Algarve
|
United and diverse; this is the Algarve. A tourist destination comprising 16 municipalities, each with its own identity, charming scenery and special stories to share.
The Algarve’s geographical location confers special bioclimatic conditions on the region. The climate is temperate with Mediterranean characteristics. The sun shines for over 3,000 hours a year and the average annual rainfall is low.
The most important activity sector is the tertiary sector (commerce and services) due to the main economic activity - tourism. |
 |
The Accordion in Algarve
|
The accordion, a fundamental instrument for the Algarve’s traditional dances, first appeared in the region towards the end of the 19th century, and soon became popular, bringing added interest to local repertoires.
Players reinvented and combined melodies and rhythms of polkas and mazurkas to those of the old bailes de roda, giving rise to the rhythmic and harmonic richness of the Algarve’s folk music groups, whose dances incorporate influences from the various peoples whom they encountered over the years. |
 |
Castro Marim
|
The elegant outline of flamingos. The dusty gold of soft sand, the turquoise blue of warm
waters.
Vast ranges of hills covered in a bright carpet of wild flowers. The tranquil countryside along the banks of the Guadiana, lush with orchards and vegetable gardens.
These are just a few facets of a municipality that stretches from the sea to tile hinterland, with a river as its boundary. |
 |
|
Welcome to Portugal
 Portugal is a southern European country on the Iberian Peninsula, bordering Spain. Its location on the Atlantic Ocean has influenced many aspects of its culture: salt cod and grilled sardines are national dishes, the Algarve's beaches are a major destination and much of the nation’s architecture dates to the 1500s–1800s, when Portugal had a powerful maritime empire.
Portugal is famous for its beaches, food and Cristiano Ronaldo….but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Here are 10 things you may not have known about Portugal!
1. Portugal is one of the oldest countries in Europe with its borders pretty much unchanged since 1297. Portugal also had one of the longest running empires (from the capture of Ceuta in 1415 to the handover of Macau in 1999) and one of the largest, stretching from Brazil to China. The alliance between England and Portugal, ratified by the Treaty of Windsor in 1386 is the oldest alliance in the world still in force.
2. Portuguese is one of the most spoken languages in the world. It's spoken by the 10 million inhabitants of Portugal….and also by 230 million others all around the world. In fact, Portuguese is the official language of 9 countries and is the 6th most used language online.
3. Portugal accounts for about 50% of the worlds cork production. And the best cork in the world is from the Algarve. Portuguese cork is used by leading brands such as Moet Chandon and Rolls Royce, by Airbus and NASA. Portuguese cork has been used in the spacecraft used by the European Space Agency in its mission to mars.
4. The only place in Europe that you can interact with dolphins, swimming in the pool with these fabulous creatures is in Portugal – at Zoomarine park in the Algarve. The Dolphin Interaction programme gets you up close and personal with the dolphins. The marine park has a strong educational theme while also being a fabulous family day out. It's also a centre for the rescue and rehab of marine animals and recently helped return a leatherback turtle to the ocean after weeks of rehab.
5. The largest artificial underwater park in the world is in Portugal – or rather in the ocean just off the Algarve coast. The Ocean Revival Underwater Park has four decommissioned Portuguese navy ships nestling on the seabed, home to an ever evolving eco-system and major attraction for divers from all around the world.
6. The ATM system in Portugal, the Multibanco is one of the most advanced in the world. Long before online banking became the norm, you could do your banking, pay your bills and your taxes at your local Multibanco. Today there are over 60 operations possible via the ATM system, including buying concert tickets, donating to charities and topping up your phone credit.
7. In fact, Portugal totally kicks its traditional image by amazing innovation….the Green Lane toll pay system is a Portuguese invention, as is the pre-paid mobile phone card. And Portugal has experienced the fastest growth in innovation performance among EU member states in recent years. And in 2016, Lisbon became the home of the Web Summit. In 2018 Portugal was ranked as one of the 13 most innovative countries in the world by the CTA International Innovation Scorecard. Lisbon and Porto are hubs of innovation while the Algarve is also begining to attract interest with it's own tech hub and start-up ecosystems.
8. The oldest bookshop in the world is in Portugal. Bertrand in Lisbon has been doing business since 1732 and is the cornerstore of the Bertrand chain. The location of the original store underwent an enforced change due to the massive earthquake in 1755, but has been at Rua Garrett ever since. And one of the most beautiful bookstores is in Porto. Lello bookstore was voted the third most beautiful bookstore in the world and is said to have been the inspiration for Harry Potter's Hogwarts.
9. Portuguese shoes walk the world, and strut some of the biggest stages. Rihanna’s 2013 shoe collection for River Island was produced in Portugal. And Pippa Middleton, the famous royal sister, and her mother, both wore Portuguese made shoes for the royal wedding. A traditional industry that has moved with the times, the Portuguese footwear industry styles itself as the sexiest industry in Europe. Check out Pintta Shoes - an Algarve brand of handmade shoes with unique designs with an international market.
10. Some of the biggest and best waves in the world are to be found off the coast of Portugal, at Nazaré. Due to the topography and geography, it is not unusual for monster waves to batter the coastline here, attracting surfers from all over the world. Garrett McNamara rode the world record wave here - take a look at the video. Waves can get up to 100 feet! |
|
