We have been spending many unforgettable summers at the Algarve - at Praia da Salema, to be exact. For many years we considered it our Summer Home. We did not fly there but drove there with our RV instead, which took us 3 days from Germany. It was part of the adventure, especially when the roads were not as streamlined as they are today. I hope to pass my excitement over to you. It is very easy to develop a "home" feeling with Portugal, and I must warn you: you might develop severe nostalgia and might want to return as often as possible! It sure is addictive.
The Algarve just invites an active holiday
Endless golden beaches, golf courses galore and an excellent range of land and water sports, the Algarve just invites an active holiday.Stretching for nearly 100 miles along the southern coast of Portugal, the Algarve offers a series of endless, perfect sandy beaches and coves. Whether you prefer company, or total isolation, it's always easy to find the stretch of beach to suit yourself!
Sports enthusiasts can indulge their passion with over 40 golf courses and plenty of opportunities to take part in watersports such as scuba diving and snorkelling Even the less energetic can indulge in the sport of shopping, at local colourful markets and the modern retail parks, all of which offer excellent prices compared to the UK.
A plate of freshly caught sardines, grilled on the barbecue, is almost symbolic of Algarve cuisine, while a day trip to the mountains should include a traditional chicken piri-piri lunch (hot or not so hot!) The Algarve boasts a wide selection of home-grown produce from olives to figs, oranges and almonds and, more recently, the area has produced innumerable international restaurants, all of very high standard.
There is a now a wide choice of low-cost, charter and scheduled flights operating daily into Faro Airport. With an improved road network, all accommodation is within 1 hour of Faro. Car hire can be arranged at Faro.
Travel to Faro
Check out Flights to Faro from your Home Airport
Portugal
An independent kingdom since 1143, Portugal is one of the oldest nations in Europe.The vast artistic, monumental and archaeological heritage makes Portugal the ideal location for history lovers.
Portugal has a fabulous reputation for being one of the most hospitable nations in Europe and this recognition coupled with Portugal's sunny climate has been encouraging holiday makers for many years. Portugal is the place to go for water sports, golf lovers and those who wish to relax on the stunning golden beaches.
Villas for YOU
Here is a selection of great villas all over the Algarve, all with pool! Offered by Hoseasons
About Hoseasons Villas
Hoseasons have over 60 years experience providing UK holidays. We have built on our strong culture of customer care and service and today we have over a million clients who travel with us every year.
Our brand new Villas with Pools programme will offer you an exciting experience when choosing your summer holiday. Hoseasons has been voted the UK's best tour operator in a number of areas, and this means that you can be assured of an exceptional depth of knowledge and professional service to help find your ideal holiday in the following countries:
Italy - France - Spain - Portugal - Malta
Our aim is to offer you exceptional handpicked villa accommodation. We offer something for everyone, whether it's a beachside holiday for the family or a relaxing break in the mountains. We believe our reputation speaks for itself and look forward to welcoming you on a Hoseasons European holiday soon.
