Land And People

Of the ten million people in Portugal, 350,000 live in the Algarve. The majority of them are locals, Algarvieros, but they are joined by residents from Portugal’s northern provinces who work here, immigrants from the country’s former colonies, Angola or Mozambique, for example, and foreigners from Great Britain, Germany, the Netherlands, Scandinavia, the United States and many other countries.

 

The Algarvieros are Portuguese – actually – according to their nationality that is also true. But in reality they are as little Portuguese as the Bavarians are Prussians. And this is also true for the language: the majority of the Portuguese understand the Algarvieros because of their dialect only if they try very hard.
The Algarvieros are a friendly people: fishermen and farmers of the past, professions that have shaped the people here. The constant struggle with the forces of nature has made them brave, capable, even hardworking people, but it has also given them the ability to look at life with a certain, perhaps philosophical, serenity.

 

The Algarvieros have an innate sense of mindlessly accepting the present and looking to the future rather resigned to fate. It is said that the Moors are responsible for this “heritage”, who knows?! The people of southern Portugal have an underdeveloped sense of the “importance” and “urgency” of almost everything. And they simply refuse to hurry. Foreigners tend to get angry or frustrated when things don’t go on time and as planned, but the Algarvieros maintain their normal blood pressure and may shrug their shoulders.

 

Today, the Algarvieros are amazed and sometimes a little stunned to see how their country is being transformed by tourism. But since they also profit from it and are better off than they used to be, they accept that much of their traditions, which are actually so important to them, will be lost in the process. They make room for the tourists. They withdraw, as befits their kind.

Lagos

The port city of Lagos was the capital of the Algarve for 200 years and is one of the most historically interesting cities in the region. Here the caravels unloaded their treasures: Ivory, gold – slaves. From this port Dom Sebastiáo set sail to conquer Morocco – an enterprise that was to end disastrously. Although the great earthquake of 1755 and the building boom of recent times have destroyed much, important historical monuments have also been preserved, and the general character of the streets and squares has retained dignity and elegance. Facing the harbor entrance, the square with its green areas and cafes, one can make out some of the historical sites. In front of you, you can see the bronze statue of Henry the Navigator. He holds a sextant in his hand and looks – how could it be otherwise – out to sea. As governor of the province he resided in the Castelo dos Governandores on the west side of the square.

 

Opposite, in the distance, you can see the old fortress that guarded the entrance to the port in the 17th century. The Church of Santa Maria, on the south side of the square, is noteworthy mainly for some 18th century carved figures. About opposite the arcades at the Customs House was once the Mercado dos Escravos, where the ill-fated African slaves were once sold.

Lagos today has about 24,000 inhabitants. The historic town with its cozy small-town atmosphere crowns the hills at the mouth of the Riba. de Bensafrim.

Sagres

A small village with last frontier character at the most southwestern tip of Europe. The natural fishing harbor, situated in a rocky basin, looks particularly pretty. The village itself lies on the upper edge of the barren plateau, usually a fierce wind blows, which allows only low broom and juniper bushes to grow.
In the 15th century a Franciscan monastery with hospital was founded, later even Henry the Navigator personally took over the religious duties. Henry was a saint during his lifetime. He lived chastely, remained childless and did not drink alcohol; he died in Sagres on November 13, 1460. In the 15th/16th century, the Cape gained more and more importance for seafaring. Sailing ships waited here for favorable winds for the long voyages and had their fresh water tanks filled up once again. Christopher Columbus also knew Cap San Vicente very well. Already in the 16th century the first lighthouse was built. In 1587 the English privateer Sir Francis Drake caused great damage, he left the old Franciscan monastery and the fortress destroyed.

Forte Beliche
Small fortress just outside of Sagres before Cabo Sáo Vicente. Rebuilt in 1632 after it had been destroyed. Probably already in the 14th century, something similar stood in this place. Inside the small domed chapel a statue of St. Anthony, although the church is dedicated to St. Catherine. A steep footpath, not without danger, leads along the rocks down to the sea. Sailing ships used to dock here to fill their drinking water tanks.

Cabo de São Vicente

The End Of The World
A mystical place. Shortly before dusk, the curtain in front of the polished rock crystal is pulled aside, revealing a view of the prism, one of the strongest and most important beacons in the world, which is supposed to show the way to passing ships at night.

Cabo Sao Vicente was a sacred place and consequently attracted pilgrims. Dating back to around 3000 B.C. are the ancient mound stones (sacred burial places of the Neolithic people) found in the area. In ancient times, the outermost point of Europe was dedicated to Saturn, among others. Around 100 BC there are reports of sacred drinking ceremonies. Christians adopted this tradition by dedicating this tip to Saint Vincent, a martyr from Valencia.

