Portugal’s beautiful southern coastline boasts a glorious climate, secluded beaches, whitewashed villages and rolling countryside scattered with olive, carob, cork and almond trees.
One of the warmest, sunniest places in Southern Europe, the Algarve’s mild winters give way to hot, dry summers.
Its pleasant year-round climate, beautiful coast and countryside, safe, low-cost living – not to mention its famous golf courses – makes the Algarve region a very attractive place to retire, and Portugal topped the International Living’s Annual Global Retirement Index in 2020.
This traditional Portuguese town with Moorish heritage lies 9km west of Monte da Palhagueira and is famous for its lively Saturday morning gypsy and farmers markets. Featuring shady tree-lined plazas and a labyrinth of charming cobbled alleyways, Loule is a pretty medieval town with a castle that is one of the best-preserved in the Algarve.
Four kilometres from Monte da Palhagueira, the charming village of Santa Barbara de Nexe with its 400-year-old white walled church is built on the site of a Bronze Age hill fort, which has spectacular views of the countryside rolling away to the coast.
Monte da Palhagueira takes inspiration from the enchanting, flower-laden village of Alte. This lovely village of whitewashed houses with colourful windows and terracotta tiled roofs lining a maze of pretty cobbled streets is hidden away in the foothills of the Serra do Caldeirão and is one of the most typical and unspoilt villages in the Algarve. The village has a beautiful church dating from the 16th century, which contains elaborate chapels and rare 16th-century azulejo tiling from Seville, and two freshwater springs.
Along with the traditional Portuguese town of Almancil, Vale do Lobo and Quinta do Lago form the Algarve region unofficially known as the Golden Triangle – the ‘Beverly Hills’ of southern Portugal. Vale do Lobo and Quinta do Lago are known for their magnificent mansions, luxury resorts, hotels and shopping, and championship golf courses.
Running 60km along the coast to the west and east of Faro, the Ria Formosa Natural Park has recently been elected one of the seven natural wonders of Portugal. This maze of canals, islands, marshes and barrier islands has a thriving ecosystem, unspoilt beaches and rich fishing heritage.
