The Rough Guide to The Algarve

INTRODUCTION "The Algarve has always been at variance with itself, more Mediterranean than Atlantic, as much African as European, its Islamic heritage visible in a Christian society. It is altogether, in its 5,000 square kilometres, a contradictory cosmos."
from The Portuguese by Marion Kaplan With some of Europe’s best and cleanest sandy beaches, picturesque rocky coves and year-round sunshine, this contradictory cosmos has become justifiably the most popular region in Portugal for both overseas visitors and the Portuguese themselves. Popularity has led to heavy development on the central coastal strip from Faro west to Lagos. But even here you can find quiet cove beaches and vestiges of traditional Portugal amongst the panoply of villas, hotels and sports complexes. It is this combination of natural beauty and superb facilities that have made the region popular with celebrities and sports stars from Cliff Richard to the Beckhams. Development is much less pronounced at the two extremes of the Algarve. Around Sagres and along the west coast, low-key resorts are close to a series of breathtaking wave-battered beaches, popular with windsurfers. To the east, relaxed resorts lie within reach of island sandbanks boasting giant swathes of dune-backed beaches. Away from the coast, inland Algarve has a surprisingly diverse landscape, with lush orange groves and wooded mountains offering superb walking territory around Monchique and Silves to the west and Serra do Caldeirão in the centre. In the east, a more wildly beautiful landscape marks the border with Spain along the fertile Guadiana river valley.