The rocky peninsula, about 6 km west of Sagres, reaches far into the Atlantic Ocean and was an important landmark for sailors in ancient times. Today’s lighthouse was built as early as 1846, a petroleum system served for lighting until 1926. The old drive, which set the glass lenses in rotation by means of weights suspended from chains, is still completely present. A belt lens about 3.5 m high, constructed of ring-shaped prisms, focuses the light of the huge 3000-watt bulb. Therefore, the beacon can still be seen at a distance of 90 km. During a tour (now and then guided tours are organized – when exactly ??? if there is time – probably !) one feels like in a golden hall of mirrors. (very impressive) For foggy days there are two big foghorns next to the tower, which emit a deep sound every 15 seconds. The keepers live here with their families and are on shift duty around the clock to operate and maintain the facility. (This work is passed down from generation to generation).
Shipping traffic off the Cape is very heavy. The large supertankers that pass by here with their oil cargoes from the Gulf region bound for northern Europe are clearly visible from the coast. The water gets deep quickly off the coast – about 20 km southwest of the cape, the water depth is already 1000 m, dropping to 4000 m a little further out.

Beaches

The Algarve offers many different beaches: from solitary and
small to huge, from guarded and managed to “use at your own risk”. Most of the beaches have been evaluated as clean and safe by the observers of the European Commission.

 

If a beach is guarded, then a lifeguard trained by the authorities is on site and flies flags on his section of the beach, depending on the weather, wind and wave situation.

 

green flag: bathing and swimming allowed

yellow flag: swimming not allowed, but feet in the water is allowed

red flag: swimming and bathing prohibited (violation can be fined).

 

The portugiese law makes a difference between bathing and swimming. Bathing is splashing at the water’s edge and swimming is leaving the shore and swimming! There are no private beaches in Portugal.

A Selection Of Beaches In The East

Vila Real de Santo António
One of the widest beaches of the Algarve, and also the one with the warmest water. This is also due to the Rio Guadiana, which flows into the Atlantic here. The beach can only be reached from the pier or through the back mudflats – long walks to Monte Gordo are possible. Sandbanks ensure a low water level.

Santa Luzia
Is a small beach community just outside Tavira. From the traffic circle at Lidl in the west of Tavira, a road leads to brightly colored houses. Eyes closed and through to the Porto. Swimming is hardly possible here. But the “safari boat” is waiting: its crew offers an eight-hour round trip through the Rio Formosa (departure 10:00 a.m./approx. 25 euros/person) as well as a ferry service (1.00 euro) to the offshore islands. Their beaches are usually not guarded. If you are looking for peace and quiet on white sand and extended hikes through dune landscapes, this is the place for you.

Olháo
Is the starting point to the most beautiful beaches of the south coast. From the harbor of the small town ferry boats go to the islands of Culatra and Farol. If you speak Portuguese, you can also ask the island commuters for a “boleia”. The beaches on the islands are very quiet, rather something for purists. On the south side the open sea invites, on the north side of the islands the nature protected Rio Formosa. Private cars are not allowed on the islands, service and gastronomy are almost non-existent.

Ilha de Faro
Is the island opposite the airport. Connected to the mainland by a narrow causeway, it is easy to reach. The beach is quite narrow in the heart of the island, mainly Portuguese cavort here.

Beaches In Lagos

Praia do Vau
In Portimao drive towards Praia da Rocha and at the traffic circle follow signs to Praia do Vau. Some nice restaurants / café directly on the beach, open also in low season. The beach is characterized by the sandstone formations typical of the Algarve, which stand among other things in the middle of the beach. If you walk eastwards along the beach, you will pass great rock formations, which, when the tide is right, reveal tunnels that can be walked or crawled through.

Praia da Batata
This “potato beach” at the Lagos Fort is characterized by its loose potato-shaped rock formations. Maybe that’s where it got its name – or because a ship with a load of potatoes is said to have once been stranded there – opinions differ on that. Its advantage is that it is located at the southern end of the city center and is easy to reach on foot. Its disadvantage that motorists have few parking spaces available. The water is shallow and clear, unfortunately unguarded and the water quality is not so good due to the river flowing into it. There is directly on the beach the sailing club Lagos with a small bar – NAUTIFRAGO – where you can get drinks and snacks. Free of charge there is a great view from the balcony over the pier entrance with the incoming and outgoing ships.

Praia Dona Ana
A typical tourist beach. The beach is located in front of a dense landscape of apartment complexes and hotel complexes. A small selection of stores attracts people to buy useful and less useful specialties. The relatively small beach has a functioning infrastructure. Recommendable, however, only out of season.

