| The 60 miles of coastline along the west of Portugal's | | | | crowd who use the city as base camp for surfing |
| Algarve region offer some of the continent's best | | | | trips. |
| bathing spots, with an amazing variety of beaches | | | | There's also culture to be found in Lagos' art galleries |
| for all kinds of holiday. Algarve's extensive coastline | | | | or open-air concerts beneath the city walls. The |
| brings other attractions for the Portugal holiday | | | | church of Santo Antonio is lined with intricate |
| maker - with all the amazing seafood on offer, it's no | | | | woodcarvings coated in gold leaf plundered from |
| surprise the Portuguese eat more fish than anyone | | | | Brazil. |
| else in Europe. | | | | Running south from Lagos is the Costa d'Oiro - the |
| The Brits have been taking cheap Algarve holidays | | | | golden coast - a string of sandy coves tucked among |
| since the 1970s, but some areas have escaped | | | | crumbling sandstone cliffs leading the saltwater caves |
| overdevelopment and are perfect for lazy beach | | | | and weird rock formations at the Ponta da Piedade |
| holidays and energetic surfing trips alike. Here are | | | | headland - the ideal place to watch the sun set on a |
| some of the best spots to lay out your beach towel | | | | romantic Algarve holiday. |
| and picnic basket on a cheap Algarve holiday. | | | | At the restored market hall in Lagos, the array of |
| Alvor beach, Algarve | | | | freshly caught seafood is dazzling, from tiny sardines |
| The town of Alvor was once a small fishing village. | | | | and baby squid to the great snakelike silver scabbard |
| These days it is still quieter than most of the cheap | | | | fish or torpedo-sized tuna. |
| Algarve holiday resorts, but offers a delightful | | | | Surfing spots |
| getaway for families or couples. | | | | Head to the west and the coast begins to get wilder. |
| Amongst the area's attractions are its vast | | | | The beach at Algarve's Martinhal resort, near the |
| uncrowded beach and great restaurants along the | | | | town of Sagres, rises to a mountainous sand dune |
| waterfront where freshly caught bream, bass and | | | | that is exposed to powerful winds, and this makes it |
| cuttlefish are fried on enormous barbecues. | | | | a challenging favourite for windsurfers. |
| A short walk over the dunes from Alvor is Meia | | | | North of Sagres, the coast has some of Europe's |
| Praia, a four-mile crescent of soft white sand curving | | | | best spots for surfing. The rugged, wind-swept |
| toward the city of Lagos. Meia Praia becomes a | | | | landscape here seems a world away from the gentle |
| boisterous family beach near the town where locals | | | | waters and almond and citrus groves that can be |
| take a rowboat ferry across the narrow Bensafrim | | | | found in the centre of the Algarve. |
| river to reach the sands. | | | | The beaches here are remote and undeveloped, but |
| Lagos | | | | are great for those hoping to ride the waves, or |
| Lagos has something of a swashbuckling air with its | | | | simply to get away from the crowds to soak up the |
| river mouth fortress and medieval walls. Its narrow | | | | sun and the sound of the surf on a more remote and |
| streets fill up with Portugal holiday makers on | | | | empty Algarve beach. |
| summer nights and it has a youthful, barhopping | | | | |