Algarve Travel Guide

mcoelho813

Sep 13

7 min read

What are the must-see attractions in Albufeira?

Albufeira is a hilly beach town and not handicap-friendly. It is packed with restaurants and bars. Our favorite hotel is the MGM, aka Praia do Ouro Hotel. This is a party town.

Algarve travel

What are the must-see attractions in Faro?

Faro is for locals and people who live or work at the airport or the University. It has a few tourist areas. Beach parking is limited but free. The beach is long and not overcrowded. Faro has a busy downtown. I don’t like crossing the small river to get to the beach. Lots of Portuguese history.

Quarteira

It is a family-friendly beach town with a long promenade. Plenty of restaurants and hotels. All beaches are crowded in August in the Algarve. The parking is a problem. The restaurants are fabulous, with a variety of food at low prices. Shopping is plentiful and reasonably priced. Our favorite hotels are Hotel Jose and Zodiaco. Lots of new construction and handicap friendly. We saw lots of families riding bikes on the promenade. Has a huge festival from July into September with food, rides, and shopping.

Portimao is an amazing beach town with shops, restaurants, and hotels. Praia da Rocha is a pleasant beach with room to spread out. The town is clean and well-maintained.

algarve-tourist.com/portimao-portugal-algarve.html

NOVEMBER

The Feira de São Martinho is the oldest popular event in Portimão, dating back to 1662. It takes place annually in November, always marking the period that includes its namesake, Saint Martin's Day, on November 11th.

11/11

Location: Portimão Fair and Exhibition Park, Caldeira do Moinho, 8500-726 Portimão

Benagali Cave is known for its large, circular opening in the ceiling, which provides natural light and illuminates an interior beach. You can reach it by boat, kayak, or stand-up paddleboard, and it's considered one of the must-see attractions in the Algarve region.

This is a tourist attraction. This area is always busy. The cave is located in Lagoa

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caves
benagil cave
light at the cave
view frim the boat
caves
water view Benagil cave
what a view from the water

Vila Mora

It is a beach town with a marina, shopping, golf, restaurants, and lots of areas to walk.

This is mostly tourists and people with money to spend. Everything is priced higher. Has a huge golf club. Algarve is a touristy area.

October Events

Algarve

At the beginning of October, you can visit the Birdwatching Festival in Sagres. This is one of the Algarve's most popular birdwatching festivals. In addition to birdwatching, there are boat tours and other activities. If you like being in nature, don't miss this festival.

https://www.birdwatchingsagres.com/en/

November

Algarve Classic Festival (Portimão)

The Algarve Classic Festival is Portugal's largest classic car event. The festival is hosted at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve (AIA) circuit in Portimão. More than 300 teams and 500 drivers from all over the world come here to race old sports cars.

https://autodromodoalgarve.com/

Major Annual Festivals

Festival Med (Loulé): JUNE JULY
A popular summer festival of world music, dance, and street art held in June and July
Sand City (FIESA) (Lagoa):
A multi-month exhibition of impressive sand sculptures, running from April to November.
Silves Medieval Fair (Silves): AUGUST
An immersive event in August that transforms the town into the Middle Ages, featuring traditional music, food, and street performances.
https://feiramedievaldesilves.pt/menu/3148/xx-feira-medieval-de-silves
Olhão Seafood Festival (Olhão): August
A celebration of seafood held in August, offering various dishes and a chance to experience local gastronomy
https://www.amoteolhao.com/pt/festival-do-marisco-olhao-2025-cartaz/
Algarve International Music Festival: JUNE JULY
Takes place in June and July, showcasing diverse musical genres like jazz, Fado, and ballet.
https://festivalmed.cm-loule.pt/o-festival/conceito/
Algarve Carnival (Loulé): February
A well-known event in the winter, featuring satirical parades with floats and elaborate costumes.
https://www.cm-loule.pt/pt/agenda/51783/carnaval-de-loule-2025.aspx
Algarve Classic Festival (Portimão):
The largest classic car event in Portugal, held at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve.
Al-Buhera Festival, July, Fisherman's Square, Albufeira Free JULY
https://www.sulinformacao.pt/en/2014/07/festival-al-buhera-volta-a-praca-dos-pescadores/

beach vendor selling bolas

Sagres

Sagres is a low-key town with inspiring beaches. Visitors are drawn to Sagres for surfing, the outdoors, and their love for the sea. You can rent surfing equipment. This area has multiple hiking trails, quiet roads for cycling, and deep-sea fishing trips that leave Sagres harbor daily.

