Info about Algarve

I'm thinking about spending some weeks in Algarve, Portugal.

I know that it's a place that can be very crowded, so I'm hoping if
there are some "algarve experts" that could advice some secret spots,
some "non tourist places"

Thanks

Alex Search

Alex Search wrote:
I'm thinking about spending some weeks in Algarve, Portugal.

I know that it's a place that can be very crowded, so I'm hoping if
there are some "algarve experts" that could advice some secret spots,
some "non tourist places"


I had a week in Lagos (pronounced Lagosh - not the one in Nigeria!) in
June and it was quite quiet. Also for such a large town, it's not very
commercialised; no large hotels on the seafront, no large nightclubs etc.

If not try any of the towns to the west of Lagos - Luz, Sagres (the most
south-westerly town in Europe) etc. All are much smaller and just as
un-commercialised.

Be careful of the European football championships which take place in
Portugal next year. IIRC one of the locations is Faro so that part of
the Algarve will be very busy at that time

I know that it's a place that can be very crowded, so I'm hoping if
there are some "algarve experts" that could advice some secret spots, some
"non tourist places"

It depends when you go, of course. In Spring all of the Algarve can be
enjoyable. It gets fuller around Easter Week, but it's not exactly jammed
then either. Albufeira, which is the height of summer throngs, is pretty
casual all the way through spring--and the accomodation prices reflect this
big time.

Rick Steves continutes to recommend Salema as a remote, still rustic
hideaway:
http://www.ricksteves.com/news/0106/beach.htm

We have friends from Lisbon who, even in the height of summer, say that they
like to stay out toward the eastern coast of the Algarve (between Tavira and
Castro Marim) where they say there are still long expanses of beach, where
they can walk for hours and feel in absolute solitude.

And, of course, inland towns are a lot less touristed than the coastal
resorts.

The Eastern Algarve (in spite of Lagos be on the west side), is always
quiet. The tourist use to go to the same overcrowded places Vilamoura
or Albufeira.

You can get here a list of interesting places in the "quiet zone":

www.laranjatours.com