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Portugal algarve holidays and travel; you will find one of the most fascinating coastal areas in Europe and perhaps the whole world. In ancient times it was a coveted area by many civilizations of seafarers and traders. There were Phoenician trading ports in the Algarve three thousand years ago, and the Carthaginians founded Portus Hanibalis, modern Portimão, in the sixth century BC. Today millions of turists visit the Algarve seeking; hotels, tours, golf, tennis, beaches, restaurants, sightseeing and real estate.
The Roman occupation of the Iberian Peninsula in the second century BC took in the Algarve, and there are important Roman remains in Lagos.
The Visigoths took the area in the fifth century, being expelled by the Moors in 716. It was the latter who named the region Al-Gharb , the country of the west, and they occupied it for longer than any other part of Portugal.
Alfonso III finally took the Algarve from the Moors in 1250 (so completing the reconquest of Portugal). In the fifteenth century, Henry the Navigator used the Algarve as the jumping-off point for the voyages of discovery which laid the foundations of the Portuguese Empire. He established an important school of navigation at Sagres, and made Lagos a ship-building centre.
But the Portuguese capital was in Lisbon, to which most of the colonial wealth went, and the Algarve entered a period of economic decline. The great earthquake of 1755 which destroyed much of Lisbon hit the Algarve hard as well, and the subsequent reconstruction left many of its towns with a distinctive, rationalist architectural style. Nothing would have such a sweeping effect on the region until the tourist boom of the nineteen sixties and seventies. 
Today, the Algarve's 200 kilometre stretch of southern shoreline is one of Europe's most popular holiday destinations. The region has attracted visitors since the time of the Phoenicians, but today it caters for millions of tourists a year with its stunning coastline, excellent golf courses and pleasant year round climate.
Bordered on two sides by the Atlantic, the Algarve is divided from the rest of Portugal by a series of low lying mountains. In the east, the Guadiana River forms a scenic border with neighbouring Spain.
The region's capital, Faro, is built around a charming harbour at the edge of a wide lagoon. Its main attractions include a maritime museum and a 13th century cathedral.
Along the coast to the east stands one of Europe's most luxurious resorts, Quinta do Lago, where visitors can play golf or explore the Ria Formosa Nature Reserve.
Equally famous is the resort town of Vilamoura located in the centre of the Algarve. The 1,600 hectare development comprises several high quality hotels, restaurants and an impressive range of sports facilities. Albufeira to the west is the region's largest holiday resort, alive with tourist activity right through the year.
The quieter Algarve begins at Lagos, home to a modern marina, a clutch of ancient churches and a long, sandy beach. West of Lagos towards the Atlantic coast are the pretty villages of Luz, Burgau and Salema, with narrow streets, whitewashed houses and an ancient fishing tradition.
It is at Sagres, the most south_westerly place in Europe, that the rugged beauty of the Algarve is found. The town is a monument to Prince Henry the Navigator, a national hero whose expertise in compiling maps and teaching navigation earned him a place in the history books. Founded on a dramatic promontory, the site of his fortress is now occupied by a castle and a huge compass made from pebbles.
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