La Algarve area It is known for its wonderful beaches and for being an excellent summer area, but there are many towns and cities that we can visit to spend a fun day seeing typical places, each with its own charm. Although you may not have time to see them all, especially since you will be taking advantage of the beach time, you can always make a small list of possible visits.
These cities and towns in the Algarve are among the most visited, although there are many other places that can be interesting and are not ruled out. For now we will talk about the most outstanding ones, those destinations that almost everyone visits. In addition, they have the advantage of being small sites that can normally be seen in one day, so it will not take us long to visit several of these. Algarve cities.
Faro
We start with the city of Faro because it is the capital and the most populated city from the Algarve, so it will undoubtedly be one of those destinations that you have in mind to stay if you go to this area of southern Portugal. It is one of the places that you visit before, because it is very close to the international airport, so it also has a good location. In the city itself there is no beach, but you have to take some transport to get to the sandy area. In the city center you can enjoy a more modern shopping area and also the old city. Outside the city, in the western area, is the Ria Formosa Natural Park, a place for bird watching.
Lagos
Lagos is a small city with an interesting historical area, as it was an important place in European trade in the XNUMXth and XNUMXth centuries. In a few hours we can see the beautiful old town, with the Escravos Market, which was the first slave market in all of Europe and later became the customs building, the church of San Antonio or the city walls, XNUMXth century.
But in Lagos you can not only appreciate its old town and the city, but the impressive beaches and cliffs of Point of Pity. In this area you will find some of the most popular beaches in the Algarve, such as Dona Ana beach, which is considered the most beautiful of all in the Algarve. The beautiful cliffs sculpted by the sea have a lot to do with this, as the landscapes in Lagos are impressive.
Portimao
In the center of Portimao you can enjoy a purely Portuguese atmosphere, since the vast majority of tourism is directed to the area of Stone beach, not downtown. In this way we can visit the city without having the feeling that it is an area dedicated by and for the tourist, which always detracts from the charm of the towns. In the Algarve the vast majority of them may have a beautiful historic center but in general they are oriented to tourism. In Portimao we will feel a cozy atmosphere, as if the town had not changed so much despite the tourism. In the center we find shopping streets and places like the museum, where we find the history of the city.
Tavira
Tavira was also a commercial city thanks to its port during the XNUMXth century, and it still preserves the ruins of the old Moorish castle, as well as more than thirty churches in its historic center. After a great earthquake in the XNUMXth century, part of the city had to be rebuilt, so we will not find such old buildings, but it is not without its charm. In addition, near Tavira we can visit the Ria Formosa Natural Park, which are huge marshes that were formed by the tsunami that came after the great earthquake of 1755, which would change the course of the history of the entire city. Within this park there are salt flats and also small communities that carry out sustainable fishing as a way of life. Barril beach is the most famous, and it is a beach that used to be fishing for tuna, and that today keeps as a souvenir the cemetery of anchors, which is really picturesque on the beach.
Albufeira
Albufeira is undoubtedly one of the most touristic places from the Algarve, and a city dedicated to tourism. If what we want is to find souvenir shops and restaurants with different types of cuisine, this is the right city. There is also a wide range of apartments, hotels and hostels to stay in, so it can be a good option for the summer season. Albufeira also has an old town that you have to visit, although as we say it is quite oriented to tourism, especially in high season, and it can be a bit crowded. In this area there are also important beaches such as Falesia or Praia dos Pescadores.