Algarve Things to Do Tips by Carmela71 Top 5 Page for this destination

Alcoutim

Alcoutim was a very important city on the Phoenician and roman times as a commercial port , in this days is not so important, but if you want to enjoy a non spoil place, do not doubt about it, go there!

The entrance ticket for the castle is for a week and costs 2,50 euros, also allows you to visit some other museums in the area

Albufeira

This is most famous resort of Algarve and the most visited. With its inconveniences of course as it can be very crowdly. The old town keeps its style but the outskirts are full fo apartments and hotels for rent. Deserve to visit some churches in the old town and the beaches, but it can be a good location to visit the west part of Albufeira

Estói, the roman ruins

We did not had time to visit the castle (that would be in our next visit, but the roman ruins, specially the mosaics deserve a visit.

Alte

I had heard about the beauty of this villague and remaind me the old white villagues of Andalucia. It has keep its style but my favorite was to walk around outside the little river.

Castro Marim, the castle

We had been always impress by the castle illumitad at night, so we wanted to visit at day time. Originally there are settlements from 5000 BC and has its importance due to its closenest to the river Guadalquivir.

There are also remainds of the romans and phoenicians and later the arabs constructed the castle before it was conquered by teh chistians.

Loulé, the market

In all the organised excursions they talk about the Saturday market, well before going I was told it was a gypsy one, but we found was a food one, but very traditional. We bough some cheeses, but I guess the next time I will have to try them before as they were not the ones we though we were buying. Anyway the selection of cheeses there was incredible, there was lots of cheese vendors.

The market hall is at the center of Loulé

The earth quake in 1755 has destroyed, like in most other towns in the Algarve, most of the historic buildings. Today you can only see some remains of the Arab castle and the Gothic Church of S. Clemente

Tavira

Tavira was known as the land of the thousand churches and even if most of them are closed the city looks like an open museum.

When we refer here to churches, we also include the chapels, convents, hermitages, etc . many of them are under reconstruction and rehabilitation. Some became private houses or hotels. Next to the tower tank you can see the convent being reconverted in a Poussada

Laranjeiras

Under construction

Carvoeiro

Driving between Portimao and Albufeira we stopped at Carvoeiro for a snack and also we visited the beach.

This little beach remind me the calas of Ibiza, with the fisherman little houses but this ones also on the mountain, not only on the beach.

You can see lots of signs at the boats to visit the caves by sea :-) maybe next time :-)

Cape St Vincent

Cape St Vincent was one of my favourite memories of my first visit to Portugal a while ago, and of course it was our main day trip while in Algarve this last time. Remains of history and mythology in a incredible landscape, do we need anything else?