Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Then came the Visigoths and, in 711, the North African Moors. They stayed 500 years,
but later Christians obliterated what they could, leaving little trace of the era. Many place
names come from this time, easily recognised by the article 'al' (eg Albufeira, Aljezur,
Alcoutim). The Syrian Moors called the region in which they settled (east of Faro to
Seville, Spain) 'al-Gharb al-Andalus' (western Andalucía), later known as 'Algarve'.
Another Moorish legacy is the flat-roofed house, originally used to dry almonds, figs and
corn, and to escape the night heat.
Trade, particularly in nuts and dried fruit, boomed, and Silves was the mighty Moorish
capital, quite independent of the large Islamic emirate to the east.
The Reconquista (Christian reconquest) began in the early 12th century, with the
wealthy Algarve as the ultimate goal. Though Dom Sancho I captured Silves and territor-
ies to the west in 1189, the Moors returned. Only in the first half of the 13th century did
the Portuguese claw their way back for good.
Two centuries later the Algarve had its heyday. Prince Henry the Navigator chose the
appropriately end-of-the-earth Sagres as the base for his school of navigation, and had
ships built and staffed in Lagos for the 15th-century exploration of Africa and Asia - sea-
faring triumphs that turned Portugal into a major imperial power.
Dangers & Annoyances
This is Portugal's most touristed area, and petty theft is prevalent. Never leave valuables
unattended in the car or on the beach.
Swimmers beware of temperamental coast conditions, especially on the west coast, in-
cluding dangerous ocean currents, strong winds and sometimes fog. Check the coloured
flags: chequered means the beach is unsupervised, red means don't even dip your toe in as
it's currently unsafe to do so, yellow means paddle but don't swim, and green means it's
safe to swim. Blue is an international symbol that means the beach is smashing - safe,
clean, good facilities.
Cliff instability is a problem, especially heading westwards from Lagos. Erosion is on-
going and serious rock falls and smaller landslides do occur. Heed the signs at the beaches
and along the cliffs.
Getting Around
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