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The
Algarve, which is the most southerly region of mainland
Portugal, is and has, been categorised by most
Portuguese now and during it's long history, as not really part of Portugal.
This
view is not based on the past thirty years of promotion
as a holiday resort but over the last four or five
hundreds years. The
Algarve has been the most invaded
and disrupted area of the country throughout the entire
history of Portugal's inception.
Over the
years the Algarve has been invaded and domiciled by the
Romans, the Moors and more recently tourists. However
all have left a distinct mark on the countryside.
The
architecture of the Algarve is significantly different
from the rest of Portugal and the flat, terraced roofs
have become a tourist attraction in themselves.
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This
distinctive design is thanks to the Moorish influence,
whom dominated the region for over 300 years. The Moors
invaded the southern region of Portugal in the early
11th Century only leaving its shores after
they were forced out by natives, aided by Knights
Templars.
It is in
the past century however, which has shaped the Algarve
coastline the most dramatically. Since the birth of
package tourism, once small fishing villages have been
been turned into large holiday resorts with multi-storey
hotels and apartment blocks and a plethora of bars
offering refreshments. Swathes of countryside have been
given over to golf courses constructed to help boost the
regions' appeal to overseas visitors.
The
Algarve is a modestly sized region of Portugal,
stretching only 240 kilometres in width. Although not
one of the larger regions of Portugal, the Algarve is
however the most known, thanks to three decades of
promotion by the tourist board as a desirable location
to holiday and relocate.
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The Algarve is home to one international
airport, situated at
Faro, which has a variety
of low cost airlines vying for routes to the
country from all around the world. There are
plans to install a new international airport on
the Algarve, but like everything within
Portugal, this will take time to implement.
Despite it's popularity destination with every
age group, the Algarve has become more popular
with retirees looking to take it easier in their
twilight years in a more amenable climate
without compromising on quality of life. |
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