Algarve: Travel and tourism

The southern coastal region is a popular tourist centre, being chosen as a holiday destination both by foreigners and the portuguese themselves. A warm climate throughout the year, a coastline of splendid beaches bathed by warm waters and all types of accommodations and diversions for visitors account for this, but you can still avoid the crowds and visit picturesque fishing villages or the ranges of hills in the inland, with its rural way of live and wild vegetation.

For those who seek animated seaside resorts, Faro (the provincial capital), Portimão, Albufeira or sophisticated Vilamoura, with its luxurious golf courses, are good choices.

If you prefer more tranquil destinations, head for the west coast, facing the Atlantic and where towns like Aljezur still offer long, deserted beaches, or visit busy fishing and market towns like Olhão, or the pretty, quaint village of Alcoutim, near Alentejo and Spain.

Most towns and villages still bear the legacy of five centuries of arab rule, visible in their narrow streets and the houses' styles, many of which present whitewashed chimneys with diferent shapes and geometric designs.