Lagoa City County Algarve Portugal History Heritage Architecture Monuments Culture Traditions Beaches RoadMap

Share |

Algarve Tour Travel Guide, information and photos of National Monuments, Historical Sites, Architecture of Portugal and Museums to visit in the Algarve, when in Quarteira, Querença, Vilamoura, Quinta do Lago, Vale do Lobo, Faro, Portimão and Loulé
Algarve's Tourist Guide - Architecture, Monuments and History of the Algarve
Lagoa, Algarve, Portugal Monumental Roadmap

Lagoa City and County

Lagoa is a Portuguese city of Algarve, Faro District, with about 6 100 inhabitants.
It is home to a small municipality with 88.50 km ² and 23 835 inhabitants (2006), divided into 6 parishes.
The municipality is bordered to the northeast by the municipality of Silves, Portimão is on the west, and by the Atlantic Ocean at south.

• History

Long before the reported achievements of the knight templar Dom Paio Peres Correia (1242-1246) the land of Lagoa have been conquered from the Arabs and consequently integrated into the kingdom of Portugal, being attached to the end of Silves.
On January 16, 1773 by a charter of the king El Rey Dom Jose was established the Lagoa County, having been elevated to town status after its principal settlement - Lagoa.
According to historical sources the original settlement of Lagoa born around a pond, where swamps have been dried in order to create fertile land and homes where people of the Muslim empire eventually settled.

The natural resources of the region contributed greatly to the current economic structure based on the following activities: agriculture, fishing, small industry and tourism.
The fishing activity (communities of Ferragudo, Benagil, Carvoeiro and Senhora da Rocha), the cultivation of vines and traditional culture were rainfed until a few decades ago, the main sources of revenue of the municipality.

Driven by fishing, canning, early last century, devastated these stops bringing great prosperity and wealth.
However, from the 60s, tourism was the main driver of the county, creating the structures necessary for the growth of the economy, with important consequences in the labor market, particularly in terms of creation of work.

This activity quickly established itself as a motor of the local economy, the great lever of development, becoming a permanent and structural nature of the county's economy.
Along with tourism, has grown a whole range of activities, especially in services, construction, commerce and industry.

• Lagoa Today

Lagoa is now as a tourist area of the Algarve.

There are several factors contributing to this recognition, particularly the variety of offerings (the beauty of its beaches - backed by magnificent hotels, golf courses, cultural heritage), the correct land use in terms of planning, the social stability and the friendliness of its people.

With a renewed cultural view, advocated by tourism, lagoon embracing several ancestral techniques, linked to pottery, to desserts, with the aim of maximizing the value and as a component of the tourism product.

As proof of this promotion is a great craft show, held annually at Exhibition Park Pond - FATACIL.

Some heritage buildings have been the target of initiatives to make them living spaces of culture, including the Municipal Library and the Convent of St. Joseph - Cultural Center of the City of Laguna - which carries out performances of various kinds and origin, exhibitions among other activities.

Furthermore, it should be noted also, the many cultural activities take place at Parque Municipal das Fontes, in Estômbar, throughout the year, including theater, dance and traditional singing.

Over the past 15 years, Lake has one of the highest rates of economic development in all municipalities in the Algarve region.
Today is endowed with numerous facilities in health, education and education, sport, leisure and tourism.

• Parishes

The 6 villages of Lagoa are:

Praia do Carvoeiro
Estômbar
Ferragudo
Lagoa
Parchal
Porches
All parishes have the status of towns, except Lagoon, which has the status of a city.

• Beaches

Lagoa is a region rich in beaches.

It has beaches in visible growth, both infrastructure, both water quality and surrounding environment, now beginning to compete with the attractive beaches of Portimão and Albufeira.

