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The Williams's tour of the Algarve, Portugal

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This page contains the photographs and notes of Bruce Williams's tour of the Algarve that took place in October 2012. Bruce and his wife live in the foothills of Mijas in Andalucia and have made the road trip in to Portugal a couple of times previously. This time he has made a mini blog to accompany the photographs he took during his travels and has kindly allowed me to supplement my own 'Algarve' photos section.
A more comprehensive description is shown when viewing the individual enlargements. You will find Bruce's notes at the foot of each section.
Click map for a larger view of areas visited.

Sagres

  • Beliche
  • Beliche
  • Beliche
  • Beliche
  • Sagres Fort
  • Sagres Fort
  • Sagres Fort
  • Sagres Fort
  • Sagres Fort
  • Sagres Fort
  • Sagres Fort
  • Sagres Fort
  • Sagres Fort
  • Sagres Fort
  • Sagres Fort
  • Sagres Fort
  • Sagres Fort
  • Rock Formations
  • Home time
  • Sagres Cliffs
  • Praia da Mareta
  • Praia da Mereta
  • Praia da Mareta
  • Praia Tonel
  • governor's Residence
  • governor's Residence
  • governor's Residence
  • governor's Residence
  • Cabo do S.Vincente
  • Cabo do S.Vincente
  • Cabo do S.Vincente
  • Cabo do S.Vincente
  • Beliche
  • View from lighthouse
  • View from Lighthouse
  • Baleeira
  • Baleeira
  • Baleeira
  • Baleeira
  • Baleeira
  • Baleeira
  • Baleeira
  • Baleeira
  • Baleeira
  • Baleeira
  • A Sagres 'local'

Bruce's Notes on Sagres

Day 1 ~ Visiting Sagres If driving across the Algarve, as we were, use the N125. It parallels the A22 motorway ( more or less ), but without incurring the toll charges and you will see more of Portugal. The N125 will get you most of the way to Sagres and then take the N268 for the final part. Continue straight ahead, passing Sagres town on your left, up to the crossroads with Forteleza do Sagres ( Sagres Fort ) in front of you, more on this a little later.

At the crossroads, turn right onto the Ecovia do Litoral, for about 2km, there you will see Praia do Beliche – it’s a lovely sandy beach on which to chill out, sun bath and/or swim, with rocks to climb and explore and free parking just above it. If in need of fortification ( pun intended ) then at this point there are also two restaurants / cafés for visitors.

If you continue on this road past Praia do Beliche it will lead you to the Cabo do Sao Vincente and its lighthouse, said to be Europe’s most powerful one, situated at what is said to be Europe’s most westerly point. The views from this point are more than impressive.


Sagres Fort

Back-tracking to the crossroads with the N268, turn right for the Forteleza do Sagres. There is plenty of free parking here and even a little café in the lower end of the car park. Free entry to the fort up to 2pm. The fort itself takes the form of a curtain wall across the narrow neck of a peninsular with sheer cliff faces of about 80 metres high. The fort has a central gateway with entrance passageway and bastions either side from which to defend itself with crossfire. Cannons were situated around the perimeter of the peninsular to defend this corner of Portugal against anyone with the temerity to attempt an attack. Within the fort is a large ‘wind rose’, or a vertical gnomom sundial, or solar quadrant. Thoughts are divided about this structure. The consensus of opinion seems to be that it might be a navigational device dating from the 16th Century, or earlier, since Prince Henry ( the Navigator ) retired to Sagres around the mid 1450’s. However, it could well be something simpler such as a fish-drying house, or an area used for religious, or entertainment purposes...not quite so exciting if that turned out to be true. Within the perimeters of the fort are two rock chimneys that drop all the way to the sea at the base of the rocks on which the fort stands, you can’t see the sea, but you can hear it. From the fort peninsular, on the one side, are views back towards Praia do Beliche and the cape as far as the lighthouse and, on the other side, the views encompass Praia da Mareta, the main beach of Sagres with its restaurant and the coastline beyond.

Sagres town is fairly small and tranquil with lots of tourist accommodation and a good selection of shops, surf shops, fish restaurants, bistros and cafes. Plenty of parking around town and down in the port. Baleeira is a picturesque harbour and fisherman’s port. It even has seats on the harbour side on which to sit and watch the labours of the fishermen and the workings of an active port.


