Algarve Guides

By Author: Peter Nutter
Total Articles: 4
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Tourism plays an important role in the economy of the Algarve region. Over the past 50 years the Algarve has seen an increase in development, particularly from non-Portuguese developers. The Algarve is hilly, but traversed with rich valleys. Accommodation in the Algarve ranges from high rise resorts in places like Albufeira to traditional guesthouses, located in the small towns and villages surrounding the algarve coast. Faro, which the Christian residents had called Santa Maria, was renamed Faraon, which means "the settlement of the Knights".

In 1807, when Junot was leading the first Napoleonic invasion in the north of Portugal, the Algarve was occupied by the Spanish troops of Manuel Godoy. The maximum temperatures in the Algarve fluctuate between 15 and 38 �C, with the temperature never falling below zero in the winter months. In the mid-12th century, the Moorish occupation ended: the "Al-Gharb" has been since then the kingdom of Algarve. Praia da Marinha, Lagoa was classified as one of the 100 most beautiful and well preserved beaches of the world. The Romans in the 2nd century BC spread through the Iberian ...
... Peninsula, and many Roman ruins can still be seen in the region, notably in Lagos.

In March 2007, the Minister of Economy, Manuel Pinho, announced the creation of the "Allgarve" brand, as a part of a strategical promotion of Algarve as a tourism destination for foreign citizens. The coastline is notable for picturesque limestone caves and grottoes, particularly around Lagos, which are accessible by powerboat. The Algarve was a semi-autonomous area with a governor from 1595 to 1808, as well as a separate taxation system until the end of the 18th century. Algarve's mild climate attracts interest from Northern Europeans wishing to have a holiday home or residence on the region. The region's administrative centre is the city of Faro, which has its own international airport (Faro Airport) and public university (University of the Algarve).

When the Moors conquered Lagos in 716 it was called Zawaia. Over the past few years many tourists visiting the Algarve have moved away from the resorts, and have chosen the comfort of a traditional Algarve guesthouse, many of these run by ex-pats from England, Holland, and Germany who have escaped to the Algarve for a quieter life. Due to the Moorish occupation of Iberia, the region was called "Al-Garb Al-Andalus". The Algarve region is divided into 16 municipalities:
The Phoenicians had established trading ports along the coast circa 1000 BC.

In the 5th century, the Visigoths inhabited the Algarve until the beginning of the Moorish invasion in 711. The Algarve is a popular destination for tourism, primarily because of its beaches, Mediterranean climate, safety and relatively low costs. With more hours of sunshine than California and only short periods of rainfall, generally between November and March, the Algarve has the perfect weather and climate for tourism. The Algarve region is divided into 16 municipalities:
Traditional agricultural products of the region include fig, almond, medronho, carob beans, and cork oak.