Situated in the eastern part of the Algarve and in the south of Portugal, it is one of the relative few inland resorts but despite this it still features a beach, thanks to the river. The city proper offers a lot of interesting features including accommodations, gastronomy and various events. The city’s surroundings are also very rich with opportunities thanks to places like the Vila Real de Santo Antonio and Castro Marim to name a few of the major ones.

This part of the region is great for those holidaymakers who are interested in the region’s history, but not exclusively, as the traditions, sights and outdoor activities can appeal to almost anyone, so this is our little Alcoutim city guide, to give you an idea of what to expect.

Alcoutim city Portugal is located at about forty kilometers distance of Vila Real de Santo Antonio and there has been some type of establishment around these parts for about four thousand years, thanks to its rich deposits of copper, iron and manganese.

The settlement grew in importance during Roman times thanks to these resources and it continued to do so during the Medieval period; the remains of a 14^th century castle which overlooks the city can be visited, they house now a small archaeological museum.

The geography in this region is very hilly, and Alcoutim is itself a hillside town. It retains many of its more Medieval characteristics, in the sense that there are small squares and cobbled streets, but there’s also a paved promenade along the river front which is in turn populated by restaurants and cafes.

The church that you can fin near the river front was initially built in the 16^th century, however it required several reconstructions throughout the intervening centuries. The river is also quite narrow here which allows for a lot of sailing boats and other river craft to float gently.

Even if you will not be staying in Alcoutim you should still consider visiting it, and thankfully there are many Alcoutim city transfer from Faro Airport available if you’re interested. Of course the other option would be to employ some Alcoutim city car hire services and just drive in and around the place at your own leisure.

The town itself is worthy of a visit, but if not for that, then at least to see the unspoilt countryside that you’ll pass through on your way here. The region as a whole is quite different from the general view of what the Algarve is, but yet it is part of the Algarve, and is part of the wide range of diversity that the south of Portugal offers its visitors. It’s a very peaceful place and the green hills make it a wonderful area to walk around. It is interesting to note how completely different it is from the south coast beach resorts, even though it is only at a bout half an hour’s drive away. The rolling, green hills create quite a different type of Algarve experience.

The places around described in this Alcoutim guide are quite interesting as well, Pereiro and Martinlongo being two of the other destinations, and the picturesque town of Mertola can all prove to be interesting places to visit.

Towards the south of the town you’ll find the historically important town of Castro Marim which features the ruins of a Moorish castle as well as those a 17^th century fort, both of which were built in order to protect the border with Spain as well as to guard the ships which used the river. The castle now offers some great views of the salt pans, the Castro Marim Nature Reserve and of course Spain.

It is clear by now that the north-eastern region of the Algarve is quite different from what the general idea bout the region is, however this doesn’t make it any less interesting or alluring; it’s a wonderful place to visit and roam around the countryside and small towns – keep in mind that a rental car might be a good idea.

Portugal is a very popular tourist destination amongst Europeans and Brits especially, but oftentimes most of the attention is directed at the southern region of the Algarve as that is the most popular, but the northern regions shouldn’t be overlooked when planning a trip there. The city of Porto for instance, is located in the north of the country and is a rather interesting tourist destination for several reasons.

 

The city of Porto

Porto Portugal

The city is most well known for the fact that it has given its name to a type of wine made from the local vineyards, the world renown Port wine, but Porto is a busy industrial and commercial center as well as being quite a great place for a holiday.

The city is built along the hills which overlook the Duoro river estuary and it has been continuously inhabited since at least the 4th century, the Romans referring to it as Portus Calle.

The city has always benefited from great weather, even though due to the influences of the Atlantic ocean it is considerably cooler than other cities within the same climate type; this has also made it a mercantile city and this is most evident in the style of the buildings which line the Avenida dos Aliados which is at the center of the downtown area. As opposed to most other old centers in Portugal who tend towards the Baroque style of architecture, the old center of Porto is populated with monumental granite buildings which reflect the increased wealth of its inhabitants.

Historically speaking, the city is known to some as “a Cidade Invicta”, which means the invincible city, a title bestowed upon it by Porto’s resistance against Napoleonic troops during the Peninsular war.

The city’s main tourist attractions can be found off the Avenida dos Aliados, the Rua Santa Catarina and the Rua Clube dos Denianos.

Another idea would be to start your sightseeing in Porto with the river front Ribeira area, where you can join cruises on the Duoro river in traditional boats which were once used to ferry the wine from the vineyards. On a nearby hilltop you’ll find the 12th century Porto Cathedral which resembles a fortress and then after visiting that you can straight up hit the Praca da Ribeira which is a short walk away. In order to get some great views of the city you should also visit the Torre dos Clerigos which is also close to the Avenida dos Aliados.

As far as the architecture of the entire city goes, Porto is rather varied, with medieval and modern structures side by side but while it is pleasant to the eye, the city’s geography can be a bit hard on one’s feet since it is built in a hilly region and in fact several buildings are actually built into the cliff face which overlooks the river.

