Tag Archives: olhao
How to pay the Algarve A22 tolls
We’ve been talking about the Algarve A22 tolls that have been sparking a lot of talk and protests in the region but we haven’t actually talked about how to pay the A22 Algarve tolls, so this article is meant to cover that from the view-point of a tourist or visitor to the region.
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.
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.
Olhão guide
The city of Olhao is located in the eastern part of the Algarve, not far away from the capital of Faro, and is the largest fishing port on the Algarve coast. Similar to the other Algarve cities and resorts Olhao is rich with Moorish-style houses, however having been a port city for so long, it also shows influences from Africa thanks to its commercial links to the northern African coast.
Although the city was first mentioned in a document in 1378, it only became an important town during the 19th century, however it was sufficiently important in the 17th century to need the building of the fortress of Sao Lorenco in 1679 to protect it from pirate raids. Our short Olhao guide will try to give you a bit of an idea of what to expect from this town of many faces.
We said many faces because depending on where you approach it from, Olhao, Portugal will look different. For instance if you approach it from the side where the fishing port is located, it will look very industrial, and hence not extremely attractive to tourists. However if you’re driving to Olhao along the water front road then you’ll get a different view altogether. You can use Olhao transfers from Faro Airport to get here right from the airport.
