Vila Sol Places to visit

In alphabetical order, here are some places of interest to visit. Full details of location and how to get there are available in the apartments:

ALBUFEIRA - One of the main tourist centres with typical clusters of whitewashed houses. Once the summer is over, the city once again becomes a fishing village. Places of interest to visit are the churches and the beaches. Of all the places in the Algarve, Albufeira is the place where everything happens in the summer.

ALCOUTIM - On the right bank of the River Guadiana, with a castle on the highest part of the town. The castle houses the Archaeological Museum. In the lower parts there is a collection of houses showing typical traditional urban Algarvean architecture. In addition there is the mother church of São Salvador and a circuit of eight museums in the immediate area.

ALJEZUR - Located in the heart of the Natural Park of the South-West Alentejo and the Costa Vincentina. There are vestiges of a prehistoric settlement here, and part of an ancient Moorish castle still remain. The beaches of Arrifana and Carraparteira are outstandingly beautiful and a surfers’ paradise.

CASTRO MARIM - Was the headquarters of the foundation of the Order of Christ from 1319 until it was transferred to Tomar. From the castle, which was commissioned in the 18th century, you can admire the beautiful view. On the other side of the town there is the Fort of São Sebastião, dating from the 17th century, and between these two fortresses is the church of Nossa Senhora dos Mártires (18th century), famous for its cupola. Between the town and the River Guadiana is the Natural Wetland Reserve of Castro Marim, a veritable paradise of indigenous plants and migrating birds, including the pink flamingo from North Africa. The salt pans create the perfect natural wild habitat for many creatures including, notably, the Mediterrean Chameleon.

FARO - The capital city of the Algarve, it is separated from the ocean by various inlets of the River Formosa. It was an important city in Roman times, even minting coins with its own symbols. Visitors may appreciate the remains of the Medieval wall and the ruins of the castle (13th century), the Cathedral, the churches of Misericórdia, São Pedro and Carmo. You should also visit the Archaeological Museum and the Archway of the Old Town.

LAGOS - An historic city, occupied in the 4th century AD by Carthaginians who cultivated grapes and olives, and subsequently occupied by Visigoths, Byzantines and Arabs in the 5th, 6th and 7th centuries. It was from here in the 15th century that ships embarked on their conquests of Africa, and it was here that the first slave market in Europe was established. The great earthquake of 1755 almost entirely destroyed the city. Remnants of the old castle still remain. It has a lovely marina, which is visited every year by many boats.

 

 

LOULÉ - Administrative centre of the largest municipality in the Algarve. The Medieval church of São Clemente is worth a visit, as is the Moorish castle from the 9th century, the mother church, the Portico of the convent Convento da Graça and the church Santuário de Nossa Senhora da Piedade, on the outskirts of the town.

MONCHIQUE - Its special waters attracted the Romans, who built thermal baths there. Today they are known as Caldas de Monchique and they are worth a visit. A place of enormous interest, Monchique has fabulous fresh air thanks to its position, snuggled in a valley that runs between the mountains. The mother church of Nossa Senhora da Conceição in the old city is especially worthy of note.

PORTIMÃO - Spreading around the estuary of the River Arade, it was populated by Phoenicians, Greeks and Romans. The remains of salting tanks and a bath-house are proof of this occupation. Of particular interest would be visits to the Gothic mother church, the Jesuit College, the Fort of Sta Catarina and the Castle of São João Arade in Ferragudo. The beach at Praia da Rocha is well worth a visit.

SAGRES - Cape St Vincent is located here. Of special interest are the Convent of the Jerónimos, the church Igreja da Praça and the old walls of Sagres.

SILVES - Was the capital of Moorish Algarve in the 4th century AD. In the 12th century the city was more strongly fortified than Lisbon, and ten times richer in grand buildings. Fifty years later it was conquered by the Portuguese. Visits to the Castle, the Archaeological Museum, the Sé ( church of Sta Maria) and the church Igreja da Misericórdia are a “must”.

TAVIRA - A city with Roman vestiges, it was bequeathed to the Order of Sant’Iago in 1244. The 11th century castle deserves a special mention, as do the churches of Santa Maria do Castelo, Misericórdia (in Renaissence style) and São Francisco (13th century). Tavira Island has the most beautiful beach.

VILA REAL DE SANTO ANTÓNIO - Located on the right bank of the estuary of the River Guadiana. In 1774, for political reasons, the Marquis of Pombal constructed a town from scratch, based on a design of “Enlightenment” which served as the  blueprint for the reconstruction of Lisbon after the earthquake of 1755. Here, streets set at right angles surround spacious squares and solid buildings. Of particular note is the Marquês of Pombal square, surrounded by buildings of that era, and with a whipping post in the shape of an obelisk in its centre. You will see the rows of trees planted in the time of Pombal all along the river, to stablise the sand and hold the unstable banks. Visit the mother church and the Company of Royal Fisheries, as well as the beautiful beach of Monte Gorde close by.