in alcohol content, usually aged in a solera under a film of flor yeast which imparts a nutty character to the wine, making it taste something like a fine sherry.

The surroundings of the town are very interesting to explore as well, for instance the nearby town of Estombar is an even older settlement. This is where the famous 11^th century Arab poet “Ibn Ammar” lived and is a place of many legends related to subterranean passages stretching for up to twelve kilometers.

The nearby beach of Carvoeiro is located just a few kilometers south of Lagoa and its claim to fame being that it is amongst the most photographed and painted scenes in the entire region of the Algarve. This place too, used to be a simple and small fishing village, but thanks to investment from tourism development in recent years, it has grown into a fully-fledged holiday resort. It now features two golf courses, a tennis complex and even a riding centre nearby. Also close-by is Porches, a small town well-known for its very high-quality potteries and other hand-painted ceramics.

It should be noted that both these destinations can be relatively easily accessed from Lagoa with the help of some Lagoa car hire services. Also a near by is Portimao and Lagos that are very interesting to visit as they have many options for the shopping and for the night life.

Whether you’re planning to spend your entire trip here, or you’re just interested in visiting the place, our Lagoa transfers from Faro Airport can be employed to bring you here and back again, whether it’s to the airport or some other of our available locations, nothing could be easier.

One of the main reasons why Portugal is such a popular holiday destination is its absolutely wonderful climate. The average summer temperature hovers around thirty degrees Centigrade and while that may not sound like anything special since in the summertime it’s hot in most temperate zones and most of Europe.

The great weather is just part of Portugal’s popularity

There are so many other factors which make it a great holiday destination

Portugal Beach

It deserves mention that in those regions the average temperature might jump well over thirty and that makes for a solid amount of discomfort so an average summer temperature of thirty is great. Also coupled with this is the average winter temperature in Portugal which never falls below fifteen degrees Centigrade very often, and while that may not sound like anything special, one has to consider the average temperature in the rest of Europe during the winter months in order to truly appreciate it.

Now the great weather would be enough of a pull to visit a foreign country but that’s hardly the only thing that attracts people to Portugal, its other great feature is its eight hundred and fifty kilometers of coastline which offer some of the best beaches and resorts on the globe.

While the entire country has many attractions and interesting sights, when it comes to the best combination of weather and geography, that would be the Algarve region, which is situated in the southernmost part of the country.

The Algarve itself is possibly the most visited region in Europe, if not the world, and for good reasons because it features the most spectacular beaches possibly on the entire Mediterranean coast.

There are several places where you can start your Portugal adventure, however some of the more popular arrival destinations are Lisbon, Faro and Madeira. Their airports are very accessible from pretty much anywhere else in Europe or the rest of the world so that is part of why they are popular. The other part has to do with the fact that they themselves are interesting places to visit on their own, Faro for instance being used as something of a gateway to the Algarve for many tourists but it is also an attraction on its own.

The whitewashed buildings and cobbled streets coupled with plenty of museums make for a great introduction to the country as well as a good stepping-off point for other destinations in the Algarve region.

Portugal offers a lot of holidaying option to its visitors and it has something for everyone, it all depends on what it is that you are looking for when traveling to a foreign country. If you’re interested in lounging on a beach, soaking in the sun and enjoying some water sports then surely you can find it here; if you’re interested in having a more family-oriented relaxing trip in which you can explore the country’s culture, traditions and history, Portugal has that as well; if you happen to be a golfer, the Algarve region especially has over thirty world-class golf courses which await your swing.

Whether it’s summer or winter in your home country you can rest assured that the weather in Portugal will be at least fair and depending on what your goals and preferences are you can surely find a region or a particular place in the country that satisfies them, so make sure to strongly consider Portugal as the destination for your next holiday.

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The Algarve is a great destination for all those who are passionate about golf.
The sport of golf has been growing in popularity over the past decade or so, with all age groups. Although it used to be something that only middle-aged and older people used to do, golf has become a much more popular pass-time now with the younger generations as well and this has made the golfing holiday a much more common reason for people to visit new places around their country or indeed the world.

Algarve Golf Courses

Explore the more than 30 golf courses in the Algarve region

The Algarve allows you to work on your swing and on your tan

Algarve Golf

When it comes to European golf resorts the possible area of choices increases each year however there is one place that has remained a favorite with golfing enthusiasts for a couple of decades now and that is only getting more and more popular now considering more and more people are getting into golf, that place is the Algarve.The Algarve is the name given to a particular region in the southern part of Portugal; this is an area world renown for its climate, offering almost year-round sunshine, and wonderful, long stretches of clean white sand beaches. However another reason for its popularity, albeit within a certain portion of tourist, is the fact that the Algarve is home to over thirty world class golf courses.

The other main pull of the area is its weather, while great for those interested in having fun in the sun and sand, it is also great for those who want to work on their swing as it will allow them to play gold during periods of time when it would otherwise be too cold to do so in their native countries. For instance during the winter, the golf courses of most of Europe are impracticable due to either excess rain or snow, however in the Algarve, barring a couple rainy days here or there, the weather is almost always conductive to a good golf game, even during the winter months.

But as if that wouldn’t be enough to be enough of a magnet to golf enthusiasts from across the continent and indeed the world, the true kicker is that most if not all of the courses are within a maximum two hour drive away from any main resort or city in the region, which means that if you have a car at your disposal you can pretty much golf on any course that you want.

Not everyone will have a car at their disposal however, but considering how important golf is in the area it shouldn’t come as a surprise that special services have appeared around the need for golfers to enjoy their activity. One such services is called a golf transfer and is very similar to an airport transfer, in that instead of taking you from the airport to your accommodation, it instead takes you from one place to any golf course that you want, and back of course if you wish it so.

These types of services are not the only golf-related services that you’ll find in the region either, golf club hire services being something to consider as well but if you’re planning a strictly golfing trip, golf transfers make a lot of sense as they can have you to and from any golf course in the region in a matter of minutes so that you can make your tee-off times and then back to make dinner time at one of the great restaurants that populate the entire region.

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Algarve Golf – CS Alamos Golf