Southern Portugal - Algarve

“Where the land ends and the sea begins…” - Luis de Camões, (The Lusiads-1572)

The Algarve is the southern-most region of Portugal, separated from Spain to the east by the River Guadiana and by the Alentejo region to the north.

The western half, the Barlovento stretches from Cape St. Vincent to Faro, the region’s administrative centre. The eastern half, the Sotavento extends from Faro to Vila Real de Santo António and the river border with Spain.

This long southern coastline (approximately 160 kilometres) bordering the Atlantic Ocean comprises endless sandy beaches which combined with the mild, sunny maritime climate (up to 3000 hours of sunshine per year) helped create the beginning of the tourist boom which exists today.