The Algarve - The Dream Holiday Region

Gorgeous beaches, warm water and glorious sunshine year-round, Algarve is the dream holiday.

Situated on the extreme South of Portugal, this part of the territory was the last to be conquered from the Moors by the Portuguese king Dom Afonso III, in 1292. Traces of the Moorish presence are still seen in its unique terraces, chimneys and whitewashed houses.

However, the distance that was difficult to cover back in the 13th century is no longer an obstacle thanks to the modern highway and coastal road and Faro International Airport.

So why not visit this charming region, with its idyllic temperatures (average temperature in Winter of 14°C and 24°C - 57°F and 75°F - in Summer, rarely going below 12°C - 53°F- during winter and reaching as high as 28°C or 30°C - 82°F or 86° F - in July and August), which are ideal for playing golf and other sports.

The Eastern Algarve

The blue of the sea gives way to the pale gold of send, the calm waters of the Ria Formosa, the lush green of flat fields where the old scoop wheels that used to draw water up from the depths of the wells are still to be seen. In the background loom the rounded forms of the hill ranges of the interior. Between them and the coastal plain are gentle slopes covered with fig, almond, olive and carob trees, typical of the limestone soils of the Barrocal.

Before heading into the Barrocal and on towards the hilltops in the far distance, it is worth visiting the Torre de Ares to take in the panoramic views afforded by this former coastal watchtower. Take the time to walk around the triangle marked out by the shore and the pretty village of Santo Estêvão, with its white houses, interesting chimneys, bell-tower and church, the last of which is home to a number of 17th and 18th century statutes. All around, refreshed by the water, are fields of orange, loquat and other fruit trees, flourishing vegetable gardens and bright flowers. It is a place for quiet walks through an idyllic landscape, an opportunity to savour a few moments of tranquillity.

Further north, the land is given over to crops that can resist drier conditions. Birds sing among the branches of the trees. There are alluring spots along the banks of the Asseca creek, as well as a small waterfall at Moínhos da Rocha. The soils here are deep red, and the underlying limestone breaks the surface in places like a giant's bones. This is the Barrocal, a transitional Algarve linking the sea with the hills. It is home to the dwarf palm, which grows wild on its slopes and has been used for thousands of years to make useful implements ranging from brooms to baskets.

Now the traveller reaches the hills. These are at their most beautiful, their most authentic, when seen on foot or from the unmetalled tracks that link tiny hamlets of no more than a dozen or so houses with evocative names like Casa Queimada, Ríbeira das Umbrias and Catraia.

Cachopo, a large village in the hills, stands on the peak of a hill, proud of its whitewashed church, perched at the top of a flight of steps, and of its past. In days gone by it was a resort popular with visitors who came for its healthy airs and for the curative powers of the iron-rich waters that bubble from a nearby spring.Nearby, in the village of Mealha, stands the Pedras A1tas (High Stones) dolmen and, a little further on, in Alcarias Pedro Guerreiro, are the dolmens of Masmora and castelhana.