From the beaches of this county, there are the following:

Praia de Albandeira (Albandeira beach)
Praia da Angrinha (Angrinha beach)
Praia do Barranco
Praia do Barranquinho beach
Praia de Benagil beach
Caneiros Beach
Praia do Carvalho
Carvoeiro beach
Praia da Cova Redonda
Praia de Ferragudo
Praia Grande Ferragudo (Ferragudo big beach)
Levante Beach
Praia da Marinha beach
Praia do Mato
Praia do Molhe beach
Praia Nova
Praia da Senhora da Rocha
Paia do Pintadinho
Praia dos Lupines
Praia do Vale de Centeanes (Centeanes Valley Beach)

Heritage

Igreja Matriz de Lagoa (Lagoa Mother Church)
Igreja Matriz de Estômbar (Estômbar Mother Church)
St. Joseph Convent
Convento de Nossa Senhora do Carmo
Fort St. John Arade

Natural Curiosities

Algar Seco Grottos
Sítio das Fontes

Castro Marim Town County Algarve Portugal History Heritage Architecture Monuments Culture Traditions Beaches RoadMap

Share |

Algarve Tour Travel Guide, information and photos of National Monuments, Historical Sites, Architecture of Portugal and Museums to visit in the Algarve, when in Quarteira, Querença, Vilamoura, Quinta do Lago, Vale do Lobo, Faro, Portimão and Loulé
Algarve's Tourist Guide - Architecture, Monuments and History of the Algarve
Castro Marim, Portugal Monumental Roadmap

Castro Marim Town and County

Castro Marim is a Portuguese town belonging to the district of Faro, the Algarve region and subregion, with about 3 000 inhabitants.
It is the seat of a municipality with 299.83 km ² in area and 6 493 people (2006) [1] divided into 4 districts.

The municipality is bordered to the north and west by the Municipality of Alcoutim, east by Spain, south by Vila Real de Santo António (mainland) and the Atlantic Ocean, southwest by the parish of Vila Nova de Cacela (Vila Real de Santo António ) and west by Tavira.
The county charter was granted in 1277.
It was the seat of the Order of Christ between 1319 and 1356, the only period in which this order (created from the Portuguese Templars) was not based in Tomar.

The castle of Castro Marim was founded by the Templars, after the extinction of the Order, became one of the headquarters of the Order of Christ in Portugal.

Heritage in the county

Castelo de Castro Marim
St. Anthony's Church - with an altar evoking the saint's miracles Forte de São Sebastião - an important seventeenth-century fortress Church of St. Sebastian - with seventeenth-century altarpieces and tempera paintings of the eighteenth century
Church of Our Lady of Martyrs - Although dating of the eighteenth century has a picture of the Archangel Gabriel of the fifteenth century.
Has an interesting dome.

The parishes of Castro Marim are:
Altura
Azinhal
Castro Marim
Odeleite

The beaches in Castro Marim are:
Praia Verde (Castro Marim
Beach Head - Retur
Beach Alagoa

Portimão City County Algarve Portugal History Heritage Architecture Monuments Culture Traditions Beaches Sports RoadMap

Share |

Algarve Tour Travel Guide, information and photos of National Monuments, Historical Sites, Architecture of Portugal and Museums to visit in the Algarve, when in Quarteira, Querença, Vilamoura, Quinta do Lago, Vale do Lobo, Faro, Portimão and Loulé
Algarve's Tourist Guide - Architecture, Monuments and History of the Algarve
Portimão, Portugal Monumental Roadmap

Portimao City and County

Portimao is a Portuguese town in the district of Faro, the Algarve region and subregion, with about 36 000 residents (2001). The center is located about 2 km from the sea and is a major center for fishing and tourism.

It is the seat of a municipality with 182 08 km ² and 49 881 inhabitants (2008), divided into 3 parishes. The municipality is bordered to the north by the Municipality of Monchique, Silves and the east by Lake, west of Lagos and the south coast is the Atlantic ocean.

Parishes of the municipality

• Alvor Parish
• Mexilhoeira Grande Parish
• Portimão Parish

Portimão History

Archaeological remains show the human presence in the area since the Neolithic.
Alcalar zone is an important Neolithic burial ground, which remains the "monument No. 7" composed of a chamber of circular plates of shale that is accessed by a corridor, like similar monuments scattered all over West Europe, especially the monuments found in Ireland.

The floor is of limestone shale and sandstone.
The vault, with two lateral niches rituals, was topped by two slabs, and protected by a mound.
Near Alcalar there is another cemetery in Monte Canelas.

