Rarely, a place of high tourist importance has become the most sought after tourist place to retire. This unique distinction is earned by a region called the Algarve region in Portugal and located in the southernmost part of Portugal.
The name Algarve might sound new to you and if that is the case, you must be living far away from Europe or America. Sure, Lisbon is the capital of Portugal is boldly marked in the world atlas and in Portugal’s tourist map but Algarve is the second most important Portuguese tourist region. It is evident from the number of people (more than 7 million) who have visited the Algarve region for holiday purposes.
Since the Algarve region is on the North Atlantic Ocean’s shore, it is a sunny region that has attracted the central and northern Europeans as a place to retire and settle down.
This has opened up so many infrastructural developments in the Algarve region such as beachfront villas, residential condominiums, resorts and hotels, golf courses and so on.
The fruity region of Europe
The Algarve region of Portugal is known as the ‘fruity region’ of Europe because of copious production of various fruits that include fig, orange, and plum. In addition, the almonds of the Algarve region are said to be very tasty.
Places to stay in the Algarve Region
The main cities of Algarve region that is ideal to stay either as vacation destinations or to buy a house and settle down:
- Faro
- Lagoa
- Albufeira
- Vilamoura
- Olhão
- Quarteira
- Silves
- Loulé,
- Portimão
- Tavira
- Vila Real de Santo António
Some of the above are not big cities but still; they offer all the modern amenities that we need in order to live a life of comforts and peace.
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Lagos, Algarve region, Portugal
As is evident from the above image, Lagos is a coastal town. The charming Atlantic Ocean and some high cliffs (Ex. Ponta de Piedade) overlooking the great ocean make the laid-back place a dream location to stay and enjoy a week full of relaxing vacation.
These rock formations standing on the middle of the sea are accessible either by swimming or by canoeing.
Some of the tourist attractions in Lagos are:
- Castelo dos Governadores, a 13th-century castle
- Praca de Gil Eanes, an avenue like place where the evening road shows begin and the food stalls begin unfolding.
- A lengthy beach running nearly 5 km
If you are planning a holiday in the Algarve region of Portugal, you can choose to stay in any one of the different accommodations in the city of Lagos.
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Portimão, Algarve Region, Portugal
Ah, what a neatly laid out beach abutting the harbor! It is a sample of what you can find inside the Portimão town. Most of the high-end staying options are aggregated in Rocha Beach area, a charming beach that attracts a big crowd of tourists. The small eateries, gifts shops, and the dry afternoon sun remind one a Mediterranean atmosphere similar to Greece. In Portimão city of the Algarve region, several serviced apartments have come up where you can do your own cooking if you are tired of restaurant food. Três Irmãos is another beachfront where you can look out for accommodations. If you like a rocky beach, you can book your hotel room in Vau beach area.
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Albufeira, Algarve region, Portugal
You can find several hotels sitting on the rocks jutting over the Atlantic Ocean in this beach town of Albufeira, the Algarve region of Portugal. The whole promenade gets busy after sunset leading to a vibrant nightlife. During the lazy afternoon, sunbathers throng the beach indulging in splashing around on the water. Dolphins too engage the visitors. They swim around the boats happily.
Accommodations in Albufeira cater to various needs and budgets. Tourists prefer to rent out beach cottages and beach-facing vacation rentals. From what I found, I think the Ferragudo and Surrounds Beach Cottage offers the most scenic and sunny staying option in Albufeira city.
I think the image of the Ferragudo beach cottage speaks volumes about the type of holiday you can expect in the Algarve region of Portugal.
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Faro, Algarve Region, Portugal
Faro being the main city and the capital of the Algarve region in Portugal, you can naturally expect a wide range of staying options that include sea view villas with private pools and beachfront resorts.
The citizens and the hotel owners of Faro take genuine pride in naming their tourist accommodations, ‘family friendly’. I suppose that is a fitting tagline to lure the Europeans who simply love to enjoy their vacation with their family.
All the hotels in Albufeira in the Algarve region of Portugal arrange outdoor activity visits that include:
- Slide n’ Splash water park that offers incredible waterslides
- Aqualand Water Park
- Zoomarine (for marine life)
- Aquashow Park
Fachada do Hotel Eva located at Av. da República 1, 8000-078 Faro, Portugal has received several positive reviews. You can call them at +351 289 001 000
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Vilamoura, Algarve Region, Portugal
Located centrally in the Algarve region of Portugal, Vilamoura is a bit on the luxury side of the Algarve cities with high-end beach resorts and hotels. Another good reason for its popularity is the nightlife here that gets busy and noisy too in the bars and casinos. There are a few golf courses that engage the sports buffs during the daytime. Overall, Vilamoura is the best place to stay in the Algarve region.
The presence of yachts and boats indicate the luxury life in Vilamoura.