Hoseasons Villas Click Here
Map of the Region: THE ALGARVE
Quinta das Raposeiras, Algarve, Portugal
Sleeps 3 in 2 bedrooms - 1 bathroom - pool
A rarity indeeed - a villa with private pool for just 2 or 3 people! Just 20 mins drive from the coast in the residential area of Quinta das Raposeiras, near the market town of Bordeira, this pretty cottage is ideal for couples.View details
Carvoeiro, Algarve, Portugal
Sleeps 3 in 1 bedroom - 1 bathroom - pool
Superbly furnished and well equipped one bedroom townhouses on a small, select 5 star complex with air conditioning. Extensive communal lawned gardens, large swimming pool and gym/jacuzzi. Just 5 km from beaches of Carvoeiro.View details
Almancil, Algarve, Portugal
Sleeps 4 in 2 bedrooms - 1 bathroom - 1 shower room - pool
Very well equipped and tastefully furnished, air conditioned villa, just 2km from the shops and restaurants of Almancil and 10 min drive from the beaches.View details
Vale do Lobo, Algarve, Portugal
Sleeps 5 in 2 bedrooms - 2 bathrooms - pool
A small group of two bedroom linked houses, managed by the prestigious Ria Park hotel, with use of all hotel facilities, including pools, children's club, shuttle bus to beach etc.View details
Santa Barbara de Nexe, Algarve, Portugal
Sleeps 6 in 3 bedrooms - 2 bathrooms - 1 shower room - pool
This attractive villa stands in extensive private grounds just 1 km from the village of Santa Barbara and enjoys superb sea views from its terraces and private pool.View details
Areias, near Almancil, Algarve, Portugal
Sleeps 6 in 3 bedrooms - 1 bathroom - 1 shower room - pool
This tastefully renovated old Portuguese villa stands in its own private grounds with private pool in the countryside just 5km from the beach, golf course and exclusive resort of Quinto do Lago, and 6km from the town of AlmancilView details
Vilamoura, Algarve, Portugal
Sleeps 6 in 3 bedrooms - 2 bathrooms - 1 shower room - pool
This luxurious and very well equippped, air conditioned villa is situated on a hillside behind Vilamoura, with panormaic views of the coastline from its private pool and terraces.View details
Loule, Algarve, Portugal
Sleeps 8 in 4 bedrooms - 3 bathrooms - pool
Excellent quality property with stunning views and pretty gardensArmacao de Pera, Algarve, Portugal
Sleeps 8 in 4 bedrooms - 4 bathrooms - pool
Spacious 4 bedroom villa with private pool, in quiet residential area just 1.5km from the beaches, shops and restaurants of the resort of Armacao de PeraView details
Quinta do Lago, Algarve, Portugal
Sleeps 8 in 4 bedrooms - 4 bathrooms - pool
This luxury 4 bedroom villa is situated in the Monte Golf area of the exclusive Quinta do Lago estate, within easy walking distance of Quinta shopping, the tennis academy and 5 min drive from the sandy beach.View details
Want to know where you are?
Dive into the Iberian Peninsula`s Great History
These books provide an overview of Moorish & Sefardic Spain, and are worth consideration for people seeking a non-academic overview of this classic period.
Good luck and good reading!
The Ornament of the World: How Muslims, Jews and Christians Created a Culture of Tolerance in Medieval Spain
Menocal's history is one of palatine cities, of philosophers, of poets whose work inspired Chaucer and Boccaccio, of weeping fountains, breezy courtyards, and a long-running tolerance "profoundly rooted in the cultivation of the complexities, charms and challenges of contradictions," which ended with the repression of Judaism and Islam the same year Columbus sailed to the New World. - H. O'Billovich
Amazon Price: $10.19 (as of 07/26/2008)
Moorish Spain
An alternative book about Islamic and Jewish influences in Andalusia is Richard Fletcher's "Moorish Spain." Fletcher is considered by some authorities to be the Bernard Lewis of Islamic Spain and his well-written 1990 book remains the one of best efforts covering that period. - A Customer
Amazon Price: $21.51 (as of 07/26/2008)
Islamic Spain, 1250 to 1500
Another well-written book, but more detailed effort, is L.P. Harvey's "Islamic Spain 1250-1500." A Customer
Amazon Price: $22.50 (as of 07/26/2008)
Roads to Santiago
A third book, a superior piece of modern travel writing, rich in Moorish and Jewish history, is Cees Nooteboom's "Roads to Santiago." A Customer
Amazon Price: $12.80 (as of 07/26/2008)
A Vanished World: Muslims, Christians, and Jews in Medieval Spain
This book is a super good read. It is popular history at its most entertaining. However, it is much more than that; it is a passionate plea for tolerance, and especially for religious tolerance. This is, of course, very timely, since the world today is sinking into the same religious hatreds that ruined Spain in the last centuries covered by this book. E. N. Anderson
Amazon Price: $11.53 (as of 07/26/2008)
THE HISTORY
Algarve - From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Algarve (from the Arabic al-gharb, "the West") is the southernmost region of mainland Portugal, incorporating, amongst other localities, the towns of Faro, Albufeira, Lagoa, Lagos, Loulé, Olhão, Portimão, Quarteira, Silves, Tavira, and Vila Real de Santo António.HISTORY
The Conii, influenced by Tartessos, were established by the sixth century BC in the region of the Algarve. They would be strongly influenced by the Celtici. The Phoenicians had established trading ports along the coast circa 1000 BC. The Carthaginians founded Portus Hanibalis - known today as Portimão - in circa 550 BC. The Romans in the 2nd century BC spread through the Iberian Peninsula, and many Roman ruins can still be seen in the region, notably in Lagos.
