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More than 2 million European visitors head for the Algarve every year. The Algarve basks in more than 3,000 hours of sunshine per year; the winters are mild, the summers, long and hot. Even in the coolest months temperatures rarely fall below 15·C, while in July and August 29·C is the norm. The beaches are another plus. In the eastern Algarve, the long, unbroken expanses of golden sand are ideal for swimming. In the west, a succession of bays, inlets and rocky coves, sheltered by distinctive sandstone cliffs, make magical places to laze the day away. The Algarve offers just as much variety in its nightlife. You can dine out in a romantic cliff-top restaurant, on a terrace overlooking the beach or in a converted fisherman's cottage; stop for a sundowner in a cocktail bar on the promenade, or enjoy a pint of beer in an English-style pub. For a touch of local colour, sign up for a fado evening or village-restaurant barbecue. Then dance the night away in a disco or nightclub, or, if you are feeling lucky, have a flutter in one of the casinos. Getting there AIR: Portugal's national airline, TAP Air Portugal (TP), operates direct flights to Lisbon, Porto and Faro from a number of countries, including the UK, USA, Canada, France and Spain. Portugália Airlines (NI) operates flights from Europe. Other airlines flying to Portugal from the UK are British Airways, Go Approximate flight times: From Lisbon to London is 2 hours 30 minutes and to New York is 8 hours. International airports: Lisbon 4.5 miles north of the city (travel time - 35 minutes). A special “Airbus” departs to the city centre every 20 minutes. Taxi services to the city are available, with a surcharge after 2200. Faro (FAO) 3 miles west of the city (travel time - 30 minutes). Taxis are available. Oporto (OPO) (Oporto Sá Carneiro) about 7 miles from the city. Taxis to the city are available. SEA: The principal ports for international passengers are Lisbon, Leixões (Oporto), Funchal (Madeira) and Portimão (Algarve), served by P&O, Union Castle, Olympia, Linea C, Cunard and Italia. RAIL: Travelling from the UK, the quickest way is to travel by Eurostar through the Channel Tunnel to Paris (travel time - 3 hours) and, from there, to Portugal. The “Sud-Express” runs between Paris and Lisbon, offering first- and second-class seats, sleepers and a restaurant car. Rail travellers from the UK not using the Channel Tunnel link need to cross the channel via some form of sea crossing, usually by ferry or catamaran. There is a daily service between London, Paris and Lisbon, taking approximately 26 hours. ROAD: The only land border is shared with Spain, and there are seven frontier posts in the north and six on the western and southern border. Border posts are usually open 0700-midnight, but close earlier in winter. From the UK, the quickest routes are via the ferry links from Plymouth to Santander and from Portsmouth to Bilbao in northern Spain (which obviates the need to drive through France). Travelling from the UK, all road vehicles are carried through the channel tunnel in Le Shuttle trains (journey time - 35 minutes through the tunnel Coach: Eurolines operates an extensive network of coach services to many destinations throughout Europe, including Coimbra, Faro, Lisbon, Lagos and Oporto.
Climate The Algarve is at its most pleasant during spring and autumn, when resorts are uncrowded but the waters of the Atlantic are warm enough for swimming. Winter can also be pleasant, with average daily January highs of 59· F (15· C). Water temperatures tend to be cooler in the west and warmer in the east, with an average thermometer reading of 57· F (14·) in January and 70· F (21· C) in July. Accommodation There is an excellent range of hotels, villas and apartments to choose from in the Algarve. Portugal Info is an excellent site with information and links to hotels, apartments and villas. You can rent a villa or apartment direct from the owners and Owners Direct is worth looking at if this interests you. You can, of course, book a package holiday – Airtours, Co-op Travel, Lunn Poly, Thomas Cook and Thomson all have package holidays to the Algarve – you can visit their sites and more in our Holidayssection in Travel. There are specialist tour companies such as:- Holidays in Algarve Algarve Independent HolidaysTravel AlgarveAlgarve Travel LtdAlgarve Travel Ltd If you specifically want a golfing holiday then take a look at these sites:- Algarve Golf Agency Sunshine Express Holiday Bank Baileys Travel Golf Travel4U Food & Drink Fish is a staple diet in Portugal – sardines are very popular – served grilled as a snack as well as a main course. Tuna, sea bass, bream and red mullet are also caught locally. Bife à Portuguesa, is sirloin steak cooked with smoked ham – chicken piri piri is grilled chicken with chilli and olive oil. Porco á alentejana - pork with clamsPortuguese wines (tinto for red, branco for white) are very inexpensive and of a really good quality overall. Port, a wine from the Douro region of Northern Portugal, shouldn't be missed. Order a dry porto branco (white port, served chilled) in a sidewalk café or as an aperitif before dinner. After your evening meal, have a glass of sweet, dark tawny or vintage port. Where to visit
Lagos Popular holiday destination – has good selection of accommodation and restaurants, bars and shops. Good beaches. Portimao Fishing town with a lively market. Good selection of restaurants. Monchique Monchique is a small market town in a scenic range of rounded hills of the same name. The shops are full of local produce, including baskets, rough woolen sweaters, soft leather slippers and gloves, honey, and medronho firewater. Sagres Sagres is the most south-westerly village in mainland Europe - Steeped in history, this is a windswept place of rugged beauty. Silves A quiet market town in the midst of the Algarve´s main citrus-growing area. On the third Monday of each month there is a particularly lively open-air market. Tavira Tavira is a lovely old town which stands on either side of the river Giláo. Albufeira In recent years Albufeira has grown from a tiny fishing village to become the most well-known holiday resort on the Algarve. Although retaining some of its original charm, in the summer tourists from all over Europe can always find something going on at any hour of the day or night.
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