[ Alte, Benafim, Salir, Almeixial, Tôr, Querença,
Boliqueime, Loulé ( S.Sebastião e S.
Clemente), Quarteira, Almancil ]
Loule is situated 18 km ( 11m) north east of Faro. The weekly Saturday
morning is famous amongst the locals and holiday makers. The market has
excellent selection of fruit and vegetables, and fresh fish every day
, leatherware such as bags, belts and shoes, or embroided linen and tabelware,
are also to found.
Loulé is situated 18 km (11miles) north east of Faro. The Saturday
morning market is famous amongst the locals and holidaymakers. The market
has an excellent selection of fruit and vegetables, and fresh fish every
day. Leatherwear such as bags, belts and shoes, or embroided linen and
tableware, are also to found in abundance.
Loulé is a town where craftsmanship is still very active. You
will often see artisans working brass, copper or clay in and about the
streets of Loulé. Within the walls of the castle, originally from
Moorish times, you may find the local tourist office. The parish church,
São Clemente, has a mixture of styles, ranging from the Gothic
13th century to the later Manueline era. Opposite the church is a garden
called - "Garden of the Sulky ones".
Loulé has the advantage of hosting and supporting the biggest
and most flamboyant celebrations at Carnival time. Carnival, is 5 days
of celebration before Lent, (the 40-day fast before Easter) is derived
from carne vale - farewell to meat. This is the party of the year, and
you can expect dancing in the streets, floats, flower battles, and fancy
dress. Water and flour bombs are often aimed at friends, but seldom get
their targets.
In the region of Loulé we recommend that you visit some of the
typical villages of Alte, Salir and Querença.
There is not much to see in Salir,
except the remains of a once mighty
Moorish castle, where fragments of
the walls, provide panoramic views
over the countryside.
Almancil benefits from several tourism-related services, as it is situated in
an area boasting some exclusive private luxury developments, such as Quinta do
Lago, Vale do Lobo, Dunas Dourados, Vale do Garraõ and Pinheiros Altos.
Some of the finest restaurants in the Algarve are located within the area of
Almancil. Just east of the town centre, the São Lourenço church
is considered one of the best examples of Baroque art in the Algarve. Tiles from
1729 featured on the walls, ceiling vaults and cupola recount the life of St
Lawrence. Together, they form one of the most outstanding decorative ensembles
and earn the chapel a unique place in art history. Particularly worth of note
is the harmonious way the tiles fit in with the gilded carved woodwork of the
main altar.
Quinta do Lago is one of the most exclusive resort developments in the Algarve.
This highly prestigious estate of 2000 acres has maintained its low density building
policy. Villas and apartments are carefully constructed amongst the umbrella
pines and golf courses, creating a very private and exclusive ambience. Quality
shops, excellent restaurants, golf, tennis, riding, squash and water sports are
all on site. Quinta do Lago is home to three of the Algarve's top golf courses;
Quinta
do Lago,
São
Lorenzo and
Pinheiros
Altos. In the western most corner of the estate, the Ria Formosa Nature Reserve,
where migrating birds find a safe haven, and you may find a nature trail through
the estuaries, marshes and dunes that lie inland from the beach.
Vale do Lobo ("Valley of the Wolf") is also a luxury development on a site of
100 acres, situated to the west of Quinta do Lago, where the Moorish influence
is evident in the architecture. These villas and apartments have been built within
the now well-established landscaping of the estate. Many of the property owners
are not resident all year round, and their properties are managed and/or rented
out for holiday accommodation through the resort's administration or individual
management companies. Vale do Lobo is a fully functioning resort offering all
the basic necessities, from private emergency services, banks, shops and restaurants,
and the exclusive private sports and health club,
Barringtons.
Vale do Lobo also boasts superb sports facilities such as the Ocean course and
the newly renovated 18-hole Royal Golf Course, which forms part of the old 9
hole Yellow Course.
The central
point of Vilamoura is the
marina, around
which there are luxury hotels, apartments, restaurants,
a casino with nightly entertainment and a well-known
disco,
Blackjack. There are almost all
sports facilities available.
Near the marina, one can visit the ruins of a Roman villa with mosaics, baths
and fundaments of several buildings. There is also a small museum.
