DK Travel : The Algarve

The Moors called their al-Gharb the Sunset Land, and visitors have been waxing lyrical ever since. Blessed with a mild winter climate and a sunny disposition, Portugal’s playground province remains one of the most popular year-round holiday destinations in southern Europe. Lively coastal resorts spill over ribbons of golden sand in sharp contrast to the quiet villages of the hinterland, where history and tradition go hand in hand.

Folk dancers

Mesa dos Mouros, Faro

Faro’s historic 13th-century cathedral overlooks this quiet, rustic establishment, the name of which translates as “The Moors’ Table”. Thejavoli com molho de frutos (wild boar with fruit sauce) is a much loved classic from the restaurant’s range of Southern Portuguese cuisine.
Migas

Wonderfully unassuming with friendly service, Migas is one of the few restaurants to serve traditionalsopas de poejo com entrecosto (soup with fried meat).
Moncarapacho

Moncarapacho is a small but bustling, rural market town, and give you a true insight into the traditional Portuguese way of life.

It is at the heart of the country's flower industry, so expect your holidays in Moncarapacho to include plenty of fragrant walks in beautiful countryside. The town is hidden away betwixt the Sierra de Moncarapacho mountains and the deep, blue sea. It is surrounded by olive and orange groves, so it's perfect for walkers, painters, photographers or country-lovers searching for an idyll. There's a quaint medieval church with a 16th century, Renaissance doorway alongside a curious little museum and the winding streets are lined with gorgeous white, pink and terracotta houses, local restaurants serving authentic regional cuisine and relaxed bars and pavement cafes. The town is famous (locally) for its four-day festival and its vibrant Saturday market, and its proximity to the coast means your summer holidays in Moncarapacho can include just as much sea, sun and sand as you want, mixed with bird-watching trips to the Formosa National Reserve or voyages of discovery, by boat, to a variety of coastal towns.
Moncarapacho Village

Moncarapacho is a small country town in the middle of an area which is home to orange growing and horticulture. It has a calm, relaxed and friendly atmosphere. The town offers all the basic facilities of banks, post office, internet cafe, small supermarkets, petrol station, market, restaurants and plenty of pavement cafés. It even has its own tiny museum. It has a market on the first Saturday of each month. For four days in the summer it comes alive with a big agricultural market, complete with local cuisine, dancing and music, and everything for sale from baskets to tractors. There is also a good ceramic shop on the edge of the town.
Monchique

The Serra da Monchique rises 458 m (1,500 ft), enveloping the hillside town of Monchique and its neighbouring spa centre. See Monchique.
Monchique and Caldas de Monchique

Monchique, a rustic little market town, is tucked away in the forested Serra de Monchique under a mantle of towering eucalyptus and broad magnolia. Nestling in its shadow is Caldas de Monchique, a charming leafy hamlet glowing in the fame of its renowned spa facility where the sparkling mineral water is endowed with some remarkable curative properties. The Serra’s unique Mediterranean-Atlantic habitat is a haven for wildlife. Sweeping views from Fóia and Picota crown this hugely diverse and fertile area. See Monchique.
Monchique-Fóia-Monchique Circuit

The 11-km (7-mile) walk begins in the town square and takes in the ruins of a Franciscan convent. Shady woodlands echo in summer to nightingales and cuckoos, and are full of butterflies tumbling through the air. The ascent steepens before the cluster of antenna prickling Fóia’s summit come into view.
Monsaraz

Swathes of vineyards surround Monsaraz, a name synonymous with some of the finest Portuguese wine. The fortified hilltop village is a delight, especially in spring when bright red poppies cling to the granite walls of the 13th-century castle. Also highly visible are the twin bell towers of the Igreja Matriz, holding court over a maze of truncated lanes lined with squat dwellings and tucked-away restaurants.
Monte do Casal

Delightfully secluded in the countryside near Estói, the suites of this converted farmhouse overlook gardens of bougainvillea and swaying palms. The proprietor/chef trained at London’s hotels, and the menu is a hallmark of this special retreat.
Monte do Casal, Estói

An old farmhouse restaurant with tempting fare, including a ravioli of goat’s cheese with red pepper coulis.

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