PORTUGAL TOURS
ALGARVE
GEOGRAPHY
One of the eleven provinces in the south end of Portugal, known worldwide by its beautiful beaches. It is the province of balneal tourism, with a pleasant Mediterranean climate. Its coast, about 200 km long, is divided in 2 parts:
-From São Vicente cape to Quarteira is formed by an alternation of beaches and rocky segments, some high and sharp, lending the landscape a fantastic natural beauty.
-From Quarteira to the Spanish border is formed by flat sandy stretches.
HISTORY
It was inhabited by prehistoric people, Phoenicians, Ligurians, Greeks, Celts, Carthaginians, Romans, Goths and Arabs.
The Phoenicians, maritime people, had a great preponderance in Algarve.
The Celts arrived in the V century b. C.
The Romans arrived in the II century b. C., leaving important vestiges and in the V century the Barbarians arrived, namely the Goths that were here up to the VIII century, when the Arabs arrived. They called Al-Gharb to what is now the Algarve, which means the Occident. The Arabs left their strong imprints with five centuries of occupation in the Algarve, leaving their important vestiges, in several points, namely the architecture and urban landscape. All the small cities have a likeness with Arab countries - whitewashed houses and narrow, twisted streets. Silves was an important city with the Arabs.
In 1250, king Afonso III conquered the Algarve. It was from the Algarve that the first Portuguese navigators departed to their voyages, namely those from the school of navigation called Sagres, founded by the prince Henry.