Evening FoodAte at the Adega TiCosta in Olhos D’Agua – didn’t choose the right day to visit. It was a public holiday, so the restaurant was busy and two large parties occupied the room in which we were located. A very hassled waiter who couldn’t mask his feelings was serving us all. A good value restaurant nonetheless and the grilled (black) pork slices were very tasty.
 

Loule

  • Porta de Faro
  • Loule
  • Loule
  • Loule
  • Loule
  • Loulé
  • Loulé
  • Loulé
  • Loulé
  • Loulé
  • Loulé
  • Loulé
  • Loulé
  • Loulé
  • Loulé
  • Loulé
  • Loulé
  • Loulé
  • Loulé
  • Loulé
  • Loulé
  • Loulé
  • Loulé
  • Loulé
  • Loulé
  • Loulé
  • Loulé
  • Loulé
  • Loulé
  • Loulé
  • Loulé
  • Loulé
  • Loulé
  • Loulé
  • Loulé
  • Loulé
  • Loulé
  • Loulé

Bruce's Notes on Loulé

Day 2 ~ Visiting Loulé This hillside town is well worth a visit. It is situated about 6km north of the A22, more or less due north of Quarteira and Faro. There are at least four roads that lead to Loulé from the south. If travelling along the A22 then come off at junction 12 to get to Loulé using the new N396 Variante. Travelling the N125 we used the N396 to reach Loulé. This is the original N396 road which links with the Variante shortly before Loulé and conveniently, brings you into the southwestern outskirts. If using this route in go straight on at the roundabout with a Continente hypermarket on the left hand corner, then turn right at the next roundabout into Rua Engenheiro Duarte Pacheco. After about 200m take the left turn. A short way along this road is a free parking area on your left. It is on firm open ground, not hard surfaced, but close to the castle and old town centre. In fact, most of the points of interest are within this area.

Loulé Castle and many other historic edifices can be found by going back on foot to where you turned into the car parking street and turning left uphill.
The castle courtyard
Cross over two turnings to the left and you will see parts of the old town walls and just after the Arab Watchtower on your left is an archway through the medieval walls, the Porta de Faro, with a useful signboard indicating other points of interest. From this point Loulé Castle is about 350m due north on Rua D. Paio Peres Correia and the municipal indoor market is less than 200m northeast. This big indoor market, located in a noticeable red and white painted building, is situated on the Praça da Republica. It caters for fresh fruit & vegetables, fish, meat, cheeses, wines and some pottery and is open every day except Sundays.

There is also a weekly open-air market in Loulé, every Saturday morning, which is situated on the northwestern edge of town, at the lower end of the Rua de Nossa Senhora da Piedade. To visit this, turn left out of the parking area mentioned earlier and head northwest for about 1000m, either on foot (which we did), or by car. Remember that, on a Saturday, parking around the market may be a little difficult to find. Most of the market stalls offer handbags, watches, clothing, sunglasses, footwear and some artisanal work.

The pedestrianised streets and others in the proximity of the markets, on a Saturday, are almost log-jammed. One feels in need of a large container of olive oil and a crowbar to be able to progress from one street to the next. Weekdays are definitely less crowded and these streets offer plenty to interest one.

Loulé Castle houses the archeological museum and just a little further down the same street is the Convento do Espirito Santo, that contains the Municipal art gallery. Both are well worth a visit and the museums are well laid out.

All in all, plenty here to occupy one for a day or more.
 

Quarteira

  • Quarteira
  • Quarteira
  • Quarteira
  • Quarteira
  • Quarteira

Bruce's Notes on Quarteira

Day 2 ~ Visiting Quateira We were approaching Quarteira from the west by car on the N125, through what seemed like the worlds largest resort development – Vilamoura – it appeared to go on and on forever. Finally, the Quateira palm tree lined promenade, the Avenida Infante de Sagres, was reached. Turn left along the promenade to look for a parking place; these still appear to be free. Failing that there is some street parking and car parks off to your left. If you are looking for a tourist information office, there is one along the promenade near the westward end. The Praia da Quarteira and its lovely broad promenade seem to go on forever, a perfect place for a stroll and a stop for refreshments. The beach, at the end of the Praia da Quarteira, becomes the Praia do Forte Novo and continues for several hundred metres more after the promenade finishes. To our eyes it certainly seemed to be the longest stretch of promenade and beach on the Algarve, with hardly any people on the beach at the time of our visit in the first week of October. The skies were clear and blue, with temperatures between 28°C & 32°C, above the seasonal average of 24°C to 26°C.


