The Algarve has been the (un)crowned capital of world wide golf. International tournaments, contests and golfing holidays are all organized here, by the sunny, mild shores of the Atlantic Ocean, in a dreamy landscape, swayed by the gentle breeze. The destination is appealing and accounts for the great popularity of Portugal among the British, the Dutch or the French, passionate by this regal sport.

There are dozens of internationally acclaimed golf courses in Portugal and particularly in the Algarve, in cities like Albufeira, Portimao, Quinta do Lago, Lagos or Alvor. Names like Millenium, Morgado, O’Connor or Victoria definitely ring a bell to those passionate about golf!

Exciting News for Algarve Golf: New golf course in Silves

Silves already has a big golf course: Silves Golf, but with talk of building a new one having reached the phase of public consultation in the Silves council, the city must get prepared to welcome more golfers and tourists altogether.

The name of the new course is Campo de Golfe da Feitoria Fenícia. The submitted project describes an 18-hole golf course and a great club-house with the associated area and parking lots, covering a total ​​61.90 hectares in and around the Silves land.

Certainly, the building of this new venue will bring substantial revenue, boosting the local economy, but public consultation is meant to raise awareness about the impact the new golf course will have over the society and environment.

Feitoria Fenícia Lda endeavor to shed some light on their own website, describing the activities of their (yet unbuilt) project: sports, agri-tourism, construction of a hotel and establishments, buying and selling of property.

The building spot is just west of Silves, towards the south of the EN124, beyond Parque Ribeirinho, easily accessible by car or using a private golf transfer.

Algoz hosts several events each year however, your best bet is to show up during monthly market day, because it is the largest in Central Algarve.

The village takes its name from an Arabic word which itself is derived from the name of an Asian tribe which dates back to the 12^th century. Despite its current spelling, it was seen on maps as recent as the 18^th Century as Algos.

The Algarve experience that you’ll be enjoying if you were to visit Algoz will be quite different than the ones that you’ll experience on the coast’s resorts; the small village has two banks as well as a solid selection of shops and a daily fish, meat and fruit market that is open until 1PM, so it’s a great destination for self catering individuals. Even non self-catering individuals will find it easy and cheap to eat in Algoz, the village has around ten restaurants, and most of them are dish-of-the-day type restaurants, where a three course meal with wine will cost you very little. Keep in mind that the restaurants tend to get busy with locals between midday to 3PM.

Simply walking through the village will allow you to see houses boasting some very elaborate stone carvings on parapet walls and round windows, thus showing that the village used to be inhabited by merchants in the past. You can find old oil presses and stone thoughts along the grass verges and there was also a public open air laundry which was closed in the 1990s.

The village centre features a very picturesque church with a clock tower and a cockerel weather vein.

Reaching Algoz, or other Algarve destinations, shouldn’t be difficult, with the help of our Algarve car rental services it can only be a few minutes distance from Armacao de Pera.

As opposed to most other potential visiting places that you’ll find in the Algarve, Silves is set on the banks of the Arade River, a charming town peppered with orange and lemon trees and deeply steeped in history.

Actually the town was a very affluent Moorish capital in the past, it was known as Xelb back then, and it was so important because it was the main access to inland Algarve, thanks to the river. Unfortunately that did not last very long because the river is now too silted up to allow for large vessels to use it.

In any case, what you definitely must take away from visiting this town is its most prominent monument, the Castelo de Silves.

This is now the best preserved castle in the entire region – so just for that you should schedule an Algarve low cost transfer to Silves, but that is not all.

The castle sits upon the hilltop, overlooking the town, and beside it you’ll find the local Cathedral. Going up to the castle will offer you some spectacular views from the battlements. The castle has eleven towers, two of which are barbicans, and somehow the thick walls have survived, enclosing an area of 12,000 square meters. Four of the eleven were rebuilt during the 14^th and 15^th centuries feature Gothic doorways. During the Moorish period, the castle was the residence of the lord of the city.

The nearby Cathedral of Silves is one of the few remaining Gothic monuments in Algarve that still have ancient tombs.

The overarching goal of this Fair is to offer to modern eyes, a view of what the city had been and how the world was those many centuries ago. Young and old, residents and tourists are all welcomed to this event which also plans to promote the country and the city to the world at large. And in the Algarve, you need to set yourself apart from the plethora of coastal resorts or quaint villages, by any means necessary, and a medieval fair will surely shine a bright light on Silves.

The Fair has grown quite a bit since its first edition in the 1996 when it was organized by the local School and the students, teachers and local school community were the driving engine behind the whole thing. Even by 2005 when the first official Silves Medieval Fair took place, it only attracted a relatively small number of visitors, but from that point onward it has garnered an increasing level of popularity.

This year the Fair will be reenacting the conquest of Silves by the Christians and this will surely prove to be quite the experience to all those involved as well as to those spectating.

MAP and event program for the Silves Medieval Fair

Besides all the activities and the medieval-style food that will populate the old town, the atmosphere will be further enhanced by the presence of a variety of artist groups around the city.

Much like the troubadours and jugglers or old, you’ll see groups of people dressed in medieval appropriate garb, singing, jumping, and engaging in all manner of medieval entertainment. This will only add to the layers of medieval charm that the city offers through its merchants, craftsmen and the like.

Events of Silves Medieval Fair start at 18:00 and finish around 01.00 AM and in case you want to have more information, visit the Silves Medieval Fair Facebook Page.

Make no mistake about it, you will love this even if you’re not into the Medieval Era, but honestly now, who isn’t?

