The beautiful Albufeira

Albufeira is an historic town with some nice streets with flourishing restaurants, bars, cafes and shops, located in the central Algarve region of Portugal. Once visiting the town of Albufeira it is easy to understand why it attracts so many  of visitors every year. The colored houses in the Albufeira marina, the beautiful sandy beaches and  the lively nightlife in São João are wonderful tourism attractions. In Albufeira you can find something for all kind of visitors, it is perfect for families, but also for couples, singles and actually people of all ages. It is also easy to visit the town because of its close distance to the Faro Airport.
The town has a long history and existed already in Roman times under the name Baltum. Then in the 8th century the city was taken by the Moors and called Al-buhera. Finally the city was taken from the Moors by the Knights of the Order of Santiago in the 13th century. The city used to have a castle dating back from Roman times, but like many others in the region it was destroyed by an earthquake in 1755.
Until the 1960s Albufeira was a small Portuguese fishing village. Then the arrival of tourism changed the town into a major holiday destination. At the moment there are more than 100 hotels to be found in Albufeira and also holiday rentals and bungalows are very popular with tourists in the area.
The nice thing of the Albufeira as well as many places in Portugal that it is a perfect tourism destination al year through. The streets especially fill up in the summer months, but also autumn and winter are very good seasons to visit. The climate is very soothing and the bars, restaurants and shops in the whole Algarve don’t close down.

Portugal, Golf Destination

Over the last three decades Portugal and especially the Algarve has been a growing golf destination. Because of the perfect climate and the amazing landscapes along the fabulous coastline the area has won great interest of golfers all over the world. The Algarve has numerous golf course and even more are being built. Take for example the magnificent golf course of Quinta Do Lago or Vale Do Lobo.
The last mentioned Vale Do Lobo has two outstanding and challenging golf courses. The Royal and the Ocean, which are based on original concepts by the legendary Sir Henry Cotton and later re-developed by the respected American golf architect Rocky Roquemore. Not for nothing that Vale do Lobo golf courses have been the host of the Portuguese Open already two times.
The main season for playing golf in Portugal is between late autumn and late spring. A lot of golfers from northern European countries come to Portugal, because the winters are mild and they can keep on playing on sunny days while at home the courses are unplayable. Although it is said to be almost always sunny in the southern parts of Portugal, be aware that it does rain from time to time.

The Algarve

The Algarve is located on the extreme South of Portugal, in between Spain, the Atlantic Ocean and Alentejo. Alentejo was the last part that was conquered from the Moors by the Portuguese king Dom Afonso III in 1292. There are still traces of Moorish presence to be seen in the whitewashed houses, the chimneys and the unique terraces.
Back in the 13th century it was an area which was quite difficult to reach because of the distance. With help of the modern highway, coastal road and Faro international airport it is much easier to reach, which makes the area more open for tourists. The Algarve is a very charming region and has really suiting temperatures whole year round, which make it a perfect environment for different kind of sports like golf or all kind of water sports.
The mountain ranges of Espinhaco de Cao, Monchique and Caldeirao in the northern part of Algarve protects the coast from strong winds. This area is very fertile and therefore brightly colored; there are orange groves, almond trees which are beautiful in blossom and fig trees. The south of the region is famous for the long stretch of amazing beaches, broken up by big red cliffs, and huge rocks.    
The region has been a growing tourism destination and has all kind of tourism facilities for all kind of tourists. People can find luxury hotels, rent a proper holiday bungalow, play golf on one of the famous golf courses like Vale Do Lobo, enjoy the nightlife of towns like Albufeira, eat the impressive Portuguese cuisine in one of the many restaurants or spent a day on the beach with the family.