The Algarve is located on the south-western side of the Iberian Peninsula,
surrounded on two sides by the Atlantic Ocean. The Guadiana River marks the
eastern border with neighboring Spain, and to the north it borders the
agricultural region of Alentejo. The southernmost region of the continent is
separated into three different strips of land with special characteristics
and beauty:
Litoral, the small coastal area, where most tourist
activities are concentrated,
Barrocal, the fertile agricultural area
between the coast and the mountainous highlands, and
Serra, the
mountainous area, which covers half of the total Algarve territory of almost
5,000 square kms
The geographical position of the Algarve leads to a
unique bioclimatic climate. Although located in the Atlantic, the climate is
more Mediterranean: more than 3000 hours of sunshine per year and low
rainfall, especially during the winter.
Albufeira
Alcoutim
Ajezur
Carvoeiro
Castro Marim
Faro
Lagoa
Lagos
Loulé
Monchique
Monte Gordo
Olhão
Portimão
Quarteira
Sagres
São Brás de Alportel
Silves
Tavira
Vila
do Bispo
Vila Real de Santo António
Vilamoura
Ria Formosa Natural Park, Lagoon landscape along the eastern Algarve
from Faro to Cacela Velha near Tavira
Sapal de Castro Marim and Vila
Real de Santo António Nature Reserve, near the Guadiana River, the
border of the Algarve with Spain
Sudoeste Alentejano e Costa
Vicentina Natural Park, one of the biggest national parks in Portugal
Serra de Monchique, with the highest elevation in southern Portugal,
Fóia (902 m) and Caldas de Monchique, a famous spa resort
Sagres
Biogenetic Reserve between Ponta de Sagres and Cabo de São Vicente
Cabo de São Vicente, The most southwestern point of the European
continent - a sacred place from times gone by
Ponta da Piedade,
Lighthouse and bizarre rock formation on the Gold Coast near Lagos
The mild, almost Mediterranean climate of the Algarve
and the fantastic coastline of around 200 km with more than 150
excellent beaches have contributed to making the Algarve the most
popular holiday region in Portugal. More than 40% of the total turnover
of the Portuguese tourism sector is generated in the Algarve.
The
diverse landscape offers a variety of vacation options for every taste:
The sands of the Sotavento Algarve from the Spanish border to the lagoon
landscape of the Ria Formosa with endless flat and wide beaches are
ideal for families with young children.
The lagoons and adjacent
islands of the Ria Formosa, a unique ecosystem, stretches from Tavira to
Faro, the capital of the Algarve.
The Algarve's "Golden Triangle"
with the world-renowned golf and holiday resorts Quinta do Lago, Vale do
Lobo and Vilamoura is sought after by golfers and other discerning
tourists.
The rocky coastline of the Western Algarve between
Albufeira and Lagos with dramatic rock formations, beautiful sandy
beaches, hidden caves and rocky bays has particularly contributed to the
image of the Algarve as the perfect holiday destination.
The lonely
west coast, the so-called “Costa Vicentina” between Sagres and Aljezur,
exposed to the Atlantic wind, is popular with surfers, paragliders and
other extreme sportsmen as well as lovers of untouched nature.
The
uninhibited hills and mountains of the Serra, whose hot springs have
been known since Roman times, are ideal for climbing and cycling and
many other outdoor activities.
Almost unknown and untouched by
tourism is the undulating landscape along the lower reaches of the River
Guadiana, the Algarve's border with Spain, where several golf resorts
have only recently been built.
By airplane
Flights from many European cities
arrive at Faro International Airport in three hours. With about six
million passengers transported annually, this airport is the third
largest in Portugal after Lisbon and Porto. In the winter period, the
number of flights to Faro is reduced from many destinations. For this
reason, it might be advisable to opt for Lisbon airport. The A22
motorway (subject to tolls) connects Lisbon Airport to the Algarve
(transit time: around 2.5 h). Regular express bus services connect the
center of Lisbon to the most important locations in the Algarve (journey
time to Faro: 3h 15 min). In addition, an economical rail connection to
Faro is proposed (travel time: approx. 3h).
By car
From the
north, the A2 motorway leads to the Algarve (trip subject to tolls).
Travel time from Lisbon to the A22 north of Albufeira is just over two
hours; the distance is 240 km. Coming from Spain, the A49 leads to the
A22 near Castro Marim. Travel time between Seville and the border
between the two countries is an hour and a half; the distance is 145 km.
In the Algarve itself, the A22 motorway (Via do Infante de Sagres) runs
from east to west, from the border with Spain to the city of Lagos.
Since 2011, trips on this motorway are subject to tolls; the tariff
depends on the distances traveled and are charged electronically.
Electronic tolls: Owners of vehicles with foreign registration
plates can choose one of the following payment methods for electronic
tolls on the A22:
Toll Card: This is a card purchased with
pre-loading of amounts between €5 and €40. The card is valid for one
year and before the first use it must be activated via an SMS indicating
the registration number.
Toll Service: It is a prepaid ticket,
comparable to a vignette, with a fixed cost of €20 and unlimited use for
3 days.
Easy Toll: Automatic payment by credit card (Visa or
Mastercard), the amount in question being debited from the account
associated with the card.
Via Verde Visitors: Electronic device for
hire, which can be used both at electronic tolls and on motorways with
traditional tolls.
By car
In the Algarve itself, the A22 motorway (Via
do Infante de Sagres) runs from east to west, from the border with Spain
to the city of Lagos. Since 2011, trips on this motorway are subject to
tolls; the tariff depends on the distances traveled and are charged
electronically. Estrada Nacional 125, which is almost entirely a road
parallel to the A22, has been very busy since the introduction of tolls,
especially at rush hour, as many Algarve residents avoid the motorway
for cost reasons.
by bus
Through its network of buses, the
company EVA Transportes connects the cities of the Algarve from Aljezur
in the far west to Vila Real de Santo António on the border with Spain.
Transfast: Lagos - Faro
Interurban Career: Aljezur - Vila Real
d.S.A.
Coast Line: Albufeira - Lagos
In addition, the company
maintains the urban bus network and a road connection to Seville.
By train
'Algarve Line': The railway section runs through the
region between Lagos and Vila Real de Santo António. The single-track
railway line between Lagos in the west and Vila Real de Santo António on
the border with Spain has a length of almost 140 km and started
operating in 1912. The gauge with a width of 1,668 mm is compatible with
that of the lines railways in Spain. However, only in the North, East
and Northeast of Portugal there are three border crossings. The old
ferry connection from Vila Real de Santo António to Ayamonte no longer
exists.
The route between Tunes and Faro is electrified; Modern
trains such as the Intercidades and Alfa Pendular also run here, taking
passengers from Faro to Lisbon in just over three hours. On the other
routes, only railcars with three carriages circulate and the journey
from Lagos to Vila Real de Santo António lasts up to 3 hours and 45
minutes. Many train stations are outside the towns. Railway timetables
in Portugal and ticket prices can be found on the Comboios de Portugal
website.
Of boat
From Faro, Olhão and Tavira, boats depart
regularly to the islands of Ria Formosa. In addition, there are
connections between some locations on the edge of the Ria Formosa and
the beaches on the barrier islands. From Vila Real de Santo António and
Alcoutim there are river connections with the Spanish side of the
Guadiana River, more precisely to Ayamonte and Sanlúcar de Guadiana.
Albufeira: Paderne Castle
Alcoutim: Moorish Castle
Aljezur:
Moorish Castle
Castro Marim: Castle and Fortress, Casa do Sal Museum
Faro: Vila-Adentro, the historic old town with Catedral Sé, Palacio
Episcopal and Museu Arqueologico, Palácio de Estoi, Milreu (Roman
Village near Estoi)
Lagoon: Convent of São José
Loulé: Municipal
Market, Castle with Archaeological Museum, Islamic Baths, Church of São
Lourenço (Almancil), Cerro da Vila (Roman Village in Vilamoura)
Sagres: Fishing Port, Fortress of Sagres with Rose of the Winds,
Fortress of Beliche
Silves: Castle, Sé Cathedral and Archaeological
Museum
Portimão: Fortress of Santa Catarina (Praia da Rocha),
Nécropolis de Alcalar,
Tavira: Castle, Convent of Graça, Camera
Obscura in Torre de Tavira, Tuna Fishing Museum, Church of Misericórdia
Vila do Bispo: Montes dos Amantes (Megalithic Route), Ermitage de
Guadalupe (Raposeira)
Vila Real de Santo António: Marquês Pombal
Square, Cacelha Velha Fortress
Beaches: With 210 km of coastline and more than 150 beaches, the
Algarve has become one of the most popular tourist destinations in
Europe. Magnificent transparent waters, spectacular cliffs with discreet
bays, endless sandy beaches protected by dunes, and a mild breeze coming
from the Atlantic make this region truly unforgettable.
