The Algarve is blessed not only with the mildest of winters and most golden of summers, but also with a splendid array of monuments and museums.  These, together with the many remains to be seen along its rugged coastlilne, are continual reminders of the various peoples the Algarve has played host to over the centuries.  The memor of these peoples, their deeds and legends from long ago are no less fascinating for the visitors of today.

The first visitors to the region were probably the Phoenicians.  They arrived in the region around 1,000 BC and had soon established trading posts along the coast.  They were followed by the Carthaginians who were to found Portus Hannibalis (Portimão) around 550 BC.  The Romans came next, and their presence in the region is still clearly to be seen today.  Arriving in the Algarve in the second century BC, they spread through the Iberian Peninsula in the following century.

There are still towns which bear witness of their ancient origins and the successive civilizations who occupied them.  Once such town in Faro.  The 'capital' of the Algarve might well owe its name to a lighthouse (a 'farol' in Portuguese) which is a few kilometers from the ancient settlement of Ossónoba.

At the end of the 5th century, the Barbarians invaded Europe.  The Goths settled in the South.  Virtually a Christian people by then, they inhabited the Algarve until the beginnings of the Arab invasion in 711.  Due to this Muslim presence, place names changed once again: Tavira, an important business center, became Tabir.  Lagos, conquered by the Arabs in 716 was called Zawaia, and Faro was rebaptized Faraon, which means 'the settlement of the knights.'

Due to the Arab occupation, the region was called 'Al-Gharb' which means 'the country of the West.' From this period marvellous legends, on the fringes of history, have been kept alive in popular memory, passed down from generation to generation.  The famous 'Legend of the Almond Trees' is a fine example.

A Nordic princess, recently married to an Arab king and tormented by the desire to see her own snow covered lands once again, became seriously ill, bringing great sadness and pain to her husband.  We don't know whether this monarch was clever or not but we can assume he was, owing to the ingenious remedy he came up with.  He ordered thousands of almond trees to be planted. When they were in blossom, he ordered all the windows of the palace to be opened.  The princess, amazed at coming upon field after field of white flowers, believed the blossoms to be snow and was instantly cured.

Despite being driven out in the 12th century, the Arabs are remembered today in the region's name: the 'Al-Gharb' has been, since then, the Algarve.  The role played by the Algarve in the Portuguese discoveries is well know.  From the time Henry the Navigator established himself in Sagres, this role was fundamental.  Countless Algarve men, especially from the Lagos area, took part in the great maritime expeditions of the 15th century bringing wealth and fame not only to Portugal, but also the region itself.

Without a doubt, the Algarve is a region with its own distinctive flavor. This is no less true when it comes to cuisine.  Tourists will come to the Algarve expecting top quality fish and seafood: they won't be disappointed. Those with a sweet tooth are also going to be more than happy with the region has to offer.  King of Algarve cuisine is the tuna, served in a variety of mouth-watering styles.  Those visitors who prefer meat need have no worries with a number of roast pork and chicken dishes.  And when it comes to desserts, the Algarve has a richly deserved fame, with its rich harvest of almonds and figs each year.

The Algarve is just as famous for its wines: white, red and rosé, which have been exported since the time of the Arab occupation.  It is a demarcated region subdivided in four: Tavira, Lagoa, Lagos and Portimão.  These fruity, full-bodied wines are low in acid and quite strong.  Lagos produces its own delicious Moscatel, while the Lagoa region can also offer splendid aperitifs made from its own specially selected grapes.