Life Overseas

The primary drivers that brought tourists to the Algarve coast of southern Portugal are still the main ingredients of anyone’s holiday there, those being great summer weather and soft,sandy beaches. But there are many regions of Europe that can offer similar climatic conditions and equally beautiful beaches. So what is it about the Algarve that brings people back time after time? Well the answer to that question is exactly the conundrum the tourist authorities in the area must be considering each and every year and up to now they seem to have worked out the answers because people still regard this region of southern Europe very highly.

Holiday resorts now need to consider their overall offering and not just rely on the traditional headliners like weather and beaches to bring in the crowds. Those other benefits can include all kinds of things such as controlled building schemes, attractive public areas, wide choices of restaurants and cafes and also a choice of cultural, historic and leisure-time attractions.

Holiday attractions may include things like theme parks, dedicated play areas for children and specialist water parks. The Algarve has an abundance of theme parks. Aqualand is one of the biggest water parks on the Algarve and is situated between Portimao and Albufeira near to the town of Alcantarilha. This vast complex features a full range of typical water park features such as a rapids ride, various swimming pools, a wave pool and a choice of water slides. The daily ticket allows visitors to stay in the park as long as they wish. There are other water parks on the Algarve including Slide and Splash near Lagoa, which has been in business for twenty years and Aquashow near Vilamoura where the 75 foot high water rollercoaster claims to be the biggest in Europe.

Zoomarine just 10 kilometers from Albufeira is one of the most visited holiday attractions on the Algarve. The zoo is home to dolphins, turtles, sharks, tropical fish and birds. Unlike many parks along the Algarve, Zoomarine is open all year round although the schedule of audience shows is quieter during the winter period.

As you would expect for a mature and well established holiday area, the Algarve has a huge selection of high quality hotels. Many of the original hotels that were built back in the 1970’s have subsequently been updated in order to compete with the newer, more modern additions that have been built in recent years. The Algarve was amongst the first holiday areas to introduce the concept of golf resorts, where villa-style accommodation was offered within the confines of a private golf course.

Several of these golf resorts are located in the area around Vilamoura and provide options for holidaymakers wishing to hire a villa, whilst at the same time having the benefits of shared services like swimming pools, cleaning services, restaurants and of course golfing options.

The whole coast along the Algarve is dotted with a range of beaches from Tavira in the east, through Quarteira and Vilamoura and on to the popular resorts of Santa Eulalia and Praia da Rocha. Two of the most beautiful bays that have wonderful beaches are at Albufeira and further along the coast between Alvor and Lagos.

Cultural events are also integral to the success of the Algarve. These range from traditional town fairs that have been taking place for many hundreds of years to newer events that have specially created to enhance the holiday experience for visitors to the area. Traditional events such as the annual carnival events in the period before Lent take place in many of the towns and villages along the coast, but are not devised just for tourists. Carnival celebrations take place all over Spain and Portugal and in the Algarve towns like Faro and Tavira. Loule is said to host the biggest of the annual carnivals and even levies a small admission fee to visitors. All of the carnival events in 2010 are set to take place on the weekend of 14th February. An example of one of the non traditionalevents is the Noche Blanco, an evening celebration of art and culture, when everyone dresses in white. (Similar events are also held in Madrid, Brussels and Valetta on Malta and are set to become popular in other cities across Europe). The Algarve also hosts a number of large-scale outdoor music events and now also promotes a series of international motor sport events at the recently-built international motor circuit near Portimao.