Travel is an all year thing. Even if you’re celebrating the height of the holidays right now, there’s no reason that you can’t start thinking about traveling again. Most people seem to only think about travel at the last minute, which ends up slowing them down. The truth is that life is very short and there’s always something to look into. You would be a lot better off if you could look at all of your travel options ahead of time and then make plans.

Everyone has emailed us to tell us that we need to start talking about some offbeat places to travel. We decided to cover the Algarve region of Portugal in a different way, by giving you a bird’s eye view. Our next guides after that will cover some of the quaint places found within this region. Every traveler needs to find their own way of blazing a path in the host country that they go to. There’s nothing wrong with following our travel guides, but we’re firm believers that you need to make sure that each trip reflects your own personality. To do anything less than that would really not serve any good purpose at all. You are worth it, you know!

So let’s cover the region as a whole. As mentioned before, the Algarve is a region that actually is divided up into other regions.

You have Barlavento, which covers Lagos, Silves, Portimao, Lagoa, and Albuferia. There’s also Serra Algarvia, which covers Mochique and Caldeirao, and then you have Sotavento, which covers Faro, Loule, Sao Bras de Alportel, Olhao, Tavira, Vila Real de Santo Antonio, and much more.

Where you start your exploration just depends on you. Every region has its own list of activities and insights for you to explore.

This is a popular holiday destination, considering that most people speak some form of English at the resorts. Still, there are times of the year where you can go without all of the crowds and high prices. The high season is naturally going to be July/August. So if you planned a winter trip, you would make out very well. The weather is honestly not that bad in the Mediterranean. It might be a little rainy, but if you can handle that there’s a wide world of culture waiting for you.

If you go during the warmer months, you’re going to love swimming in crystal clear water. It’s something that really pulls people in. Frequent travelers of this region indicate that there are so many friendly faces waiting for them. Tourism is very popular here, and local residents have no problem being friendly and helpful to tourists that come here. It benefits everyone in the end, after all.

This area has a very rich history that cannot be ignored. Settlements and trading ports have been seen here since 1000 BC. The region is well known for rich deposits of copper, manganese, and iron. The area was discovered by Phoenicians who came from what is now modern day Syria, Israel, and Lebanon.
There are many Roman ruins that are still seen today throughout the region. After the Roman Empire collapsed, the Visigoths took control of the Algarve until the Moors invaded the area from Northern Africa. The Moors would hold their empire here for a time of five centuries. You can still find evidence of the Moors left behind in the form of pottery and chimney stacks. There are also Moorish castles in the area to look at.

This region is well known for the classic Mediterranean climate. You aren’t going to have to worry about not getting anywhere that’s going to be freezing cold. The region isn’t known for that at all. Still, you will want to travel anywhere between May – October. After October, it starts really getting too rainy and chilly to have an optimum experience.

To get into the Algarve, you will want to go by plane. There are plenty of international flights into Faro airport (FAO). There are also places in Faro to rent a car, including at the airport. In fact, this is the best spot to look into car hire at, due to selection. Look for static desks in the airport as well as throughout the entire terminal.

You also have your choice of going by bus, train, and even boat.

The public transportation options in this region aren’t the best. It’s recommended that you take a car unless you’re utterly against them. They aren’t too expensive, just 30 EUR for a day in a small car. Of course, the price would naturally climb in the event that you’re interested in something bigger or much more luxurious.

There are plenty of things to do in this region. It just depends on which city you’re heading to. If you want the fast paced nightclubs, you can find them. If you want to relax and go out to the beach every day you’re here, you can find that too. It’s a really laid back region that loves new tourists and doesn’t mind helping someone find something else.

Will this be your next summer getaway? Perhaps. When the time is right you’ll want to search for package deals to the Algarve. Many UK holiday operators offer them to their guests, so make sure that you keep checking things out!