Private tours in Algarve & surroundings
|
|
|
|
Options (choose one of these 4)
|
|
|
Alte
Alte exists since the period of the Roman occupation and is the most
typical village of Algarve. With their whitewashed houses, windows and
facades edged with colorful borders, ornate chimneys and pervasive air of
tranquility, the streets of Alte's historic center have retained much of
their original charm. The area around the main church is a delightful
snapshot of the real Algarve.
|
|
Castro Marim, Tavira, Alcoutim
Going to the interior we still have some places which are incredibly
beautiful: Castro Marim, Tavira (the Algarve’s most ancient city),
Alcoutim (also a very typical village). Castro Marim - The first
settlements in this area date back to approximately 5000 BC,
possibly situated on the hill where the castle now stands.
Phoenicians and Romans where present here. Due to the strategic
position of the town on border with the kingdom of Castile , Castro
Marim became the headquarters of the Order of Christ after the
Christian reconquest. Tavira - is one of the gems of the eastern
Algarve. Straddling the River Gilao and the River Segua, its gentle
charm and predominantly low-rise architecture set it aside from other
resorts in the region. Sometimes referred to as the Venice of the
Algarve, it boasts a seven-arched Roman bridge, some fine
Renaissance architecture, numerous churches, tree-lined squares and a
certain romantic air. Also, along the Travessa de Dona Brites you will
find fine examples of medieval houses complete with Gothic
windows and doorways. However, it is also a lively trading town
with a vibrant fruit and vegetable market just beyond the riverside
park where many stop to drink a coffee and catch up on the local
gossip.An important place on the map throughout Portuguese
history often used by travellers to Africa due to its proximity to
Morocco and, in fact, once the most important port beyond Lisbon,
this once thriving tuna- fishing town now depends largely on tourism.
A nod to the town’s significant past are the ruins of a Moorish
castle, the battlements of which can still be visited and from where
one gets the best view of the town, its many church spires, ornate
rooftops and balconies and indeed the river delta and beyond to the
sea. At only 3 kilometres from the Atlantic coast, a handful of
pleasant beaches are easily attainable from Tavira, not least the two
beaches to be found on the island of Tavira. Alcoutim - The blue river
framed by cool greens of the riverside vegetation, of fertile orchards
and gardens. The dark ochre of the hills, flecked with colour by cistus
plants, holm, oak and the occasional olive tree. Houses with walls of
schist or baked mud white with the dazzle of lime, huddled together
in hamlets lost among the hills. Such contrasts are to be found in the
Alcoutim municipality.
|
|
Silves, Monchique, Foia
Silves - slightly inland from Portimão was once on a par with Lisbon as a
strategic Portuguese location. Silves Castle reveals some of the details
around its history as an important Moorish capital, particularly from the
11th the 13th Century. A huge red sandstone castle, a choice of historic
museums including the renowned Museum of Cork, a mix of chic cafes,
restaurants and bars and local golf and horse riding are a few things you
can expect in beautiful Silves. Popular with the day trips, Silves bustles
in peak season and should be on everyone's Algarve itinerary.
Monchique is a small village in the heart of Monchique mountain, called
by some people as the " Algarve’s Glorious Eden ". Fóia is the Algarve’s
highest peak, where we get to 900m altitude, watching the coast outlined
against the blue sky and sea…this luxuriant vegetation contrasting with
the rest of the province, shows us a bit of Algarve’s beauty.
|
|
São Vicente, Lagos, Sagres
We go until “the end of the world”: The São Vicente’s cape which is the
Europe’s most southwest place. The cliffs rise nearly vertically from the
Atlantic to a height of 75 meters. The cape is a site of exuberant marine
life and a high concentration of birds nesting on the cliffs, such as the rare
Bonelli's eagle, peregrine falcons, kites, rock thrushes, rock pigeons,
storks and herons. Lagos…This town is one of the most beautiful and
historical of the Algarve, because here started the great adventure of the
Discoverers. Sagres: the ancient fortress which was once a school of
navigation and has now magnificent views over the ocean. We visit the
old fortress of the Portuguese school of navigators "who brought new
worlds to the World". It can be a powerful sensation to sit quietly
anywhere along the cliff tops here and look out to sea and ponder the
extraordinary adventurers who have passed this way.
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
...The first people in the Algarve were traders and Estate stewards that established their colonies on the coasts, like the
Phoenicians and the Carthaginians. The Algarve was once part of the Roman province of Lusitânia, later becoming part
of the Visigoths' jurisdiction. One of the most important facts in the Algarve's history: the five centuries of Arab
occupation, visible in the regions architecture (lattice chimneys, tiles, whitewashed houses, labyrinthine streets, etc.).
Since 1249, and until the Republic proclamation, the Portuguese monarchs were entitled "King of Portugal and of the
Algarves". The Algarve became a lot more important during the Discoveries, being used as one of the main departure
ports. Nothing stops the “algarvios” – people of Algarve -, who despite all the adversities made it what it is today: a
wonderful resort by the sea!...
|
|
|
|
