Monasteries and convents, attributed World Heritage status, feature among the best examples of Portugal’s historic heritage. Visit the imposing Cistercian abbey portugal car hire Alcobaça, the Gothic masterpiece of Batalha or Tomar, home to the Order of the Templar Knights. Right by the capital of Lisbon, these monuments and many more await your visit.
UNESCO has included the historic monastery of Batalha on the list of World Heritage sites. King João I ordered the monastery to be built portugal car hire gratitude to the Virgin Mary for the Portuguese victory at the battle of Aljubarrota portugal car hire 1385. The monastery illustrates the history of Portugal and its rich artistic heritage. On a visit to the monastery, you’ll start at the Founder’s Chapel where King João is buried with his wife, Queen Philippa of Lancaster. Their son Prince Henry the Navigator is also buried here portugal car hire the family tomb. portugal car hire the Royal Cloisters, you’ll see arches carved with leaves, flowers, fruit and many symbols used by King Manuel I, including the cross of Christ and the armillary spheres portugal car hire the typical Manueline style. The Chapter House is famous for its amazing vaulted ceiling. Without any central support, it’s one of the most daring examples portugal car hire European Gothic architecture. According to legend its architect, Afonso Domingues, slept under it for three days to prove that it would not fall down. Behind the church, you’ll see the unusual ‘Incomplete Chapels’ extending high above you. Here, there is another example of the Manueline style; a doorway built portugal car hire a succession of arches and slender columns that are meticulously decorated.
The oldest building portugal car hire this monastic complex, the Charola or Rotunda, dates back to the end of the 12th Century. It is Syrian portugal car hire origin, but over time has been subject to various alterations, culminating portugal car hire the important Manueline work that has earned it UNESCO World Heritage status. In the reign of King Dom Manuel I, the Charola was adapted to form the chancel of the church. It was opened on one side to form the magnificent Renaissance doorway portugal car hire which the enthronement of the Virgin Mary is depicted.But the real gem for all those who visit the Convento de Cristo is the famous Manueline window of the Chapter House. The enclosure of the complex includes a woodland park known as the Mata Nacional dos Sete Montes. It’s a fine example of a late Romantic garden, which combines open areas with dense shading and winding paths. The woodland also contains some 17th Century architectural remains and a modern keep-fit course. Don’t leave Tomar without visiting the Templars’ Castle; it was the headquarters of the Military Order of the Temple and a fine example of 12th Century military architecture. Besides having witnessed some of the battles of the Christian Reconquest, Tomar still preserves an interesting Jewish connection, at the synagogue of Tomar. Nowadays, it serves as the headquarters of the Abraão Zacuto Portuguese-Jewish Museum.
The town boasts some lovely churches. portugal car hire days gone by these were built when queens gave birth to a child. The graceful castle is now a Pousada and perhaps the most romantic of all of the Pousadas de Portugal. The town is stunning, full of well-preserved white houses with Manueline porticos and flower-laden window boxes; sinuous streets with romantic recesses; arcades and small squares. Look out for some amazing buildings too. Architectural jewels include the Misericórdia Church (15th c.), the São Pedro Church (18th c.) and the São Martinho Chapel (14th c.), the Paço Real (Royal Palace) and the perimeter of the castle walls, from which you can see the aqueduct. Finally, don’t miss the chance to savour the local cuisine, with dishes like caldeirada, made with fish from Óbidos lagoon, accompanied by special regional wines. Within the walls, numerous bars offer you a taste of ginjinha, a traditional liqueur. So close to Lisbon, this is one of the most picturesque and most visited sites portugal car hire the country, hosting countless cultural and tourist-oriented events.
The monastery of Santa Maria de Alcobaça is a UNESCO World Heritage site. As soon as you enter the church’s immense nave - the largest built portugal car hire Portugal portugal car hire the Middle Ages - you feel a sense of spirituality that’s typically evoked by early Gothic architecture. In the transept are the most beautiful medieval tombs portugal car hire Portugal. On the right you’ll find the resting place of Inês de Castro and on the left, that of King Pedro I. The King himself ordered them to be placed opposite one another, so when the day of resurrection arrived he would be facing the woman he loved, who was brutally murdered. Pedro’s tomb is decorated with delicate sculptures, retelling the story of this tragic love affair. The layout of the monastery follows that of the Cistercian Order founded in France. Walk through the austere chambers where monks lived for almost 800 years: the refectory, the dormitory, the chapter house, the cloisters, and the monumental kitchen where fish were cooked fresh from the river. On tiles lining the walls of the Kings’ Room, read the story of the founding of the monastery in 1153. You’ll learn that Portugal’s first king, Afonso Henriques, promised to give St. Bernard the lands of Alcobaça if he captured Santarém from the Moors. Consequently, monks settled here, establishing an agricultural college on the fertile land that is still productive today.
