Reasons why the Algarve should be your next travelling destination

Last year I had to choose a sunny and interesting European destination, where I could relax, enjoy the warm weather and ideally learn something about a new culture. My options were either Madrid or the Algarve. After serious consideration, including the weather, the relaxation factor, the food available and the budget, I decided to pick the Algarve. But was this the right choice?

The Algarve is the southernmost region in Portugal. To me, the Algarve means a long stretch of golden sandy beaches, with dramatic cliffs and scalloped bays. Sounds pretty dreamy, right?

The Weather

As it turns out, the Algarve has amazing all year round climate. Temperatures can reach 30+ degrees C during the summer and not drop below freezing during winter. Some of my friends even visited during December and told me that it was still t-shirt weather during the day. Pretty impressive if you ask me. Since I wanted to go during June, I didn’t quite had the problem of packing winter clothes, but still, there are a couple of things worth considering. Although the weather is pretty spectacular in the Algarve, it has been known to rain quite a bit during the end of Spring. This didn’t used to be an issue ever before, but a few locals mentioned this as a result of the accelerated global warming. What I also noticed is that as long as the sun was out, it was scorching hot. I could wear a lightweight dress, lounge on the beach or sip cocktails by the pool. However, once the sun went down, the temperatures dropped…dramatically. I got comfortable by wearing long jeans and a light jacket.

Algarve Sand Dunes

The relaxation factor

You can’t really argue with that fact that a beach holiday is way better than a city break if relaxation if what you are after. I spent most of my morning walking on the beach, chilling in the sunshine, tanning and eating fantastic seafood. I had a couple of days of rain, where I sat by the pool reading an excellent book (The sixth Extinction – which I strongly recommend by the way). All in all, if you want to unwind and have a great week off, you should definitely visit the Algarve.

Algarve Cliff Beach

The Culture

The Algarve have a lot to offer. There are myriad of small villages dotted all across the region. People are super friendly and laid back, and you can spark a conversation with any local in a matter of seconds. People were keen to tell me their story and point me to the right direction. They were kind and honest and very open about their heritage. It’s natural to assume you can’t get as personal with someone who lives in a big city. Although I didn’t expected to gain as much cultural insight as I would have liked, it turns out the Algarve exceed my exceptions by far.

Portimao Algarve

The Food

When it comes to food you can’t beat the Algarve. I mean this! Dishes upon dishes of freshly cooked seafood at a very reasonable price. This is not the case in the Spanish capital, where although you can find many seafood-based dishes, the prices are less friendly. So what can you eat in the Algarve? I personally would recommend trying any octopus dish. Grilled octopus served with potatoes is one of my old time favorite dishes. On a day trip to Portimão, I also discovered (total chance) this incredible seafood restaurant called Marisqueira Carvi. I ended up coming back for more, because the service was perfect, the food was incredible and the prices were relatively low for the amount of food. I’m talking about 80 euros for two people sharing the most outrageous amount of seafood. Cocktails are expensive in the Algarve but the same as in Madeira or Lisbon, I found them to be more alcoholic, hence getting value for your money. Overall, the Algarve did not disappoint from a culinary point of view.

Seafood Algarve

The Budget

I managed to get 7 nights in a 4-star hotel in Algarve plus flights, for the same price which would have bought me only 4 nights plus flights in Madrid. After a bit of consideration, it seemed like the Algarve really ticked all the boxes. Food was always relatively cheap in the Algarve, the accommodation was epic and you can rent many villas and have private access to your own pool. Pretty awesome, right?

Flora Algarve

Having considered all of the above, I’m sure you won’t be surprised to know that I decided to go for the Algarve. It turned out to be an incredible destination which really stole my heart. I am now planning in returning next year in June. I loved the climate, the people, the food and the price tags. Of course, if you fly to Portugal from across the Atlantic, you probably won’t be getting the same great prices as when you fly from say, London. Nonetheless, I would definitely add the Algarve to your Euro trip and make it into a compulsory summer holiday.

Tell me why you would want to go to the Algarve and when? Please leave your answer in the comments section below.

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Cory from You Could Travel entering Senso-ji in Tokyo, Japan

Cory Varga – Cory is a published travel writer and award-winning photographer. She travels full time with her husband and is passionate about creating in-depth travel guides. Cory published her first book on Japanese customs and manners because she’s obsessed with everything Japan. She has visited hundreds of destinations and has lived in 7 different countries. Cory is multilingual and an alumna from The University of Manchester.

Comments

7 responses to “Reasons why the Algarve should be your next travelling destination”

  1. We’ve been coming to the Algarve for 4 years now, and just love it. The history, the weather, the countryside, the people and of course the food! It is incredible isn’t it.

    1. That’s exactly why we decided to move to the Algarve for a while. We simply can’t wait.

  2. Violeta Matei Avatar
    Violeta Matei

    I’ve spent one winter in Algarve, in Pera, a small village nearby Albufeira. We booked an apartment for two weeks, and three months later we were still there :). Everyone is welcoming, the food is delicious, and the beaches are nothing short of amazing. I’m sure you’ll love it!

  3. carlos Ferreira Avatar
    carlos Ferreira

    nice article — have you ever played golf ? The algarve is a great golf destination, voted many times the best in Europe and the best in the world.

  4. David Sanders Avatar
    David Sanders

    The Algarve is great except the public transport is poor. Waiting an hour or two for the next train or bus is common.

  5. Zsolt Benei Avatar
    Zsolt Benei

    Hi Cory, i realy liked your articles. We are considering to move to Algarve as well. I just not sure how is to live there for longer term. As you said it is different to visit for short period or live there for long or good. Have you eventually moved there?

    1. Hi Zsolt, how are you? We ended up living in the Algarve for about 3 months. We couldn’t find long term accommodation that fulfilled our needs. Also, we found that 3 months was not enough to find something as things can move very slowly in the Algarve. Also during the summer season, a lot of people prefer short term accommodation so it wasn’t the right time to start searching for rental either way. We recommend going offseason to start looking for a long term rental. Also, make sure you read your contract over and over to ensure you have rights and they won’t kick you out summer coming 🙂
      We wish you the very best of luck with the Algarve, it’s a beautiful place.

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