DK Travel : The Algarve : Places of interest

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Mértola

Designated avila museu , or open-air museum-town, the old quarter of Mértola is divided into a number of areas of historic interest. Each reflects the diverse periods in the town’s history: Phoenicians, Romans, Visigoths and Moors all took advantage of its strategic position on the River Guadiana. A number of museums exhibit treasures from each period, but the most stunning collection can be found in the new Museu Islâmico.
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 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.
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 Gordo

A generous beach and a casino (popular with big spenders from Seville) are the twin targets for most visitors to this, the closest Algarve beach resort to the Spanish border. The esplanade is fringed by lofty palms and even loftier apartment blocks with fabulous views of the ocean.
Odeceixe

The River Seixe meanders past this pretty little village, which makes a handy base for surfers keen to ride the big swells that thunder onto Odeceixe beach. A lone windmill sitting above the village used to take advantage of the fresh winds whipped up by the Atlantic; today it’s a popular spot for scanning the Alentejo countryside. There’s also a curious little museum in the village centre, which recreates the atmosphere of a traditional winery and cellar. This sleepy backwater is about as far as you can get from the summer throngs that pack the coastal resorts.
Odeceixe

The isolated splendour of this attractive hillside village makes the long drive north along the Algarve’s western coast worthwhile. Odeceixe’s beach, cut in two by the mouth of the Seixe creek, is the prize draw. See Beaches. Late spring is the best time of year to visit, when it’s warm and not too busy.
Olhaõ

One of the liveliest fishing ports in the Algarve has some fine seafood restaurants to match. The whole town revolves around fishing, a fact exemplified by the 17th-century parish church, built with donations from the local fishermen. At the chapel of Nossa Senhora dos Aflitos, women pray for the safe return of their menfolk during bad weather. The style of the town’s cube-shaped houses, with flat roof terraces and external staircases, reflects the close trade links once enjoyed with North Africa.
Omega Park Jardim Zoológico

Here’s a chance to meet some of the world’s rarest and endangered animals up close and personal. Sifakas, barbary sheep, cheetahs, a host of monkeys and lemurs and a cute pair of hippos are just some of the permanent residents at this unique wildlife sanctuary.