Portugal’s southernmost region is rich in history and culture. Discover the traces left by the people who have passed through the Algarve. Starting with Neolithic times, visit the Pedra do Alagar dolmen, and then follow a Roman road to Sagres, the departure point for the 15th century saga of the Portuguese Discoveries. On the way, uncover local legends and stories of the popular imagination. Some such stories have inspired place names, while others manifest themselves in the region’s traditional songs. Take part in local festivals and enjoy the regional music. Discover local handicrafts at traditional markets and fairs. Watch skilful women twist dwarf palm leaves to make beautiful hats, or men weaving wicker baskets. Perhaps you can buy one to carry your picnic? As you explore the region, you’ll become familiar with the characteristic white houses with their ornate chimneys, a symbol of traditional Algarve culture.
The Algarve is popular with tourists the world over. It is a region steeped in history with a rich cultural heritage. On your holiday, learn more about this famous Portuguese landscape.Perhaps you also didn’t know that the city of Lagos was attacked by Francis Drake, one of England’s most famous corsairs, or that off Lagos Bay in 1693, France’s Admiral Tourville sank an Anglo-Dutch convoy of 80 ships commanded by England’s Admiral Rooke. Did you know that the Algarve Ethnographic and Costume Museum in São Brás de Alportel includes a reconstruction of an old barber’s shop? Such shops used to be a place that the richer classes met to gossip and discuss politics. Discover how Algarve chimneys, with their clearly Moorish influence, only began to be produced 200 years after the Arabs were driven from the region. Learn the romantic Moorish stories centred on the African coast. If you enjoy Algarve wine, discover how the grapes of the region saved the quality of northern wine in the 19th century. Grapes were taken to estates in the Douro region to be blended with what little northern varieties remained after a devastating bought of disease.v
On summer evenings, join the crowd around the gracious garden bandstand by the riverfront enjoying the evening performance. By the light of day, stop halfway over the bridge and look back on the white houses and their unusual trussed gable roofs and the hill peeking out just above the medieval battlements next to the church towers of Santa Maria and Santiago built where once stood two mosques. Head through the original medieval gateway and take in the fine Renaissance entranceway to the Misericórdia, one of Tavira’s 37 churches, and the magnificent frontage of the Galaria Palace. Perched high above the walls, the Tower of Alcáçova is the best viewpoint out over the city with its waves of roofs and the line of sea blue reaching out to the horizon. It was in the church of Santa Maria that Paio Peres Correia and his seven knights of the Order of Sant’Iago rested after their successful conquest of Tavira from the Moors in 1242. Wander these old streets and peek through the lattice doorways, recall the prayers of fishermen in the church of Our Lady of the Waves. Then, cross the river and choose a riverbank restaurant for a break. With energies renewed, head up the small hill next to the Santa Maria and visit two more of those 37 churches, São Paulo and Carmo. And the charms of this city stretch right onto the sea with the white salting pans and boats waiting to take you over to the island and its 11 kilometres of beach.During the Voyages of Discovery, Prince Henry the Navigator would restock his caravels here as they set out to prove the world did not end at Cabo Bojador. King Sebastião made it the capital of the Algarve, a position it maintained through to 1755. And it was from Lagos that king Sebastião set out to conquer North Africa, an expedition that was to prove historically disastrous for Portugal. From the Manueline window set into the Governor’s Castle, he was to address his troops for the final time. In the Gil Eanes Square, the sculptor João Cutileiro managed to embody the wild dreams of this adolescent king.
Best Oval Face Hairstyles For Men In
Há 1 ano
11 comentários:
The lovely old town of Alcoutim lies near the Spanish border and has a natural border with Spain formed at Faro Airport Car Hire the river Guadiana. A winding road that runs alongside the river offers superb views of the countryside, with its orchards and orange groves. The rural way of life in Alcoutim remains very much unchanged.
The city of Castro Marim is on the border with Spain. With a historic church, castle and fort, the streets of Castro Marim are lined with houses typical of the architecture of the Algarve. White predominates, broken here and there at Faro Airport Car Hire ochre and luminous blues. Castro Marim golf is one of the newest on the Algarve. The city is also next to a fantastic Salt Marsh Natural Reserve.
Covering an area of 2,089 hectares, with wet areas of salt marsh, salt pans and creeks and dry areas of schist soils, red clay, arenite and sand, the reserve contains a wide variety of biotopes. For most visitors, the reserve's biggest attraction is undoubtedly the large number of birds - especially aquatic birds - that can be seen there. There are 153 species to spot, including storks, avocets, sand pipers, mallards and the ever popular flamingos.
