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THE ALGARVE
Due to the importance of its position on the
world map this province has been invaded and fought over by the
Phoenicians, Romans and Moors. Closely associated with the sea
throughout its history this was the base of the famous Henry the
Navigator who, from the point at Sagres organized the successful
15th Century exploration of the New World.
The Algarve has been inhabited for thousands of years but the first
developed society was probably the Phoenicians in 1.100 BC and then
followed by the Tartessus tribe to about 600 BC. In the same century
there is also evidence of a tribe by the name of "Conii" being found
around the area of Vila Real de Santo António followed by another
tribe named "Turduli" in the same area in 400 BC. In between these
two tribes the whole area had been inhabited by a wave of Celts.
Another tribe from this same period was the "Cynetes".
Somewhere around 235 BC the Romans moved up from their base in Cadiz
to occupy the Algarve and were eventually removed by the invading
Visigoths in about 410 AD. here they were to stay until 711 when the
Omayyads from North Africa took possession of the southern Iberian
Peninsular. The Moors were to stay in possession of the Algarve
until 1185 when Sancho I and his Christian army briefly captured
most towns with Silves holding out to 1189. However, by 1191 the
Moors had these same towns back in their possession. Finally, King
Sancho II and his Christian army helped by Crusaders retook the
Algarve in 1236. The first time that the Algarve was referred to as
a part of the Kingdom was when Afonso III was crowned in 1249 he
took the title of "King of Portugal and all Algarve". However, it
was not until 1272 that Afonso III eventually took Faro which was
the last stronghold of the Moors in the Algarve.
The King of Castile did not at first accept Afonso III's claim to
the Algarve and it was only in 1267 at the Treaty of Badajoz that
this situation was temporarily resolved. The situation was again
settled in 1297 at the Treaty of Alcañices when the actual
boundaries between the two countries was agreed. The Algarve
inhabitants remained for nearly 300 hundred years without any
further change in their rulers but subject to raids from pirates.
This situation changed when the throne of Portugal fell vacant in
1580 and the nearest relative in line was King Felipe II of Spain
who soon crowned himself as King of Portugal.
Shortly after this the Algarve fell prone to attacks from passing
English vessels. In 1596 the Earl of Essex invaded Faro and removed
amongst other things the historic library belonging to the Bishop of
Faro. Francis Drake failed in his attack on Lagos in 1597 so he
landed in Sagres and destroyed the house in which Henry the
Navigator had lived.
In 1640 the Portuguese decided to rid themselves of their disliked
absent ruler and successfully reclaimed their Kingdom placing João
IV, (Duque de Bragança), on their throne.
The Algarve nearly became a separate Kingdom when the ambitious
prime minister of Carlos IV of Spain, Manuel Godoy, was involved in
the Treaty of Fontainebleau in 1807. In the agreement between
Emperor Napoleon and Carlos IV it was agreed that Portugal would be
carved into areas to be governed by France and Spain, Manuel Godoy
to assume the Algarve. However, the Wars that followed between
Portugal supported by England and Spain and France proved a failure
for Napoleon and his plans.
The Algarve was also to play a part in the problems once more caused
by the claims to the throne of Portugal in 1822. Two royal brothers,
Pedro and Miguel, warred against each other with liberal minded
Pedro winning against the hardliner Miguel. The Algarve towns, as in
most of the country, were at the time divided in their support and
from Estombar appeared a Miguel supporter named "Remexido" with a
strong band of followers. His support for Miguel was brutally
applied to his enemies and extending especially to robbery. In 1833
Pedro had to send some 2.500 men to the Algarve to successfully
capture this elusive and troublesome bandit.
The Algarve is composed of 5.411 square
kilometres with approx. 420,000 (Year 2004) permanent inhabitants.
This figure can swell to over a million people at the height of the
summer. Its administrative centre is Faro controlling 16
Municipalities, who in turn govern a total of 77 Parishes.
The length of the south-facing coastline is approx. 155 kilometres
and stretches about 52 kilometres to the north on the west. At the
widest point to the north, it is approximately 36 kilometres deep.
Communication is mainly by road but there is single-track railway
line running from Lagos to Vila Real do Santo António that also
links to the line running to Lisbon and further north. The old
"EN125" main road runs along the whole coast and has now been
greatly replaced by the new almost parallel motorway "A22" (also
known as the Via do Infante). Starting at the border of Spain and
stretching west to Lagos. Close to Albufeira it joins with the main
motorway to Lisbon. This motorway will take the visitor from the
Spanish boarder at Vila Real de Santo António in the east to the
historic town of Lagos in the west in a little over one hour of
driving, thus now making the whole Algarve very easily accessible.
There is one international airport located close to Faro and this
conveniently lies in the middle of the Algarve coastline.
There are about 100 sandy attractive beaches washed by the Atlantic
Ocean and due to the maritime shelf and water currents the sea
temperature can be often be surprisingly warm even in some winter
months. Located on the tip of Europe with the vast ocean of the
Atlantic as its southern and western border, this enviable position
gives this region possibly the most unpolluted climate in the
European continent.
The interior from the coast greatly varies in its picturesque appeal
due to its variety of fauna, soil and contours. In January and
February the coast is painted white with almond blossom shading the
many varieties of wild orchids. In March, the heady perfume of
orange blossom mixes with the bloom of acacias. During the month of
April the bountiful wild flowers give cause to the delightful music
of the many colourful birds. May and June is the time to see the raw
beauty of the striking bare barks of stripped cork trees in contrast
to the palette purple of the jacaranda. July is the time of
cherries, strawberries and melons. August and September provide the
picking of grapes, figs and almonds. November is for the gathering
of chestnuts for the national festival of São Martinho. Whilst, in
December it is time to start picking the famous sweet juicy Algarve
oranges which continue through to March.
Away from the immediate coastal plain are the foothills leading up
to the highest point Foia (902 mts.) above the un-spoilt village of
Monchique. This mountain area is well known for the layers of Roman
terraces with granite stone walls that provide the stream of local
vegetables that can be found on sale in the local market. Also, from
this region comes the local brewed drink "Medronho" that is best
drunk in one of the many local taverns.
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algarve in pictures
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