Praia da Quarteira

The harbour and the local fishing community are located at the western end of the Praia da Quarteira and the catches are sold early in the morning in the nearby fish market, perhaps, to end up on your lunch or dinner plate later that day.

Quarteira is another town that has a big weekly market on a Wednesday. So, follow the crowds and do some haggling to secure that bargain.

Getting out of Quarteira, however, is another story entirely. There is a significant lack of clear road signs to lead you out of Quarteira and back onto the N125 through the Vilamoura resorts. In fact, this lack of signs is true for many of Portugal’s non-motorway roads. At one stage we were experiencing serious doubts about ever getting out of Quarteira and the Vilamoura resorts after several journeys along roads that continue for miles before ending in a dead end. We suggest that you have a good quality, up-to-date satnav, or, a very good navigator with compass and map and provisions for at least two days before attempting this journey. The area has an almost clinical presentation and tidiness to it in the newer zones of development, with no litter, no clutter and everything in good order. Britain could learn a lot from the Portuguese Algarve in this respect.

'Freemaps' - Map of Quarteira.
 

Guia ( Shopping Centre )

  • Guia
  • Guia

Bruce's Notes on the Guia Shopping Center

Day 2 ~ Visiting Guia Shopping Centre Situated on the N125 to the north west of Albufeira and easy to find. The shopping centre offers lots of free parking, both above ground and below. The parking places are all signed, so you just have to remember which entrance into the shopping centre you used, or, start walking in ever increasing circles.

Many of the usual high street shops have outlets in this centre, including a MacDonald’s, where you can obtain a consistently passable cup of coffee. Even Worten the electrical domestic goods retailer has a branch here, along with a branch of fnac for your computing, photographic and music needs. Continente fulfills the food and household requirements and if you are into just browsing and/or refreshments there is much of interest for all the family. The restaurants/cafes are mainly fast food outlets, but there are some others of a more serious nature. Something to cater for all tastes and the main shopping areas have much to occupy the ladies of the house for hours.

Evening food: Ate at the 3 Marias, at Torre da Madronheira.
An experience not to be repeated!
 

Guia ( Winery )

  • Guia
  • Guia
  • Guia
  • Guia
  • Guia
  • Guia
  • Guia
  • Guia

Bruce's Notes on the Guia Winery

Day 3 ~ Visiting the Adega do Cantor at Guia We decided to take a look at the winery and vineyard of a certain well-known singer ( Cliff Richard ). They organise tours around the winery and a ‘tasting’ afterwards that take about two hours altogether. You will normally need to phone ahead to book in for the tour, so first you will need to obtain a leaflet about the winery to get the phone number from your nearest Tourist Information office, or hotel foyer.
The wine cellar
Or, if you are visiting the Guia shopping centre beforehand, pop up the road to the side and make a note from the signboard outside the winery. To do that, take the exit off the N125 and drive across the front of the hypermarket and instead of going into the parking area, take the road up the left hand side of the shopping centre. About half a kilometer along this road on your right hand side is the entrance to the Adega do Cantor.

Once you have booked your tour you can return to the adega at the time arranged. There is free parking inside and a wine shop & office with either English, or English speaking staff. The tour will enable you to see the vineyard, learn a bit about the owners and see the wine-making equipment. This is followed by a visit to the cellars, some wine tasting and, of course, an opportunity to buy some of the wines.

Click here for the winery website.
 

Lagos

  • Lagos
  • Lagos
  • Lagos
  • Lagos
  • Lagos
  • Lagos
  • Lagos
  • Lagos
  • Lagos
  • Lagos
  • Lagos
  • Lagos
  • Lagos
  • Lagos
  • Lagos
  • Lagos
  • Lagos

Bruce's Notes on Lagos

Day 3 ~ Visiting Lagos Again made use of the N125, turned off for Lagos and followed the signs for ‘Centro’, this leads you down to the port and promenade. Metered on-street parking with few spaces. However, down on the waterfront we found a newly constructed multi-story car park next to the police station and within a few metres of the pedestrianized area of the old town. Prices worked out at €1.10 per hour, but if your visit is only a whistle stop, then the first 15 minutes are free.