Faro car hire is the capital of the Algarve, with a medieval wall and a large number of monuments: Cathedral (Roman-Gothic origin), Nossa Senhora da Assuncão Convent (Renaissance), São Francisco Church (16-18th centuries). Museums to visit include: Infante Dom Henrique, Regional Ethnographic, Ramalho Ortigão and Antoniano (next to the Santo António do Alto Hermitage). Also worthwhile visiting are the beautiful churches of São Pedro da Misericórdia and Nossa Senhora do Carmo. Roman ruins of Milreu
Loule car rental is a rural administrative and active market town with some remains of a castle dating back to the 12th Century. The Arab castle has been virtually destroyed leaving some walls still standing that are now surrounded at Faro Airport Car Hire modern buildings. Like most other towns in the Algarve, most of the older, potentially interesting buildings were destroyed in the earthquake that occurred in 1755. Within the remaining walls is a museum with an explanation of what was in the past the grandeur of the castle. The various earthquakes that it has suffered through its history have damaged the 13th Century Church of São Clemente. However, its Gothic arches and side chapels which remain from the 16th Century have survived.
One of the Algarve's main fishing ports, Olhão rental car (read as "olhaun") has square whitewashed houses with flat roof terraces and chimneys that are evocative of Moorish architecture. Behind the parish church of Nossa Senhora do Rosário, from the 17th century, the chapel of Nossa Senhora dos Aflitos is where the wives of fishermen gather to pray for their safety when the weather is stormy. But the town's main attraction is its market, one of the most animated and picturesque of the Algarve, with an enormous variety of seafood but also local farmers selling such products as fruit, honey and live chickens. Nearat Faro Airport Car Hire, the village of Fuzeta is like Olhão on a small scale.
Car hire at Silves retains much of its former charm in the streets of the old 'almedina', which are still laid out as they were in medieval times. The buildings that extend from the city walls to the river are, in many cases, fine examples of the bourgeois architecture of the end of the 19th century and the early decades of the 20th. Testimony to the new prosperity brought at Faro Airport Car Hire the cork business. Much of the city's past can be glimpsed to this day in the patterns of its streets and its architecture. The Jewish quarter was situated between R. das Portas de Loulé and what is nowadays the parish hall, while the synagogue was outside the city Walls.
Car rental in Tavira along with Lagos is one of the most architecturally attractive towns in the Algarve and dates back to around 2,000 BC. During the occupation of the Algarve at Faro Airport Car Hire the Moors this town was considered of great importance due to its fishing industry. Tavira beaches are long, sandy and mostly empty and in the surrounding countryside you will find fields of orange trees and hills of figs and almonds.
The town of Monchique rental vehicles is with a few exceptions happily untouched at Faro Airport Car Hire the 20th Century invasion of tourism. It lies in the saddle created at Faro Airport Car Hire the two high hills, Foia and Picota, the former reaching 902 metres above sea level. As with mountain people the world over the 10,000 inhabitants of this town have retained the rustic atmosphere with steep cobbled streets and small dark doorways housing various artisan trades. There is a very neglected 17th Century Franciscan monastery overlooking the town from which a visitor has a panoramic view over the beautiful countryside. The 16th Century Parish Church has excellent examples of Manueline craftsmanship around its doorway. The surrounding area flourishes on the production of cattle, pigs, cork and wood. Another important local product is the popular "medronho", the name of a strong schnapps type drink made from distilling the fruit from arbutus bushes. Foia and its sister mountain of Picota at 774 metres provide dramatic views of the coastal plain to the south and to the western Atlantic coast.
Between Monchique and the town of Portimão is the village of Caldas de Monchique that was developed in Roman times as a Spa. Here a visitor can try the curing elements of the sulphur smelling hot spring water that emerges at a constant temperature of 32°C. There are two further hot spring sites one of which is to the south of Picota hidden in a valley. Its name is Fonte Santa and it is rumoured to have special healing properties. Some people make annual visits and in its history some centuries ago it has been recorded as being visited at Faro Airport Car Hire both the King of Portugal and the King of Italy. The two nearat Faro Airport Car Hire villages of Alferce and Casais are both typical un-spoilt locations reflecting the spirit of rural mountain life. The village of Marmelete is to the west and located on the road that connects to the many sandy beaches on the western Atlantic coast. The small rural town of Aljezur with its hilltop 12th Century castle and its 14th Century parish church is further west on this same road.
