About Algarve
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- Published on Friday, 14 October 2011 23:03
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FARO
Faro lies at the heart of the Formosa Estuary. Faro or "Óssonoba" for the Romans, was probably first founded for fishing and defence. A fishing village in pre-historic times, Faro became a trading post for the Phoenicians and Greeks, witnessed the spendlour of the Roman Empire and then saw Arab occupation.
Faro survived historical and natural calamities, until in 1294 it was conquered by king Afonso III, who then proclaimed himself king of Portugal and the Algarves.
Capital of the Algarve since 1756, the city has hemerged from the vicissitudes of its history with the prosperity which benefits strategic and political importance.
The construction of an international airport on the outskirts of the city in 1965 made Faro a hub for tourist traffic across the region.
With its rich artistic heritage and many museums, hotels, restaurants and other facilities, not to mention the many attractions offered by the surrounding area, from the long beaches of Faro, Farol and Culatra Islands to Estoi and to the important Romans ruins at Milreu, Faro is also a city with a strong vocation for tourism.
ALBUFEIRA
The Arabs rightly named Albufeira Castle of the Sea, Al-Bhuera, whilst centuries before the Romans called it Ballum. When Albufeira was visited in the XVI Century by king, Sebastian the Desired, it boasted a fort and walls of defence against the English and french corsairs, then the scourge of the Algarve coast.
Still retaining the character of a fishing village, Albufeira is today renowned as a lively pleasure resort. The winding streets of the old town lead to the Praça da República, the cosmopolitan centre. The harbour walls offer a panorama of the white houses tumbling down the cliff to the sea.
LOULÉ
The district of Loulé abounds in tiny villages like Vale do Lobo, Salir, Barranco do Velho, Alte or Quinta do Lago, each of which a perfect example of traditional Algarve building styles.
Although we cannot be sure of two first settled in Loulé, Roman remains have been found and the town walls, which weave in and out of the houses probably date back to the Arab occupation in the X Century.
The traditional houses around the wall have been restored and are now the Municipal Museum and an arts centre.
The XIII Century Parish Church near to the historic heart of the town and the renaissance Capela das Almas. In the centre of Loulé, near the market, tradition is retained and craftsmen work in their doorways, working on harnesses, beating copper and weaving baskets.
LAGOS
Situated in the extreme Southwest of the Algarve region of Portugal, the city of Lagos has its roots in the ancient Roman settlement of Lacóbriga. It also probable that prior to the Romans the Phoenicians had a settlement on or close to the present town.
During the 7th Century AD, the southern part of the Iberian Peninsula including the Algarve, was conquered by Islamic tribes emanating from North Africa and the Middle East. These people were know as "the Moors" or "Arabs", but, in fact, their origins were as diverse as Syria, Persia and Judea, a fact visible even to day in the names of many Algarve villages and towns. Those who settled in Lagos contributed to the development of the nascent city walls and defences.
Following the renaissance of the Christian Kingdom of Portugal in the 12th Century AD, the Portuguese royal family made various efforts to re-conquer the Algarve, which was effectively, accomplished by the end of first half of the 12th Century AD.
Lagos increased in importance when shortly after the conquest; the regional military government was transferred from Silves to Lagos.
However, this was not to be its only claim to fame. The city, together with the village of Sagres, 30 kms. distant, during the next three centuries, was to become key not only to the future development of Portugal but also to the whole Western Europe.
It was from here, that the famous scion of the Portuguese Royal Family, Infante Dom Henrique or Prince Henry the Navigator, sponsored missions of exploration along the West Coast of Africa. This resulted in the opening of the sea route from Europe to India and the subsequent development of the empires of not only Portugal, but also the Netherlands, United Kingdom, France, Spain and Belgium.
Many seamen on the voyages of exploration originated from Lagos, which resultantly turned into a commercial and naval port of consequence. It was from Lagos that the caravels, developed by Portuguese shipwrights, sailed to encounter new worlds in Africa and America and subsequently brought back gold, ivory and slaves, all of which greatly contributed to the wealth of both the city and nation. The Slave Market building still standing today in central Lagos was built to accommodate this trade.
Several famous ships masters on the original voyages licensed by Prince Henry, hailed from Lagos Navigators. Several such as Gil Eanes, Álvaro Esteves and Lançarote Freitas are, to this day, commemorated in the names of some of the principal streets of Lagos.
When the Prince died in 1460, his body was first buried in the old Church of Santa Maria. Subsequently, it was transferred to the Chapel of the Monastery of Batalha, situated 100 kms. North of Lisbon.
In 1578, the then king, D. Sebastião, raised Lagos to the status of a city, and from its harbour left on a fatal expedition against the Moors in North Africa from which he never returned.
Construction of the outer town walls was started in 1520 during the reign of King Manuel to afford increased protection from piracy and raiders. The security Lagos thus afforded both, in military, and in naval terms owing to its excellent harbour situated close to the Atlantic and the routes to India and America, resulted in it becoming a major port during the XVIth and XVIIth centuries. Several important naval engagements were fought in Lagos bay, including an infamous occasion when the ships of Sir Francis Drake were reported to have fired on vessels in the bay.
Lagos remained the capital of Algarve until 1756, when owing to the fact that a large part of its infrastructure and architectural legacy was destroyed by the earthquake of 1755, the capital was transferred away from the city to Faro.
Today, the town is primarily a destination for holidaymakers. However, it still retains the atmosphere of its great cosmopolitan heritage, a fact readily visible to the visitor in its wealth of architecture and monuments.
SAGRES
Sagres is the most south-westerly village in mainland Europe and, as such, was on the edge of the known world right up to the late Middle Ages. Henry the navigator is thought to have had his headquarters - his so-called "school of navigation" - in the vicinity of Sagres, though the exact location is not known.