The locals are very friendly to outsiders, they are actually known in the region as Tripeiros because it is said that the entire city subsisted on tripe soup so that all the meat could provision the fleet left to conquer Ceuta in 1415, tripe soup has remained a specialty of the city till this day.

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The Spanish city of Alicante is probably one of the fastest-growing cities in the country, mostly due to it being a very popular tourist destination seeing not only lots of visitors from within its own borders but also quite a lot from the rest of Europe.

Enjoy the sun, sea and sand in Alicante

Alicante has something for everybody

Alicante is indeed a very popular tourist destination, however it should also be noted that it is also a historic Mediterranean port city as well, and as such it is also a commercial town with services and public administration playing an important role in its economy.

Costa Blanca

Alicante is endowed with great weather and some of the best beaches in the world, the beaches of the Costa Blanca, however it is also an important wine producer as well, the region being known for growing the Moscatel and Monastrell grape varieties.

The area in and around the city of Alicante has been inhabited by many thousands of years and the first fortified settlement came about in the 3rd century BC during the wars between Carthage and Rome.

Since that moment, the settlement continued to expand regardless of the leadership of the region which changed hands quite a few times in the following millennia. However the city couldn’t have maintained its status and continue to develop if it didn’t constantly change and adapt itself to the economic realities of any particular era.

For instance, a relatively recent example of this is how the port of Alicante transformed itself into on of the most important cruise ports in the country after most of its mercantile traffic was attracted by the nearby Valencia harbor.

Due to it being a port city one has to assume that it also has access to a certain amount of beach area, and that assumption would be rather correct. Alicante actually has a beach located at the center of the city, it is called Postiguet Beach and while popular during the day, once night falls it all becomes a bit of a surreal sight as it is illuminated by sodium street lights. That’s just one example of course, a little bit farther away you’ll find the San Juan Beach which is seven kilometers long and is considered to be one of the best in the country.

However Alicante offers much more to its visitors than just great beaches, in fact it features quite a few great attractions starting with the Castle of Santa Barbara, one of the largest medieval fortresses in the country. The fortification was built in the 9th century by the Moorish conquerors of the region, another similar attraction albeit more recent is the Castle of San Fernando which is located on Tossal Hill. Some other sights that you may be interested in visiting are the Concatedral de San Nicolas de Bari and the Baroque-style Casa de La Asegurada.

Depending on your goal when visiting the city you can either rent a car in Alicante or make use of some Alicante transfer services in order to get from the airport to your accommodations or anywhere else around the region, rest assured that you will not regret the flexibility of having a car at your disposal during your stay there.

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Get a quick idea of what you should expect from your holiday trip to the Algarve, the region’s main characteristics, features and attractions, it’s so much more than simply sunny weather and white beaches.

Travelling to the Algarve

Things to see and do in the Algarve

Algarve

The Algarve is a world renowned travel destination being one of the top European destinations for those individuals who are looking for the warmth of summer all year long. This region of southern Portugal is popular due to many features, one of them being the great weather of course, but this is compounded by the over two hundred kilometers of clean beaches, clear water and not to mention a very diverse culture and heritage.

The region is also very diverse when it comes to the attractions that it offers its visitors, whether you are looking for a calm and tranquil holiday resort on the ocean coast or you are more interested in the idea of partying and the nightlife, you can find either of those option in the Algarve, as well as everything in between and more.

Those individuals who are into outdoor-type activities will be glad to know that the region has other geographical features besides white sandy beaches, it has coves, capes, cliffs, mountains and valleys, and many, many hiking trails, so whether you prefer to trek on foot, via bike, or with the aid of some type of motorized vehicle the Algarve will not disappoint.

Now if you thought those were enough reasons for most people to start seriously considering the Algarve as their next travel destination here is another reason that will absolutely clinch the deal for some of those yet to decide. The Algarve is the premiere golfing destination in Europe and arguably in the world, featuring over thirty world class golf courses, all of them within an easy one or two hour drive from any of the main resorts, no golf enthusiast will want to miss this opportunity.

These are only a short description of what the Algarve has to offer in regards to tourism potential, they only scratch the surface as it were and we haven’t talked at all about the diverse culture of the region, its interesting history, or the various places that you can visit while on your trip there. Not to mention the great and varied local culinary options that are available in any city, resort or village that you might find yourself visiting during meal time.

Algarve Beach

As mentioned earlier the region is a very popular tourist destination, in fact its population tends to triple during the peak of the holiday season, receiving up to seven million foreign tourists during this period and up to three million Portugal residents, so it is indeed a popular and depending on your choice of resort it could be rather crowded during this period. Of course some people enjoy it but even in this case you will want to book your accommodations earlier in the year so as to make sure that they will be available and not as expensive as they would be during the peak time.

The same advices would also apply if you are planning to use some Algarve car hire services while on your trip there, booking in advance will pretty much assure that you’ll have the type of car that you need available for you during your stay.

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The Unknown Algarve

The Algarve region of Portugal has been for years one of the most popular holiday destinations in the world. Algarve, Portugal is the destination of choice for good reasons: good weather year-round, very little rain and warm temperatures during the winter season, making the Algarve the best place to be.

Read the rest of article : Why Algarve, Portugal