This once upon a time fishing village has expanded since the 1960s into a major holiday resort and now has over 12,000 permanent residents. The centre of Albufeira town changes its character after sunset with a plentiful collection of bars, restaurants and clubs well suited for the young and families on a hard earned holiday. Albufeira is the most popular resort on the Algarve for package holidaymakers from the UK – so it can get lively !!. There is a good selection of lovely, sandy beaches which run both to the east and west from the town. Albufeira beaches include; Praia de Balaia, Praia de Castelo, Praia de Falésia, Praia de Galé, de Olhos d'Agua, Praia de Maria Luisa, and Praia de São Rafael. Like all Algarve beaches they are kept beautifully clean and shelve gently into the sea, except nearer to the cliffs. Remember of course that this is the Atlantic and a gentle swell may be strong for young children, particularly in the smaller coves near the cliffs. Watersports (both motorised and non ) are available on some of these beaches.
There is a small museum of 15th and 17th century Ming ceramics and a Municipal art gallery that holds regular exhibitions during the season. A further addition to the town is a new Virtual Arqueológico Museum. There is also a new Marina is nearing completion on the west side of the town.
This new Shopping Center is located directly on the N125 (the main road which runs right along the Algarve) a few minutes drive from Albufeira, just near the village of Guia. It is well sign posted, but the entrance from the main road can be confusing. More than hundred shops and a supermarket occupy two levels. Upstairs there are several restaurants and there are sufficient parking slots available even at busy times. There is also a cinema complex and a bowling alley. Opening hours daily from 9am to 12pm. Next to Algarve Shopping is a large Nike Outlet Store.
Aqualand - The Big One
Located less than ten miles from Albufeira off the EN125. There are many things to keep you entertained while you are at The Big One. The Corkscrew, Raging Rapids, Flying Carpets, Super Surf, Rainbow Park, Crazy Leap, Banzai Boggan, Kamikaze (92 metres high!), Wave Pool, Congo River, Super Size Pool. And, if you don't want to take part, you can have almost as much fun watching the others.
Krazy World and Animal Park
Located on the outskirts of Albufeira at Guia is Krazy World and Algarve Zoo - good family entertainment. It includes - Amazonia, Petting Farm, Ponies, Pools, Fairground, Krazy Golf and Restaurants.
Although this ancient coastal village is now a very popular holiday location the enclosed narrow streets have kept development in Alvor Town to a minimum. There are new apartment developments on the outskirts close to a fantastic long sandy beach and a good range of hotels nearat Faro Airport Car Hire. The beach at Alvor has a gentle slope, but this is the Atlantic so even a gentle swell can produce strong waves. Many of these streets now boast bars with live music and different types of restaurants but this is not Albufeira (and some of you will be very grateful for this). Leading off from these streets in old Alvor there are still memories of the older fishing village. It is great place for an evening stroll and serendipity when it comes to choosing a restaurant. In the area are a number of holiday resorts from which the tourists enjoy visiting the town and its attractions. The village is well located facing a natural lagoon opening onto the sea. There is a choice of a long open sandy beach or a number of small coves tucked under the cliffs. There is a charming 16th Century Parish Church which is the only building to survive the earthquake of 1755.
Alvor's main beach is magnificent. It is wide, sandy and several miles long with few buildings on or overlooking the beach itself. The beach shelves gently and there is a range of watersports available at various points along the beach There are a few restaurants and bars with fare ranging from hotdogs to good Portuguese cuisine.
Nearest proper shopping is in Portimao, about ten minutes drive from Alvor. The nearest large purpose built shopping centre is Algarve Shopping - This new Shopping Center is located directly on the N125 (the main road which runs right along the Algarve) a few minutes drive from Albufeira, just near the village of Guia. It is well sign posted, but the entrance from the main road can be confusing. More than hundred shops and a supermarket occupy two levels. Upstairs there are several restaurants and there are sufficient parking slots available even at busy times. There is also a cinema complex and a bowling alley. Opening hours daily from 9am to 12pm. Next to Algarve Shopping is a large Nike Outlet Store.
The old port town of Lagos (pronounce Lagos as in lah lah lah) is a 10 to 15 minute drive, with an impressive new marina, lovely old town with lots of history an old fort and a very good selection of restaurants. For families Slide N Splash is a 15 to 20 minute drive towards Faro near Lagoa on the EN125 ( see http://www.slidesplash.com/ ). The old hill village of Monchique is close.