Water
sports: The windy west coast of the Algarve, the Costa Vicentina, is
especially popular with surfers, kite surfers and paragliders. Around
Sagres and Lagos there are a large number of surf camps and in many
other places in the Algarve courses for beginners and advanced surfers.
Portimão with its new marina on the estuary of the River Arade is an
excellent area for sailing, where several international competitions
take place. And the marinas at Vilamoura, Albufeira and Lagos offer a
wide range of water sports including sport fishing and whale watching.
Golf: For many years the Algarve was considered one of the best and
most popular golf destinations in Europe. Golfers can choose from 38
golf courses with different profiles and characteristics, located
between the Guadiana River on the Spanish border and Lagos in the
Western Algarve. All of these golf courses offer an enjoyable year-round
golfing experience due to the excellent standards of maintenance and the
mild Algarve climate.
Hiking: The diverse landscape of the
Algarve offers ideal territory for hiking and trekking. There are a
series of trails along the coast, in the fertile landscape of the
Barrocal and in the mountains of the Serra. Especially in the Serra de
Monchique and Costa Vicentina, the large nature reserve on the western
coast, trekking tours, bird watching excursions and donkey trails are
available.
Cycling: The Algarve is a very popular year-round area
for mountain bikers as the mountainous landscape of the Barrocal and
Serra provide the ideal terrain.
Motor sports: Faro is proud to
be a motorcycling capital. Every summer thousands of motorcyclists from
all over the world come to the capital of the Algarve for a week for the
International Motorcycle Concentration, organized by the Moto Clube de
Faro.
The Portuguese language belongs to the group of Romance languages, a
branch of the Indo-European language family. Along with Spanish, Catalan
and other languages spoken in the Iberian Peninsula, Portuguese
represents the Ibero-Romance languages. Portuguese is a world language,
spoken by more than 215 million native speakers. In the Algarve there is
a regional dialect variant, which makes it difficult to understand,
since the Portuguese language itself is not easy to understand for
foreigners.
In tourist areas it is easy to communicate in
English; menus in restaurants are usually multilingual. For trips to the
interior of the country, however, it is advisable to take a phrasebook
with the most important terms. Also in case of an unforeseen encounter
with the Police, the English language may not always be useful. Also, be
wary of unpleasant remarks in your mother tongue: Many Portuguese grew
up abroad and may understand more than you'd like!
Generally safe; however, basic precautions are necessary.
Doctors and dentists: When it is essential to seek medical
assistance, it can be useful to communicate in your mother tongue to
provide important clinical information about your health status. There
are a number of multilingual medical and dental clinics in the Algarve,
many of which have a network of specialist doctors. However, there are
clinics that do not accept credit cards for payment. Some of these
offices are available 24 hours a day, although medical fees for
consultations and treatments outside of normal hours are much higher.
Hospitals: In the cities of Lagos, Faro and Portimão there are
public district hospitals and also private or private hospitals for
outpatient treatments as well as for inpatient treatment. In public
hospitals, health care is relatively inexpensive. Generally, payment is
made in cash and in most cases, the staff does not speak English. The
service at the modern and well-equipped “Hospital Particular do Algarve”
is very diverse, based in Alvor and Portimão and, since 2009, with a
branch in Faro (Gambelas). In addition, with Clínica Particular in
Algarve Shopping – Albufeira (Guide), International Health Centers
Albufeira, Clínica Medchique in Monchique and Clínica Particular in
Vilamoura. In these institutions, credit cards are accepted and
communication in English is not a problem.
Health Centers: In the
Algarve municipalities there are Health Centers as a central place for
outpatient treatments, so the influx of patients is quite large. As in
all public service institutions, when entering, the user has to take a
password and wait for his turn. The waiting time can often be long. For
emergency cases, health centers have a 24-hour service. In addition, in
the parishes there are “health extensions” of these centres. All of
these public health institutions require advance payment and do not
accept credit cards. Also, communication in English is not always
possible.
Pharmacies: In the 16 municipalities of the Algarve and
in most parishes there is at least one pharmacy, in which you can
normally communicate in English. Payment by credit card is not always
possible.
Urgency and Emergency: The Emergency and Emergency
Network of the Algarve has a pre-hospital emergency device equipped with
4 SIV ambulances, based in Lagos, Loulé, Tavira and Vila Real de Santo
António, 3 emergency and resuscitation vehicles based in Portimão ,
Albufeira and Faro and 1 INEM helicopter based at the Loulé heliport,
and an Urgent Patients Guidance Center (CODU).
In Roman times the region was called Kinetic (Cyneticum) after the
name of the native Indo-European people, the Cinetes or Conium (Cynetes
or Conii in Latin).
The toponym Algarve (pronounced [aɫˈɡaɾv(ɨ))
originates from the Arabic expression الغرب (Algarbe) which means "the
west", "the west". In fact, the full expression was Algarbe Alandalus
(Gharb al-Ândalus or Algarbe Andalusino (Al-Gharb Al-Àndalusi) name
attributed to the current Algarve and Lower Alentejo during Muslim rule,
meaning "Western Andalus", as it was the western part from Moorish
Andalusia.
Pre-roman era
In pre-Roman times it was inhabited by the Coni, Cunei or Cinetes, a
people (formed by several tribes) of linguistic and ethnic affiliation
possibly Celtic or Iberian, whose territory included the entire current
region and even the south of the current district of Beja. This ancient
territory of the Conians ran from the mouth of the river Mira to the
mouth of the Guadiana, along the coast, and from the mouth of the river
Mira, passing through the area of the sources of the river Sado and the
Terges and Cobres streams until the confluence of the latter with the
Guadiana and going down the right or west bank of that river again to
its mouth, through the interior, thus covering the entire area of Serra
do Caldeirão (also called Serra de Mu) and its plateau.
According
to José Hermano Saraiva, the conii or cynetes (coni, in Latin, or
cinetes, in Greek), as attested by the toponyms Conímbriga and Coina,
had moved south due to the pressure exerted by other peoples and, like
the Lusitanians , were Celtic. The territory of this people was located
very close to an ancient civilization native to the Iberian Peninsula,
that of Tartessos (which developed in the west of present-day
Andalusia), in the basin of the Guadalquivir River (former Betis).
Because of this, the Conians were greatly influenced by this ancient
culture or were even part of this civilization. Furthermore, it is
possible that they were related to the Tartessians, although some
authors of classical antiquity, such as Strabo and Pliny the Elder, deny
this. They were also influenced by Mediterranean civilizations (Greek,
Roman, Carthaginian) even before Roman times and were one of the most
culturally advanced peoples in the current territory of Portugal and
even in the Iberian Peninsula at that time, as they already knew the
written language, having even created and developed its own script, the
southwestern script, which can also be called conic script.
Before the definitive integration of the Conians into the Roman
Empire, during the period from about 200 BC. By 141 BC, these were under
strong Roman influence but enjoyed a high degree of autonomy. Due, in
part, to their favorable relationship with the Romans, the Conians had
had some conflicts with the Lusitanians who, under the leadership of
Caucenus (Kaukenos), the Lusitanian chief before Viriatus, had for some
time conquered their territory, including capital, Conistorgis (location
still unknown, on a hill north of Ossonoba, present-day Faro, or perhaps
Castro Marim) in the year 153 BC. Due to this conflict with the
Portuguese, on the one hand, and due to the cultural influence of
Mediterranean civilizations on the other, unlike many of the pre-Roman
peoples of Portugal, they were allies of the Romans for some time and
not their opponents, differing from the attitude of other peoples such
as the Lusitanians, the Celts and the Galicians, who were strong
opponents of the Roman conquest.
