The Algarve is Portugal's southernmost region, and one of the most popular vacation destinations in Europe. Blessed with a superb coastline and some of the country's loveliest beaches, the province enjoys hot, dry summers and short, mild winters. Warm sea temperatures and gentle winds add to its allure. The main attractions are its beaches, with small rugged coves on the west coast, and large beaches on the east coast and the water is mostly warm throughout the year. But the region is also full of history marked by old bridges, charismatic churches, imponent castles and city walls.

The Algarve is a land of contrast, and there's plenty to see and do. More than fifty percent of all visitors to Portugal spend their holidays here. The popular and more developed central region offers lively coastal resorts, first-rate tourist amenities, and some of Portugal's best golf courses. Further east, a string of sandbar islands and lagoons form part of a beautiful and protected natural park, and a distinctly Spanish atmosphere pervades the border towns and villages. Over to the west, a very different Algarve beckons. Wilder and more remote, this is a place to escape the crowds and where surfers seek communion with a restless Atlantic Ocean.