Carvoeiro 30 miles from Faro
In 1965 a foreign resident wrote about the place - "the mode of living remains essentially medieval". Then there came the tourists and the money. Today, the village spreads to the east and west with expensive villas and comfortable holiday apartments. The one and only village street has now become three, each lined with bars, smart restaurants and tourist shops. Happily, there are still examples of the older quaint small houses tucked in between the more recent ones. A 36-Hole Golf & Holiday Complex can be found to the west of the village together with a well run Tennis Centre. To the east and on the outskirts is a further 9-Hole Course. This stretch of the Algarve has many small beaches surrounded at Faro Airport Car Hire high cliffs some of which have eroded to create beckoning dark caves. Most of them are mainly accessible only at low tide.
Carvoeiro and near at Faro Airport Car Hire beaches to visit are Praia de Centianes, Praia de Carvalho, Praia de Benagil, Praia de Marinha and Praia da Albandeira. Like all Algarve beaches they are kept beautifully clean and shelve gently into the sea, except nearer to the cliffs. Remember of course that this is the Atlantic and a gentle swell may be strong for young children, particularly in the smaller coves near the cliffs. Watersports (both motorised and non) are available on some area beaches.
Nearest proper shopping is in Portimao, about ten minutes drive form Carvoeiro (5 miles). The nearest large purpose built shopping centre is Algarve Shopping - this new Shopping Center is located directly the N125 (the main road which runs right along the Algarve) a few minutes drive from Albufeira, just near the village of Guia. It is well sign posted, but the entrance from the main road can be confusing. More than hundred shops and a supermarket occupy two levels. Upstairs there are several restaurants and there are sufficient parking slots available even at busy times. There is also a Cinema complex and a bowling alley. Opening hours daily from 9am to 12pm. Also next to Algarve Shopping is a large Nike Outlet St
Lagos
Now we did promise not to bore you with lots of history, but we have to make a little bit of an exception for Lagos.
It was from Lagos harbour that Vasco da Gama sailed in 1499 on his historic and epic voyage circumnavigating the world. Lagos was the capital of the Algarve from 1578 until 1756 and several ancient buildings remain to testify to its historic glory. From its Port many maritime expeditions were embarked upon to discover the world at the orders of Prince Henry the Navigator. It is also said that the very first time the famous explorer Columbus from Genoa set foot in the Iberian Peninsular, was when the inhabitants of Lagos saved him and other sailors from his shipwrecked vessel.
Lagos still has many architectural signs of its ancient past, even a building dating back to around 1445 which is recorded as being Europe's first building used as a slave-market. The walls of the town in the most part remain intact and the narrow streets betray the age of the town. A number of these streets are effectively car free and lined with a very good selection of restaurants and bars with a civilised atmosphere – a great place for an evening stroll and let serendipity choose your restaurant.
The town's Marina has been reconstructed and extended. It presents a lovely picture and is practically the first sight a visitor has of Lagos.
Lagos has a small town beach just at Faro Airport Car Hire the Fort. Across the river from Lagos is Meia Praia, a very long sandy beach sheltered to the north at Faro Airport Car Hire a gentle slope dotted with comfortable villas.
To the west of Lagos the one-time fishing village of Praia da Luz is now devoted to the quieter side of the tourist trade and many residents from the colder northern climates. Near the coastal village of Salema there are some small Roman ruins proving the existence of its past importance. Vila do Bispo to the west of Lagos is a very small administrative town for the Sagres area, the later being the most south-west corner of Europe! This area is a must for every visitor to the Algarve as it presents a very impressive and dramatic sight of towering sheer cliffs being beaten at Faro Airport Car Hire the weight of the vast Atlantic Ocean. It is from here that Prince Henry sat and planned the several epic voyages of discovery that enlarged the known world of that time. Cape Santo Vicente is the name given to this as it was here that the Saint supposedly landed and resided for a period. To the north of Lagos on the road to Lisbon is the small town of Aljezur with some fine nearat Faro Airport Car Hire west coast beaches. Originally a hamlet, the Moors constructed a castle in the 10th Century that still stands today overlooking this small town.
Lagos itself offers a great selection of good restaurants including a number featuring the fantastic fresh fish of the Atlantic – including the best sardines in the world (author's opinion!). Apart from the history, the fantastic scenery and the beautiful old town of Lagos, you can hideaway on one of a number of small cove beaches or take a boat to explore the caves, tunnels and weird rock formations of the coast.
Praia Da Rocha car hire
Praia da Rocha was one of the first tourist developments in the Algarve and is now the second biggest resort. Located near to the town of Portimao, Praia da Rocha attractions include an abundance of sporting activities - from horse riding to windsurfing. Facilities in Praia da Rocha resort itself are numerous - your holiday needs - from food to fun - will be met here. The beaches at Praia da Rocha are wide flat and sandy. Like most Algarve beaches the main beaches here are perfect for families with mostly gentle shelving into the sea. You need to be more careful at the end of the main beach near to the harbour entrance to Portimao, where the water is deeper and there is fishing boat and leisure craft traffic.