Notable sites to visit include: Cabo de São Vicente, Fortaleza de Sagres

You can see the light from São Vicente from over 45 meters away. The walls are white with a bright red roof. The lighthouse fort is referred to as the "End of the World". It has been a Portuguese landmark for navigators and Portuguese culture for centuries. It was built in the early 19th century.

The history of Sagres is incomplete without discussing Prince Henry the Navigator. Henry the Navigator established his base of operations for Portugal's Age of Discovery in the Algarve, particularly Sagres and Lagos. He founded a navigational school and used his wealth and position as governor to fund expeditions that mapped the African coast, developed the caravel, and laid the groundwork for Portuguese expansion. He encouraged the smartest men from across Europe to gather in Sagres and work on boat construction and chart navigation. Henry's unique story is that he did not actually sail the world, as many people think. He provided the brains and funding behind the Portuguese shipbuilding and voyages. Although Prince Henry the Navigator was neither a sailor nor a navigator, he financially sponsored most of the exploration along the west coast of Africa. His leadership led the Portuguese crews to found the country's first colonies in Africa and to locate places unknown to Europeans. Henry is responsible for the Age of Discovery.

https://www.biography.com/history-culture/henry-the-navigator

Retirement and Expat Living

The Algarve appeals to Europeans who want to retire near a beach with warm weather and a slower pace of life.

Popular expat destinations:
Key areas with a high concentration of expats include Albufeira, Lagos, and Vilamoura because of amenities like beaches, social life, and golf courses.
It ranks seventh in the Global Peace Index 2024, while the US comes 128th
Portugal has universally accessible healthcare, a low cost of living, anti-discrimination laws (including gender, race, age, nationality, disability, sexual orientation, religion, or political beliefs), and freedom of movement within the EU. You can easily travel to all EU countries with a Portuguese passport.

Central and southern Portugal: Alentejo

Visit a Cork Farm

Stop by the roadside and admire a cork tree

A long life of the Cork Tree

The cork oak (Quercus suber) can live anywhere from 150 to 250 years. The first harvest happens only once the tree turns about 25, and after that, by law, the bark is stripped only every 9 years to give the tree time to fully regenerate.

The code on the trunk #

If you are driving through the Alentejo, look closely at the numbers painted on the cork oak trunks. They mark the year of the last harvest, so producers know exactly when each tree is ready to give again. The bare trunk is bright orange. It's very easy to identify the cork trees that have recently been harvested.

Cork in Space

Portuguese cork has been protecting NASA spacecraft since Apollo 11. Amorim became a key technology partner to both NASA and the European Space Agency for insulation solutions, starting with Apollo X1 and later expanding into the Titan, Delta, Mars Rovers, and Atlantis programs. More recently, Portuguese cork returned to NASA missions after already flying on Artemis I in 2022.

Cork is harvested in Portugal during the late spring and summer months, specifically from mid-May to mid-August

Portugal is the world's largest cork producer, supplying over 50% of the global demand and accounting for more than 60% of worldwide cork exports

The montado — the ecosystem where a cork oak tree isn't just farmland; it's one of Europe's richest habitats, home to the Iberian lynx (the world's most endangered cat) and fully sustainable by design: no tree is ever cut down, only gently peeled. A single cork oak can be harvested for generations without ever being killed.

Amorim Cork is the world's largest producer, supplier, and distributor of cork stoppers. State-of-the-art production technologies, quality control, and strong expertise in the supply of cutting-edge products.

Rua Comendador Américo Ferreira Amorim

Nº 380, Apartado 20

4536-902 Mozelos, Portugal

When to visit Portugal?

Hidden gems in Portugal

Best beaches in the Algarve

#portugaltrip

# Portugalattractions

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When to visit Portugal?

Hidden gems in Portugal

Best beaches in the Algarve