DAILY EVENTS of Silves Medieval Fair:

» 18:00 Opening of the Medieval Fair and Parade and Broad Streets in Medina
» 18.30 Dramatization of the episode daily – Medina Square
»19.00 Reading Notice – City Gates
» 20:00 Arms Tournament Horse in silica (Evidence brave and valiant fighting prowess of the knights of Allah for the honor of exhibiting their loyalty to Isa Ibn Abi Hafs Ibn Alli, governor of Silves) – Al-Square Muthamid
» 20.30 Ceremonial of Ramadan -” Iftar “call to prayer – City Gates
» 21:00 Banquet at the Palace of Balconies – Castle
»22.00 Dramatization – Conquest of the City by the Christians in 1189 – Taking the Alcazaba – Castle
»22.30 Tournament Horse Arms in silica (Knights Crusaders and knights of King Sancho I will fight among themselves by looting the castle, making bets and claiming rights) – Al-Square Muthamid
» 24.00 Final Judgment – Largo’s Souq
» 1:00 AM - Closing of the Fair

You can enjoy the festival if you reach Silves where the main events are at:

Castelo de Silves
Rua do Castelo
Silves, Western Algarve

The settlement that is today known as Silves, has always been an important one in the region because thanks to its positioning, it lay at the entrance to the inland areas of the Algarve. Going there now, you can’t really see it, because the river is now too silted up to allow large vessels to travel it, but in centuries past, that was not an issue.

Any Silves guide is pretty much obliged to mention the most prominent monument in the city, namely the Castelo de Silves. This is now the best preserved castle in the region and it towers above the town alongside the nearby Cathedral. Being a fortress it was built on an overlooking hill, obviously so the views from the battlements are quite spectacular. The castle features eleven towers, two of them being barbicans, and its thick walls still enclose an area of about twelve hundred thousand square meters. Four of the towers were rebuilt during the 14^th and 15 centuries and as such feature Gothic doorways.

The defensive walls and towers which protected Silves have disappeared long ago, however one of the four gates still remains up, the Torreao da Porta da Cidade – the interior of the tower features two rooms and annexes in which you can now find the Municipal Library.

The earlier mentioned Cathedral is the Se de Silves one of the few remaining Gothic monument in the Algarve; it features ancient tombs and a network of old and narrow, cobbled streets will take you down into town from here.

One other both important and interesting monument that you must visit while here is the Cross of Portugal. This is a three meter tall limestone cross which dates back to sometime during the 15^th or 16^th century, you can find it to the right of the roundabout that takes you to the castle at the eastern end of the river front. This brings into discussion the method of transportation that you will be using while in Silves, and while you can reach Silves by using some Silves transfer from Faro Airport, you can also enjoy more of it and its surroundings with the help of Silves car hire services, but it all depends on what it is that you need from your transportation during your stay. For those who will have a car at their disposal during their trip, they should know that Silves has made some serious improvements to its road layout, so that the city maintains its picturesque quality while also allowing people to move around it at a decent clip.

The local town square, the Praca do Municipio features a lot of greenery, an unexpected amount for a town center actually. There are gardens, flowers and palms as well as a paved river front. The nearby swimming pool has a fitness area and an outdoor ‘play area’ for adults. The weather is definitely nice enough to encourage activities in the sun light.

Silves is a very relaxed city indeed, a great place to visit and enjoy the weather and local culture, especially when considering the large number of cafes and restaurants which offer outside seating. Simply walking around town will offer you a great experience since many old buildings have survived, these were built by rich merchants and are still in use, even if under different management.

The local gastronomy is definitely a major part of any trip to the Algarve, and visiting in Silves is no different. The city offers a good selection of places to enjoy some very tasty local dishes as well as wines.

The surroundings are just as interesting and in case you tire a bit from exploring the city, you can look into the option of boat trips to and from Portimao.

There are obviously many things to see and do while in Silves, much more than we can talk about in this article, rest assured that you will surely have a booked schedule once you’re there.

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.

Albufeira is one of the most attractive tourist resorts in Europe, being a peaceful and hospitable town, in spite of its tumultuous history. Because it was established near two thousand years ago, nowadays you can find here a perfect blend of gorgeous ancient and modern architecture, and a refined combination of beautiful nature and luxurious buildings. It is both a popular and universal resort, having a long beach and a wide variety of entertainment options, from museums and art galleries to nightlife clubs.

Lagos is one of the most impressive locations due to its attractive beaches and ancient buildings, and it offers amazing shopping opportunities. The oldest building is

around 550 years old and was constructed as a slave market. The town is well known for its famous statues such as the Sculpture of Dom Sebastiao or the Statue of Algarve’s

Saint Sao Goncalo de Lagos, and the city center is a place for various cultural events held all the year round. If you like yachting or water activities, since Lagos is the main port of Algarve region, you should visit the Marina where you can rent a boat or a yacht.

Silves is famous for its fascinating landscapes and for its ancient castle dating back to the Roman times, and also for the ancient culture on which it was built. There are

several important attractions: the Archaeological Museum which has an exposition of items that date back to the Stone Age, the stone bridge Ponte Romana, the statue of

Largo dos Martires and the 13th century cathedral.

If you don’t know how to get there, we have the solution for you. The Faro Airoport Transfers Service, you’ll get from the Airport to each of the regions mentioned above in no time and without any stress or waiting time.  The absence of a personal car is substituted by a service that grants you quality, safety, comfort, and above all time and money savings.

Put your worries aside and prepare yourself for the vacation of your dreams.

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.