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Algarve Travel Blogs

Background: Following its heyday as a world power during the 15th and 16th centuries, Portugal lost much of its wealth and status with the destruction of Lisbon in a 1755 earthquake, occupation during the Napoleonic Wars, and the independence in 1822 of Brazil as a colony. A 1910 revolution deposed the monarchy; for most of the next six decades, repressive governments ran the country. In 1974, a left-wing military coup installed broad democratic reforms. The following year, Portugal granted independence to all of its African colonies. Portugal is a founding member of NATO and entered the EC (now the EU) in 1986.

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By heidfaye
July 26th 2005

For the Love of Lagos

Europe » Portugal » Algarve » Lagos

Castle Port in Lagos
This is one of the oldest seaports on the Iberia Peninsula!

I was desperate for bleach white walls, fresh sun dried clothes hanging from taunt lines, outside windows decorated with red flowers. Welcome to Lagos, in fact, welcome to all of Europe along the Mediterranean coast. Lagos, a historic port, 3 hours from Seville, Spain is a combination of quaint fishing lifestyle and a booming tourist trap. I found my way to Lagos , Portugal, for some much deserved solitude. It has been a two and a half months since leaving the country I know and exploring the “open minded Europe”, and I had to recoporate from the previous two weeks.... [View Full Entry]

By Mysha
July 11th 2005

Sardines in Portugal....

Europe » Portugal » Algarve » Albufeira

Man & his herd

So me, Cutes, Vix, Dania, Renee & Heather went to Albufeira, Portugal where is was hot, beautiful and fun!!! I'd never been to Portugal before, but it nice to go to where Dania was from (well, she's from Lisbon)... and to eat nice fresh sardines everyday, and I mean everyday!!! Anyway we spent 25% of the time on the beach relaxing and soaking up the sun... We spent 40% at the clubs dancing the night away and having more fun... and the other 35% was spent going around town and doing safari's and sightseeing! The funniest thing on holiday was seeing [View Full Entry]

By 3000
June 27th 2005

The Algarve

Europe » Portugal » Algarve » Lagos

Well i have made it to southern Portugal. Its a lot more touristy down here, i mean its the beach and a nice one as well although very small. However the water is crystal blue..its amazing. I spent a night in Lisboa, the capital and largest city, but i hate to say it, its trash in my opinion. I got offered to buy drugs 3 times, and to some of you i guess thats 2 times too many. But i just didnt feel very safe there....oh and the hostel smelled like steamed cauliflower. [View Full Entry]

By Courts
April 14th 2005

Lagosed

Europe » Portugal » Algarve » Lagos

Well, originally I was only going to be here for 2 nights....really, I was. Then, I started hanging out at the beach, met a bunch of people, and next thing you know its 4 days later and I'm still here. I'm staying at this really great house that this woman from Lagos, Zelinda, owns. She's so friendly and helpful, it's great. There are a bunch of people from Canada here, and most of the Portuguese people speak English, so I've kinda been slacking with the real travel thing, but oh well. I've been eating lots of great Portuguese seafood dishes, and [View Full Entry]

By JeNeSuisPasLapin
October 19th 2004

Rainy Portugal

Europe » Portugal » Algarve » Tavira

Lagos, as I discovered Sunday, is a dreadful tourist-trap. The restaurants are chocked with elderly Brits and Germans and the shops are filled with touristy kitsch. It´s the kind of place I was actually embaressed to be walking around in. The beaches were nice, but the weather was overcast the whole time. At night it was a different story. I went out well after midnight on Saturday and Sunday with different groups of Aussis and Kiwis and even a couple locals and had a wonderful time both nights. Yesterday I woke up to drizzling rain (the first in 6 months in [View Full Entry]

By JeNeSuisPasLapin
October 16th 2004

Sintra and Lagos

Europe » Portugal » Algarve » Lagos

I´m in Lagos, a beach town in the Algarve. I just got here at 9 pm so I haven´t had a chance to explore yet, but supposedly it has Portugal´s finest beaches. Yesterday I did a day-trip with a Dutchman and a Frenchman to Sintra, a wonderful 18th century town with a hilltop pine-forest setting. We toured a bazaar palace that looked more like something from Disneyland than something that someone would actualy live in. The highlight was undoubtedly the handcarved wooden toilet in the royal bathroom. Later that night, in Lisbon, I went out with a whole group of Europeans [View Full Entry]

By celind
January 21st 1997

Pippa

Europe » Portugal » Algarve

What do you do when you have a weekend off on Costa del Sol and want to get away from it all...? Easy - you go to Portugal. A most spontaneous trip it is. Initiator Miguel - in close co-operation with me and my car - do actually not have to excert a lot of influence to convince the two Swedish guapas Ida and Ullis to come along. Off we go. Via Seville, where a friendly police officer escorts us out of town and points us in the right direction, the road to Algarve is wide open. Of course with the [View Full Entry]

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