Roman Times

The most striking vestige still exists, is located near the village of Figueira in the area of Abicada at the confluence of two rivers, where you can find a Roman archaeological site with several rooms.
Also in the area of Coca Wonderland was discovered a cistern that period, which is presented in excellent condition.
Arade were found in various archaeological finds, including gold coins.
Belinho Castle

Fifteenth century

The height of King Dom Afonso III is a charter that says the site of Portimão. Under King Afonso V at the request of 40 residents, born St Lourenço da Barrosa that result in the Vila Nova de Portimão.

Twentieth Century

Portimão at the beginning of the century due to its industrial development has become one of the great bastions of working-class struggle, and Joseph Buísel (anarcho-syndicalist) one of its top leaders.
In 1924, two events of special importance, namely 11 December, when the "new town" is a city by the then President of Manuel Teixeira Gomes and founding the first Christian Community Assembly of God in Portugal, through missionary José de Matos, also responsible for the founding of other churches of the same name in the Algarve, in Santarém and Alcanhões.

After the peak and decline of the canning industry in the 50 to 70, chose a development model, similar to the Algarve, the tourist center, featuring a wide selection of hotels, restaurants and local shops.

Became popular holiday destination mainly due to the famous Praia da Rocha and is also considered a city with great potential for lovers of big game fishing (eg, swordfish) and other water sports like jet skiing, sailing, windsurfing, scuba diving or deep sea fishing.

Current Times

In recent years, the river mouth Arad has been the scene of major events. It is also the place of proof Portuguese League international Formula 1 powerboat racing. Portimão is today a municipality in the Algarve. Pole anchor the western Algarve is distinguished for its tourism, its pulse and dynamism, very own, and a variety of activities that make your day-to-day life is lived, at various levels, so intense and marked by a rhythm that is maintained throughout the year.

Portimão because of its large tourism development, is today a city, like others in this region (eg, Quarteira, Armação de Pêra) characterized by its chaotic urban landscape.

Today you can access Portimão from anywhere in the country.

The city is served by modern, well equipped accessibility, whether by car, plane, train and boat.
Faro International Airport 63 km
Municipal Aerodrome Portimão Buses with National and International
Railway Station (Line Algarve)
Cruise Port
Marina de Portimão
Key Distances
Alvor: 4 km
Airfield Hall: 6 km
Mexilhoeira Grande: 9 km
Praia da Rocha: 2 km
Faro International Airport: 63 km
Algarve Stadium: 57 km
Lisbon: 297 km
Querença Typical Village 63 km

Places of Interest in Portimão

• Inside Portimão Parish

Bivar palace - built in the last decade of the eighteenth century.Neoclassical style with baroque.
Current City Hall. Sárrea Garfias - Palace of the neoclassical style, with baroque, built in the late eighteenth century. On December 11, 2008 was opened in space formerly occupied by the palace, the TEMPO (Teatro Municipal de Portimão), a modern building with respect to a large extent the facade of the old building.

Largo December 1 - Garden with fountain and benches in tile panels depicting scenes from the history of Portugal.

Casa Manuel Teixeira Gomes - Where was Manuel Teixeira Gomes, President of the Republic who signed in 1924, the ordinance that raised the Portimão city.

Praça Manuel Teixeira Gomes - As in the early twentieth century, this square continues to be the meeting point of the people of Portimão.

Santa Isabel Street, Father Philip, Júdice Fialho, Serpa Pinto - nineteenth century buildings with architectural elements sixteenth century.

Jardim Visconde Bivar - 1905.
One of the oldest gardens in Portimao.

Former fish market in Portimão

Bridge Road (Old Bridge) - Opened in April 1876.

Railway Bridge - 1922

Largo da Barca - Site of the connection was made by boat, the two banks of the River Arade before construction of the bridge.
Chapel San Jose - Century XVII. Longitudinal nave and chancel rectangular.

Church of the Immaculate Conception - the fifteenth century.
Has one of the most beautiful late Gothic porticoes of the Algarve and an altarpiece in the chancel walnut wood thoroughly worked.

Jesuit College - an imposing building from the seventeenth century, with a facade with high walls and geometric trim at the main doors and pediment of undulating lines.