In the 5th century the Visigoths took control of the Algarve until the beginning of the Moorish invasion in 711. When the Moors conquered Lagos in 716 it was called Zawaia. Faro, which the Christian residents had called Santa Maria, was renamed Faraon, which means "the settlement of the Knights."
Due to the Moorish occupation of Iberia, the region was called "Al-Garb Al-Andalus". As stated above, Al-Garb means "the west"; Al-Andalus, as the greater Iberian region was known, makes reference to the Vandals, a Germanic tribe who had previously occupied the southern part of the peninsula. Arabic has no way of expressing the 'V' sound.
A 16th century map of the Kingdom of Portugal, clearly showing the separated status of the Algarve at the time.In the mid-12th century, the Moorish occupation ended: the "Al-Gharb" has been since then the kingdom of Algarve. It was not until the 13th century that the Portuguese finally secured the region against subsequent Moorish attempts to recapture the area - see Reconquista. King John I of Portugal started calling himself King of Portugal and Algarve. Later on, after 1471, with the conquest of territories in Northern Africa (considered as the Algarve of abroad in Africa) the title became with Afonso V of Portugal, King of Portugal and the Algarves here (in Europe) and abroad in Africa, and it stayed so till the proclamation of the Portuguese Republic in 1910.
In the 15th century, Henry the Navigator based himself in Sagres and conducted various maritime expeditions which established Portugal as a colonial power.
The Algarve was a semi-autonomous area of Portugal with a governor from 1595 to 1808, as well as a separate taxation system until the end of the 18th century. During this time, to reflect the Algarve's unique status, Portuguese monarchs were known as "King of Portugal and The Algarves."
In 1807 when Junot was leading the first Napoleonic invasion in the north of Portugal, the Algarve was occupied by the Spanish troops of Manuel Godoy. The Algarve became the first part of Portugal to liberate itself from Spanish occupation, in the rebellion of Olhão in 1808.
Article Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Algarve
Spotlight: Especially Recommended - not only for your Algarve Vacation
Gain a broader view and a deeper understanding
A Vanished World: Muslims, Christians, and Jews in Medieval Spain
Amazon Price: $11.53 (as of 07/26/2008)
For more than seven centuries, Christianity and Islam split the Iberian peninsula between them, with Jews forming a third major religious community. Sometimes there was "convivencia" (successful living-together); usually there was fighting, but at least there was mutual learning.
Much of modern European civilization came from Islam, mostly via Spain--everything from the lute to saffron to the works of Aristotle and Galen, which survived largely in Arabic translations and had to be reintroduced to west Europe after the Dark Ages.
For centuries, the Iberian Peninsula was a vast, wide-open pipeline, siphoning civilization to the west. This story is repressed and hidden in too many standard histories.
I hope that Lowney's book gets many people interested in this amazing period of history. E. N. Anderson
Understanding Portugal Continued
By Portugal's Nobel Prize Winner, Jose Saramago
Journey to Portugal: In Pursuit of Portugal's History and Culture
Amazon Price: $11.56 (as of 07/26/2008)
In 1979, 19 years before he won the Nobel Prize for literature, Portuguese novelist Saramago (Blindness) journeyed across his homeland, hoping "to write a book on Portugal that [would be] capable of offering a fresh way of looking, a new way of feeling" about the country's history and culture. Out of that personal quest comes this monumental work, a literary hybrid that intermingles an intimate portrait of a nation with aspects of a novel, travel log and guide book. From the outset, a deep sense of Portuguese and European history pervades Saramago's descriptions, which evince a longing for the past whose fragments lie in every crevice, niche and portico. - From Publishers Weekly
Travel Guides for You
Algarve Travel Pack (Globetrotter Travel Packs)
Amazon Price: $11.96 (as of 07/26/2008)
Algarve (Eyewitness Top 10 Travel Guides)
Amazon Price: $10.20 (as of 07/26/2008)
Insight Pocket Guide Algarve
Amazon Price: $13.95 (as of 07/26/2008)
The Rough Guides' Algarve Directions 2 (Rough Guide Directions)
Amazon Price: $10.19 (as of 07/26/2008)
Travellers Algarve and Southern Portugal, 2nd (Travellers - Thomas Cook)
Amazon Price: $13.22 (as of 07/26/2008)
THE ALGARVE
Famous for wonderful sandy beaches, golf and seafood. An ideal family destination.