Praia do Camilo
In the direction of Ponta da Piedade, Praia do Camilo is about halfway down on the left. Parking is possible on the sandy ground in front of the restaurant at the cliff edge. In and in front of the restaurant you can enjoy a typical Portuguese meal with a view of our sailing area, the wide blue sea and the rugged coast south of Lagos. The beach is reached by a long staircase. Neighboring stretches of beach can be reached through small tunnels in the rocks. Walks on the cliff are connected with a high risk of falling. Again and again parts of the sand cliffs break off.

Praia da Luz
This is a rather small beach. There is here everything what the vacationer’s heart desires, if one stands on British and Dutch tourist agglomeration, one is here in the best way.

Praia do Burgau
If you take the coastal road from Praia da Luz to the west, you will come to the small village of Burgau. The beach there is small and usually tolerably crowded. Many of the usual services are not available. But life seems to be more comfortable and quiet here. There is a restaurant on the beach. The water is clear and shallow.

Praia da Salema
The coastal road from Burgau to Salema is worth the trip. The surrounding area is almost uninhabited. The road is even steep and curvy in some places, halfway it becomes a gravel road. If you are looking for a secluded beach, you can stop in the valley before Salema in Boca do Rio. At least in summer, the mouth of the river is dried up and therefore can be used as a beach. The beach of Salema is a long but relatively narrow strip of sand. The flat and stable coastal rocks at the western end are suitable for short climbing walks. The small fishing village with its nice cafes is located in a small valley that interrupts the otherwise rugged coastline. The old village stretches along a narrow main road that runs parallel to the sandy beach up the valley slope.

Praia do Martinhal
Since the wind conditions here are usually very favorable, the bay is particularly well suited for windsurfing. It is the windsurfing beach par excellence when the wind is offshore. There is a small windsurfing center right on the beach. In the high season it is open in any case. In the low season: better inform in advance. You can drive directly to the beach by car. The entrance is just before the town of Sagres – follow the signs to the left.
There is the very nice bar/restaurant NORTADA, where usually cool music is playing and on the terrace you can enjoy your sundowner, look at the water and dream.

Beaches In Sagres

Praia do Beliche
The most western beach on the south coast of Portugal is Praia do Beliche. It is located in the bay between Cabo de Sáo Vicente and the fort of Sagres. A beautiful beach can be reached by a long staircase and at high tide – depending on the phase of the moon beware – but flooded ! The protection of the cliffs up to the cape ensures that the waves are less high than on the west coast. Near the cape, however, the climate is noticeably harsher than on the southeast-facing beaches east of Sagres. The coastal strip between Burgau in the south and Sines on the west coast is in a nature reserve. The entire area is sparsely populated, which is why the beaches are relatively empty.

Mareta
In Sagres at the first traffic circle turn left into the town – at the second traffic circle ( what else ) half right out, follow brown sign Mareta. The road leads steeply down ( gravel road ) – first restaurant/ café – a stone house – on the right. Great view of the bay and nice restaurant / bar, which invites “to enjoy the sundowner”. With the right waves and wind you can meet surfers and windsurfers. Great to watch and marvel.

Tonel
Very nice beach to the right of the fort of Henry the Navigator. At the traffic circle in Sagres straight ahead and immediately down to the right. A beach for sunbathing and relaxing. Divers can be seen there from time to time. For snorkeling quite attractive – but beware: when swimming; there are rocks under water depending on the tide!!!- beach bar in summer and surfer point.

Beaches On The West Coast

All beaches are located in the Costa Vicentina Natural Park.

The water on the west coast is colder than on the south coast and you have to expect currents.

Praia do Amado
THE beach for WAVE RIDING.
Try surfing, or look at it – is worthwhile in any case!
Various surf schools rent boards and give courses.
In Vila do Bispo (on the way to Sagres) turn right towards Aljezur.
Then it’s a bit through the prairie, but on a normal country road – with great views of the Monchique mountains. Until shortly before entering Carrapateira. Turn left – there is a sign to the surf point “Amado Beach”. Therefore you can often admire surfers there. A really dreamlike beach with often very high waves and a fantastic view from the narrow gravel road that leads along the top of the rocks.
This road is at the same time a circular route suggested by us, which leads back to the next beach or to the village of Carrapateira. On the way is the restaurant “Sito do Forno”, which invites you to a little stop-over to enjoy the fantastic sunset in the evening.  Then it goes on to the

Praia da Bordeira
Almost a must see. Massive sand dunes, surrounding by high cliffs and a little stream define this gigantic beach. Enjoy an unforgettable view from the cliffs and go for a fun splash in the waves (green flag only).

Praia do Arrifana
You can get there from Carrapateira further north in the direction of Aljezur. Then, just before entering the town, follow the signs to the left. Really high – relatively steep road and then the next intersection again left to Arrifana. Also a very, very beautiful place. Situated on the rocks and via a narrow road you get to the beach. Attention – there are sometimes not enough parking spaces directly below. Better to park above and walk !