The Algarve is one of the world’s most beautiful provinces. Located in the south of Portugal the coastline spans over 200 km and boasts some of Europe’s cleanest and picturesque sandy beaches, many of which are Blue Flag award winners. The Algarve is roughly 50 km wide from the Atlantic coastline to the mountains of Monchique and Caldeirão and 150 km from Vila Real de Santo António in the east to Sagres in the west.

The Algarve is a famous holiday destination popular with those seeking bucket loads of sunshine and award winning beaches, families, sports enthusiasts, nature lovers, even celebrities! The Algarve, Portugal, is only a 3 hour flight from the United Kingdom, Ireland and many other parts of Europe and flights arrive to the region’s sole international airport, Faro Airport in central Algarve. Faro flights arrive daily throughout the year, with several arrivals and departures each day from airlines during the busiest summer months of July to September.

The Algarve is perfect for walking, sightseeing and cycling and for all the sports you can imagine — surfing, golf, tennis, horse riding, kayaking and even extreme sports such as kite surfing, rock climbing and wakeboarding. Families can enjoy water parks, theme parks and zoos, boat trips along the breath-taking coastline with dinghy rides into the caves and ’grottos’ and the opportunity to see dolphins too, crazy golf, karting and many other things to do in the Algarve!

The heritage of the Algarve is easy to see as you travel around the region: the decorative glazed tiles on the buildings and the flat roofed, small windowed buildings, which are signs of the Moorish influence of the past. Algarve chimneys are often quite intricate, latticework designs and have been used as a symbol of wealth: the larger and more intricate the design the higher the position in society historically.

Many Algarve churches date back to the 15th & 16th centuries, when King Manuel I reigned. The characteristic Manueline architecture was lavish and less overtly religious, with high ceilings and wide arch ways, visible nautical themes prominent and fantastical creatures inspired from tales of the New World.