Discover The Real Portugal In Alvor

By Author: Bonny Kominek
Total Articles: 230
Comment this article

In the past decade, Portugal has slowly been making an attempt to topple Spain''s dominance of tourism in the Iberian Peninsula. Although not quite matching the Spanish giant, it is getting close. However, this more relaxed, and less obvious take on tourism makes it all the more appealing.

Resorts are smaller and whole coastlines aren''t dominated by seemingly endless beach hotels, bars and restaurants serving fish and chips. Just a short walk or drive away from even the larger towns and cities in the Algarve and you can breathe a breath of tourist free air, and see the real Portugal.

There is still plenty of old school charm in Portugal, with medieval castles, remote rarely updated villages and rugged coastlines. Hot and dry defines the interior, while the north is lush and green.

The coast is what attracts most tourists however. Cliffs are dramatic, coves are crescent shaped and filled with white sand, dunes are enriched with wildflowers and the ocean itself is wild and powerful as popular with whales as it is with surfers.

Southern Portugal is the main tourist region, fronted by the low-lying hills ...
... and wide beaches of the Algarve. This stretch of coastline is pristine and the sand stretches for 100 miles to the border with Spain from Cape St. Vincent. Most of the resorts here were once sleepy fishing villages and remnants of this history still remains, in the form of narrow maze-like streets, whitewashed town houses complete with bursting with life window boxes and still bustling ports.

One of the best examples of this is the attractive resort of Alvor. Its port is still thriving as the town''s restaurants serve up mouth-watering seafood every night to tourists from all over the world. It is one of the regions most relaxed resorts that has something for everyone.

The long sandy beach in front of the town, is called Praia do Alvor and even during peak season, you''ll find plenty of elbow room along its sandy expanse. A walkable distance along the coast is Praia dos Tres Iramos where the sand is whiter than fair weather clouds and the cliffs are sheer and golden.

If you want more action, head to the giant water park at Alcantarilha. There are two nail-biting drops, the Kamikaze and the Banzai Boggan, but if this is too intimidating, just outside the resort you can go horse riding, play golf or team up for a paintballing war. You will not be able to get bored in Alvor. Our guide to Alvor was written by Bonny Kominek, an experienced travel writer. They recommend checking the Octopus Travel website for the latest travel deals on Alvor hotels and flights all year round.