Virtually all the old town centre is pedestrianized with lots to explore on foot. The tourist information centre is at the at the lower end of the pedestrianized area in the Rua Vasco da Gama, not far from the multi-story car park mentioned earlier. Many of the high street shops are in this area, as are the tourist shops, as well as the more historic elements.
Saint Anthonys
Saint Anthony’s Church is one of these, incorporating as it does a museum of many different elements. Look out for the entrance along the street towards the rear of the church. First and foremost is the inside of church itself with a staggering display of gilded wood carvings covering all of the walls except the first 1.4m from the floor which are covered with blue and white ceramic tiling. The ceiling is fully painted in the rich colours indicative of Portugal. There is no photography allowed in here as you might expect, so, you have to see it for yourself. The other parts of the museum cover the archeological, along with arts and customs, coins, firearms, documents, china and vernacular life on land and sea. From my point of view, an absorbing museum for a very reasonable €3.00, or €1.50 if you are a student, or over 65yrs.

Back out of town along the seafront, still on foot, head south / westwards, slightly uphill and you will discover part of the medieval walls of the town, incorporating the eastern gate (rebuilt) into the town. Opposite this on the seafront is the Forte da Ponta da Bandeira, built between 1680 and 1690 and occupying a commanding position at the entrance to the harbour of the Bensafrim River. At the time of construction it was considered one of the most advanced fortresses on the Algarve. Currently presented as a museum, it shows its drawbridge defense of the fort’s only entrance from the landward side and to seaward its batteries cross-fired in conjunction with bulwarks of Porta da Vila and the Governor’s Castle to protect the quay and the eastern side of the town walls. Don’t forget to have a look inside the fort’s tiled chapel of Santa Barbara – small, but impressive.

'Freemaps' - Map of Lagos.


Evening foodAte at Restaurant Pinhal in Olhos D’Agua, almost next door to the Adega TiCosta We shared a Portuguese dish, monkfish cataplana, a sort of fish stew that was delicious and more than enough for the two of us.
 

Portimao

  • Aqua Shopping
  • Aqua Shopping
  • Portimao
  • Portimao
  • Portimao
  • Portimao
  • Portimao

Bruce's Notes on Portimão

Day 4 ~ Visiting Portimão If driving, then you are most likely to come in off the N125. Follow the signs for Portimão and fairly early on look out for the signs for ‘Aqua’, the newest and largest of the shopping centres on the Algarve. It is located on your right hand side, accessed by a slip road that takes you round to the entrance on the far side of the building. This leads down into a cavernous car parking area of some 1800 spaces. Aqua offers about 100 retails units, 25 cafes and restaurants and an enormous ‘Jumbo’ hypermarket ( Jumbo is another trading name for Auchan I believe ). Pretty well every retail high street name has a presence here and also many of the recognized eating places, including the ubiquitous MacDonald’s, which boasts one of the new Mac Café’s alongside. This offers coffee house drinks of all types and excellent quality, at very sensible prices. A regular and a large latte plus two chocolate brownies for €3.85 here, in comparison to the €12.40 charged for the same thing at a seafront café on the Praia de Rocha. You can easily spend a couple of hours browsing around this shopping centre and my wife can spend half a day, if not more.


Praia de Rocha

When you are able to tear yourself away from Aqua, continue on the road towards Portimão and follow the signs for Praia de Rocha. Once near the sea front turn left onto the Avendia das Comunicades Lusiadas, along here are two or three parking areas on your right, which may charge a fee to park the car. Continue a bit further and turn up to the right until you reach the sea front and turn left onto the one-way street, the Avenida Tomas Cabreira. There is some limited free parking in the side streets and a multi-storey car park or two. Back up to the seafront on foot then turn right will take you to the Mirador Praia da Rocha, a long finger of rock jutting out into the sea, from which are great views along the Praia dos Tres Castelos on one side with its characteristic rocks and the Praia de Rocha on the other with its vast expanse of beach. From the Mirador head east along the Avenida Tomas Cabreira, this will take you along parallel to the Praia de Rocha, which is accessible at intervals by steps down to it. You can continue along the Avenida until you reach the fortification at the end overlooking the estuary of the Rio Arade and the new marinas. At this point you have several choices, you can retrace your footsteps along the Avenida, stopping for coffee and ice-creams, or whatever you wish. Option two is to descend from the fortification and return along the Praia da Rocha at beach level and return to the Avenida by way of any of the sets of steps up to it. The third option is to descend from the fortification, but this time turn to your left, heading due north, to explore the new marina.