Despite this, a little later, in
the context of the Lusitanian wars, in the year 141 BC, the Konians
revolted against the Romans, together with the Turduli of Beturia (also
called Betures), but were defeated by Fábio Máximo Serviliano, Roman
proconsul. , and definitively integrated into the Roman Empire.
In the centuries that followed, the native population (Konians) was
strongly Romanized, adopting Latin as a language, and culturally,
politically and economically integrated into Roman civilization and its
empire. The Algarve, then called Cyneticum (Kinetic), was part of the
Roman Empire, integrated first in the province of Hispania Ulterior and
later in the province of Lusitania, for more than 600 years, from around
200 BC. until the year 410 AD, boasting relevant cities such as Baesuris
(current Castro Marim), Balsa (close to Tavira), Ossonoba (current
Faro), Cilpes (current Silves), Lacobriga (current Lagos) and Myrtilis
(current Mértola)) , at this time, also belonged to the Cyneticum.
During Roman times, it had a significant cultural and economic
development (agriculture, fishing and processing), based mainly on its
strong agricultural production. At that time, the region mainly exported
olive oil and garum (a condiment made from fish), products that were
highly prized in the Roman Empire. Its geographical location was also
important in terms of supporting maritime shipping routes between Roman
ports on the Mediterranean Sea and those on the Atlantic Ocean in
Hispania, Gaul and Britannia.
The Guadiana (Anas) and Arade
(Aradus) rivers served as river navigation routes in contact with the
interior and would continue to be so for many centuries. Also, in terms
of geographic location, it was important that the region was just west
of Bética (which corresponds, in large part, to the territory of
present-day Andalusia), one of the most culturally and economically
developed provinces of Hispania and the Roman Empire ( region of origin
of important figures such as the scholar and philosopher Seneca, the
agronomist Columela and the emperors Trajan and Hadrian).
All
these factors contributed to the prosperity of the Algarve for many
centuries. In cultural terms, Roman times also witnessed the spread of
Christianity in Hispania, including Lusitania and the current Algarve
from the mid-1st century, but it would be from the 4th century, with the
publication of the Edict of Milan, in the year 313 AD. by Emperor
Constantine (who granted freedom of worship to Christians), that
Christianity would spread further and gain significant importance in the
region with the conversion of much of the native population, although
animist or pagan religions remained for a few more centuries.
Although the Iberian Peninsula was conquered by the so-called
barbarian peoples (Vandals, Alans, Suebi and later Visigoths) at the
time of the barbarian invasions, Roman culture and Christianity
remained. In 511 the Visigoths and Ostrogoths were forced to move to
Castile. In 531, after the death of Amalaric, son of Alaric II, the old
Visigothic structure disintegrated and, with the fusion of Roman and
Germanic elements, a new culture began to emerge in the central and
northern part of Hispania, the former Roman province. In the year 552,
the Algarve region was reconquered by the Byzantine Empire (then ruled
by Emperor Justinian I) from the Visigoths, a government that lasted
until 571, when King Leovigildo conquered it again for the Visigoth
Kingdom.
After the annihilation in 585 of the Swabian Kingdom,
headquartered in Braga, and the decision, in 589, at the Third Council
of Toledo, on the abandonment of Arianism and the adoption of
Catholicism, a conversion that aimed to ensure the power and dominion of
the Visigoths in the Peninsula Iberia, as well as the destruction of
Byzantine strongholds in Cádiz and the fight against Basque separatism,
Recaredo and his successors managed to forge a new Hispanic identity.
The importance of the Visigoth presence, despite its short duration,
both in terms of genetic legacy and literary and linguistics, was such
that, according to Ramón Menéndez Pidal in his A Epopeia Castelhana
through the Ages, «The laurel aristocrats of the kingdom of Toledo, the
Goths, will be at the origin of national literature». The Visigoth
Kingdom effectively dissolved in 713 as a result of the Muslim invasion.
From the Visigoth period there are several sources and evidence
(whether from Christian or Arab writers) that refer to a magnificent
cathedral in Ossonoba (now Faro), but whose remains have never been
found. Ossonoba.
Archaeological excavations in Silves unearthed
various pottery utensils, as well as fragments of pots, bowls and frying
pans with Visigothic finishes. A Visigothic capital was also found in
the same city, and is now on display at the Municipal Museum of
Archeology in Silves. Another Visigoth capital was discovered in the
Chapel of Nossa Senhora da Rocha (in Porches, near Lagoa). Around the
Algarve, some Visigoth necropolises were discovered, such as Poço dos
Mouros, in Silves and lesser known ones in Vila do Bispo, Lagos,
Albufeira, São Bartolomeu de Messines and Loulé. Several objects, from
those intended for religious practices (Christian and pagan) to personal
hygiene utensils, decorations (earrings and jewelry) and weapons were
found throughout the region. According to archaeologist Mário Varela
Gomes, it was believed that the scarcity of archaeological discoveries
was due to the short Visigothic presence in the region and the
geographical and geological circumstances that kept the Algarve isolated
for a good part of its history, but recent research shows that much is
unknown. due to insufficient archaeological efforts aimed at expanding
excavations, as well as due to a general lack of interest in studying
the presence of Germanic peoples in the territory, a lack of interest
shared by the municipalities. It is, despite the little material
available for analysis, in Gomes' opinion, it is unquestionable that
these peoples had a considerable impact on the region, leaving a legacy
that should be better understood.
In the decades that preceded the Muslim invasion, several councils,
the result of an alliance between Church and State, had started a series
of persecutions that had the Jewish community as a target. In 654, King
Recesvinto adopted several austere provisions against the Jews. In 681
Ervigius forced them to choose between conversion to Christianity or
exile. In 693, Égica imposed a ban on trade with Christians, an attitude
that, according to the Syrian historian Ali Nasrah, greatly harmed the
Jewish community, which was then considerably numerous and well
established in the Iberian Peninsula. Still according to Nasrah, who
relied on a wide variety of documents and evidence that corroborated his
reasoning, such events impelled the Jews to weave, in the beginning of
the eighth century, together with their North African co-religionists, a
plan that had as its intention the expulsion of the Visigoths. Indeed,
the Arab invaders entrusted the Jews with the task of guarding the
cities that fell under Muslim power, while their armies advanced.
In the year 711, a Muslim army, led by Tárique, sets out to conquer
the Iberian Peninsula. Rodrigo, the last Visigothic ruler, from a
dynasty that dated back to 476 AD, raises a resistance but his forces
prove unable to stop the advance of the Arab troops. In the following
year, in 712, the governor of Ifriquia, Mussa ibn Nossair, with the aim
of finalizing the conquest, reinforced Tarique's army, which was, at
first, small in number. According to Ignácio Olagüe, a professor at the
University of Madrid, the occupation of a good part of the Iberian
Peninsula by the Muslims did not take more than three years to
materialize.
After the success of the invasion, also facilitated
by the constant disputes that occurred within the nobility and royalty
of the Visigoths, the Muslims maintained the territorial structure of
'provinces-duchies' and 'provinces-counties' under a different
denomination, the Coras, from Arabic kūrah. In the Algarve was located
Cora de Ocsonoba, circumscribed to the north by Beja. Subsequent to the
occupation, the Muslims adopted various Iberian, Roman and
Roman-Hellenic traditions and customs, also assimilating multiple
aspects of Visigoth art, art already orientalized due to Byzantine
influences. After the year 715 and until 1249, the region was under the
dominion of Islamic peoples, from Arabs and Berbers to native
populations converted to Islam, although Christianity continued to be
practiced by the Mozarabs — Christians who, in exchange for a tax, had
the right to practice their religion under Muslim rule. The Berbers, who
lived in the plateaus on either side of the Guadiana and Tagus rivers,
constituted the largest population among Muslims. Composed mainly of
cultivators, some exercised in the cities more humble trades, while
others occupied high social positions.
The Algarve, like the rest
of the Iberian Peninsula occupied by the Moors, went through periods of
conflict, but it also went through phases of high cultural, artistic and
economic development, in continuity with the characteristics inherited
from Roman times. Silves became the capital of a Muslim taifa kingdom
after the fragmentation of the Caliphate of Córdoba.
