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04_055267 ch01.qxp 9/19/07 10:50 PM Page 1 1 Family Highlights of the Algarve COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL 04_055267 ch01.qxp 9/19/07 10:50 PM Page 2 THE ALGARVE Montemor-o-NovoMontemor-o-Novo RedondoRedondo A13 0 10 mi A12 VendasVendas NovasNovas E90 N5 A6 A6 N 0 10 km A6 ÉÉvoravoravora N381 N10 E01 N18 N255 SPAINS P A I N N253 N380 SétubalSétubaltubal IC1 N2 N254 N256 MouraoMourao RioR Sado ReguengosReguengos N253 io Sado dede MonsarazMonsaraz N256 N253 VianadoVianado AlentejoAlentejo N18 AlcácerAlcAlcácercer dodo SalaSala N384 N261 PortelPortel BarragemBarragem N120 dede AlquevaAlqueva AlvitoAlvito N384 A2 N255 N257 VidigueriaVidigueria AlquevaAlqueva N385 N261 CubaCuba MouraMoura GrândolaGrGrândolandola S N258 N2 e IP2 r IC33 r a IP8 SantoSanto MadreMadre A2 d a N121 N260 A d SantiagoSantiago dodo CacémCacCacém IP01 FerreriaFerreria dodo i ç a N121 AlentejoAlentejo N18 BejaBeja N260 Family Highlights of the Algarve IC8 N261 SerpaSerpa N120 1 SinesSines AljustrelAljustrel IC4 E01 N122 L IC1 A N262 N2 N264 IP2 ParqueParque NaturalNatural G U dodo ValeVale dodo GuadianaGuadiana SPAIN VilaVila NovaNova T Lisbon dede MilfontesMilfontes R N122 O area of IP2 CastroCastro VerdeVerde P P detail N393 N263 OuriqueOurique MértolaMértolartola N2 OdemiraOdemira N266 RioRio Mira AlmodôvarAlmodAlmodôvarvar N122 M AlcoutimAlcoutim ZambujeiraZambujeira ira RioR Guadiana E01 i dodo MarMar N124 o IC1 G N120 N2 u SPAINS P A I N N264 IC27 a d o i eirâ a N267 Se rra do Ald n AljezurAljezur MonchiqueMonchique a CaldasCaldas dede CastroCastro MarimMarim A49 MonchiqueMonchique N124 N2 S.S. BrasBras BordeiraBordeira SilvesSilves VilaVila RealReal N120 LouléLoulLoulé dede AlportelAlportel A22 dede SantoSanto CarrapateiraCarrapaieiraCarrapaieira A22 E01 AntónioAntAntónionio PortimaoPortimao N125 TaviraTavira VilaVila dodo BispoBispo LagoaLagoa N125 N2 N125 LagosLagos AlbufeiraAlbufeira QuarteiraQuarteira N268 OlhâoOlhOlhâo ATLANTICA T L A N T I C FaroFaro SagresSagres OCEANO C E A N first visited Portugal in 1972 as a long-haired teenager, on the way Ihome to my first year at university after a summer spent hitchhiking around France, Spain and Morocco. Crossing the border from Spain into the quiet hinterland of the Algarve and the Alentejo, I remember being struck by how peaceful, even backward, the country seemed. Farmers rode mules or carried their produce to market in donkey carts, fishermen hauled nets by hand, barefoot children herded fat sheep and skinny goats in pastures shaded by cork oak groves. That apparent rural idyll, of course, concealed a great deal of rural poverty. It’s not surprising that, when Portugal’s backward-looking dictator- ship collapsed three years after my first visit, the people whose lives at first sight looked so idyllic took to tourism with a will. 2 04_055267 ch01.qxp 9/19/07 10:50 PM Page 3 Few places in Europe have beaches that can match the Algarve’s Family Highlights of the Algarve great sweeps of white and gold sand, stretching from the mouth of the River Guadiana – which forms the border with Spain – all the way to Cape St Vincent and Henry the Navigator’s fortress at Sagres, where Portuguese navigators like Vasco da Gama and the wonderfully named Fernando Poo set off into the unknown. And nowhere has a climate that makes such beaches accessible all year round. While researching part of this book in February 2007 hardy toddlers were splashing in the low-tide shallows of the huge, empty beach at Carrapateira, while wet-suited surfers rode the waves at Sagres’s Praia de Beliche and teenage dinghy sailors raced across the waters off Ilha de Tavira. The temperature reached 21°C one afternoon. On most British beaches, that’s something we dream about even in mid-summer. Equally family-friendly are summer temperatures that average around 26°C and rarely soar above 30°C – hot, but not too hot, and tempered by cooling Atlantic breezes. A mixture like that makes a tourism boom inevitable, and the Algarve has boomed indeed since the first time I went there. Thousands of British families visit every year, and enterprising locals have built an array of purpose-made, family-friendly visitor attractions to comple- ment the Algarve’s natural advantages – from tennis academies and rid- ing schools to karting tracks, zoos, and a plethora of water parks, boat rides and other intriguing choices for families. Let’s not forget the region’s history. There’s a limit to how many Manueline churches you can drag the children round before the whingeing starts (about one, in my experience) but even boring old cathedrals can throw up surprise treats – like a spooky chapel full of skulls and bones, or a bell-tower occupied by a family of fledgling storks. And almost every hilltop, harbour and headland has a castle or fortress with a story to tell of knights and princesses, from the wars against