Behind and beyond the marina there is a footpath that will take you past the deep water berths port and the Museum of Portimao on Rua D. Carlos I overlooking another marina. Mind you, unless you are a seasoned walker, I would suggest that you return to where you parked your car and drive to the old town centre as it is about an hour or so on foot from the car parking around the Avenida Tomas Cabreira. The Portimao Museum is about halfway between the two points so stop and have a nose around this, too. The old town has lots to explore within a fairly compact area, but a map from the Tourist Information office in the Commercial Harbour would help a lot. We will return to look around the town centre in greater depth as we ran out of time to cover it all in a short-ish day.

Just a brief note to say that the suspension bridge on the N125 as you approach Portimao is a beautiful and awe inspiring structure. Look out for it...well, you can’t really miss it.

'Freemaps' - Map of Portimao.


Evening foodWe ate this evening at the Restaurante Churrasqueira Beira, Rua Corcovada, Santa Eulalia on the eastern outskirts of Albufeira. A Portuguese steak and a regular steak were cooked perfectly and tasted great. However, don’t expect to spend a leisurely evening in this restaurant as the emphasis on turn over of covers is approaching supersonic speed, even on an uncrowded evening.
 

Faro

  • Faro
  • Faro
  • Faro
  • Faro
  • Faro
  • Faro
  • Faro
  • Faro
  • Faro
  • Faro
  • Faro
  • Faro
  • Faro
  • Faro
  • Faro
  • Faro
  • Faro
  • Faro

Bruce's Notes on Faro

Day 5 ~ Visiting Faro Once again we used the N125 to get down into Faro following signs for the old town centre by the water’s edge. We then wriggled our way around it to get an idea of its layout and turned back on ourselves just outside the old town and castle walls on the southeastern side. Here we found some on street parking at 1.00€ an hour. From this point we walked back into the town to begin our explorations within the pedestrianized streets. Shops, boutiques, cafés, restaurants, ice-cream parlours, wine shops, churches and chapels abound in this area and after our fill of this type of excitement we wandered down into the area encompassed by the old town walls.

We entered via the Arco da Vila, an archway formed through the town walls in the early 1800’s. Designed by an Italian architect, Francisco Xavier Fabris at the request of the Bishop of the Algarve, this archway forms one of the most interesting displays combining stone and brickwork, (neo-classicism, so I am told). Immediately to the left of the arch before you go through it is the Tourist Information office, get a street map from here as the very minimum, it makes it much easier to find your way around. Once inside the walls, probably one of the first buildings that you will come across is the town hall. In the more central area, the Largo da Sé, is the Cathedral with its multiplicity of bells in the tower. Have a look around the Cathedral, it has an interesting mix of architectural styles and then go up the steps in the tower for a cracking panoramic view around the city. Look out for the typically Portuguese ‘tesouro’ (pyramid shaped) roofs. Elsewhere in the Largo da Sé are the Episcopal Palace and the Episcopal Seminary. Architecturally interesting buildings, but access to them is restricted.


Ancient Convent

I’m not sure of the date of the cathedral, but it might be around the early 1500’s similar to the date of the Convent of Our Lady of Assumption just around the corner in the Praça Alfonso lll. The Convent was situated in the Jewish quarter known as ‘Judiaria’ that had existed there until 1496. The Convent constitutes one of the most interesting examples of the early Renaissance period on the Algarve, with cloister and the exterior door of the church deserving special mention. Now, it houses an interesting collection of art and archaeological artefacts in the form of the Municipal Museum of Faro, including a thirty foot section of mosaic floor dating back to roman times.

If you exit the old town next to the Castle, on the opposite side to the Arco da Vila, and then immediately turn to your left there is a pathway through the grassed area at the foot of the Castle walls. From here you can gain a good impression of the size and grandeur of these ramparts. At this point we continued around and on to where we had parked the car. Too much to see in one day in Faro, so I guess we will have to return another time.