The Spanish
and Portuguese regions formerly known as Algarbe Alandalus (Arabic:
الغرب الأندلس) were the most important Muslim center of the "Islamic
Hispania" era, thus being the core of Islamic culture, science and
technology. At that time, the most prominent town in the region was
Silves. Historian Alexandre Herculano commented that «compared with
Lisbon, Silves was much stronger, and in opulence and sumptuousness of
buildings ten times more remarkable.»
The Algarve was the last
piece of territory in Portugal to be definitively conquered from the
Moors, in the reign of D. Afonso III, in the year 1249.
The
occupation of Portugal by Muslim peoples left a remarkable
architectural, linguistic (in several Arabic words that were introduced
in the Portuguese language and in the regional Algarve vocabulary),
gastronomic and cultural legacy, being such influence more visible in
the Algarve and Alentejo, where the presence was broader and more
lasting, a presence shared with the Spanish region of Andalusia, with
which, due to an almost identical heritage, in comparison with other
more distant and culturally disparate Portuguese regions, the Algarve
shares greater similarities. There are, as remnants of this occupation,
several fortifications, such as the Castle of Silves, the Castle of
Aljezur, the Castle Belinho, the Castle of Paderne, the Castle of Loulé,
among others. Although significant, the long presence of Muslim peoples
in the Algarve was not enough to change the dominant type of population
or alter its ethnicity. The linguistic influence, though considerable,
left no trace in the syntax. Linguists estimate between three hundred
and six hundred words that the Berber, Arab and similar peoples left in
the language, namely to designate vegetables, horticultural products,
water and irrigation systems, as well as some terms associated with
trade.
According to some historical documents, the definitive conquest of
the Algarve and the expulsion of the Moors in the reign of King Afonso
III, namely the capture of the city of Faro, was carried out in a
relatively peaceful manner. D. Sancho I, had previously conquered parts
of the Algarve region, when he besieged the city of Silves in 1189 and
with the help of a fleet of other European crusaders, conquered the
same, including his father D. Afonso Henriques, had defeated the Moors
nearby at the Battle of Ourique.
Dom Paio Peres Correia, master
of the Order of Santiago, was responsible for the final reconquest of
the Algarve, especially the castles of Silves, Paderne and Faro.
However, only in 1267 — in the Treaty of Badajoz — was the possession of
the Algarve recognized as Portuguese territory, due to the pretensions
of the Kingdom of Castile.
Interestingly, the official name of
the resulting kingdom would often be called the Kingdom of Portugal and
the Algarve, but two separate kingdoms were never constituted.
Once the reconquest of the region was completed during the reign of D.
Afonso III, the Algarve was included in the Christian kingdom of
Portugal, important charters were granted, as well as incentives for the
population of the region coming mainly from the north of the country,
but also from beyond the Pyrenees. The region was quite relevant in the
following centuries, especially from the 15th century onwards due to the
odyssey of Portuguese maritime exploration, the exploration of the
African coast and the conquest of Moroccan cities, under the command of
Infante D. Henrique. This was based in the region and part of the
organization of discoveries was carried out in the Algarve. The
territory, due to favorable conditions for navigation, was one of the
first bases of Portuguese maritime expansion in the 15th and 16th
centuries, from which some expeditions departed, with the port of Lagos
being one of the most important at that time.
With the end of the
Portuguese presence in African squares, the region again entered a
certain decadence, accentuated by the destruction imposed by the
earthquake of November 1, 1755.
The prime minister of King D.
José I, the Marquis of Pombal, tried to carry out a division, never
recognized by the Roman Papacy, of the diocese of Faro into two
bishoprics: Faro and Vila Nova de Portimão. The limit between them was
the Quarteira stream and its extension in a straight line to the
Alentejo.
During the period of the French invasions, the Algarve
was the focus of revolts in defense of Portuguese national sovereignty,
such as the Olhão revolt (in 1808).
The Algarve was the scene of
several reactions against the occupying forces, the most famous episode
being the reaction of the people of Luz de Tavira against the French
looters when they tried to take the gold from the local Church.
During the Liberal Wars that began with the seizure of power by D.
Miguel I and the reaction of the liberal forces led by the Duke of
Terceira, they chose the Manta Rota region as the landing place for the
military forces that later moved to Lisbon.
The Kingdom of the
Algarve was dissolved in 1834, with the extinction of the post of
Military Governor of the Kingdom of the Algarve and the district of Faro
instituted the following year, despite the title of King of the Algarves
remaining in the royal title at least until 1910.
Subsequently,
the Algarve began the 20th century as a rural, peripheral region, with
an economy based on the cultivation of dried fruits, fishing and the
canning industry. However, from the 1960s onwards, the tourism industry
exploded, thus completely changing its social and economic structure.
Since the dawn of the kingdom, it constituted a well-defined and
individualized region, not only in geographical terms but also from an
identity point of view, with historical, climatic, ethnographic,
architectural, gastronomic and economic characteristics of its own.
Currently, tourism is the Algarve's economic engine. The former
traditional province has some of the best beaches in Southern Europe,
and exceptional conditions for the practice of outdoor activities and
sports.
The Algarve is the third richest region in the country,
with a per capita GDP of 87% (European average). It occupies an area of
4,996 km2 and has a population of 467,495 (2021).
The Algarve borders the Alentejo region to the north (sub-regions of
Alentejo Litoral and Baixo Alentejo), to the south and west to the
Atlantic Ocean, and to the east the Guadiana River marks the border with
Spain. The highest point is located in the Monchique mountain range,
with a maximum altitude of 902 m (Pico da Foia).
In addition to
Faro, the population centers of Albufeira, Lagoa, Lagos, Loulé, Olhão,
Portimão, Quarteira, Silves, Tavira and Vila Real de Santo António also
have the category of city. Of these, all are county seats with the
exception of Quarteira.
The western part of the Algarve is called
Barlavento and the eastern part is called Sotavento. The designation is
certainly due to the prevailing wind on the south coast of the Algarve,
the historical origin of this division being uncertain and quite remote.
In antiquity, the Romans considered the region of Cape Cúneo to be in
the southwest of the Iberian Peninsula — which ran from Mértola through
Vila Real de Santo António to the cove of Armação de Pêra — and the
region of Promontório Sacro — which included the rest of the Algarve.
Internally, the region is subdivided into two zones, one to the West
(the Barlavento) and the other to the East (the Sotavento). With this
division we can register a clear mirror effect between the two zones.
Each of these areas has 8 municipalities and a so-called main city: Faro
is to Sotavento what Portimão is to Barlavento. Likewise, each of them
has an important mountain range (the Foia, in the Barlavento, and the
Caldeirão, in the Sotavento). Rivers of similar importance (the Arade in
Barlavento and the Guadiana in Sotavento).
A main hospital in
each of the zones guarantees health care throughout the Algarve. In
terms of infrastructure, the International Airport is in one area and
the International Autodrome in another. Finally, on a sporting level,
the historic Algarve footballers Sporting Clube Olhanense
(representative of Sotavento) and Portimonense Sporting Clube
(representative of Barlavento) meet regularly in the Primeira Liga of
Portuguese football. The Olhanense team rose to the 1st League in 2009,
while the Portimão team rose a year later, in 2010.
One of the main distinguishing features of the Algarve region is its
climate. The climatic conditions that common sense generally attributes
to the Algarve's climate can be found in all their splendor in the
Barrocal and on the south coast, especially in the central region and in
the eastern Algarve. A set of basic characteristics sum up the climate
of the region, especially in the barrocal and on the south coast: long
and hot summers, mild and short winters, precipitation concentrated in
autumn and winter, reduced annual number of days with precipitation and
a high number of hours. of sun per year. The average annual temperature
on the east coast and in the central region of the Algarve is the
highest in mainland Portugal and one of the highest in the Iberian
Peninsula, around 18°C, taking into account the 1961/90 climatological
normals. Precipitation is essentially concentrated between October and
February, and is often torrential. Annual averages are less than 600 mm
in much of the coast and in the Guadiana valley, and exceed 800 mm in
Serra do Caldeirão and 1,000 mm in Serra de Monchique. In the coastal
region there are 5 dry months, and between June and September the fall
of precipitation is very infrequent.
