The Algarve region - the name is derived from the Arabic AI Gharb, meaning 'the west' or 'the land beyond' - in the south of the country has a totally different character from the rest of Portugal. It stretches 100 miles from Cape st Vincent to Vila Real de Santo Antonio on the Spanish border and has one of Europe's most beautiful coastlines.
The Algarve is renowned for its fantastic golf courses, long sandy beaches, idyllic coves, distinctive red cliffs and picturesque fishing villages.
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More then just a coastline.
However, the Algarve is more than a strip of south-facing coastline. It includes pine forests, rolling hills and groves of almond, fig, olive and orange trees. The region is well known for its charm and Moorish character and has managed to retain its timeless ‘old world’ charm and traditional values. There are still plenty of traditional fishing villages – such as Ferragudo and Tavira – where the 21st century has barely intruded.
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The climate in the Algarve.
The climate in the Algarve is one of the healthiest and most pleasant of the world. There is sufficient seasonal variation to make the weather anything but boring, winters are never too cold and the summers are never too hot. The skies are predominately blue all year round. Attractive inland towns include Loulé, São Bartolomeu de Messines and Silves, once the capital of the Moors. Monchique is famous for the nearby hot springs, Caldas de Monchique, where thermal baths were built by the Romans.
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