When departing Faro you need to look for the N125 eastwards if you are returning towards Olhau and Tavira. If you are returning towards Loulé, Quartiera and Albufeira westwards on the N125, as we were, be careful you don’t find yourself on the N125-4 heading towards Faro airport. It doesn’t go anywhere else but the airport.


Evening foodWe returned to the Adega TiCosta at Olhos D’Agua this particular evening and were not disappointed; my wife having the grilled chicken and me the slices of grilled (black) pork, again. More than we could eat.
 

Albufeira

  • Albufeira
  • Albufeira
  • Albufeira
  • Albufeira
  • Albufeira
  • Albufeira
  • Albufeira
  • Albufeira
  • Albufeira
  • Albufeira
  • Albufeira
  • Albufeira
  • Albufeira
  • Albufeira
  • Albufeira

Bruce's Notes on Albufeira

Day 6 ~ Visiting Albufeira Albufeira is quite a big town with lots to offer and very popular with tourists. Absolutely loads of accommodation of all types. We had chosen to stay at the three star Hotel Velamar at Torre da Medronheira on the eastern outskirts of Albufeira. If you are interested in what we thought of this hotel then have a look at our bookings.com review of it for 27/06/2012 and an update on 13/10/2012.

If you are approaching Albufeira using the N125 there are a number of roads that will take you into Albufeira, but aim to turn off at the intersection with the N395 that is the easiest way into the town. Follow this road, the Estrada de Ferreiras, down and at the lower end you will pass a new Tourist Information office on your right with parking in front. Grab your street map and anything else you need here then continue down to the ‘T’ junction roundabout at the bottom of the Estrada and turn left along the Avenida dos Descobrimentos until the first roundabout and turn right onto what should be the Rua dos Caliços. Follow this down until the intersection with Rua Antonio Aleixo and turn left onto it and follow this road until you go over a wide intersection at which point the road should become one-way. Keep in the right hand lane and continue straight on to the Rua das Telecomuniçoes, still one-way, and at the end roundabout turn right onto the Rua Sacadura Cabral. The sea is now on your left and you are close to the concourse at the end of Praia dos Pescadores, but somewhat above it. A short way along take the left fork onto the Rua dos Telheiros and a little further still you will see a multi-storey car park on your right. This is about as close as you can get to the old town centre and the beach, so we suggest that you park here. At the time of our visit parking charges worked out at about 1.10€ per hour.

We approached Albufeira from the eastern side on the lower coastal road from Torre da Medronheira rather than the N125. This enabled us to get into the centre of the old town without too much difficulty whilst aiming for the area of the beach, the Praia dos Pescadores ( Fishermen’s Beach ). And, once on the Rua dos Telheiros, a short way along this one-way street is the newish multi-storey car park on your right just above the Avenida 25 de Abril.


Jardim Publico

Having parked, come out of the entry point to the car park; turn to your right and walk the short distance down to the Avenida 25 de Abril. On the left hand corner is a very nice café and ice-cream parlour that we have no hesitation in suggesting you try. If you turn left at this corner it will lead you to the large concourse at the eastern end of Praia dos Pescadores. If you cross over the Avenida there is a short passageway that will take you to some of the pedestrianized streets of the old town. Turning right onto the Avenida leads you to and into the main square of Jardin Publico de Albufeira, from here all the streets that radiate out from it are pedestrianized, as is the square itself. All manner of shops, restaurants, bars, cafes abound in this area with just about everything to suit most people in this popular tourist resort.

We concentrated our visit to the area around Albufeira’s old town and beach, although there is more to see and do (such as shopping, my wife tells me) in the more recently built areas. Don’t overlook the harbour and the new marina on the western outskirts of Albufeira. These are to be found to the west of Praia do Peneco (Tunnel Beach), which is the beach adjoining Praia dos Pescadores. They are walkable from the town centre without too much difficulty and provide restaurants and cafés to sit and people watch.

The Municipal Museum of Archeology is located near the Torre de Relógion ( The Clock Tower ) in the upper town and was founded as recently as 1999. It hosts a well-presented collection of exhibits from the various periods of Albufeira’s history. The Clock Tower is the most visible element of the town’s past as it is built on the remains of one of the castle’s towers, the castle dating from Roman times.