The climate of the Algarve,
according to the Köppen classification, is divided into two regions: one
with a temperate climate with a rainy winter and a dry and hot summer
(Csa) and another with a temperate climate with a rainy winter and a dry
and slightly hot summer (Csb). . With the exception of the Costa
Vicentina and the mountains of Monchique and Espinhaço de Cão, the
entire Algarve region has a temperate Mediterranean climate of the Csa
type. On the coast of the eastern Algarve, tropical nights (nights with
a minimum temperature of 20 °C or more) are frequent during the summer
period. In fact, the highest minimum temperature ever recorded in
Portugal belongs to the meteorological station of Faro: 32.2 °C, on the
26th of July 2004. Snowfall in the Algarve region is very rare and is
more likely to occur in the Foia. The last time there was snowfall on
the Algarve coast was in February 1954. In the early morning of February
1, 2006 it snowed in the Caldeirão mountain range, and in the morning of
January 10, 2009 it snowed in the Monchique mountain range.
The
Algarve spring is an inconstant season: some years it is fleeting,
short, in others longer, stealing space from the summer or the winter;
sometimes rainy and cool, or hot and dry, or still sunny but windy. In
March and April, temperatures rise slowly, moving towards summer values;
during the day these oscillate between 9/12 °C and 19/22 °C. In both
months the average precipitation is around 40 mm, in a total for both
months of about 20 days with precipitation equal to or greater than 0.1
mm.
One of the main climatic characteristics of the Algarve
region is the existence of long, hot and dry summers. From mid-May
onwards, the fall of precipitation on the south coast and barocal
becomes a rare event, and the maximum and minimum temperatures abandon
the mildness of spring to reach summer values. June is a dry month, with
average rainfall below 10 mm and average temperatures ranging between 16
°C and 26 °C. July and August are the two hottest and driest months of
the year. The fall of precipitation is an infrequent event, and several
years may pass without a fall of precipitation during these two months.
Average temperatures range between 17/19 °C and 28/30 °C. The highest
temperature recorded in summer is 44.3 °C at the Faro/Aeroporto station
on the 26th of July 2004. September still has marked summer
characteristics. Temperatures fluctuate between 16/18 °C and 26/29 °C.
Sometimes the first autumn rains can occur at the end of September; for
this reason, the average rainfall this month is around 15 mm.
The
first rains after summer, which occur regularly during the month of
October, characterize the beginning of autumn. After the first rains
fall, the days may still remain warm, but the nights gradually start to
get cooler. Sometimes there are weeks of sunny days, bathed in a sweet
and unmistakable light: this is the so-called São Martinho Summer.
Occasionally, summer conditions last for part of October. In October,
temperatures fluctuate between 13/16 °C and 23/25 °C. The rains that
fall during this month are often torrential: a substantial part of the
month's total precipitation can accumulate for just one day, followed by
several days of sun and clear skies. The average rainfall in October is
around 45/70 mm. November is the second wettest month of the year, with
an average rainfall of around 75/90 mm, generally concentrated in a
small number of days. Temperatures drop slightly during this month,
ranging between 10/12 °C and 18/21 °C.
The unmistakable Algarve
winter can be briefly characterized by three adjectives: short, rainy
and mild. December is the rainiest month of the year. Stormy days,
marked by heavy rain and thunderstorms alternate with mild, sunny days
with clear skies, great for outdoor activities. Average precipitation is
around 90 to 120 mm, and average temperatures range between 8/10 °C and
16/18 °C. January is the month with the lowest temperatures of the year:
as a rule, these vary between 6/8 °C and 15/17 °C. The average rainfall
is around 70/80 mm. Already in February, the temperatures gradually
start to rise, and at the end of this month the spring conditions begin
to make themselves felt. Temperatures range from 7/9 °C and 16/18 °C,
and average rainfall is around 45 to 70 mm. Occasionally, during the
winter, the Algarve region is plagued by short colder periods, in which
minimum temperatures reach values close to 0 °C and maximum temperatures
do not exceed 10 °C. However, these meteorological events are rare.
Cabo de São Vicente is located on a bird migration route, allowing
seasonal observation of a variety of avifauna. The predominant
vegetation in the Algarve Barrocal is the Mediterranean scrub,
characterized by the abundance of plants resistant to the lack of water.
The subsoil of the Algarve is inhabited by several endemic species,
unique to the Algarve, some of them discovered recently. The most
emblematic species of the subterranean fauna of the Algarve are the
giant pseudoscorpion from the Algarve caves (Titanobochica magna) and
the largest terrestrial cave insect in Europe, the Squamatinia
algharbica.
Other plant species, strictly endemic or not, bear
the name of the Algarveː
- Cistus algarvensis Sims, Bot. Mag. 17: t.
627 (1803).
- Helianthemum algarvense Dunal, Prodr. [A. P. de
Candolle] 1: 268 (1824).
- Herniaria algarvica Chaudhri, Rev.
Paronychiinae 346 (1968).
- Limonium algarvense Erben, Mitt. Bot.
Staatssamml. München 14: 503 (1978).
- Linaria algarviana Chav.,
Monogr. Antirrh. 142 (1833).
- Ophrys algarvensis D.Tyteca,
Benito & M.Walravens, J. Eur. Orch. 35(1):65 (2003). Syn. : O.
omegaifera subsp. algarvensis (D.Tyteca, Benito & M.Walravens) Kreutz,
Kompend. eur. Orchid. 110 (2004).
- Rhododendron algarvense Page,
Prod. Southhampt. gard. 38.
- Sideritis algarviensis D.Rivera &
Obón, Anales Jard. Bot. Madrid 47(2): 500 (1990).
- Stegitris
algarviensis Raf., Sylva Tellur. 132 (1838).
Population
In 2021, the Algarve registered 467,343 inhabitants,
concentrating 4.5% of the resident population in Portugal, which
comprises only one sub-region, consisting of 16 municipalities and
divided into 67 parishes. The population center of the region is located
in Faro, with more than 67 thousand inhabitants and a population density
of 334 inhabitants per km2, being the second most populous municipality
and the second municipality with the highest population density in the
region.
The population of the Algarve has increased by 6.7% since
2020, around 30 thousand inhabitants more compared to the year 2020,
where a population of 437,970 inhabitants was recorded through
estimates. Compared to the 2011 census, which recorded 446,140
inhabitants, the region's population decreased by around 4.7%. Due to
the financial crisis, the region recorded a negative balance between
2009 and 2020, going from 445,824 inhabitants in 2009 to 437,970
inhabitants in 2020, reducing the population by 2.8% in eleven years. As
of 2020, the number of inhabitants managed to increase in the region,
standing at 467,343 inhabitants in 2021.
Counties
The Algarve
is made up of 16 municipalities, with Loulé being the most populous
municipality in the region, with more than 72 thousand inhabitants,
followed by the municipality of Faro with more than 67 thousand
inhabitants, the municipality of Portimão with just under 60 thousand
inhabitants, the municipality de Olhão and the municipality of Albufeira
with both more than 44 thousand inhabitants.
The ten most
populous municipalities in the Algarve are all located on the coast. The
ten municipalities account for close to 430 thousand inhabitants. As for
population density, the municipality of Olhão has the highest population
density in the entire region, with 341 inhabitants per km2, followed by
the municipality of Faro with 334 inhabitants per km2, Portimão with 328
inhabitants per km2, Albufeira with 313 inhabitants per km2 and Vila
Real de Santo António with 308 inhabitants per km2.
Cities
The
Algarve has 11 official cities.
The largest city in the region is
the city of Portimão, with just under 50 thousand inhabitants and a
population density of 651 inhabitants per km2, followed by the cities of
Faro, with more than 46 thousand inhabitants and a population density of
619 inhabitants per km2, the city of Loulé, with more than 24 thousand
inhabitants and a population density of 227 inhabitants per km2, the
city of Quarteira, with more than 24 thousand inhabitants and a
population density of 640 inhabitants per km2 and the city of Lagos,
with more than 23 thousand inhabitants and a population density of 811
inhabitants per km2.
Serra de Monchique
The Serra de Monchique is located in the
western part of the Algarve, where the highest point in the region is
located — Foia — which is 902 m above sea level. This is also one of the
most prominent spots in Portugal. The parent summit is called Picota and
is 774 m above sea level.