Ismat Building (former Industrial School) which was placed uncovered a cistern, probably from the seventeenth century.

Building Railway Station - Top 20s (century).
Red Cross building.
Marion Crane - 1947. Single copy in the Algarve engineering iron post World War II.

Museu de Portimão  - Old Factory Feu, 1902
Convento São Francisco - XVI Century

Viewpoint and Fortaleza de Santa Catarina - seventeenth century. Afforded protection from Vila Nova de Portimão from pirate attacks. Inside is the Chapel of Santa Catarina.
Overlooking the beach at Praia da Rocha, bar, marina and village of Ferragudo.
Miradouro dos Três Castelos - View of the beach at Praia da Rocha and the clipping of the cliffs on the beaches of the Three Castles and Vau

• Town of Alvor

Sculpture tribute to fisherman - Designed by the master John Cutileiro, inaugurated in 2000.
Antiga Lota (Old Fish Market)
Marabout of St John Morabito and St. Peter's - Architectural remains of Arab civilization.
Quadrangular architecure buildings, with four pinnacles at each corner and a cupola crowning the dome.
At present there are chapels dedicated to Christian worship.

Viewpoint of Alvor - View of the Ria de Alvor, the most important wetland in the western Algarve.
Alvor Castle - the castle rebuilt in the twelfth century, there are only four sections of wall.
Inside is a playground.
Abreu Palace - Restored in the early nineteenth century.
Inside, the walls are plaster with frescoes.
Chapel of Mercy of Alvor - Building of simple construction, with a door and a window with stone smooth and straight lines.
Ethnographic Museum - Playback aspects of the lives of people of Alvor over time.
Alvor Mother Church - the sixteenth century Composed of a body with three aisles and five altars in addition to the chancel.
The main portal is a magnificent example of the Manueline in the Algarve.

• Town of Mexilhoeira Grande

Church - Fifteenth Century
Church of Mercy - XVII Century
Pre-historic Alcalar - End of fourth and third millennia BC Visitors will be received at the interpretation center can visit the Monument No. 7. Roman Villa of Abicada - Century II to V AD One of its outstanding features are the polychrome mosaics of geometric motifs.
Autodromo Internacional do Algarve

• Portimão beaches

Praia da Rocha - Located in the city of Portimão, Praia da Rocha is one of the most popular beaches in the Algarve, with international fame.

Described as a series of sandy rocks accompanied with whimsical forms.
The bars that are on the beach have recently been refurbished giving a greater attraction for tourist visits.
Recently it is also a favorite place to perform many commemorative celebrations.
Three Castles - Beach sand with thinner, but with excellent water surrounded by rocks with great potential for underwater fishing

Praia do Vau - After the coast of the Three Castles closer, there is the Vau.

It is a smaller beach but quite cozy and family-oriented, surrounded by clay cliffs that are attributed medicinal qualities.

Praia João Arens beach- A small stretch of sand between cliffs of difficult access, very quiet and less crowded, surrounded by islets.
It is often sought after by lovers of naturism.

Praia do Alemão (German Beach) - Beach which is located next to John Arens.
It is a secluded beach, and is one of those chosen by Mário Soares for leisure, one of the reasons for his choice, the fact of owning a villa in the same place.

Prainha beach and Praia Três Irmãos beach - Situated in Alvor parish, these beaches are following the coastline, separated by rocks with tunnels dug by the sea.
Alvor - A long sandy beach out of sight to the estuary of the Ria de Alvor.

The presence of large hotel complexes and various equipment make this beach an important and popular international tourist center.

• Sports

Portimão is also a city much marked by sport.
It is here that take place in summer, the Beach Football Cup and Step Portuguese League European Beach Soccer.

Sometimes Cycling Tour of Portugal and was the scene of the Lisbon-Dakar Rally, which also tend to practice water sports like surfing and kite surfing and other action sports like BMX and Skate.

Portimão also has several sports clubs such as the Portimonense, Portinado or Bicross Club of Portimão.