the Moors and the Spaniards to the battles of Wellington’s red- coats and their Portuguese allies against the French. Getting back to basics, the Algarve’s tourism has been driven mainly by British families, so resorts are user friendly – it’s rare to find a restau- rant without an English version of the menu, there are zillions of child- friendly ice-cream parlours (enough for a different flavour for every day of the week), and if you can’t persuade the family to sample easy-to-like Portuguese dishes such as grilled sardines it’s easy enough to find com- fort-food standbys such as fish fingers, burgers and beans on toast. Most town centres have a pedestrian zone covering the main shop- ping and strolling areas, and many hotels are right on the beach. That said, the less you pay for your accommodation, the less family friendly it is likely to be and the more likely you are to have roads to cross to get to the sand. On top of this, many of the resorts in the west – such as Portimão – are perched on cliffs above the beach, making for fantastic views but meaning that the beach is less accessible to families with 3 04_055267 ch01.qxp 9/19/07 10:50 PM Page 4 toddlers, who may have to be carried up long flights of steps when tired. When planning your day remember many shops and businesses, along with museums and heritage attractions, close down for a couple of hours in the middle of the day. For any family – whether with tots and toddlers, pre-teens or active teenagers – the Algarve is a great holiday destination, offering almost year-round sunshine, superb beaches, and just enough purpose-built visitor attractions and heritage sites to keep the family entertained and engaged. So, what are you waiting for? ALGARVE FAMILY that are perfect for families with HIGHLIGHTS children of all ages. Carnival is celebrated all over Family Highlights of the Algarve Portugal in mid-February, and the 1 Best Family Events The Loulé Carnival is far and away Algarve has a full calendar of events, ranging from deeply tra- Loulé Carnival ditional religious festivals that have been held for more than 1,000 years to an array of world- class cultural and sporting fix- tures including major tennis, golf and motor sports events. The less important religious events – such as local saints’ days – are beyond the comprehension of most non- Portuguese families, and the big- ticket sporting dates are aimed more at an adult audience, but there are a handful of events Onward to Spain It’s very easy to travel on from the Algarve into western Andalusia – and if you have a taste for sightseeing, a trip across the border is highly recommended. No formalities are required. If the Algarve has one small drawback, it is the lack of city sights with a high ‘wow factor’ and a real sense of history. If this is the kind of thing you want from a holiday, you’ll find it in Seville, Huelva, Jerez de la Frontera and Cádiz, just across the now transparent Spanish frontier, and along with piles of heritage you will also discover some of Spain’s finest beaches along the Costa de la Luz – the last relatively undeveloped stretch of coastline in Spain. Two fantastic regions in two countries for the price of one! 4 04_055267 ch01.qxp 9/19/07 10:50 PM Page 5 the most colourful and accessible brought over from Tangier (not Algarve Family Highlights in the Algarve. From deep reli- so very far away) and you can sit gious roots, it has evolved into a cross-legged on cushions eating three-day event with flower- Moroccan dishes and sipping covered floats and parades, street mint tea, while watching belly dancing and music. Anyone can dancers and listening to Berber join in – OK, it’s not Carnival in musicians create a reverberating Rio or Mardi Gras in New wall of sound (see p. 156). Orleans, but the smaller scale Best Towns & Cities On the means it’s a lot less overwhelming map, the Algarve appears to have for smaller children and most a good share of fair-sized cities. children will be enthralled and In fact, it hasn’t got a single big enjoy the spectacularly costumed city in the true sense of the word. dancers (see p. 54). The suburban sprawls that have From 7th June to 7th mushroomed around Faro, October, the International Sand Lagos and Portimão are products Art Festival (FIESA) at Areias de of the tourism boom of the last Pêra has to be the Algarve’s top 30 years – all geared to compre- family fixture. Every year, ‘sand hensive resort holidays. However, artists’ from all over the world if you’re looking for a slice of eas- descend on this stretch of beach ily accessible heritage that even near Albufeira to create a ‘city’ of younger children can relate to – gobsmacking, colossal wonders and that will provide young peo- of the world, from gigantic ple aged 10 and up with plenty of Buddha images to Lord of the fodder for the next school history Rings style castles, cathedrals project – head for the historic and monsters.