Serra do Caldeirão
The Serra do
Caldeirão forms the border between the Algarve coastline and barrocal
and the plains of Baixo Alentejo. It is part of the old massif,
consisting of schist-grouvaque, rock that originates thin and not very
fertile soils. Its highest point is located in Baixo Alentejo, close to
the border with the Algarve, where it reaches an altitude of 580 m; in
the municipalities of Tavira and Loulé it has several points where it
exceeds 500 m.
Guadiana river
The Guadiana River is the
natural border between the Algarve and Andalusia, and therefore between
Portugal and Spain. The river rises at an altitude of around 1,700 m, in
the lagoons of Ruidera, in the Spanish province of Ciudad Real, with a
total length of 829 km.
The hydrographic basin has an area of
68,200 km², largely located in Spain (about 55,000 km²).
This
river is navigable to the Alentejo village of Mértola, constituting a
relevant tourist attraction.
Arade river
It rises in Serra do
Caldeirão and passes through Silves, Portimão and Lagoa before flowing
into the Atlantic Ocean, in Portimão, immediately east of Praia da
Rocha.
At the time of the Portuguese discoveries, it was
navigable as far as Silves, where there was an important port. Today,
due to the enormous silting up, only small boats can get there.
Ria Formosa
It is a salt marsh that extends across the municipalities
of Loulé, Faro, Olhão, Tavira and Vila Real de Santo António, covering
an area of around 18,400 hectares along 60 km from the Ancão river to
the beach at Manta Rota.
This is an area protected by the status
of a Natural Park, granted by Decree-Law 373/87 of December 9, 1987.
Previously, the Ria Formosa had the status of a Nature Reserve,
established in 1978.
Comparison with the rest of the country
The Algarve Region
represents around % of national exports and % of the national economy.
Thanks to investments in tourism, and the region having received several
qualifications as "Best European Destination", it has become a
competitive region and is the region with the most tourists in the
country. The Algarve Region has, after the Metropolitan Area of Lisbon,
the North Region, the Center Region and the Alentejo, the fifth largest
regional economy in Portugal. Even though it is the fifth richest region
in the country, it is today the second region where people have the
highest income of all seven national regions. In 2019, the difference
between income per inhabitant in the Algarve, compared to the Lisbon
Metropolitan Area, is around €4,000.
Financial crisis
The
region was hit by the global recession in 2009 and the Eurozone Crisis
in 2011 and 2012. While the region's GDP first exceeded €7.5 billion in
2010, it fell in 2012 to €7.1 billion €, thanks to the crisis. The
region only managed to recover €7.5 billion in 2014, and with strong
economic growth it reached €10 billion in 5 years. In terms of GDP per
capita, it reduced from €16,900 in 2009 to €16,100 in 2012, but thanks
to strong economic growth it managed to reach €20,000 in 2017, thus
increasing the income of each inhabitant by €4,000, with a duration of 5
years.
Gross Domestic Product
Over the years, the Gross
Domestic Product of the Algarve grew with its entry into the European
Union, with investments made in tourism and infrastructure.
Evolution of GDP in the Algarve
Data for 2009 and 2019 show that the
GDP of the Algarve region grew by 38%, from €7.4 billion in 2009 to
€10.2 billion in 2019. dropped, for example in 2011 and 2012, where a
decrease close to 5.4% was recorded. The reason for the economic
downturn was the financial crisis. Compared to national GDP data, the
regional economy of the Algarve has gained more and more importance over
the years. As of 2015, the weight of wealth produced in the Algarve
stood at 4% of the national GDP.
GDP by sub-region
The Algarve
Region is made up of a single sub-region, with the same name. Hence
there are no data to compare the sub-regions of the Algarve, because
there is only one.
GDP per capita by sub-region
The Algarve
Region is made up of a single sub-region, with the same name. Hence
there are no data to compare the sub-regions of the Algarve, because
there is only one.
Until the early 1960s, the Algarve was a region characterized by
precarious, poorly paid jobs and a poor quality of life. Tourism,
propitiated by the inauguration of Faro International Airport in 1965,
was the great impetus to the obsolescence of several activities
practiced until then and promoted the gradual specialization of the
economy, events that changed the paradigm of underdevelopment that
defined the region. Tourism then became the main economic activity in
the Algarve, leading the region to assert itself as a seaside resort of
international recognition, based on the profits of its offer a
remarkable economic growth. Thanks to the appealing climate and the
improvement in the living conditions of the population that have been
seen in recent decades, the Algarve is the only area in the country,
along with the large urban areas of Lisbon and Porto, to register a
population growth.
The Algarve has beaches and natural landscapes
that, together with the temperate Mediterranean climate, make it the
most touristic region in Portugal. Nowadays, road connections mean that
any point in the Algarve is just over an hour away from the airport.
Currently, Faro airport is the third busiest in Portugal, having
received more than 8.6 million passengers in 2018.
The majority
of tourists come from Portugal, the United Kingdom, Spain, Germany, the
Netherlands and Ireland, and there is also a growing presence of
visitors from France. In the first half of 2019, there was a growth of
62%, 30.6% and 14.6% in the Italian, Brazilian and American markets,
respectively.
Vilamoura, next to Falésia beach (Loulé
municipality), Albufeira, considered the "tourism capital" of the
Algarve, with some of the best-known tourist complexes in Europe, Praia
da Rocha, in the municipality of Portimão, and Praia da Marinha, in the
municipality of Lagoa, are the most popular destinations for tourists.
Lagos is also one of the cities with the greatest tourist presence in
the Algarve. Some of its beaches are considered the best in Portugal and
even in the world, and it also has a wide range of bars, restaurants and
widely recognized hotels. In recent years, the region of Tavira has
increasingly become an important tourist centre, thanks to its valuable
cultural and scenic heritage. At the end of the eastern Algarve, there
is also Monte Gordo, one of the oldest tourist spots on the Algarve
coast; the old fishing village is now located in the middle of the gulf
of Cádiz, and as such is bathed by the warmest waters in the country:
not infrequently during the summer season the sea water temperature
reaches 26 °C.
There has been considerable growth in the Local
Accommodation sector in recent years, stimulated by a growing demand
from people with less purchasing power and who, therefore, cannot stay
in hotels. The Algarve has approximately 32 thousand legal local
accommodations, from apartments and houses for rent to hostels and guest
houses, which employ more than 20 thousand people and generate around
980 million Euros per year. About half of these establishments are
located in the municipalities of Albufeira, Loulé and Portimão. The
tourists who most seek this type of accommodation are British,
Portuguese and French, followed by Germans, Spanish and Brazilians.
Studies show that the flexibility and conditions of these
accommodations, from the hospitality of the hosts, who are more willing
to interact with guests, the often central location or close to the
beach, the permission of pets, the possibility of organizing events, as
well as the price-quality ratio, make them more appealing to a niche
market that is focused on avoiding the high prices and stricter
conditions of large hotel units.
Although tourist demand is
mainly based on the beaches of the region, this has been increased due
to the holding of important sporting events, such as the European
football championship Euro 2004, which had three of its games in Faro,
the volleyball world championships that have taken place in Portimão,
world golf championships and even the passage of the biggest Rally in
the world, Lisbon–Dakar in 2006 and 2007. Musical events have been
gaining weight, namely the Algarve Summer Festival and the Portimão Air
Show — an air festival that had the its first edition in 2008 and which,
at the initiative of the city of Portimão, also came to color the skies
of the Algarve and fill the city at a time of low tourist demand. Nature
tourism, namely that specialized in hiking (notably the Rota Vicentina
and Rota da Água, in Monchique) and bird watching (the Ria Formosa being
highly sought after for this purpose), has registered substantial growth
in recent years, favored mainly by tourists from central and northern
Europe. Investments in the health tourism sector were also verified,
currently being a segment in considerable expansion.
During the
seasonal season, there is a large expansion in the Algarve's resident
population due to tourist stays, with situations in which the number of
inhabitants tripled.
