The Algarve (Portuguese pronunciation: [ɑɫˈɣaɾβɨ)], from Arabic: الغرب al-Gharb "the West") is the southernmost region of continental Portugal. It has an area of 4,997 square kilometres (1,929 sq mi) with 451,006 permanent inhabitants, and incorporates 16 municipalities. The region has as its administrative centre in the city of Faro, where both the region's international airport (FAO) and public university, the University of Algarve, are located. Tourism and related activities are extensive and make up the bulk of the Algarve's summer economy. Production of food, which includes fish and other seafood, fruit, oranges, carob beans, figs and almonds, is also economically important in the region. The Algarve is the most popular tourist destination in Portugal, and one of the most popular in Europe. Its population triples to nearly 1.5 million people in the peak holiday season thanks to seasonal residents, and receives an average of 7 million foreign tourists each year. In total, including national visitors, almost 10 million people visit the Algarve annually.
The
Algarve is currently the third richest region in Portugal, after Lisbon and Madeira, with a GDP per capita 86%
of the European Union average.
Human
presence in southern Portugal dates back to the Paleolithic and Neolithic periods. The
presence of megalithic stones
in the area of Vila
do Bispo attests to this presence.
The Cynetes, influenced by Tartessos, were established
by the sixth century BC in the region of the Algarve (called Cyneticum). They
would be strongly influenced by the Celtici. Those indo-European
tribes, Celtic or pre-Celtic, founded the city of Lagos (then called Lacóbriga). The Phoenicians had
established trading ports along the coast circa 1000 BC. Some sources claim
that the Carthaginians founded
Portus Hanibalis – known today as Portimão – in about
550 BC. Much of the Iberian Peninsula was
absorbed into the Roman
Republic in the second century BC (despite the resistance of the Lusitanians and other
tribes), and the Algarve region similarly came under Roman control. Many Roman
ruins can still be seen, notably in Lagos, but also
at Milreu.[7] Roman bath complexes and fish
salting tanks have been found near the shore in several locations, for example
the ones near Vilamoura and Praia da Luz.
In the
5th century the Visigoths took
control of the Algarve until the beginning of the Umayyad
conquest of Hispania in 711. When the Moors conquered Lagos in 716, it
was named Zawaia. Faro, which the Christian residents had called Santa Maria,
was renamed Faraon, which means "settlement of the knights". Due to
the conquest of the Iberian Peninsula, the region was called Gharb Al-Andalus: Gharb means "the west",
while al-Andalus is
the Arabic name for the Iberian Peninsula. For several years, the town of Silves was the
capital of the region.
In the
mid-13th century, during the Reconquista, the Kingdom of Portugal conquered
the region in a series of successful military campaigns against the
Moors. Al-Gharb became
the Kingdom
of the Algarve, and the moors were expelled, but battles with Muslim forces
persisted. It was not until the early 14th century that the Portuguese finally
secured the region against the subsequent Muslim attempts to recapture the
area. King Afonso
III of Portugal started calling himself King of Portugal and the
Algarve. After 1471, with the conquest of several territories in the Maghreb – the area
considered an extension of the Algarve – Afonso V of Portugal began
fashioning himself "King of Portugal and the Algarve", referring to
the European and African possessions.
Prior
to the independence
of Brazil, the United
Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves (1815–1822) was an
official designation for Portugal which also alluded to the Algarve. Portuguese
monarchs continued used this title until the proclamation of the First Portuguese
Republic in 1910. Between 1595 and 1808, the Algarve was a
semi-autonomous area of Portugal with its own governor, as well as a separate
taxation system.
In the
15th century, Prince Henry the Navigator based
himself near Lagos and
conducted various maritime expeditions which established the colonies that
comprised the Portuguese
Empire. It was also from Lagos that Gil Eanes set sail in
1434 to become the first seafarer to round Cape Bojador in West
Africa. The voyages of discovery brought Lagos fame and fortune. Trade
flourished and Lagos became the capital of the historical province of Algarve
in 1577 and remained so until the year of the fabled 1755 Lisbon
earthquake. The earthquake damaged many areas in the Algarve and an
accompanying tsunami destroyed
or damaged coastal fortresses, while coastal towns and villages were heavily
damaged except Faro, which was protected by the sandy banks of Ria Formosa lagoon.