Perhaps it was within the fortaleza, defended on the land side by mighty, man-made ram parts, and on the seaward sides by towering cliffs. From the headland fortress, the awesome cliffs curve round past the 17th-century fort at Beliche to the famous lighthouse on the point of Cape St. Vicent.
Steeped in history, this is a windswept place of rugged beauty. Nowadays, it is the end of the line, well-beloved by backpackers from all over the world, and of considerable interest to botanists and bird-watchers.
VILA DO BISPO
Passing through Vila do Bispo on the way to Sagres, it is worth taking time to look at the octagonal tower of the main church, completed in the 18th Century. Nearby stands the Ermida de Nossa Senhora de Guadalupe, built by the Knights Templar in the 13th Century.
One can relax, enjoy the combination of fine architecture and unspoiled natural beauty, and maybe sample the local seefood, which includes rock barnacle harvested by the fishermen, at no small risk to themselves, from the rocks along the shore.
The path lies hidden among the cliffs, but Boca do Rio, can be found between the beaches of Burgau and Ingrina, villages of whitewashed houses sloping downhill towards the sea.
ALJEZUR
Aljezur is a small market town in two halves, dominated by the ruins of its hilltop Moorish Castle from which there are fine views over the surrounding countryside. It was originally settled by the Moors in the 10th century and finally conquered by Christian forces in 1246.
The oldest surviving building, apart from the castle, is the Misericordia Church built in the 16th century and rebuilt after the 1755 earth-quake. There is a 16th-century pillory in the 5 de Outubro square. The newer half of the town is separated from the older by a fertile river valley.
There are several really spectacular, unspoilt beaches in the vicinity. The most accessible are Amoreira, Monte Clerigo and Arrifana, easily reached from the riverside village of Odeceixe, 18 km north of Aljezur on the N 120.
MONCHIQUE
Monchique is a small market town in a scenic range of rounded hills of the same name. Its steep, cobbled streets and its parish church, featuring a Mainline doorway, are overlooked by a derelict 17th century Franciscan convent, Nossa Senhora do Desterro. The shops are full of local produce, including baskets, rough woolen sweaters, soft leather slippers and gloves, honey, and medronho firewater.
The slopes around about are terraced for farming or forested with cork, oak, pine and eucalytus. Six kilometres south and 300m below Monchique is the spa village of Caldas de Monchique nestling in a wooded ravine. Eight kilometres up from Monchique, the rocky summit of Fóia is the Algarve's highest point at just under 900m. The winding road to Foia is lined by restaurants famous for their barbecued chicken piri-piri.
SILVES
Silves, once a city of glittering minaret and bustling bazaars, was the Moorish capital of the Algarve. Its imposing red sandstone castle was the scene of horrific medieval battles between Islamic Moors and Christians.
Crusaders on their way to the Holy Land played an important role in the recon quest of the Algarve in the 13th century. A few of those who fell in the battle are entombed in the cathedral next to the castle. Both the castle and cathedral are open to visitors. Nearby is a small archaeological museum.
The tumultuous city of yesteryears is today a quiet market town in the midst of the Algarve´s main citrus-growing area. Cork is processed locally. The town hosts two annual festivals, one celebrating oranges, the other beer. On the third Monday of each month there is a particularly lively open-air market.
PORTIMÃO
Portimão is the largest town in the western Algarve. It has been an important port since ancient times because of its location at the mouth of the river Arade. Today it is a busy provincial town and a commercial fishing port. During the summer month the quay on the town side of the river is lined with boats offering game-fishing trips and coastal and river cruises.
There are many outside restaurants specializing in regional seafood dishes close to the town end of the old iron road bridge spanning the river. As a shopping center, the main focus of activity is in the higher part of town, in the vicinity of Praça da Republica and Rua do Comercio, a pedestrian - only mall. There are bargains galore, everything from hairpins to horses, in a sprawling regional market by the side of the railway station on the first Monday of each month. Starting in the thirties, Portimão was rediscovered as a holiday resort, gaining a reputation among English intellectuals, attracted by the exotic beauty of Praia da Rocha.
TAVIRA
Tavira is a lovely old town which stands on either side of the river Giláo. Its two halves are connected by a seven-arched Roman bridge. A small, medieval castle on a low hill in the center of the town presides over all. Next to the castle is the Church of Santa Maria do Castelo, which contains the tomb of the town´s liberator during the 13th century Christian reconquest, Dom Paio Peres Correia.
Nowhere else in the Algarve has so many churches. The Misericórdia, Carmo, Sáo Francisco and Ondas churches are decoratively the most interesting. Grapes for the table and for wine-making are grown in surroundings fields. Salt is produced, as it has been for many centuries, from seawater in nearby pans. Just offshore, easily reached by ferry-boat, a long, sand-split island called Ilha de Tavira is great for peaceful bathing.
VILA REAL DE SANTO ANTÓNIO
The original town of Santo António de Arenilla, built by fishermen on a sand bar in the river Guadiana, was swept away in a violent storm. With the same determination he showed in rebuilding Lisbon after the earthquke of 1755, the Marquês the Pombal decided in 1774 to raise a new Santo António from the ruins of the old.
Nearly a century after the original settlement was destroyed, Vila Real de Santo António was built.
It took just five months. The town, laid out in a grid design drawn up by the architect Reinaldo Serrano recalls the Baixa quarter of Lisbon. At its heart lies the old Praça Real, a model of classical harmony and proportion. The square is paved in the tradicional Portuguese style, with a circular pattern that frames the obelisk erected in honour of the town's founder.
Once rebuilt, Vila Real soon reestablished itself as a fishing port and went on to become a thriving centre for trade with neighbouring Andalusia.
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