Despite the development brought about by the
advent of tourism, which improved, to a certain degree, the quality of
life of the Algarve population, it also aroused strong criticism from
several personalities who disapprove of the cultural
mischaracterization, the disproportionate increase in the cost of living
in relation to the purchasing power of the inhabitants, the reduced
diversification of the economy, the desertification of the interior and
the massification of the literal, as well as the environmental impact
that mass tourism and civil construction brought to the region. The
Algarve biologist and architect Fernando Silva Grade, in his book The
Algarve as we destroy it, condemns the extensive ecosystem damage, the
neglect of and destruction of traditional architecture and the
obsolescence of the cultural legacy, made possible by the massive
tourist demand. In a tone of dissent, Silva Grade commented, on the
proliferation of the tourism and civil construction sector, “The
Algarve, a paradigm of this situation, continues to diligently bury all
the memories and signs of its ancestral culture. And, after having razed
virtually all its cities, towns and villages, it is now committed to
disfiguring the last remnants of the carnivorous fever of concrete.” In
2008, Miguel Sousa Tavares pointed out that «In many, many cases the
reason why the Alentejo coast and the western Algarve were plundered,
without value or shame, has only one name: corruption. The greed of
speculators and developers, dependence on real estate chambers and
unbridled corruption have killed the landscape».
The insolvency
of Thomas Cook, the second largest European tour operator, in 2019, had
already raised unfavorable considerations regarding the lack of
alternatives to the tourism industry, which, in the face of a crisis
that affected the sector, would leave the Algarve region vulnerable to
unemployment. The seasonal nature of tourist demand and the low
remuneration of jobs dependent on this industry, as well as real estate
speculation, which made it difficult to acquire housing and long-term
leases, are other aspects that were the target of negative opinions by
some analysts.
Other criticisms allude to the destruction of
unique houses and villas in the region to make way for tourist
establishments. Fernando Grade denounced the inability of many mayors
and municipalities to take measures in order to overcome the problems
arising from dependence on the tourism sector.
In 2020, as a result of the COVID-19 Pandemic and the dependence that
the region has on tourism, the Algarve went through a wave of
unemployment. In fact, in April 2020 there was a 124% increase in the
number of subscribers to the Institute of Employment and Vocational
Training, compared to the same month of 2019, making it the region in
Portugal economically most affected by the disease. In May 2020, the
number of unemployed registered with the IEFP registered an increase of
202.4%, compared to May 2019. Already weakened by the economic
interruption and a substantial stagnation of the tourist flow, namely
international, as a result of the COVID Pandemic -19, the tourism
industry in the Algarve was additionally and considerably affected by
the mandatory 14-day quarantine imposed on British tourists (who
represent around 30% of tourists who visit the Algarve annually) when
returning to the United Kingdom from mainland Portugal.
In
December 2020 there were approximately 31,000 unemployed in the Algarve,
an increase of more than 60% compared to 2019, making it the second
region in the country most affected by unemployment. In January 2021,
the global average occupancy rate/room did not exceed 7.6%, a decrease
of 78.9% compared to January 2020. same month of the previous year.
Several hoteliers point to a slow tourist recovery, claiming that
pre-pandemic levels will not be resumed in less than five years.
Entrepreneurs in the region criticized the government's response to the
effects of the pandemic crisis, referring in particular to the support
they consider generic, without taking into account the particularities
of the Algarve economy, as well as the lack of perspective of opening
the borders. They also pointed out that 80% of businesses are closed,
and many of them, due to bureaucracy, are without access to financial
support. In March 2021, according to Madalena Feu, regional delegate of
the Institute of Employment and Vocational Training, there were more
than 33,000 unemployed people in the Algarve.
The crisis in the
tourism sector also caused a considerable increase in needy families.
The Food Bank in the Algarve recorded a 74% growth in requests for
assistance. Between April and December 2020, the same institution
distributed food, in an amount that amounted to three and a half million
euros, to more than 10 thousand new families that started to need food
assistance. With the worsening of the crisis, caused by the dependence
that the Algarve has on tourism, it is expected that the number of new
needy people will increase. In March 2021, the Algarve region recorded
the lowest incidence of Covid-19 cases in the country. However, the
Algarve continues to be the region financially and socially most
affected by the pandemic, with the highest unemployment rate in
Portugal. Faced with the adversities arising from the pandemic, several
political parties and entities alluded to the need for the region to
invest in other sectors, thus creating alternatives to mass tourism,
namely with investments in the areas of agriculture, fishing, new
technologies and renewable energies.
In June 2021, with the
placement of mandatory quarantines on English and German travelers upon
their return from Portugal, as a way of containing the transmission of
the Delta variant of Covid-19, the sectors linked to tourism in the
Algarve recorded an abrupt and considerable drop in tourists from its
two largest markets. With the inclusion of Portugal on the red line in
Germany, there has been an increase in the number of cancellations of
stays in the region, and flights from Germany are arriving in Faro with
half of the passengers. Despite the concern of businessmen with the lack
of tourists, the cost of tourism in the Algarve remains high.
The traditional agricultural products, worth noting, are the
production of dried fruit (figs, almonds and locust beans), arbutus
brandy and also the production of cork, particularly in the northeastern
regions of the Algarve. There is also the production of cork and citrus
fruits, whose production is quite relevant, the largest orange orchards
are located in the municipality of Silves, especially in the parish of
Algoz, the Algarve orange is very sweet and enjoys great fame not only
nationally and internationally.
In the image you can see one of
the images for which the Algarve is best known. Almonds are widely used
in the region's gastronomy, especially almond sweets, exported
throughout the country and abroad, which are another landmark of Algarve
culture.
For most of its history, the Algarve region suffered from serious
deficiencies in land access to the rest of the country, due to security
problems and the presence of mountain ranges that separated it from the
Alentejo. The situation only started to improve at the end of the 19th
century, with the development of roads and the construction of a railway
line. Due to the problems of access by land, and the presence of an
extensive coastal strip, maritime and river transport were of great
importance in the region, the main river axes being the Arade and the
Guadiana. The Arade River served an extensive region in the interior
center of the Algarve, with emphasis on the important city of Silves,
while the Guadiana linked the Alentejo and the Sotavento interior to the
coastal strip. The Algarve had its own road network throughout the
territory, but it was still in a very incipient state, serving mainly to
connect the region to the Alentejo. One of the main axes linked Faro to
Vila Real de Santo António, where the boats that traveled along the
Guadiana to Mértola docked.
Consequently, the south coast of
Portugal has become an important point of contact, departure and
arrival, for fishing activity of vital economic importance, for trade
and maritime exploration. As a result of this dependence on the sea, the
consumption of fish and shellfish formed, more than in other Portuguese
regions, the food base of the Algarve population. The second largest
industry in the region was agriculture, which was practiced not only by
the inhabitants of the interior, but also by the coastal fishing
communities, at certain times of the year.
The fishing industry,
namely due to the creation of several canning factories, played an
important role in the economy of the Algarve during a considerable part
of the 20th century. At national level, the fish canning industry was
born in Vila Real de Santo António, in 1865, with the inauguration of a
tuna canning factory in olive oil, Ramirez. In 1917 there were 80
canning factories in the Algarve region employing 7872 people. With the
arrival of tourism in the 60's of the last century, mainly with the
advent of its mass form in the 80's and 90's, a good part of the canning
factories closed, starting to have a growing bet on the exploitation of
fish among the tourists who visit region. The cities currently most
dedicated to fishing are Olhão, Tavira, Portimão and Vila Real de Santo
António, with emphasis on fishing for sardines, horse mackerel, tuna,
swordfish and the famous cuttlefish that gave rise to the famous recipe:
cuttlefish algarvia. .
The Algarve's gastronomy dates back to the historical times of the
Roman and Arab presence, constituting, along with the region's climate,
one of the main points of tourist interest. The ingredients used reflect
the fresh flavors of the sea and the pleasant, strong aromas of the
countryside.
From the famous "arroz de razor clams" from Faro,
from the beautiful grilled sardines from Portimon to the sweet "Dom
Rodrigos" from Lagos, there are wonders for all tastes. The village of
Monchique stands out in this chapter because it is known for its pig
farming, proof of which are the well-known sausages made with pork
(sauce, black pudding made with flour or farinheira, black pudding and
chorizo) and hams, exhibited annually at the Feira dos Enchidos and at
the Ham Fair, respectively. The arbutus brandy produced in this region
is also very well known, with its own brand, which attracts people from
all over to taste it. Liqueurs made with products from the region are
also in demand.
