  
KITESURFING HOLIDAYS IN THE ALGARVE, PORTUGAL
ROUGH GUIDE TO THE ALGARVE REGION & TOWNS
The Algarve takes its name from the Arabic 'al-gharb' (the west). With its gorgeous beaches, warm water and glorious year-round sunshine, the Algarve is a dream holiday.
Situated on the extreme South of Portugal, this part of the territory was the last to be conquered from the Moors by the Portuguese king Dom Afonso III, in 1292. The Moorish influence can still be seen in its unique terraces, chimneys and whitewashed houses.
One of the main attractions of this region is its idyllic temperatures. The average temperature in winter is 14-24°C (57-75°F) and reaching as high as 28-30°C (82-86° F) in the summer.
This brightly coloured region, with its fig trees, orange groves and almond trees in blossom, is also the most verdant and fertile. The southern coastline consists of a long stretch of fabulous sandy beaches, broken up by extraordinary rugged red cliffs and fantastic caves, coves and grottoes.
Quick links: Faro | Lagos | Sagres | Praia da Luz
Faro
The old part of the city is still surrounded by the Roman walls which date back to the 9th Century and this is the most attactive part of Faro. Quite a few historical buildings and monuments can be found in this area includinf a 13th Century Cathedral, 18th Century Episcopal palace and a 16th Century Convent which now houses the city’s archaeological museum. If you have a morbid facination with the macabre ;-), you just have to check out the church of Nossa Senhora do Carmo. This church has a chapel lined with the bones from over 1,200 monks! Much of the city is now composed of apartments and there are attractive shops and a particularly artistic theatre. Faro is also the home of the Ria Formosa lagoon, a nature reserve of over 17.000 hectares which is a stopover for hundreds of birds during the spring and autumn migration
The beach is a few kilometers from the city and is a long sandy spit reached by crossing a bridge. The municipal council has an active cultural department organizing different and various events during the year.
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Lagos
Lagos has a long history linking it to the sea. The Moors built walls around Lagos in the 10th century and gave it the name of Zawaia. They remained here until the town was conquered by the Christians in 1249 and became part of the Portuguese territory.
New walls were built in the 16th century to keep pace with the city’s expansion and These defences were further strengthened in the 17th century with the building of a series of forts at strategic points. There are, needless to say, many architectural signs of its ancient past, even a building dating originally back to around 1445 which is recorded as being Europe’s first building used as a slave market.
Today, Lagos is a dynamic and active city, which is justifiably proud of its past. It's worth checking out the 17th Century 'gold' church of Santo António if only for the bizarre collection of regional items housed in the museum.
The recently constructed Marina is very attractive an practically the first sight a visitor has of Lagos. Besides the permanent mooring the marina is also full of yachts either on their way to, or returning from the Mediterranean and the Americas. At the entrance to the harbour is the Forte da Bandeira which was constructed in the 17th Century.
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Sagres
It was here that five centuries ago Prince Henry set up a school of navigation, which played a crucial role in the Portuguese Discoveries. The Nossa Senhora da Graça Chapel, the 14th century fortress and the 15th century rosa-dos-ventos are all worth seeing. Nearby is Cabo de São Vicente opening on to a vast horizon of sea and sky. The impressive lighthouse has provided the guiding beam that safely directs the hundreds of ships that pass the Cape every year from the inevitable destruction that would otherwise occur.
The local restaurants are renowned for their fish and its variety and freshness. The local fishermen regularly risk their lives precariously wedged into the sheer cliffs above the Atlantic. For this reason alone you should support the local seafood restaurants.
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Praia da Luz
The town of Praia da Luz town consists mostly of low rise apartments and villas and the facilities are aimed at family holidays. There is a great variety of family-friendly restaurants and bars, good supermarkets and all the amenities for a complete holiday.
The beautiful sandy beach is perfect for sun bathing and water sports, and Luz beach has been awarded the European blue flag for clean sand and clean water.
To the east of town you find some spectacular cliffs and among them the prominent black rock Rocha Negra. This is an intrusion of lava produced from the volcanoes of Monchique some 190 million to 135 million years ago.
Luz has a history of occupation firstly by the Carthaginians and then by the Romans and there are the remains of fish salting vats and a roman villa to visit.
For golfers there are 4 golf courses within 5 - 20 minutes drive, and there are daytrip coaches from Luz to the water parks and dolphin park.
Luz is just 8 minutes west of the larger historic town of Lagos which provides great sightseeing, plenty of shopping, good night life, and a large established marina.
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Algarve
