Ten things to do in the Algarve

Welcome back to the Velvet Runway and this article about ten things to do in the Algarve.

 Ten things to do in the Algarve

 Visit Silves

Visit the old Moorish capital of the Algarve, Silves, with its 13th century cathedral (Largo da Sé) and beautiful red sandstone castle (Castelo de Silves), as well as the archaeological museum in Rua das Portas de Loule.

If you are in the Algarve during the summer (usually in August) don’t miss the medieval festival.

 Visit Faro

Take a stroll down the pedestrianised shopping street of Rua de Santo Antonio or the Rua Vasco da Gama, where the majority of shops are open from 10am to 7pm, or stop for a drink and a pastry at one of the outdoor cafés. I particularly liked Quente & Frio, with its delicious ice creams and cookies.

Don’t miss the historic Old Town of Faro (the ‘Cidade Velha’, with its Roman walls, pedestrian cobbled streets and in particular, the orange tree-lined central square, Largo da Sé, that used to be the Roman Forum. Here, you can see the 19th century Town Hall, the18th century Bishop’s Palace and the Sé (or cathedral) with its cloisters and chapel of bones.

You can also climb up the bell tower where you will be rewarded with stunning views of the town of Faro, the Ria Formosa Natural Park, and the Atlantic Ocean beyond.

 Have dinner in Albufeira

Albufeira is a very popular holiday destination. The atmospheric Old Town is full of cobbled, pedestrian streets and there is a lively central square, where you can while away some time with a coffee or a glass of wine. There are also a lot of street performers and the choice of bars and restaurants is extensive! However, you should bear in mind that all the restaurants are competing for your custom and so it is not necessarily the most relaxing stroll!

If you prefer a quieter environment, then the beach is wonderful both for relaxing and for long walks, and the sunsets over the sea and over the old town are beautiful.

 Take a “grotto”  tour

I would highly recommend taking a “grotto” tour, where you can see the beautiful caves and cliffs that populate the Algarve coast from a small fishing boat.

You can sign up for the grotto tour with one of the companies opposite the marina in Lagos, or you can find a boat at Praia Dona Ana or at Ponte da Piedad.

I chose to walk along to Praia Dona Ana, where I was picked up by a small boat and transported around and under the intriguing rock formations and taken into caves that I would never have seen from the land.

Visit the lighthouse at Cabo S Vicente

Cabo de São Vicente (the Cape of Saint Vincent) is the most southwesterly point of Europe, and is situated five kilometres beyond the town of Sagres.

The views are spectacular, with jagged cliffs towering over the beautiful blue sea. The focal point is the lighthouse complex, which houses the Museu dos Faróis, a small museum about Portugal’s maritime navigation history.

I didn’t find much else to visit in Sagres, with the exception of « The Fortaleza Sagres », which is located on the Ponta de Sagres and was designed to protect the town from raiders from North Africa. The fort looks imposing but I didn’t have time to visit it this time.

If you have visited it, please let me know what you thought! Did I miss out on the best part of a trip to the Algarve?

 Visit a church

The Algarve is dotted with many simple, whitewashed churches, such as this medieval church (« Nossa Senhora da Luz » (Our Lady of Light) in Praia de Luz.

Whilst the outside of the church is very simple, the inside is often significantly more ornate. At Praia da Luz, the first thing you notice on entering is a large very ornate golden altar in a stone archway. There are also very decorative stain-glass windows.

Play a round of golf

The Algarve is renowned for its huge range of golf courses, of which the first to be laid out in 1966 is the Sir Henry Cotton Championship course (18 holes, par 73) at Penina Hotel & Golf Resort . There are now over 40 golf courses and thirty-five different clubs along the Algarve peninsula.

See dolphins in the wild

A number of companies based in the marinas of Lagos and Portimão as well as Alvor Harbour and Albufeira organise boat trips to see dolphins in their natural environment

I took a trip on the one of the RIBs (Rigid Inflatable Boat), which leaves from the Lagos Marina. These boats are also used as lifeboats by the coastal services and they are very stable so you shouldn’t be seasick. However, they do go very fast and a long way out from shore to maximise the chance of seeing dolphins.

Despite their expertise and experience there is, of course, no guarantee that you will actually see any dolphins, although the chances are quite high that you will. However, some companies offer free tickets if you don’t, so ask before you go.

I was lucky enough to see several pods of dolphins, which was a truly memorable experience. The only problem was that I was so mesmerised watching them I forgot to take any photos and videos, so don’t forget your camera and don’t forget to use it !

I’ve included a video by SeaLife to give you an idea of what you might experience !

Go to a fun park or a water park

Not surprisingly with the good weather on the Estoril coast, there are numerous fun parks and water parks in the region.

The biggest tourist attraction is ZooMarine, located in Guia, close to Albufeira, where you can see dolphins, sea lions and seals. There are a range of excellent shows and it is also possible to swim with the dolphins in small groups (you should book in advance for this and it currently costs €169 per person, which includes entrance to the theme park). There are also water slides and merry-go-rounds. For more information have a look at the Zoomarine site

Go shopping

It doesn’t rain very often in the Algarve, but on the rare occasions it does, it provides the chance to visit the Algarve shopping centres. However, they are either fully or partially in the open air, so you will still have to dodge the showers !

I have been to the The Forum Algarve in Faro and the Algarve Shopping at Guia, which both offer high street brands such as Zara, Mango, Sephora and H&M, as well as multiscreen cinemas. For a full list of stores, have a look at  Forum Algarve website and Algarve shopping website

Each town and village in the Algarve also has its own indoor market where fresh fish, meat and vegetables can be bought each day. I haven’t visited it, but I have been told that Loule market is one of the biggest and best.

Have a look below to book your accommodation in the Algarve.

Booking.com

I hope you enjoyed this feature about Ten things to do in the Algarve, and have a look here for more of our travel guides.

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