COASTAL VILLAGES AND RESORT TOWNS
1. Santa Luzia
An old seafaring myth claims Santa Luzia came by its foreign-sounding name after an effigy of the Virgin Mary was salvaged from an Italian vessel. Today the image most associated with Santa Luzia is covos – octopus pots. This is the octopus capital of the Algarve, and hundreds of the earthenware pots can be found piled neatly on the beach in readiness for their next outing.
2. Alvor
Nestling in a sheltered bay midway between Portimão and Lagos, Alvor is an unusual mix of dignified charm and flickering neon. The old quarter is a delight to wander through, the 16th-century Manueline church is stunning and the village restaurants serve some of the tastiest seafood in the region.
Seafood restaurants in Alvor
3. Vilamoura
Designed around a marina of international repute, this upmarket resort has championship golf courses, a stylish casino, luxury hotels and luxurious villas. Fabulous cruises and boat trips to sea caves depart from the marina (see Vilamoura).
The glamorous marina in Vilamoura
4. Salema
Even if you are not staying in Salema, it is worth detouring to it from the EN125 via the beautiful ravine, speckled most of the year with colourful flora and fleet-footed goats. The tarmac peters out where the cobbled slip road begins – a causeway cluttered with colourful fishing boats, rickety lobster pots and shrouds of netting. The sloping streets are banked with salt-laced terraced houses and cramped little tavernas.
5. Ferragudo
A maze of cottages, converted lofts and cube-like townhouses tumble down towards the river and Praia Grande – a vast swathe of sand popular with sunbathers and windsurfers. The seafood restaurants lining the tidy quayside of this fishing village (see Ferragudo) are some of the best in the Algarve.
The picturesque riverfront at Ferragudo
6. Benagil
Benagil straddles a steep, narrow valley, which ambles its way towards a bay the size of a postage stamp. More hamlet than village, Benagil is blessed with a couple of superb seafood restaurants that are positioned on the lip of the valley and offer great views across the ocean.
7. Monte Gordo
A generous sandy beach and a casino (popular with big spenders from Seville) are the twin targets for most visitors here. Monte Gordo is the closest Algarve beach resort to the Spanish border. The esplanade is fringed with lofty palms, and even loftier apartment blocks, with fabulous views of the ocean.
8. Odeceixe
The isolated splendour of this attractive hillside village (see Odeceixe) makes the long drive north along the Algarve’s western coast worthwhile. An old windmill stands at the village’s highest point, and is open to visitors in summer. Odeceixe’s beach is sheltered and peaceful, and it is one of the region’s most beautiful.
9. Armação de Pêra
The beach here is one of the longest in the Algarve and fronts a commercial hub of tall apartment blocks, seafront hotels and rows of cafés and bars. However this is all rather clinical, so most visitors head east to Pêra’s livelier old town which is spread around the site of a small fortress.
10. Carvoeiro
Friendliness fills this alluring little town, making it ideal for families. It is one of the Algarve’s main self-catering areas, and the hilltops that flank the pocket-sized beach are awash with apartments. On the other side of the promontory is the snorkelling territory of Algar Seco rock formation.
The charming town of Carvoeiro