Below is a list of some of the best delicacies:
typical dishes
fed horse mackerel
Cataplana
Leg of lamb in
the pan
Pork with clams
Maize porridge, better known as Xarém
Algarvian peas with eggs
stewed partridge
Fried rabbit
Stingray
Assadura à Monchique
Gazpacho
grain stew
Algarvian stuffed
squid
Algarve cuttlefish
Octopus in the oven with ribs
Tomato
tuna steaks
Algarve-style fava beans
Soup with clams
garlic
gazpacho
Candy
Don Rodrigo
bridal mattress
Fig and
Almond "Cheese"
Nun's "Throats"
Tacho cake
empanadillas
Children
Fine sweet (marzipan, eggs and sugar, almond)
Fig and
almond stars
folars
egg white pie
"Marrow"
In this region, several products with Protected Designation of Origin
are produced, including:
Honey from Serra de Monchique DOP
Sal
de Tavira PDO or Flor de Sal de Tavira PDO
And products with
Protected Geographical Indication such as:
Sweet potato from
Aljezur (IGP)
Citrus do Algarve (IGP)
The rock salt mine, located in Loulé, emerged during the geological
mutation that resulted in the separation between Europe and Africa,
which created the Mediterranean Sea, 250 million years ago, even before
the Jurassic era.
The covering of an enormous mass of salt water
by the land in a relatively short period resulted in the enormous clod
at least one kilometer deep that today extends east of Loulé and it is
not known where it ends. There are those who say that branches of this
salt line could reach the vicinity of Barcelona, where there is a
similar deposit. Starting 90 meters below the surface — after a layer of
limestone (1 to 45 meters) and another of gypsum (45 to 90 meters) —,
the mine has already been explored to a depth of 313 meters, but the
enormous man-made galleries they are located on two levels, at 230 and
260 meters deep. The first gallery is located 64 meters below sea level.
Previously carried out with the power of dynamite, pickaxes and
pneumatic hammers, currently, salt extraction is carried out with a
drilling machine that workers call "roçadora". After this work, the
trucks that circulate inside the galleries (some larger than a common
road tunnel) take the ore to a machine that breaks it down and takes it
to the material transport shaft, up to the surface. A significant part
of production is exported, where it is mainly used to manufacture
de-icer for European roads. The mine was discovered half a century ago,
thanks to a hole made in a property in Campina de Cima.
Currently, and after decades of increased production, the Loulé mine is
reducing its production, however, the company that operates it intends
to include the mine in the tourist itinerary of the Algarve region. The
salt produced, more "salty" than that used in kitchens, is not suitable
for human consumption. For the new "tertiary" tasks, equipment such as a
multimedia section will have to be installed underground, between 230
and 260 meters deep, in which visitors are explained what the mine is
and what it is for. Other infrastructures may also be built, such as a
restaurant, sales areas based on salt stones (rock salt stone can be
used to make lamps, sculptures and paperweights, for example), in
addition to having to open new wells for install elevators to replace
the "cages" through which workers now descend and ascend.
The University of Algarve is a public higher education institution
that has a teaching staff of 700 professors for more than
10nbsp;thousand students.
The University has the following
campuses:
Campus of Gambelas (Faro)
Penha Campus (Faro)
Health
Campus (Faro)
Portimão Campus (Portimão)
It has the best
infrastructures at national and international level, investing heavily
in the area of scientific research, namely in the areas of biology
(fauna and flora), developing a variety of practical activities in the
Ria Formosa Natural Park. The University of Algarve prepared to
inaugurate the Medicine course in the academic year 2009/2010.
Cycling
The Volta ao Algarve brings the best cyclists in the world
every year, including Alberto Contador in 2009, 2010, 2011 and Lance
Armstrong in 2004. Clube Ciclismo de Tavira won the Volta a Portugal in
2008, 2009 and 2010 with the Spanish David Blanco, and in 2011 by
Ricardo Mestre, Algarvio, born in Castro Marim. The Algarvio José
Martins, born in Albufeira, won the Tour of Portugal in 1946 and 1947.
Louletano Sports Club also won the Tour of Portugal with the British
Cayn Theakson in 1988. In 1947 and 1948, José Martins from the Algarve
won the Tour of Portugal . In mountain biking, the region also stands
out for having the largest cycling school in the country at Clube BTT
Terra de Loulé.
Soccer
The Algarve football clubs with the
most history are Sporting Clube Farense, Sporting Clube Olhanense,
Portimonense Sporting Clube and Lusitano Futebol Clube. The historical
milestones at national level are the presence in the Cup Final of
Sporting Clube Olhanense and Sporting Clube Farense, and at
international level, the presence of Portimonense Sporting Clube and
Sporting Clube Farense in the UEFA Cup.
Beach football
In the
summer, it is customary to take place in Praia da Rocha, in Portimão,
the Mundialito de Futebol de Praia and the Portuguese stage of the
European Beach Soccer League.
Volleyball
Although the region
is not represented in the first division of national volleyball, several
international championships have been held in recent years at the
Portimão Arena.
beach volleyball
Due to the excellent beaches
in the region, beach volleyball is also a popular sport. Highlight for
the national and international tournaments in Armação de Pêra, Ferragudo
and Praia da Rocha. Registration for a stage of the national beach
volleyball championship in Lagos in 2008.
Golf
The Algarve has
a growing offer in terms of golf courses, which is why it has become one
of the main destinations worldwide in terms of the practice of this
sport.
motorcycling
The capital of the Algarve is known for
being the capital of motorcycles in Portugal. In Faro, the biggest
motorcycle gathering in Europe takes place every year, which is
organized by the Moto Clube de Faro. The association was created in
1979, having been legalized on February 5, 1982.
Currently with
more than 400 members, it is recognized by the European Motorcycling
Federation (FEMA), organizing several events annually, of which the
biker rally stands out, which started with 200 participants in 1982, and
which currently has more than 30,000. largest event of its kind in
Portugal, with participants coming from all over Europe, namely Spain,
France, United Kingdom and Italy, being one of the great tourist
attractions of the city.
Motor racing
The Lisboa–Dakar Rally
took place in two consecutive years (2006 and 2007) in the Algarve
region. The Rally de Portugal took place in 2007 at Estádio do Algarve.
It is expected that the new Autódromo Internacional do Algarve will
attract new competitions that will put the Algarve on the route of the
great championships of the sport. To date, it has already received some
Formula 1 pre-season training, and the last round of the Superbike World
Championship at its inauguration.
Completed
In 2004, the Estádio do Algarve was inaugurated in
Parque das Cidades, between Faro and Loulé. Built for Euro 2004, the
stadium is used by Sporting Clube Farense and Louletano Esportes Clube.
It has also been used for football finals, such as the Cândido de
Oliveira Super Cup, the League Cup final, and for other events such as
the Algarve Summer Festival and the Rally de Portugal.
It was with a
major sporting event — the Rhythmic Gymnastics World Cup — that the
Portimão Arena opened its doors in September 2006, a Multipurpose
Pavilion with capacity for 8,000 people, 5,325 in the case of large
musical shows and 3,028 in a sporting environment , and equipped with
valences such as an auditorium with 174 seats, meeting and support
rooms, training rooms, press room, medical office, among others,
equipment that brings together all the conditions for holding the most
varied and important sporting events , musical, cultural or business and
which has been asserting itself as a unique space in the south of the
country. In addition, he was nominated for the best space at national
level for holding congresses.
Inaugurated in 2008, the Autódromo
Internacional do Algarve, located in Portimão, with a total cost of
250nbsp;million euros, including the circuit itself, a kart track, a
technology park, a five-star hotel, a sports complex and apartments.
Under construction
The tender for the construction of the new
Hospital Central do Algarve, which will help the overcrowded Hospital
Distrital de Faro and the Hospital do Barlavento Algarvio in Portimão to
respond to the increase in affluence registered in recent years,
particularly during the summer, has been successively postponed. The
infrastructure, which will be located in Parque das Cidades, next to
Estádio do Algarve and between the cities of Loulé and Faro, is not
identified as a priority by the current government.