Our mission is to reveal what life is really like inside the Algarve and Portugal, as a foreigner living in the country. We want to help you to transition seamlessly and effortlessly into a normal, productive and integrated life in Portugal.
If you’re looking to relocate and would like some help, start here and subscribe to my FREE 14 day email series.
About the Algarve
The Algarve region is the southernmost province of Portugal stretching the entire width of the country in a block 150km wide by about 50km high giving it a total area of almost 5,000 km2. It truly is a fascinating area filled with great hotels, unbelievable beaches and the most stunning cliffs, coves and caves.
Why would you want to visit the Algarve?
Here are a few reasons to enjoy some time out in one of Europe’s most beautiful little hideaways:
- Weather. It’s incredible, it really is. I have lived here since 2000 and it constantly amazes me how good the weather is in the Algarve. They say 300 days of sunshine and they’re right. Five months or more of summer. What could go wrong?
- Hotels. With over 500 hotels to choose from and 10,000 “Airbnb’s” you’re spoiled for choice; from camper-vans to six star suites; from yurts to bed and breakfasts. the Algarve will cater for your particular style of accommodation.
- Food and wine (not to mention Port!). Portuguese food is fresh and simple and you’ll come to love the ubiquitous seafood. Head inland for a bit and gorge yourself on meat specialties like wild boar and duck rice. A growing movement of nutritious, wholesome and sometimes vegan restaurants cater for the body conscious. The Algarve wine scene is bubbling up and competing with the classics of Portugal. We’ll definitely enjoy some great food and wine conversations.
- Golf is big here. 35 or so golf courses offer a varied and exciting challenge for all levels of golfers. Go on and putt into the forgiving greens of Benamor near Tavira or drive down the cliff top fairways at Vale do Lobo. To top it all off, every year the Portuguese Masters plays home to the Pro’s in Vilamoura.
- Beaches. There are about 130 golden sandy beaches spread out along the 200km of Algarve coastline. Head to the west for wild, rugged cliffs and isolated little havens of sand. The southern coast is calm and peaceful in summer with long sandy panoramas punctuated with rocky sections of cliffs, caves and coves. We’ll find some beach bums to chat to about the Algarvian beaches and their massive differences.
- Surfing. Ever since Garret McNamara flew in from Hawaii and landed the world’s biggest wave in Nazaré, the Portuguese surf scene has been generating buzz world wide. No longer the preserve of the select few who picked out a couple of weeks a year to surf Portugal’s mythical waves, surf tourism is now big business. The Algarve has a ton of surf schools and even more surf spots which cater from the beginner to the advanced.
- Watersports. Other watersports have taken off hugely here and now you can hire almost any form of water vessel and practice your chosen pastime in the stunning surroundings of southern Portugal. Think stand up paddle boarding, windsurfing, kitesurfing, canoeing, kayaking, swimming, parasailing, jetskis and even some of the rarer and newer sports like flyboarding.
- Arts and crafts. Hunt out unique souvenirs in some of the artier sections of the Algarve. Porches is famed for it’s pottery and Lagos has a plethora of interesting places to buy jewelry, ceramic tiles, embroidery, baskets, paintings and leather.
- Countryside. For the more adventurous you can explore away from the typical (and slightly stereotyped) beach holiday, spending a day exploring inland in a multitude of ways:
- Hiking
- Biking
- Jeep safaris
- Motorized buggy trips
- Horse riding
- or just hire a car and cruise the back roads!
- History. Delve deep into Portugal’s history through Roman Ruins, old churches, chapels and cathedrals and the remains of Portugal’s Age of Discoveries. You’ll see elements of what made the country a world power in the 16th century.
- Nightlife. Naturally there is a pulsing night life in summer, but you’ll need to know where to go. Don’t just arrive in any Algarvian resort and expect world class clubs and bars, head down to Portimão (Praia da Rocha), Albufeira and Vilamoura for your fix of all things dark and sparkly.
- Budget. A great reason to visit the Algarve is that is great value for money. There are some really expensive spots but if you do your homework the normal places are probably way cheaper than back home.
- English! Yes most locals in the Algarve speak English. You’ll struggle a little further north in places like Lisbon and Porto but the Algarvians have been catering to tourists since the 70’s. It’s almost tough to learn Portuguese here as it’s so easy to speak English on a day to day basis.
- Safety. Portugal has recently been listed as the 7th safest country in the world by the Global Peace Index. How serene is that?
About Nick Robinson
Nick moved to the Algarve in the year 2000 from Cape Town in South Africa and opened up an internet development company. He has worked in web development, internet marketing and social media since then. In 2014 he pivoted and opened up Algarve SUP, a stand up paddle touring and adventure company and started a stand up paddle podcast called SUPfm. It went really well for 16 episodes until his business partner decided to focus on other projects.
Nick concentrated on the stand up paddle company but the podcast bug is back! Algarve Addicts was born in October 2017 and in 2020 morphed into a YouTube Channel. Help him to make it the best Algarve YouTube channel!
Thanks for reading and I’m always keen to hear from you with any suggestions, comments or critiques. Please use the contact form.
All the best,
Nick