In Lagos, the waves reached the top of the city walls. For many Portuguese
coastal regions, including the Algarve, the destructive effects of the tsunami
were more disastrous than those of the earthquake proper.
In
1807, while Jean-Andoche
Junot led the first Napoleonic invasion in
the north of Portugal, the Algarve was occupied by Spanish troops under Manuel Godoy. Beginning
in 1808, and after subsequent battles in various towns and villages, the region
was the first to drive out the Spanish occupiers. During the Portuguese Civil War,
several battles took place in the region, specially the battle
of Cape St. Vicente and the battle of Sant’Ana, between liberals and
Miguelites. Remexido was
the guerrilla Algarvian leader that stood with the Miguelite absolutists for
years, until he was executed in Faro (1838).
The
establishment of the First Portuguese
Republic in 1910 marked the end of the Kingdom of Portugal and the
Algarve.
Geography
The
Algarve covers 4997 square km, extending just south of the Tagus valley to
the southern coast of the Iberian Peninsula.
Its highest point is Fóia, 902 metres
(2,959 ft), in the mountain range of
Monchique. It also includes some islands and islets. The region is also the
home of the Ria
Formosa lagoon, a nature reserve of
over 170 square kilometres and a stopping place for hundreds of different
birds. The length of the south-facing coastline is approximately 155
kilometres. Beyond the westernmost point of Cape St. Vincent it
stretches a further 50 kilometres to the north. The coastline is notable for
picturesque limestone caves
and grottoes, particularly around Lagos, which are accessible by powerboat.
Climate
The
maximum recorded temperatures in the Algarve fluctuate between 25 °C
(77 °F) in winter and 48 °C (118 °F) in summer, with the
temperature rarely falling below zero in the winter months. The winter of
2008–09 was exceptionally cold and wet. Temperatures below 0 °C
(32 °F) were recorded in coastal areas for the first time in many years.
Human geography
There
are about 450,000 permanent inhabitants (90 residents per square kilometre) in
the area, although this figure increases to over a million people at the height
of summer, due to an influx of tourists. The Algarve has several cities, towns
and villages: the region's capital is the city of Faro, while other
cities include Albufeira, Lagoa, Lagos, Loulé, Olhão, Portimão, Quarteira, Silves, Tavira, and Vila
Real de Santo António, in addition to various summer retreats such as Vilamoura, Praia da Rocha, Armação de
Pêra, Alvor, Monte Gordo, Tavira, and Sagres.
Before
2004, the Faro
District was the administrative unit governing the Algarve. In 2004
the Greater Metropolitan Area of the
Algarve was formed, which was converted into an intermunicipal
community in 2008. Algarve is also a NUTS II
and NUTS III statistical region. The intermunicipal community of Algarve is
subdivided into 16 municipalities:
Agricultural
products of the region include fig, almond, orange, carob bean, strawberry tree and cork oak. Horticulture is
important and the region's landscape was known for the large areas of land
covered with plastic greenhouses which
are used for that end. Fishing and aquacultureare important
activities in the coastal area of Algarve, with sardines, soles, cyprinids, gilt-head bream and
various seafood, including the grooved carpet shell,
being the major productions. Algarve's wines are also renowned. There are four
wines in the region which have Protected
Designation of Origin (Denominação de Origem Controlada –
DOC): Lagoa DOC, Lagos DOC, Portimão DOC and Tavira DOC. Food processing,
cement and construction, are the main industries. Tourism related activities
are extensive and make the bulk of Algarve's economy during summer time. The
Algarve's economy has always been closely linked to the sea, and fishing has
been an important activity since ancient times. Only since the 1960s, has the
region embraced tourism, which has become its most important economic activity.
