Sport
One sport on departure, all of them on arrival
There is more to sport in the Algarve than just golf. It’s true that the region provides the best possible conditions for golfers to play their game, but that’s also true of many other sports.
This is confirmed by the great football teams who regularly come to stay and the drivers who race on the Algarve racetrack at over 300 km per hour. It’s also confirmed by all the surfers, with schools for beginners and spots for the more experienced, skydivers, who drop from our skies all year round, and kite-surfers, who take advantage of the gusty nortada wind blowing through the Serra de Monchique or the breeze along the Alvor estuary. The water provides excellent conditions for a variety of sports and every dive reveals a wealth of species, making a Jacques Cousteau of every beginner.
If you prefer, you can stay on the surface, sunbathe or enjoy the tennis or athletics in sports complexes along the seashore, or walk or cycle through the Algarvian mountains.
One thing is certain: the Algarve will never run out of secrets, neither on the green nor in the blueness of the sea.
Hi, my name is Martin Edwards and I’m from the Algarve. Before I settled in the Algarve, I lived in various countries, including Australia, where I was born. You must be wondering what I’m doing here and I don’t have a short answer to that. Whenever I can, I go down to the Vilamoura marina, set sail in my Bénéteau, a 15-metre sailing boat, and go fishing for blue swordfish, the ultimate sport fisherman’s catch. The truth is that I came here because of several secrets: the best climate in the world, crystal-clear waters, the variety of sea life, unspoilt beaches with rocks, caves or white sand, and all of this without any sharks to trouble fishermen, surfers or bathers. Yes, I know, now they’re no longer secrets.
Martin Edwards – Big Game Fisherman
Algarve. Europe’s most famous secret
You have probably heard about the Algarve. A friend may have told you about one of its magnificent beaches, maybe you’ve seen a report about its cuisine or perhaps you’ve picked up a brochure before. But there is an Algarve that you haven’t seen, tasted or explored before: it’s the Algarve that the local people know and love.
For almost three thousand years Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Greeks, Romans, Goths, Maghrebins and Mauritanians did what you do – they passed through the Algarve. Until, in 1249, the Al-Gharb (“the West”) was finally taken from the Islamic world by Sancho II, who took the title of King of Portugal and the Algarve.
Since then, the pride shared by the inhabitants of the Algarve has compelled them to reveal their region’s greatest secrets to visitors – about their favorite beaches, hidden hamlets, natural walks and even recommending the best restaurants.