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.

This is a great place for those who are interested in historical sites and Estoi will not disappoint in this regard. You’ll find an old palace with an amazing façade which also features some very picturesque old-style gardens.

Nearby you will find some Roman ruins dating from the first century, a very interesting place however make sure you don’t go there on a public holiday because it will be closed.

Sao Bras de Alportel

This is the definition of a market town, very well to do, located at about ten kilometers from Estoi, set in a wonderful almond growing area. In order to enjoy the area to its maximum you should try to visit from December to early March because that’s when the trees blossom.

The town has a very quaint 15^th century parish Church, featuring a wonderful façade and a great bell tower – featuring some great carving on their inside. The panoramic view from the terrace is quite stunning indeed. The building near the church used to be the bishops’ palace and it features a domed pavilion and a rather elaborate fountain.

Loule

Yet another market town – you’ll find quite a few of these while exploring the Algarve – this is a quite busy place, especially on Saturday mornings. However don’t be mislead by the town’s outskirts, which are very modern, you need to head into the centre to see the old town.

One of the main points of interest should be the picturesque cobbled street of Rua 9 de Abril where you will find crafts workshops where traditional artisans make all sorts of useful things.

You should also check out the Rua Garcia de Horta and if you’re visiting on a hot day, the Jardim dos Amuados.

These are just three of the several lesser known Algarve destinations which you can reach with something as simple as our Algarve car rental services.

Step back in time a few hundred years back to sometime between the 12^th and 14^th century and enjoy the particular atmosphere offered by the wandering troubadours, jugglers and barbecues and spit roasts at every couple of meters one from each other.

The Silves Medieval Festival takes place between the 9^th and 15^th of August in 2011 and is amongst the most popular festivals that the Algarve sees during the summer period and everybody can get into the action by hiring period costumes so as to better fit in with the rest of the medieval folk.

Silves Medieval Festival

Most of the activities that take place are free except for the jousting tournament and the wicked Black Knight which your children will surely want to see but there is only one show per night so make sure that you’re there when it happens. Talking of free, while in the Festival ground you will have to exchange your modern day Euros for the medieval currency of Xelbs; this can be done under the main gates and it’s all meant to add to the fun and immersion of the event.

Ideally you will want to grab dinner sometime around 7 PM as it will surely get really crowded after 9, despite the large number of places where you can eat rest assured that they will rapidly fill up at around that hour.

One could hardly find a better setting for such an event in the Algarve than the Moorish city of Silves its preserved old town and the castle play a huge role in taking you back in time.