The nearest proper shopping is in Portimao, about ten minutes drive from Alvor. The nearest large purpose built shopping centre is Algarve Shopping. This new Shopping Center is located directly on the N125 (the main road which runs right along the Algarve) a few minutes drive from Albufeira, just near the village of Guia. It is well sign posted, but the entrance from the main road can be confusing. More than hundred shops and a supermarket occupy two levels. Upstairs there are several restaurants and there are sufficient parking slots available even at busy times. There is also a cinema complex and a bowling alley. Opening hours daily from 9am to 12pm. Next to Algarve Shopping is a large Nike Outlet Store
Portimao, a town with some 35,000 inhabitants is essentially commercially orientated and was the main shopping town of the whole Algarve during the 1970s and 1980s. Unfortunately the town has suffered at the hands of enthusiastic town planners who saw progress as knocking down chunks of the charming old town in the name of progress. However Portimao is still well worth a visit, with some pretty parts of the town leading to and from the harbour. For families SLIDE & SPLASH is a 10 to 15 minute drive towards Faro near Lagoa on the EN125. Monchique is close at Faro Airport Car Hire. Also closeat Faro Airport Car Hire to Praia da Rocha is Armação de Pera with a small 18th century fortress and a popular location for tourists with its long sandy beach. The beach village of Alvor is another popular tourist location which still maintains its village character with its 16th century parish church. Its small streets teem with life in the tourist season.
Algarve´s golf courses are among the best of the world. This region is known as a true golf paradise and widely regarded as the foremost golf holiday destination in Europe. At the last count there were 22 golf complexes, 32 separate courses and over 549 widely differing holes to play along the south coast of the Algarve – and another two complexes and 45 holes within easy driving distance just over the Spanish border.
Golf is an all-year around sport but the remain season is from October to May.
There are lessons from professionals available on all Lagos courses. Unlike in Britain, all of the Algarve´s courses are open for visitors. Most of them require a handicap certificate; all insist on a dress code and proper course etiquette.
On about a 30 minutes drive from Faro, with your rental car of Tavira car hire, you find one of the Algarve´s most beautiful towns Tavira. Tavira lies between the marshes, salt pans, lagoons and flat sandy islands east of Faro. A string of elegant, 18th-century noble houses with baroque window frames and balustrated parapets, lines the waterfront along the river Gilão. Most have wrought iron balconies, whose decoration is mirrored in the railings of the pedestrian bridge that links the two sides of the town. The hip-gabled roofs are highly distinctive, knows as tesouro (treasures) roofs.
There are also gardens fronting the river, adjacent to the arcaded central Praça da República, and a covered market.
Tavira´s prosperity was built on tuna fishing, mainly during the 16th to 18th-centuries. Vast shoals used to migrate past this shoreline every summer, falling prey to the harpoons of the Tavira fleet. The giant, thrashing fish were hauled in and put to death by the fishermen amid bloody rituals which became known as the “bullfights of the sea”.
Wealth from the Portuguese colonies was lavished on Tavira´s numerous (21) churches, whose turrets and belfries add further interest to the skyline. The finest church is Igreja do Carmo, where, beyond a simple façade, you are greeted by an unexpected riot of Baroque. The best place to view all this architectural diversity is from the walls of the castle on the south bank of the river. The best way to reach this castle is by feet. There are large parking areas in the centre were you can leave your hire car of Tavira car hire. It is a ruined castle reached by a cobbled alley from the Praça da República.
Offshore is the Ilha de Tavira (Tavira Island). This 10 km long island, with its sandy beaches and sheltered bathing, is the most accessible of the barrier islands in the Ria Formosa Nature Reserve. Ferries make the short crossing from the quarto Águas jetty, on the south bank of the River Galão. You can also walk to the island across the footbridge from Santa Luzia, the seafront fishing village 3km west of Tavira. You can leave your hire car of Tavira car hire on the parking areas nearby.
Algarve´s golf courses are among the best of the world. This region is known as a true golf paradise and widely regarded as the foremost golf holiday destination in Europe. At the last count there were 22 golf complexes, 32 separate courses and over 549 widely differing holes to play along the south coast of the Algarve – and another two complexes and 45 holes within easy driving distance just over the Spanish border.
There are lessons from professionals available on all Lagos courses. Unlike in Britain, all of the Algarve´s courses are open for visitors. Most of them require a handicap certificate; all insist on a dress code and proper course etiquette.
