Alvor Things to Do Tips by Balam

Alvor Church (Igreja Matriz) Built in the 16th c it was remodelled in the 18thC and has a flamboyant Manueline portico (said to be the finest on the Algarve) and many other architectural features from the original temple. The inside has a fine nave and two aisles decorated in woodcarvings and 18thC glazed tiles (azulejos) in the Chancel.

The grounds are a lovely place to sit and think and the inside is nice for contemplation or just to light a candle for somebody who is sadly missed.

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One of the things which i love about the Mediterranean country s is that they still have the old style town markets were everybody goes to get the vegetables, meat, fish, spices well just about everything. it's a fantastic place to go and see a real part of local village life. Alvor's market is situated at the side of that small piece of remaining castle which is signposted all around the village. If you want to see the full range of Fish and other sea food get there early as they soon go.

The trees out side the Market are pepper trees and if you visit in October you will see all the pepper corns ready to be plucked taken home and dried out making the most delightful pepper that will be better and fresher than any shop bought pepper.

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Address: Travessa Do Castelo / Rua Padre De Neto
Directions: Next to the old castle ruin,

Alvor beach is a lovely long stretch of sand great for sunbathing and swimming with many beach bar/restaurant's, what not many people know is that if when you get to the beach you turn left and keep walking you get to what is surely the best part of Alvor beach. large rock formations stand proud offering some great views and fantastic places to explore. a cliff top bar with a lift up to the top of the cliffs will allow you to walk back on the road. Not exactly off the beaten track as the hotel Alvor Praia goes near enough down to this part of the beach and there is a holiday village at the top of the cliffs but it is never that busy and relatively unknown by people staying in Alvor town.

Watch the Video here

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Directions: Hit the beach and turn left to the best bit

Silvia Goncalves
Esteticista

Silvia offers a wide range of services including Face treatment, Neck Treatment, Make Up, Pigmentation, Eyebrow/Eyelash

Relaxing Massage, Aromatherapy Massage, Lymphatic Draining Massage, Reflexotherapy Massage, Therapeutic Massage, Reiki

Cellulitic Treatment, Breast Treatment, Pedicure, Manicure, Epilation.

My Mum has being going to see Silvia every time she is in Alvor (for at least 11 years)
and says that she is very talented and very skilled. She combines all her talents into her sessions and my mum comes away feeling relaxed and with out the aches and pains she went in with.
Silvia can tell just by touching your feet that you have had pain's in your hands or somewhere else.
She is truly Amazing.

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Phone: 939001170 or 936274051
Address: Entre a Torre "A"e a Torre "B". Loja 1 - Torralta
Directions: In The complex between The Pestana Atlantic and Dom Joao II
Other Contact: silvia_goncalves.3@hotmail.com

During the period of Moorish rule, Alvor was a thriving port. The ramparts defending it were the scene of violent fighting when the Portuguese army led by King Sancho 1 conquered it in 1189, with the help of Crusaders en route to the Holy Land.
Retaken by the Moors in 1191, it was only returned to Christian dominion in 1250, at the time of the campaigns that resulted in the conquest of the whole of the Algarve. The town walls were rebuilt in 1300 and Alvor was made a town by King João II, who died in the Castle in 1495.

Sadly only a bit of 2 walls and a turret remain of Alvor Castle and houses have been built around it.

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When walking around Alvor you will notice the small Chapel in the Town Square at the very heart of Alvor, or after visiting the main Church walked back up the road and through the small square and seen the Chapel on the right next to the Alianca Cafe were all the Locals sit outside and have maybe wondered into the Chapel thinking it's a church as we did to find a Dead Body laying at rest.
The Chapel is in fact a Chapel of rest and it gives the people of the village a chance to say their goodbye's to friends and loved ones. The chapel door is left open when the Chapel is in use.

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Address: Alianca Square

The Abicada ruins of a Neolithic village retaining traces of subsequent Roman occupation (with what was once a Fine Roman Villa dating back to 1st/4th century with several rooms and a peristyle decorated with coloured mosaics bearing geometric patterns and stylised designs

From Alvor, go up towards the EN125 and turn left towards Lagos for about a mile and a half, when you wil see a sign for the Roman Ruins. About twenty yards after the sign, turn left down a road with the railway line on the right. This road then turns into a dirt track, keep going straight on, past the point of "This can't be the right way..." and keep going past some derelict farm houses until the end of the road where there is a turning circle in the dirt. The ruined villa is right infront of you.

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To one side the sea, to the other the liquid mirror of the vast estuary stretching inland, and between them a long, broad dune. This beautiful setting is the chosen nesting place of dozens of species of migratory bird. The salt marshes also support an interesting variety of animal life, while the local fishermen still use traditional techniques to catch fish and gather shellfish.
The Ria de Alvor is one of the most significant coastal wetlands in southern Portugal. The mixture of habitats to be found, including sand dunes, mud flats, salt and freshwater marshes and salinas, allows it to support a huge variety of plants and animals, some of which are important on a European scale. The area comprises a headland and surrounding wetlands that are boardered on either side the Arade and Alvor Rivers, which become the Alvor estuary and is protected from the sea by two sand dunes bars that guard the mouth of the Ria a Alvor. Due to the wildlife value of the wetlands the site was designated as a RAMSAR site in May 1996.

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Alvor is a great place to stay and has lots of things to do, you can quite easily spend a week just wondering around or lazing on the beach. There are so many restaraunts and bars that you would not have to eat in the same one twice in a week and enough bars so that you would never remember the last few you staggered out of, but if like me you like to get around and see as much as possible Alvor is a great place to use as a base to see the rest of the Algarve.

Places Like Silves, Lagos, Tavira, Moncheque and of course where everybody comes to but not many really look around, Faro.

All are relatively close by (no longer than an hour) by car.

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This jolly Irish Girl has lived in Alvor for the last 27 years and will sell you everything you need from Hire cars to escursions. She knows all the bus routes and times and everything thats happening (or not) Cathy is a mind of information.

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Phone: +351 382 457 294
Address: Rue Marqies De Pombal
Directions: It's on Rua Marqies De Pombal between Rua Frederico Ramos Mendes and Rua Pedro alvares Cabral
Other Contact: +351 914 590 593