BEACHES
The endless stretches of beaches are a haven for sun-worshipers and the Atantic breakers that roll in from the Ocean make this a great place for surfers too! Cascais and Estoril are elegant resorts along this coastline and are known as the 'Portuguese Riviera' offering glamorous charisma and superb amenities. GOLF
The Algarve has become one of the places in the World to play golf - at any time of the year. Some of Europe's top courses can be found here and many of our villas are within easy driving distance of some of the best. Choose from the courses at Vale do Lobo and Vilamoura in the east, to Gramacho and Vale da Pinta further west - all are challenging and enjoyable at any time of the year. SPORTS
All sports are available in the Algarve. Some of the top tennis professionals have set up their coaching centres here, such as Roger Taylor's Acadamy in Vale do Lobo and tennis is widely available all along the coast. Horse riding is also available, with great opportunities for beach riding in some resorts. Of course, watersports can be found just about everywhere, with opportunities to learn a new sport, as well! WATERPARKS
Plenty of entertainment for the children (and even the adults!) Take a trip to Aqualand located in the centre of the Algarve. The Water Park provides 6 hectares of family fun to occupy you for the whole day. Within the landscaped gardens is a choice of thrills that offer speed, excitement, or just gentle pleasure. ZOOMARINE
This marine wildlife park, located at Guia in the centre of the Algarve, has rescued and protects many mammals and fish from the sea. The opportunity to swim with dolphins is one not to be missed. Great family day out at any time of the year! EASY ACCESS
Faro's international airport now has many direct flights each day from most UK airports, including low-cost, scheduled and charter flights EASY TO GET AROUND THE ALGARVE
The new motorway and improvements to other roads along the Algarve now make it very easy to travel from east to west and to all stops in between CLIMATE
With over 3000 hours of sunshine each year, the Algarve offers a perfect holiday retreat at almost every time of the year. Even the hotter Summer months benefit from the cooling Atlantic breezes and its southerly location contributes to a mild Winter. EATING
Nothing beats the flavour of freshly-caught sardines thrown onto the barbecue, but most of the restaurants along the Algarve offer a wide range of other equally fresh fish from the Atlantic. In the small villages of the foothills, the traditional dish of spicy chicken piri-piri can still be enjoyed at remarkably low prices and the influx of tourists over the years has given rise to a truly outstanding selection of excellent quality international restaurants right through the rgion, offering almost any cuisine you may seek! SHOPPING
With a local market in one village or another every day, you can fill your case with traditional gifts, such as pottery, leather and lace - and have fun in the haggling! More serious shoppers can while away the hours at one of the various shopping malls, where designer goods are available at much lower prices than in the UK! Learn some Portuguese...
Be at least able to read stuff in Portuguese
But I do not want to discourage you - go ahead, teach yourself some Portuguese, enjoy the melody. Although Portugal is a small country Portuguese is one of the most important languages in the world due to the fact that the huge country of Brasil speaks Portuguese - So go ahead, it is well worth learning and you will not regret it.
