Lagos
The symmetrical Igreja de Santa Maria was built during the 15th and 16th centuries and retains a 16th-century entrance; the rest of the remaining…
Must-see attractions in The Algarve
Faro
You can leave the Cidade Velha (Old Town) through the medieval Arco de Repouso (Gate of Rest). Apparently Afonso III, after taking Faro from the Moors,…
Portimão
The town’s parish church stands on high ground to the north of the centre. A 15th-century Gothic portal and a gargoyle are all that remain of the original…
Tavira
You can walk 2km east along the river, past the fascinating, snowlike salt pans to Quatro Águas. The salt pans produce tip-top table salt and attract…
Biblioteca Municipal Álvaro de Campos
Tavira
Architecture buffs should pay a visit to Tavira’s municipal library, which was originally the town prison. Architect João Luís Carrilho da Graça…
The Algarve
On the village square, this small museum has a model of a waterwheel as well as information panels (in Portuguese) on water use. There's also a tourist…
Albufeira
This tiny museum is housed in the beautifully restored 18th-century Chapel of San Sebastian and exhibits sacred art from surrounding churches that…
Lagos
This zoo is a shady 3-hectare kid-pleaser, with many small primates and a children’s farm housing domestic animals. There are 150 different species in all…
Fortaleza da Ponta da Bandeira
Lagos
Entered via a drawbridge, this petite fortress was built in the 17th century to protect the port. Now restored, it houses an exhibition on the Portuguese…
Tavira
For centuries this town square on the riverfront served as a promenade and a marketplace, where slaves were traded along with fish and fruit. Today a…
Faro
This converted military warehouse displays contemporary art with temporary exhibitions by local and international artists – painters, photographers,…
Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Graça
Sagres
Within the Fortaleza de Sagres, this small whitewashed church dating from 1570 is a simple barrel-vaulted structure with a gilded 17th-century altarpiece…
Faro
The 16th-century Igreja da Misericórdia, opposite the Arco da Vila, was originally built in Manueline (Portuguese late Gothic) style but is now nearly all…
Tavira
Just south of Tavira's castle is the whitewashed 17th-century Igreja de Santiago, thought to have been built where a small mosque once stood. The park…
Pólo Museológico Cândido Guerreiro e Condes de Alte
The Algarve
This museum–cultural space pays homage to Alte’s famous poet, Cândido Guerreiro, along with the Counts of Alte who once lived here. It displays books and…
Odeceixe
If you're not a fan of tan lines, head to secluded Praia das Adegas. Tucked 350m south of Praia de Odeceixe, it's one the Algarve's four official nudist…
Statue of Prince Henry the Navigator
Lagos
This statue commemorates the prince of Portugal who used Lagos as a launch pad for many of the expeditions he commissioned. It was inaugurated in 1960 on…
The Algarve
Praia da Rocha's petite fortress was built in 1621 to stop pirates and invaders from sailing up the Rio Arade to Portimão. Panoramic views extend along…
Casa da Cultura Islâmica e Mediterrânica
Silves
Built with an art nouveau flourish in 1914, this wonderfully restored neo-Moorish cultural centre 600m west of the centre hosts occasional exhibitions,…
The Algarve
Below what was once a bishop's palace, this pretty garden has an 18th-century covered water fountain with eight spouts, and is a shady place for a picnic.
Faro
At the southwestern end of the Largo da Sé is this small 15th-century town gate connecting the old town with the waterfront, where some boats depart.
Lagos
In the centre of town, this silvery sculpture by João Cutileiro, commemorating the ill-fated founder of the city in armour, was inaugurated 1973.
The Algarve
At the far southern end of the Ilha de Tavira, this nudist beach is one of the few recognised strips of sand for naturists in the Algarve.
Tavira
Built in 1520 when Dom Manuel I made Tavira a city, this stone archway is one of the few surviving sections of the former city walls.
Sagres
Near the turismo stands this statue of Henry the Navigator, map in hand, pointing out to sea.
Sagres
Built in 1632 on the site of an older fortress, Fortaleza do Beliche is 4.8km northwest of the town centre, and 1.2km southeast of the lighthouse at Cabo…
Tavira
Quaint displays at this tiny tuna-fishing museum include a diorama of the complex tuna-netting system, mannequins in period dress, model boats and black…
Sagres
Above the fishing port, all that remains of the tiny 16th-century Fortaleza da Baleeira is an archway and part of the walls.
Lagos
Part of the medieval walls, this archway provides southern access to the old town.
