The Algarve has a very long history - going back to Phoenicians, Carthaginians, and Romans. The name, though, comes from the Moorish period, and means “the west” as this south west bit was the western edge of the Moorish empire. The period lasted for five hundred years, from the 8th to the 13th century and its influence is seen in many Portuguese words and place names. The names beginning with al, Arabic for the, for example (so that in theory “the Algarve” is repetitive. Albufeira means the lagoon, a reference to the inland pools of sea water, with a more romantic translation being the sea castle.
In more recent times it’s grown from a fishing village to a major tourist centre, in good part down to its stunning beaches strung along the south coast. An advantage to being here in November is that they’re not overcrowded. A bit cool for swimming but still nice walking. And beautiful limestone cliffs and rock formations. The beach nearest us is one of two fronting the old town, Peneco Beach, adapted from a Portuguese word for stone. And its rock formation is quite impressive.
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