Teach Yourself Portuguese Complete Course Package (Book + 2CDs) (Teach Yourself . . . Complete Courses)
Amazon Price: $17.79 (as of 07/26/2008)
Complete Portuguese: The Basics (CD) (LL(R) Complete Basic Courses)
Amazon Price: $19.46 (as of 07/26/2008)
Colloquial Portuguese: The Complete Course for Beginners (Colloquial Series (Book Only))
Amazon Price: $22.95 (as of 07/26/2008)
Complete Portuguese Dictionary (LL(R) Complete Basic Courses)
Amazon Price: $6.95 (as of 07/26/2008)
Hugo Language Course: Portugese In Three Months
Amazon Price: (as of 07/26/2008)
Portuguese Music
... including my very favourite performers Misia and MadreDeus
Follow the links and listen to samples. Enjoy!
Portugal: The Story of Fado
The fado (the word derived from the Latin for 'destiny') sings in a very nostalgic and intense way of lost love, lost loved ones, lost shores and any other suffering you may think of. The Portuguese will always listen to a fadista (fado singer) in silence, out of respect. - A Customer
Amazon Price: $7.97 (as of 07/26/2008)
Concerto em Lisboa
Silva Screen Records presents "Mariza: Concerto Em Lisboa" --- featuring Mariza Reis Nuneswas the artist who performed at Live 8; she sang at the Eden Project in Cornwall. Since that time, Mariza has been invited to a large number of concerts and events to promote Portuguese culture around the whole world, from Australia to Finland, the United States and Argentina ... Mariza is considered as a more contemporary follower of Amália Rodrigues ... growing up, and until she became a fado singer, Mariza sang in a wide variety of styles, including gospel, soul and jazz ... - L. Lovins "Mr. Jim"
Amazon Price: $17.99 (as of 07/26/2008)
Canto
Miraculous & mysterious, stirring & poetic, attractive & luminous... such is Misia, an exceptional fado singer who, since her first album release under Detour label, Garras Dos Sentidos, then followed by her passage at the Olympia in October 1998 & January 1999, has imposed herself as an essential figure of the international musical scene. 'Canto' is an original & ambitious project, resulting from the meeting of different artistic languages, inspired by the Portuguese composer Carlos Paredes.
Amazon Price: $17.98 (as of 07/26/2008)
Ainda: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack From The Film "Lisbon Story"
Ainda is surely the most eloquent Madredeus album so far...This is sheer perfection...The album has a unique atmosphere of sweet melancholy and a very rare emotional intensity due to the heavenly voice of Teresa Salguiero.Never can the voice of a woman carry more beauty,more refinement,more tenderness,more love than the voice of Teresa in this album.To describe it more properly I'll make a quotation from a Madredeus fan's opinion I've seen on the net about the scene of Lisbon Story where Teresa sings "Ainda":"Her voice is the purest form of beauty ever expressed by one person." Yes,indeed! - Sait Beyazyurek
Amazon Price: $9.97 (as of 07/26/2008)
O Paraiso
This album proves one can fall in love by hearing a voice alone. This was the first Madredeus album I encountered and is still my favorite. It usually does one of two things to me whenever I listen to it; either I get weepy because I feel it touches the poignancy of life, or it makes me feel all the joy and beauty there is in the world. Madredeus has truly helped me through a lot of rough emotional times. Thank you. - John Bach "bach346
Amazon Price: $16.98 (as of 07/26/2008)
Experience Portugal through Films ...
Fetching RSS feed... please stand byPlease tell me what you think of this lens. Obrigada!
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dtbs
interesting lens! thanks for sharing this info! please check mine out at----------------> Kava Kava. Posted June 20, 2008 |
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JaguarJulie
I hope you are enjoying your BIRTHDAY! And, that you found something wonderful to do. ;-) Posted June 19, 2008 |
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KimGiancaterino
Beautiful and informative lens. Welcome to All Things Travel. Posted June 07, 2008 |
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jenabernathy
Very good Lens always I rated 5 star for your valuable information. Posted May 07, 2008 |
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LeahWhitehorse
Obrigada :-) Adoro portugal Posted March 16, 2008 |
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fanfreluche
5**** I love it, very nicely done! Posted February 18, 2008 |
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thomasz
I like this lens. 5 stars to you. Posted February 13, 2008 |
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Classic
Hi I enjoyed reviewing your lens. Thanks for submitting this to my group Nature and Environment! I left you with 5 more stars! Classic Posted February 12, 2008 |