Famous golf courts in the Albufeira área area:
The Salgados Golf course is situated very close to the sea. The course is set on the flat lands behind the sandy beach of Praia de Galé. The environmental nature of the course is to associate it with a typical Links Course but with the added asset of the sun. It is very open to the elements with little vegetation and lots of water hazards. Water is a permanent hazard on the course, coming into play on almost every hole. You need to play straight on this challenging layout. It requires a technically skilled player to achieve a good result from a round due to the prevailing onshore breeze. Salgados provides a contrast to any other course in the area and is fine if you're looking for something different, but is nonetheless not one of our favourites.
The Salgados Golf course has excellent conditions to leave your hire car of Albufeira car hire.
The Pine cliffs Golf course: Opened in 1990 the pine cliffs course is one of Portugal's most original 9- hole golf courses, built in a pine wood at the edge of spectacular cliffs, overlooking the beautiful beaches of the Algarve and the Atlantic beyond. The prize of the course is its ninth over a ravine with beautiful views down on the sandy beach, locally nicknamed the "Devil’s Parlour". This small and beautiful course is set among the pine trees and presents a pleasant and charming course with good greens. The nine hole course is not very long - only two holes run to more than 360 metres - yet, despite this, it presents an interesting challenge for the golfer, regardless of handicap. As well as concerning himself with the playing area. The surrounding land is undisturbed, and largely as it was before the course was built.This perfectly kept golf course opens with two undemanding holes, but the challenge gets tougher from the third hole. The World famous “devils parlour”, a challenging PAR 3 crossing the cliffs, offers breathtaking views to the near Atlantic Ocean.
You can leave your hire car of Albufeira car hire at the parking area nearby.
Balaia Golf course: Opened in April 2001 this small and attractive 9-hole course offers the opportunity to improve your iron shots and your short game. It carries the title of "Executive Course" which in its name implies the quality of its layout and subtle challenges. Located at the back of a Holiday Complex it presents from the first tee a charming view of most of the course with the ribbon of blue sea as its background. A course to test the ability to control shot length and direction. This is a course to test every golfer, irrespective of handicap. You can go out and play eighteen holes to concentrate on your short game, without the drilling which time on a practice ground sometimes implies. Alternatively, you can just play nine, leaving plenty of time for things.
The Balaia Golf course has excellent conditions to leave your hire car of Albufeira car hire.
The coastline around Albufeira features several good bays where the beach areas have attracted hotel development, including Praia do Galé, 8km west, which offers excellent watersport facilities. It has a wide variety of tourist facilities.
Galé has an expanse of sand tat stretches of miles, between cliffs. A two-part beach, larger and more open to the west of the parking area,where you can leave your hire car of Gale car hire. Easy acces, well signposted from the traffic light crossroads south of Guia on the Albufeira-Pêra road.
Algarve´s golf courses are among the best of the world. This region is known as a true golf paradise and widely regarded as the foremost golf holiday destination in Europe. At the last count there were 22 golf complexes, 32 separate courses and over 549 widely differing holes to play along the south coast of the Algarve – and another two complexes and 45 holes within easy driving distance just over the Spanish border.Golf is an all-year around sport but the remain season is from October to May.
There are lessons from professionals available on all Lagos courses. Unlike in Britain, all of the Algarve´s courses are open for visitors. Most of them require a handicap certificate; all insist on a dress code and proper course etiquette.
Famous golf courts in the Gale área area:
The Salgados Golf course is situated very close to the sea. The course is set on the flat lands behind the sandy beach of Praia de Galé. The environmental nature of the course is to associate it with a typical Links Course but with the added asset of the sun. It is very open to the elements with little vegetation and lots of water hazards. Water is a permanent hazard on the course, coming into play on almost every hole. You need to play straight on this challenging layout. It requires a technically skilled player to achieve a good result from a round due to the prevailing onshore breeze. Salgados provides a contrast to any other course in the area and is fine if you're looking for something different, but is nonetheless not one of our favourites.
The Salgados Golf course has excellent conditions to leave your hire car of Galé car hire.
The Pine cliffs Golf course: Opened in 1990 the pine cliffs course is one of Portugal's most original 9- hole golf courses, built in a pine wood at the edge of spectacular cliffs, overlooking the beautiful beaches of the Algarve and the Atlantic beyond. The prize of the course is its ninth over a ravine with beautiful views down on the sandy beach, locally nicknamed the "Devil’s Parlour". This small and beautiful course is set among the pine trees and presents a pleasant and charming course with good greens. The nine hole course is not very long - only two holes run to more than 360 metres - yet, despite this, it presents an interesting challenge for the golfer, regardless of handicap. As well as concerning himself with the playing area. The surrounding land is undisturbed, and largely as it was before the course was built.This perfectly kept golf course opens with two undemanding holes, but the challenge gets tougher from the third hole. The World famous “devils parlour”, a challenging PAR 3 crossing the cliffs, offers breathtaking views to the near Atlantic Ocean.
