ALGARVE :

What does the Algarve have.. Great beaches..yes.. Great food.. Yes.. Great weather.. Certainly.. But what it really has is variety !

Along the Algarve coast the tourism boom of the 80's saw small coastal villages grow to be modern resorts providing all the comfort and facilities which todays visitors expect.

The length of the south-facing coastline is approx. 155 kilometres and stretches about 52 kilometres to the north & on the west. At the widest point to the north, it is approximately 36 kilometres deep.

There is one international airport located close to Faro and this conveniently lies in the middle of the Algarve coastline.

There are about 100 sandy attractive beaches washed by the Atlantic Ocean and due to the maritime shelf and water currents the sea temperature can be surprisingly warm even in some winter months. A must is the busy yet stunning town of Albufeira. Located on the tip of Europe with the vast ocean of the Atlantic as its southern and western border, this enviable position gives this region possibly the most unpolluted climate in the European continent.

May and June is the time to see the raw beauty of the striking bare barks of stripped cork trees in contrast to the palette purple of the jacaranda. July is the time of cherries, strawberries and melons. August and September provide the picking of grapes, figs and almonds. November is for the gathering of chestnuts for the national festival of São Martinho. Whilst, in December it is time to start picking the famous sweet juicy Algarve oranges which continue through to March.