Even from the airport at Faro, the Algarve region of Portugal's south unfolds like a visual poem, sitting at the base of the Iberian Peninsula as complete and austere as a Hemingway short story. Imagine a pastoral land of rolling hills, olive and orange groves, quiet coastlines and ancient towns - and that's the Algarve.
The blue-green waters of the mid-Atlantic nuzzle its shores. Africa, incidentally, is just a stone's throw away, and the clear waters between them teem with seafood. Long beaches stretch, nearly empty in winter, and the region is backwater enough to have missed the unsightly building boom (and subsequent bust) that characterised southern Spain during the last decade.
The Algarve, in short, has plenty of space to sit back with a glass of wine, or retreat into nature.
A region steeped in history
A short walk through Faro's Old Town makes you quickly aware that this is a timeworn place, full of picturesque churches and narrow, cobblestone streets that would challenge even a mid-sized Mercedes. Visitors have been coming here since before Plato's time.
The Phoenicians built their trading outposts around 1000BC, followed by waves of Carthaginians, Romans, Moors, until it joined the Kingdom of Portugal in the 13th century.
Most of the buildings standing today, however, date from the 1750s, following an earthquake that ransacked the region. Still, it's picturesque and romantic, and pleasant to lose yourself for hours in the winding streets.
Never mind that the ground floors of some venerable buildings now house Mango, Zara, or McDonald's.
One of the more startling elements of Faro's religious past is Capela dos Ossos, which literally means "Chapel of Bones". This sits behind the venerable Igreja do Carmo church in the central town. It's not easy to find, but the price of admission - ?1 ($1.90) per soul - more than covers the effort.
Standing in the twilight of that room, layered wall-to-ceiling with human bones and skulls, it's hard not to feel solemn.
Apparently, it was built with the remains of more that 1,200 monks from the church's cemetery. And yet, there's a gruesome beauty to its symmetry as well. Not without reason does the inscription above the wall translate as "Stop here and think of the fate that will befall you."
Desert Islands and bird-life galore
Another selling point of the Algarve is its proximity to nature, though in Faro you don't have to wade into the wilderness to find it.
Nature comes right to your doorstep, or at least to the local roof-top. Massive stork nests crown the top of every church, lamp post, and tiled rooftop. It's like something straight from a child's story-book.
Nesting storks are just the precursor to what you find on the wetlands of Ria Formosa just south of town. In winter, these tidal flats which swathe the coastline all the way to Spain become a haven for migratory birds. Many come to escape the cold of northern Europe and Asia, while others fly north from Africa, attracted by the rich marine life and safe nesting grounds.
Similarly, bird-watchers make their way to Faro to spot scarce or first-time species. Birds are "big business" here, from vast flocks of African flamingoes and egrets, to exotic white spoonbills and shorebirds.
Many boating companies will take you through the wetlands, though Animaris offers the best package. For ?20, you'll get a three-hour guided boat trip through the wetlands, and the option of an afternoon stroll on the dunes and scrublands of Ilha Deserta - an uninhabited island which also contains the southernmost point of Portugal.
Eating and drinking under the Algarve sun
In most major cities, Portuguese restaurants tend to get eclipsed by the sexier nuances of French, Italian, or Spanish fare. That's a pity, because it's a hearty, piquant cuisine - specialising in seafood. In the Algarve, most is caught in the clear local waters. Roasted sardines and monkfish are specialities, and don't miss the bacalhau - salted codfish usually mixed with cabbage, potatoes, and olive oil. The region is also known for its sheep cheese, its olives, and those inimitable, crispy bread-rolls.
Then there's the wine. Port wines (named for Portugal, of course) are a must-try. Ports tend to be sweet and heady, designed to be sipped as an after-dinner drink. For something lighter with your meal, try the Vinho Verde (literally "green wine") from the north of Portugal, or rosé wines in their distinctive round bottles.
For escaping workaday life or the chill of winter, there are few better remedies than southern Portugal. Sitting out under the warm Algarve sun, dining al fresco in some ancient city square and washing down your meal with sweet Portuguese rosé wine - it's just what the doctor ordered.
From TODAY, Travel - Thursday, 25-March-2010; find the source article here.
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