Development
Since
the 1960s, Algarve has been experiencing a large development due to the need to
accommodate its visitors. The region started the construction of better infrastructures,
mainly roads, sanitation, power grids, telecommunications, hospitals and
better housing. Due to
the austerity measures introduced in 2011, tolls have been introduced on the
main motorway that crosses the region which is hoped will offset the expense of
its construction. It also started the construction of a huge variety of hotels, resorts, golf courses (which
are considered to be some of the best in Europe) and villas. All this led to a
huge development in
the region, especially for locals who had previously lived in poorer
circumstances. Today, Algarve is amongst the regions in Portugal with
best quality of
life and safety.
Tourism
In the
1960s the Algarve became a very popular destination for tourists, mainly from
the United Kingdom. It has since become a common destination for people from
Germany, the Netherlands and Ireland. Many of these tourists own their own
property in the region. There are Algarve-based publications and
newspapers written in English specifically for this community.
Tourist
attractions in the region include its beaches, Mediterranean climate, safety, cuisine and
relatively low costs. Well-known beaches in the Algarve range from Marinha Beach to Armação de
Pêra. A well-known spa
town is Caldas de Monchique.
In addition to its natural features and beaches, the Algarve has invested in
the creation of a network of golf
courses.
The
Algarve is also popular for religious tourism, notably pilgrimages to the
Sanctuary of Our Lady of Piety (best known as the Sovereign Mother), a Marian
shrine dedicated to the patron saint of Loulé, that attract
thousands of pilgrims of the Catholic faithful to the city, or with the
international pilgrimages to the apparitions site of Our Lady Mother of
Goodness occurred near São Marcos da
Serra.
Algarve's
mild climate has attracted interest from Northern Europeans wishing to have a
holiday home or residence in the region. Being a region of Portugal, and
therefore in the European
Union, any EU
citizenhas the right to freely buy property and reside with little
formality in the Algarve. British expatriates, followed by German, Dutch
and Scandinavians, are among the largest groups wishing to own a home in this
sunny region of Portugal.
Tourism
plays an important role in the economy of the Algarve. A large number of
seasonal job opportunities are tourism-related and are fulfilled by thousands
of immigrant workers from other countries. In March 2007, the Portuguese
economic minister, Manuel Pinho, announced the creation of the
"Allgarve" brand, as a part of a strategical promotion of the Algarve
as a tourism destination for foreign citizens. According to World Travel
Awards, Algarve is the Europe's Leading Golf Destination 2013 and
2014. There are over 25 top-class courses in the Algarve, most of which
were designed by legendary names such as Nick Faldo, Seve Ballesteros, Jack
Nicklaus and Christy O'Connor Jnr.
Accommodation
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. Over the past 50 years the Algarve has seen an increase in
development, particularly from non-Portuguese developers. 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.
Education
The University of
Algarve, headquartered in Faro with an
extension in Portimão,
is a public university which awards all academic degrees in fields ranging
from marine biology to economics to environmental
engineering. There are also several higher education private institutions
(Piaget - Silves and others), state-run and private secondary education
schools, including a number of international schools,
and a wide network of kindergartens and
primary schools.
Sports
The
Algarve has many sports clubs, including football teams (S.C. Olhanense, Portimonense S.C.)
which play in the first, second and third lay tiers of professional
football. S.C.
Farense is the most successful football club in the Algarve and play
in the Campeonato
de Portugal.
Team Tavira is a
noted Portuguese cycling team. The major stadium in the Algarve is the Estádio Algarve, where SC Farense
and Louletano D.C. play
their home matches.
The
region is also host to the annual Algarve Cup, an
invitational tournament for national teams in women's
association football, usually played in February-March.
The Algarve
International Circuit, a 4.692 kilometres (2.915 mi) race circuit, is
located in Portimão.
Culture
The
Algarve is famous for its pottery and ceramics, particularly hand-painted
pottery and azulejos, which are painted, tin-glazed ceramic tiles. There are numerous
ceramics and pottery outlets throughout the Algarve. For working potteries and
ceramics workshops the main, or best-known, pottery centers are located in the
towns of Almancil, Porches and Loulé, but there are many
other potteries and workshops in the Algarve region. Corridinho is the
traditional dance of the Portuguese southernmost region - Algarve