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DESTINATION GUIDE
Moorish castles in the misty mountains, Atlantic waves on the wild west coast
See the Algarve's almond trees smothered in white blossom (Jan/Feb), Loulé Carnival's parades (Feb/Mar), the Portuguese Golf Open (Apr), the International Music Festival (May/Jun), Moorish Nights and Silves Beer Festival (Jul) and the Jazz Festival (Jul/Aug).
220 volts
+351
Local currency is the Euro (€)
GMT: precisely, GMT plus 1 hour in summer
Address: Largo Francisco A Mauricio 7-1º
8500-355
Portimão
Algarve
Portugal
Tel: +351 282 490 750
Address: Av. 5 de Outubro
18 8001-902 Faro
Algarve
Portugal
Tel: +351 2 89 80 04 00
Web:Visit Algarve
Tel: 0845 246 0006
Wind through Faro's narrow streets for stargazing in the Live Science Centre, Roman statues in the Museu Municipal and Baroque art in Faro Cathedral. Explore Albufeira's cobbled Old Town, pavement cafés and humming fish market, or Tavira's lofty castle towers and Roman bridge.
Discover lesser-known gems on your Algarve holiday. Enjoy sweeping views from Castelo de Silves' sturdy walls, taking in the Moorish castle's 11 towers and vaulted cisterns. Savour fresh sardines in the sleepy fishing village of Portimao and peer down 30-metre-deep mine shafts at Cova dos Mouros Mine Park.
The untamed west coast reels in surfers with its huge swells and secluded beaches backed by towering cliffs. Stretch out on Praia do Monte Clérigo, Praia do Amado Clérigo and Praia da Bordeira. Choose Falesia Beach, Vilamoura, Praia do Alvor and Praia da Rocha for clear waters, family fun and a wide range of watersports.
Find glazed terracota pots, brightly painted azulejos (tiles), copper, lace and leather at the open-air markets in Albufeira, Lagos and Portimao on your Algarve holiday.
Retreat to eucalyptus and cork forests in the Serra de Monchique mountains and see the sun sink into the Atlantic from Cape of St Vincent's sheer cliffs. Uncover the Ria Formosa Nature Reserve's isolated beaches, dunes and lagoons, or stand in awe of Algar Seco's bizarre rock formations and caves.
Take your pick from some of the world's finest golf courses on your Algarve holiday, including the 18-hole Quinta do Lago. Hike uphill and bike downhill in the Serra de Monchique, or saddle up to canter through Silves' citrus orchards on horseback. Surfing and kite surfing are all the rage on the Algarve's windswept west coast. The biggest waves hit the beaches of Zavial and Martinhal.
Kids and big kids scream on the twisting flumes at Slide and Splash and The Big One waterparks, and come face to face wtih sharks at ZooMarine in Guia.