You can leave your hire car of Galé car hire at the parking area nearby.
Balaia Golf course: Opened in April 2001 this small and attractive 9-hole course offers the opportunity to improve your iron shots and your short game. It carries the title of "Executive Course" which in its name implies the quality of its layout and subtle challenges. Located at the back of a Holiday Complex it presents from the first tee a charming view of most of the course with the ribbon of blue sea as its background. A course to test the ability to control shot length and direction. This is a course to test every golfer, irrespective of handicap. You can go out and play eighteen holes to concentrate on your short game, without the drilling which time on a practice ground sometimes implies. Alternatively, you can just play nine, leaving plenty of time for things.
The Balaia Golf course has excellent conditions to leave your hire car of Gale car rental.
The provincial capital of the Algarve, Faro is a modern, lively city with attractive shopping precincts, good restaurants and a frenetic nightlife. Thousands of travellers pass through the city en route to and from the resorts of the Algarve. Those who choose to linger awhile will find a town full of charm and colour with an interesting history and the feel of a true Portuguese fishing port. There are some sightseeing opportunities, mostly centred in the Old Town or Cidade Velha, which is entered through an 18th century gate and enclosed by the remnants of medieval walls. Faro's most famous attraction is a macabre one at the Igreja do Carmo, which features a chapel whose walls are decorated with the bones of more than 1,200 monks disinterred from the neighbouring cemetery. Another worthwhile attraction near the city is the Ria Formosa Natural Park, and a short distance to the north is the peaceful village of Estoi, boasting a pink Roccoco palace and Roman ruins dating from the 1st century. For the beach, one has to travel a few miles. A long sandy spit lies across a bridge near the International Airport.
Faro's main shopping area is in the heart of town along the Rua Santo Antonio and the Rua Francisco Gomes. There is also an interesting, colourful produce market on the Largo do Mercado open every day where visitors can mingle with the locals. Good buys in Faro are the local handcrafts, like basketware and embroidered goods, local wines and traditional clothing. Also sought after are locally made ceramic tiles decorated with traditional motifs.
A huge variety of restaurants and food stores line the pedestrianised Rua de Santo Antonio, catering for all tastes and budgets. A must is to sample the local cakes and desserts, deliciously made of juicy figs and almonds. For a view try the Ginasio Clube Naval's terrace overlooking the harbour, and for a fishy feast there is Adega Dois Irmaos, the city's oldest seafood eatery, where the fresh catch of the day is on display. For well-priced Algarve specialities, A Tasca on the Rua del Alportel is a good bet, or Carmane on the beach for superior dining
Being a university city, Faro has a vibrant student population who ensure that nightlife keeps pumping. It all happens along the Rua do Prior and in the narrow alleys off of Rua Conselheiro Bivar and Rua Infante Dom Henrique. Dance clubs get going around 11pm or midnight, while bars are open for business any time from noon until the early hours. The Upa Upa Café and Bar at 51 Rua Conselheiro Bivar draws locals and tourists. The nightclub, Dux, is the place to party until the early hours and the trendsetters should head for the Fashion Kaffe.
Faro's main attraction is its quaint old town, where visitors can wander and enjoy some architectural sightseeing and brush up on their history. There are some worthy museums in the town too, like the archaeological Municipal Museum housed in a former convent and a maritime museum displaying a collection of model ships and boats. The city offers a taste of the traditional old Portugal for visitors making a stopover en route to an Algarve resort. Those who want to try out the local beach will find it to be a clean stretch of golden sand where umbrellas and sunbeds can be hired and all sorts of watersports undertaken.
Faro is a bustling, working city and not a holiday resort town as such, the emphasis being on its historical attractions rather than fun in the sun.
Encircled by pine trees and overlooking a white sandy beach and clear blue waters, this hotel offers the ultimate in comfort and leisure facilities.Spend your time on the 9-hole golf course or mini golf, or take time out to relax in the health club or outdoor pools. Try something different with the water sports facilities, or use one of 5 tennis courts for a energetic morning.Drive along the coast to Olhos de Agua or Albufeira to see more of the Algarve's impressive coastline before returning to your comfortable hotel and its wealth of facilities. Choose how to spend your evening from a number of restaurants serving different types of cuisine.
Enviar um comentário