DK Travel : The Algarve : Western Region

Western Region : Overview & Top 10

The western Algarve (Barlavento) blends a precipitous Atlantic coastline with a verdant Mediterranean interior. The wild, windblown promontories associated with the legend of Henry the Navigator yield to forest-clad hills and cloud-tipped mountains. Some of the region’s most spectacular beaches nestle on the south coast under outcrops of ochre-splashed rock. Others lie west to greet the surf that thunders onto the sand at the “end of the world”. Underpinning the wonderful environmental fabric is a rich historical thread of Baroque churches and Manueline chapels, stark sea defences and baffling Neolithic monuments. Visitor attractions abound, with quaint restaurants in hushed villages waiting to be discovered, while lively resorts brushed by palm-lined avenues sway to a more cosmopolitan flavour.

Portal Da Serra

For a truely Algarvian experience. Traditional food, local wine and set in a converted barn. The best chirizo sausage ever come hanging from the ceiling! After dinner there is traditional Portuguese folk dancing which encourage participation. A great night all round.