What are the best things to do in and around Algarve?

Golf is definitely one of the best things to do in Algarve. Sun and sand is great in Algarve so spending time on the beach is another best thing to do here. Water sports and other related activities such as sailing, surfing on the west coast, fishing, canoeing in rivers are fantastic activities do to in Algarve. Rambling and walking are also popular in the Algarve.

 

We have fantastic coastal walks and we have an inland walk called the Via Algarviana, which...

Golf is definitely one of the best things to do in Algarve. Sun and sand is great in Algarve so spending time on the beach is another best thing to do here. Water sports and other related activities such as sailing, surfing on the west coast, fishing, canoeing in rivers are fantastic activities do to in Algarve. Rambling and walking are also popular in the Algarve.

 

We have fantastic coastal walks and we have an inland walk called the Via Algarviana, which is fantastic for seeing the interior beaches of the Algarve, either on foot or on a bicycle. Anything related to the outdoor, sports, nature, and wellness is absolutely superb in Algarve. 

 

Then we have gastronomy. Gastronomy is probably one of the best things to do anywhere in Portugal, but here in Algarve, there are fantastic restaurants, great seafood, wonderful fish, etc. so eating out is a part of the culture of people who move to the region of the Algarve and a major part of the culture of the people who are locals.

 

We also have an immense amount of cultural activity that goes on all year round.  Even in the winter, when most people think the cultural activities have shut down, we have the ballet, jazz, local orchestras and international orchestras that play, and we have performing arts of different kinds. A lot of people are not aware that this goes on. There is a lot of cultural activity here in Algarve but you need to know where to find them. This surprises most people because they do not expect that a destination such as the Algarve, which is known for sea, sand, and golf, has as much of a variety on the cultural front.

 

We had a guest, who was staying at one of our locations near the city of Portimão, although she was on the Lagoa, municipal side. A ballet came for several performances at the Images for Pavilhao Do Arade, which is a very big, modern, exhibition and performance venue just off the River Arade. Our guest was so amazed. She said, “To do this in London, I would have had to go into London, and book a hotel for a night. I would then have had to catch a taxi to the West End, have dinner at the West End, see the show, go back to the hotel, and go out. The cost to do this would easily be £200 (about US $300).”

 

And she said, “I walked over to the venue, and to be fair, it is in a fairly industrial area but I felt completely safe. I walked over from my hotel to the venue, saw the show, and walked back to the hotel at 11:30 PM.  It was very safe.  I had my dinner in the local restaurant before.  The show cost me about €24 ($27 or £18), and the dinner cost me €8 ($9 or £6), so for around €32 ($35 or £23), I saw a world class performance that was convenient, safe, and very inexpensive.” It’s that type of thing that exists in the Algarve if you know where to look.

 

(Map of the Via Algarviana, Algarve, Portugal pictured.)