Alvor

Alvor
At a short distance from Portimão (about 5 km), Alvor is a pictoresque little town which retains the peculiar charm of its white houses with colourful trims and bright boats anchored at the Ria (estuary).

It is an ancient town, having known its days of glory during the Arab occupation.

It was promoted to the category of town by king John II (who died here) and lived a period of development and of some prosperity; it is now a peaceful place, characterized by the quiet way of life of the local population devoted to fishing and to cultivating vegetables.

Its narrow and irregular streets form a labyrinth which is worth exploring with leisure in order to fully appreciate the town and its people, so characteristic of the Algarve.

The local inhabitants are known for their accent, marked by resonant vowels, and by the famous «curses» which they were apt to improvise.