Faro
Three of the four halls at this worthwhile museum house exhibitions on rural life in the Algarve, including mock-ups of 19th-century shops and rooms, a…
Must-see attractions in The Algarve
Monchique
The 902m Fóia peak, 5.5km west of Monchique, is the Algarve’s highest. The road to the summit climbs through eucalyptus and pine trees and opens up views…
Carrapateira
One of the more remote west-coast beaches, this wide, magnificent stretch of sand has an ethereal beauty, backed by stratified cliffs hazy in the ocean…
Odeceixe
Flanked by imposing cliffs, this beach has a superb setting at a river mouth, allowing you to rinse off the salt in fresh water. It's also a good family…
The Algarve
Within the area encompassed by what remains of Salir's ruined castle, this little museum has a glass floor above the 12th-century Moorish foundations…
Tavira
This seven-arched Roman Bridge that loops away from Praça da República may actually pre-date the Romans but is so named because it linked the Roman road…
Tavira
Rising 100m high, the Torre da Tavira was formerly the town’s water tower and now houses a camera obscura at the top, reached by a lift. A simple but…
Aljezur
On the northern side of the river mouth, backed by wild dunes, this sweeping beach is 9km northwest of Aljezur. You can also access the beach from the…
Sagres
One of the prettier beaches in the Sagres area, 2.5km northeast of the centre, Martinhal is backed by a resort development, so it's a little complex to…
Sagres
The lighthouse complex at Cabo de São Vicente contains a small but excellent museum that gives a good overview of Portugal’s maritime-navigation history,…
The Algarve
The main attraction for most day trippers is this sandy riverside beach on a narrow tributary of the Rio Guadiana, equipped with a cafe, palm-leaf…
Aljezur
Embraced by cliffs, this seductive crescent-shaped cove 10km southwest of Aljezur has a small fishing harbour and an offshore pinnacle. It's wildly…
Lagos
Arcing in a 4km-long crescent, this vast expanse of golden sand has water sports outlets, and laid-back restaurants and beach bars.
Carvoeiro
One of a few nearby beaches with karst rock stacks, Praia da Marinha is among the most beautiful. It's 7.5km east of Carvoeiro; the nicest way to reach it…
Lagos
A baroque extravaganza, this little church bursts with gilded, carved wood and beaming cherubs. The dome and azulejo panels were installed during repairs…
Aljezur
One of the emblematic beaches southwest of Aljezur (8.5km from town), Monte Clérigo is a deep strip of sand with a laid-back surfer vibe. Behind it is a…
Tavira
With oyster-grey baroque window mouldings and 16 hipped, terracotta-tiled roofs, this whitewashed, 16th-century palace now hosts a variety of exhibitions…
Carrapateira
Bordered by a river on its southern side that often forms a shallow warm-water lagoon, beautiful Praia da Bordeira is a mammoth swathe of sand merging…
Faro
While the exterior of this 16th-century church is unassuming, the tri-nave interior has magnificent 18th-century azulejos and intricately carved woodwork,…
The Algarve
At this glorious beach, you'll find several cafes and beach bars, and the remnants of a fishing settlement, with a poignant cemetery of anchors from the…
Carrapateira
Known for its exposed, left- and right-handed beach breaks that work year-round, surfer favourite Praia do Amado is 2.3km southwest of the town square.
Albufeira
Beginning 9km west of Albufeira, Praia da Galé is long (5km), sandy and less crowded than many other beaches in the area.
Carvoeiro
Right in the town, this diminutive arc of sandy beach gets very busy in summer.
Monchique
Dating from the 15th century and extensively restored after the 1755 earthquake, Monchique's church has an extraordinary, star-shaped Manueline porch…
Centro Histórico Judaico de Faro
Faro
The last vestiges of the first post-Inquisition Jewish presence in Portugal are found at this small Jewish cemetery. In use between 1838 and 1932, and…
Lagos
Built by the Moors, Lagos' castle was conquered by Christian forces in the 13th century. It's said that the ill-fated, evangelical Dom Sebastião attended…
Lagos
Set in the building believed to be Europe's first slave market, when slaves from the west coast of Africa were brought here in 1444, this small museum…
Tavira
The fishing village of Santa Luzia is effectively a district of Tavira these days, and it's a great place to wander to get a feel for typical Algarve life…
The Algarve
Built in 1587 and renovated several times after the 1755 earthquake, this church has three naves separated by Tuscan columns, 17th-century paintings and…
Aljezur
Built in the 16th century and damaged in the 1755 earthquake, the modest Igreja da Misericórdia church was reconstructed in the 18th century. Its small…
Faro
Enter the Cidade Velha (Old Town) through the neoclassical Arco da Vila, built in 1812 by order of Bishop Francisco Gomes do Avelar, who oversaw the city…
Ruinas da Fortaleza de Arrifana
Aljezur
A boardwalk leads through the remaining gate of this 1635-built fortress. Largely wiped out by the tsunami following the 1755 earthquake, the fortress was…
Centro de Interpretaçao do Património Islâmico
Silves
This interpretative centre promotes the network of Islamic routes through Portugal, Spain and Morocco, with a small but interesting exhibition on…
Lagos
On the western side of the centre is a restored section of the stout town walls, built (atop earlier versions) during the reigns of both Manuel I and João…
Museu Municipal de Arqueologia
Albufeira
Excavated from the municipality and its surrounds (such as the castle in the village of Paderne), pieces dating from the prehistoric era to the 16th…
Silves
The exterior of the 16th-century Igreja da Misericórdia is plain apart from its distinctive, fanciful Manueline doorway hanging well above street level …
The Algarve
This interpretive centre has a small exhibition on Moorish and Roman history in the area, and information on the Calçadinha de São Brás de Alportel, an…
Aljezur
On the site of an Iron Age fort, the polygonal castle was built by the Moors in the 10th century, conquered by the Christians in 1249, then abandoned in…
Aljezur
This quaint house belonged to Portuguese painter José Cercas (1914–92) who left his home and belongings – a collection of furniture, artworks and personal…
Aljezur
Housed in a former chapel built in the 17th century (which was destroyed in the 1755 earthquake), this museum devoted to St Anthony displays paintings,…
