Find out more about the Towns and Villages of the Algarve courtesy of Visit Portugal, including a brief description and history, and Where to Eat and Where to Stay.
Click on the Town & Village names below to find out more...
Portugal’s Algarve isn’t short on tourist attractions. The natural beauty of the region draws millions of visitors each year to enjoy its golden shores, amazing surf, colourful festivals, fantastic food and some of the best sports and leisure facilities in the world. But, behind the well-promoted resorts and events, the Algarve is keeping more than a few beautiful secrets from the average holidaymaker.
Did you know? The Peter Pan of Pop, Sir Cliff Richard, has a villa and vineyard just outside the village of Guia, near Albufeira. And, if Sir Cliff needs someone to water his vines while he’s on tour, he has several neighbours to help him out, including former Chelsea football manager Jose Mourinho, footballers Alan Shearer and Paul Scholes, and legendary singer Bonnie Tyler.
Did you know? Karting Almancil is home to the replica of the former Formula 1 Jacarepaguá circuit in Brazil. The Almancil circuit was launched by former Brazilian racing driver Ayrton Senna, who won three Formula One world championships.
Visitors can take either a 200cc kart around the 760 meter racetrack or, for the more experienced drivers, there are high performance 390cc karts to take for a spin.
Tranquillity prevails in Altura, a purpose-built resort on the Eastern Algarve, with considerably less rowdy crowds, international pubs and discos than other big towns along the coast.
Indeed, the laid-back vibe is why many choose to invest in property in Altura. It has less of a holiday resort feel and more of a home feel to it, attracting many couples and young families who love the great outdoors and activities such as golf, snorkelling, scuba diving and windsurfing.
Did you know? Alvor is an important location in Portugal’s history, as King João II died there in 1495. João II was dubbed The Perfect Prince; he was the king of Portugal and the Algarves from 1481 to 1495 and was regarded as one of the greatest Portuguese rulers. Known for re-establishing the power of the Portuguese throne and bolstering its economy, João II is also celebrated for being responsible for recommencing the exploration of Africa and the Orient.
Armação de Pera is an old fishing port which has become a favourite resort among Portuguese holidaymakers. Although very busy during high season, throughout the rest of the year it's quite the tranquil retreat, which many expats now call home.
Due to its continuous expansion, Armação de Pera has no one single town centre, but rather numerous little hives of activity with shops, restaurants and bars, many of which are located on the ground floor of the town's plentiful high rises.
Carvoeiro is no high rise resort, but it does boast many contemporary properties in the new residential areas that have popped up as the town continues to expand. Historically, the town played a part in Roman history and the naval industry which is reflected in its original architecture.
Although there is no big city centre, there are plenty of shops scattered throughout town, many of which are catered towards the expat Carvoeiro property owners so you can expect to be able to buy groceries from home and Western Europe.