Sport in Portimão was marked by the date November 2, 2008, because that day was inaugurated, officially, the Algarve International Circuit

Boliqueime Village Loulé Algarve Portugal Architecture Culture History Heritage Traditions Traveler RoadMap

Share |

Algarve Tour Travel Guide, information and photos of historical sites, traditional villages, architecture and heritage of Portugal, Algarve, near the municipality of Loulé, near Vilamoura, Quarteira, Quinta da Ombria, Querença, Quinta do Lago, Vale do Lobo and Faro

Algarve Tourist Guide - Historic sites, typical villages, architecture and heritage of the Algarve unknown
Loule Tourist Guide - Historic sites, typical villages, architecture and heritage of Loulé

Boliqueime is a Portuguese parish in the municipality of Loulé, with 41.46 km ² and a population of 4473 inhabitants (according to INE, Census 2001), with a population density of 107.9 persons per km ².

From the geographical point of view, nature has placed in the Algarve and endowed it with the richness of the landscape and soil. You are served by a good communication network and its own history honors.

Geographical description

Boliqueime is situated on the slopes of a small hill within sight of the sea and playing already, the crags. The headquarters of the parish consists of a cluster housing with some traditional houses, narrow streets with cozy corners. Boliqueime is a large rural parish which covers an area of 4139 ha, with about 5,000 inhabitants, spread over several sites that are dispersed clusters. It lies in the east-west line, on a large and beautiful horizon that has the bottom of the sea, a circumstance that has marked the name of one of their sites, they chose for it the name of Maritenda, which means precisely the which extends over the sea.
Extends inwards towards the south-north, unfolding in fertile plains and hills in graceful, some are already facing the mountains. The excellence of the landscape and more people are hosting their strong attraction for locals and foreigners from afar to visit and choose to residência.Os characterize the values of rural parish of Boliqueime, who lives mainly on rainfed agriculture and irrigation. And live, well, trade which is located near the urban center and the Fonte de Boliqueime, while extending along the E.N 125.

"Neighbor of the Sea," will be gone for the name, the Eyes of Water, according to advocates Ataíde Oliveira, a time when Genoese, Sicilians and Venetians, the centuries XIII, XIV and XV, went hard at work fishing the seas of the Algarve and there were supplied with drinking water. The "Old Boliqueime Village", a short walk from the village and former headquarters of the parish, was destroyed by the earthquake of 1755 that laid the ground the medieval temple of three naves. Already on the hillside and surrounded by the village itself, the current church was built soon in 1759 and dedicated to the martyr St. Sebastian. Relevant is the place they occupy, and there traditional piety of the people of Boliqueime, the altar and the beautiful image of Our Lady of Sorrows.

Boliqueime Traditions

Remain alive, there are some traditions, such as the fairs in August 4 and 17 October, the feast in honor of Our Lady of Sorrows, St. Louis and San Sebastian in September, the feast of San Faustino, on Easter Sunday. Of more recent tradition, there are celebrated in mid-June, the feast of St. John

Boliqueime Economy

Boliqueime begins to be provided with equipment has a significant social and associational life that reveals some momentum, with various local cultural, sporting and recreational activities, such as the Folk House of the People or Sports Group Boliqueime Boliqueime. Among other equipment undoubted public interest are highlighted: the Home for the Elderly with the Day Centre, the Nursery and Kindergarten; modern Integrated Primary School and the new Extension of Health Centre of Loulé, the Sports Pavilion and Recreation Society.

Boliqueime meet effectively the terms to allow harmonious growth.
Apart from agriculture and trade, tourism can also be an asset to the village of Boliqueime, rising against a background of privilege and the sight of the major tourist centers, which pose a challenge to its development. The national and local information, The Southern Courier, could serve to promote one of the most interesting villages of the Municipality.

Boliqueime Personalities

The want, knowing and being of its people will ensure the possibility of a promising growth, integrated. From the human point of view, keeps alive the values, skills and flavors that give expression to community life. Who are children of Boliqueime, among others, stand out in the field of politics, culture, ideas, among others, Anibal Cavaco Silva, Lidia Jorge, Aliete Galhoz, Carminda Cavaco and redheaded Brazão.
• Anibal Cavaco Silva, an economist and politician and, since 2006, the nineteenth President of Portugal • Lidia Jorge, writer