There is not a vast amount in the way of old historical monuments in Albufeira, due to the great earthquake of 1755 that terminated in a tidal flood. Between them, these two natural disasters managed to destroy most of the buildings, so there is not too much dated earlier than the mid 18th Century. However, the history of Albufeira is much more extensive and has vestiges going back to the Neolithic and Bronze ages. Initially the Romans were in occupation, at which time Albufeira was called Baltum, but the Phoenicians, Greeks and Carthaginians have also exercised influence on the people here. Next came the Moors, with a gradual influx throughout the Algarve. Under the Moors Albufeira became known as Al-Buhera,‘the castle of the sea’ and was an important trading port in the 8th Century until the Christian conquest of the region finally drove the Moors out of Albufeira in 1249.

'Freemaps' - Maps of Albufeira 'Old Town' and 'The Strip'.
 

General notes


Bruce Williams

If you wish to make a comment please use the comments link ( at the bottom of the menu to the left ). I'll be happy to forward any remarks to Bruce. ( Neil )


Some general notesThe photographs on this page were taken with a Canon Powershot SX220 HS with 12Mpx and 14x optical zoom. The auto setting is one of the best that I have come across, especially in low light conditions, e.g. building interiors. It also has the option for one to select aperture or shutter priority and a movie mode in NTSC or PAL formats.


About our trip Please remember that everything noted here is as we found it at the time of our visit, so it may not all hold true after that date. Our comments about our visits to the places of interest are made on the basis of that which appealed to us, a mature(ish) couple traveling without family. This means that there won’t be too much information about discos, bars and fast food outlets and kids entertainments other than where mentioned in passing.

This visit was made by car, with our point of entry being from Spain onto the A22 motorway. Portugal has recently (2011?) introduced a new system of tolls and toll collection along the Algarve motorways consisting of a series of overhead gantries with cameras that read the registration plates of the cars using the motorways. A toll charge arises for the section of motorway in between each set of gantries. There are two ways for visitors to pay these toll charges. One is by having your debit or credit card scanned at the point of entry onto the motorway system, that card is then debited each time you pass under a camera gantry. The other way is to buy Via Verde prepaid toll cards. I preferred this way, as I am not entirely happy with having to provide my credit card details to a large government organization that I know very little about – just call me cautious.


Via Verde Toll Card

These Via Verde cards come in values of 5€, 10€, 20€ and 40€ and are available from various service stations along the motorways. On the A22 there are two, one at Loulé between junctions 11 and 12 and one at Lagos, both of which have service areas each side of the motorway. Failing this, the cards can be purchased at CTT post offices in most towns. To activate the Via Verde cards you need the registration number of your car and your mobile number. Follow the instructions on the reverse of the card you intend to use, they are in English, but make sure that you include the asterisk either side of your registration number in your text and don’t include any spaces between any part of the text message that you are sending. It took us five attempts to find the right combination of characters when texting the information. Unfortunately, if you get it wrong you will receive a text message immediately on your phone telling you that it is incorrect, but it does not tell you how to correct it. Assuming that you have been successful in registering you vehicle, you are then able to trundle about the motorways until such time as you have used up your Via Verde card credit. At this point, your mobile will receive a text advising you that you need to purchase another card, or register another card with the CTT if you bought more than one originally. You can get an idea of your usage of the card credit as the toll charges are posted as you pass through each section. It is not a bad idea to have some indication of the credit used as you do not want too much left on your card at the end of you travels in Portugal. The Via Verde cards only have a life of twelve months. As a rough guide, we covered about 200km on the A22 motorway without being told that our 10€ card credit had run out.

You can get more information about these toll charges by clicking on this link tollcards. Some parts of the web site are in English and some are in Portuguese, but you can find your way around it to gather the relevant information. If you are using a hire car then first check with the hire company as to how they process the toll charges if you intend using the motorways.


As a generalisation my wife, Pam, has remarked how pleasant, polite and helpful are the people of the Algarve, and I can only agree with her. Even when walking about towns in the quieter areas in the evenings one feels relatively secure. We feel that this part of Portugal still retains many areas of delightful discovery while travelling about off the motorways.

Bruce Williams ~ October 2012