Sightseeing Portugal
The Algarve on the South Coast

Albufiera Beaches

The Algarve is Portugal’s most southern region. It was Roman from 218 BC to 400 AD, later the Moors ruled for 700 years up to the 13th century. In 1722 and 1755 earthquakes and subsequent tidal waves devastated the coast and destroyed many towns and villages including the area’s capital Faro. Figs and almonds, introduced by the Moors feature strongly in Algarvian sweets and pastries, the regions main claims to culinary fame. The major attractions are beaches, golf courses, warm dry summers, the kindness and courtesy of the local people. Plan on eating out, the food is excellent, particularly seafood. June is a beautiful month; many plants are in bloom and oranges hang from the trees. Temperatures can be high for active pursuits in July and August.

Vilamoura Beach

Central Algarve encompasses busy coastal resorts and remote inland villages. Most of the Algarve’s top ranked golf courses are in this region. It is an area of widely contrasting character with beautiful golden beaches and wild rolling hills where a more traditional way of life prevails. History has left its mark with Stone Age, Roman and Moorish remains and noble Gothic Cathedrals. There is a strong maritime heritage evident in the fine seafood restaurants and Quartiera Fish Market for product straight off the boat. Golfers are most likely to base themselves in the coastal towns of Vilamoura, Albufiera or Praia da Rocha.

Vilamoura is a sophisticated resort with excellent golf , beach and great nightlife. There is a Casino for gaming and world class music and dance, the Marina for bars, eateries and late night shopping and Kadoc the biggest nightclub on the Algarve that can accommodate up to 7000 revellers, on 5 dance floors where you can dance the night away.

Albufiera is the largest resort in the Algarve known for its fabulous beaches, first class water sports and exhilarating nightlife. Well known nightclubs are Kiss and Liberto’s located in a glitzy gaudy but irresistible area called ‘The Strip’ Albufiera’ mini Las Vegas.

Interesting towns to visit are Loule known for its bustling Saturday morning market and traditional handicrafts and Silves once the grandiose Moorish capital of the Algarve.

Silves Castle	Lagoa Beach

Western Algarve is a blend of wild Atlantic coast and warm inland villages. It is an area for outdoor pursuits including Surfing, Diving, Horse Riding, Big Game fishing and waling. Lagos is a popular resort town and there are splendid beaches.

Portimao is on the border of the Central and Western Algarve and is a good base for golfers. The beach ‘Praia de Rocha’ is one of the most famous in Portugal, an impressive swathe of golden sand in front of russet coloured cliffs. It is a vibrant resort and revellers dance until dawn in the nightclubs and bars on the long esplanade. Katedral is a popular late night dance venue.

Lagos is a popular resort, lively, colourful and cheerful. It predominantly attracts a young crowd who appreciate the bargain-stacked shops, bars and restaurants, vibrant nightlife and the proximity to the beaches and cliffs. There is also a rich historical vein that includes a fortress, town walls, an interesting museum and the site of Europe’s first slave market in the 15th century.

Praia da Rocha	Portimao Marina

The Eastern Algarve is not normally a base for golfers but the town of Tavira and the Spanish frontier towns of Vila Real and Castro Marim are worth a visit. The Parque natural da Rio Formosa is a sanctuary for an astonishing array of flora and wildlife.

Tavira	Ponte Romana Tavira

Lisbon on the West Coast

Lisbon - St George’s Castle at night

Lisbon is a fascinating city, vibrant and historic but also has a modern side including a nightlife that is lively, late and diverse. There was an earthquake off the Algarve coat in 1755 that reduced half the building to rubble, caused fires and was followed by a tidal wave that flooded the lower part of the city. Over 15,000 people from the population of 250,000 lost their lives and it took many years to recover. Historic sites in Lisbon include the Tower of Belem and the nearby Monastery of Jeronimos are both world heritage sites. Tiles (azulejos) are a distinctive aspect of Portugues culture best viewed and understood at the National Tile Museum; located in a beautiful 16th century convent, don’t miss the magnificent convent church. The National Coach Museum collection is one of the finest in the world. Visit the ‘Thieves Market’ and in the markets and shops look out for shoes, embroidered linen, filigree jewellery, ceramics, azulejos, cork products and basket ware. For evening entertainment there is music, theatre, ballet, opera, bullfights, or you can watch a dressage performance by the superb horsemen from the Alter Real stables. Dinner at a Fado House explores more Portuguese culture. Fado, literally meaning fate, is an emotional music nurtured by the Lisboetas in back street restaurants for over one hundred and fifty years. It is poignant and generally based on a concept of longing for what is lost. Lyrics deal with love, death, tragedy and triumph. The fadista is accompanied by a guitarra (instrument shaped like a mandolin with 8 to 12 strings) and viola (acoustic guitar). Try some Portuguese wines, White Bucelas, sometimes compared to Chablis is an exquisite dry wine and goes well with fish dishes. Corniche is a highly regarded soft fruity red wine. One of Portugal’s main export products is Port wine, visit the Port Wine Institute for an aperitif before dinner. Only Port is served but they have a selection of 6,000.

Based in Lisbon golfers can visit the Estoril coast to the north west or the coast to the south west of Lisbon for excellent golf courses.

The Estoril Coast to the North West of Lisbon is one of the best golfing areas. Other attractions are the Palacio de Queluz a former Royal Summer Palace. Here you could imagine the carriages arriving for a summer party. The throne room was clearly used for splendid balls. In the delightful gardens, guests once cruised on a canal lined with colorful azulejos. Today, staff dressed in period costumes encouraged visitors to join in games. Sintra, a romantic hill town was also a summer retreat for Portuguese Kings and is now a world heritage site. To avoid walking the steep hills you can hire a horse and carriage to see Sintra old town. There is a Casino at Estoril.

Sintra – Palace of Pena

South of Lisbon is another area with some excellent golf courses. You can explore the old town of Setubal, buying some Moscatel de Setubal, a world famous desert wine and a fine Azeitao cheese, both produced locally. Heading for Santiago de Cacem forty-five miles south of Lisbon, the shortest and most interesting route is by ferry (25 minutes) to the peninsula of Troia. Here you will find one of Portugal’s ‘hidden gems’ Troia Golf course, an exceptional links. At Carrasquiera, an old fishing community, you can see traditional reed houses with walls and roof made from thatch. At Santiago de Cacem are the ruins of a Roman town, Mirobriga, one of Portugal's three major Roman sites. Excavations have exposed a large settlement including temple ruins, baths heated with a hypocaust, a forum, ruins of taverns and houses with mosaics, streets, stairways, a bridge and a circus which had seating for 25,000 spectators.

Inland from Lisbon you can visit the historic town of Evora in the Alentejo region, it is essentially contained within its historic walls and easy to explore on foot. Historically the highlights are the Roman Temple, built of local marble, striking when lit up at night. Also, the Chapel of bones, a gruesome part of the Church of St Francis. It was built in the 17th century from bones of 5,000 skeletons, to emphasize the impermanence of life. There are craft shops around the main square and some fine restaurants where you can enjoy traditional lamb and pork dishes of the region and the local wine. There are also many pre-historic sites west of Evora There are dolmens, stone circle and menhirs or you can visit a unique cave at Escoural where there are nineteen Palaeolithic rock paintings and engravings that are 15 to 20,000 years old. The Alentejanos are noted for their crafts and famous carpets made at Arraiolos, north of Evora. The designs are formalized flowers or animals with an unusual cross-stitch, natural dyes are used which mellow with age.

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